Avatar’s new rock room, Studio G
Adding to studios A, B, C, D, E and R, Avatar Studios (New York City, www.avatarstudios.net) recently opened Studio G, a mid-priced tracking room located on the third floor of the 33,000-square-foot facility, located on the west side of Manhattan. The studio’s first major remodeling effort since 1998, Studio G was built by Vinny Sofia, carpenter of The Power Station Studios (former occupant of the Avatar building), and designed by Avatar chief engineer Roy Hendrickson.
The 400-square-foot control room is equipped with a modified SSL G+, ample outboard gear and Westlake BBSM-15 speakers, and was patterned after the historic Power Station room dimensions. “Tony Bongiovi had a great approach using good science, and the methodology has been refined over the years by various staff members of both The Power Station and Avatar,” says Avatar president Kirk Imamura. “Our clients get the benefit of the accumulated knowledge of these efforts. The rooms are truly living history of the passion that goes into recording.”
Avatar’s budget-conscious “rock ‘n’ roll room” was built with organic pine, giving it a “ski lodge” feel, and includes a 323-square-foot live room, making it suitable for tracking, overdubbing or mixing for either major or independent projects. “We wanted to create a room that addressed the realities of production budgets today, but still provide the greatest value to our clients,” Imamura says. “You only get to record once. You might as well record at a place where you can get better sound and better results.”
