Bearsville Sound Studios
P.O. Box 135
Bearsville, NY 12409
Tel.: 845/679-8900
Fax: 845/679-4284
www.bearsvillestudios.com
Email:claidlaw
@bearsvillestudios.com
Bearsville Studios has already become a legend in the audio industry.Of all its music recording facility contemporaries from the glory daysof rock ‘n’ roll, such as the great RCA and Decca studios,Media Sound and A&R, only Bearsville remains a robust and workingentity. It is very much an integral part of the multimedia landscapethat makes its home in New York. When Coca-Cola needed a barn recordingstudio to shoot an Atlanta gospel choir for a television commerciallast holiday season, it found exactly what it was looking for atBearsville. Lots of others have, too.
Its history alone merits Bearsville a place in the annals of themusic business. Founded in 1969 by the late Albert Grossman, manager ofThe Band, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Todd Rundgren, Paul Butterfield andmany other artists, Bearsville quickly became the hub of a music scenecentered around Woodstock, N.Y. Over the years, Bearsville’s threestudios and comfortable residential environment became home–oftenliterally–to recording artists of the highest stature, includingthe Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Phish, R.E.M., Jeff Buckley and ThePretenders, to enumerate just a handful of the hundreds who have soughtout this unique facility.
“The organic nature of this studio–the fact that it isliterally in the woods with a sort of resort/retreat vibe aboutit–contributes to its allure to so many great artists, producersand engineers over the years,” observes Chris Laidlaw, formerBearsville engineer, now studio manager. “It offers a great contrast tothe almost-maniacal pace of the rest of the media business, providing aprivate, peaceful and inspirational ambience to work in.”
Bearsville also offers the quintessence of classic audio recordingplatforms, set in a large space that is rare in the city. Studio A hasa recording area of 60×40 feet, with a 38-foot ceiling, and it isworld-renowned for its outstanding sound. In the control room sits animpeccably maintained, one-of-a-kind vintage Neve console, which wasoriginally custom-made for The Who’s Ramport Studios. Studio B’s700-plus square feet of recording space is larger than most facilities’main music recording rooms. Studio B’s control room, designed byGeorge Augspurger, houses a Solid State Logic 4056 G-Plus consolefitted with Ultimation. For true privacy, Bearsville also offers TurtleCreek Barn and Apartments. The converted post-and-beam barn is aseparate, self-contained studio building featuring a huge 35×35-footmain recording room (with 10-foot ceiling) and a classic API Legacyconsole, fitted with Flying Faders automation. The 300-seat BearsvilleTheater is used for live performances and rehearsals.
Bearsville’s lifespan of more than 30 years now gives it a Blue Chipcachet. Its technology, acoustics, staff and experience at personalizedservice have assured its success during that time, and will into thefuture.
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