Brady Blade’s New Facility Designed by RBDG Brings Back the Large-Format Studio
SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA, APRIL 1, 2011 — Blade Studios, a new full-service production company formed by world-class drummer and producer Brady Blade and music industry veteran Scott Crompton, has opened to support the large-format, artist-driven studio while nurturing the local music community in Shreveport, LA.
Photo Caption: Photo courtesy of MHSM Architects.
Blade, who has toured the world with top artists such as Dave Matthews & Friends, the Indigo Girls, Bob Dylan and Steve Earle has also produced works for major artists and commercials for companies like H&M and Bing. He was looking for a space to record his own projects while also helping to enrich his home town community. Crompton has worked in the music industry and helped build the local film industry, and brings his business and marketing expertise to the partnership.
Shreveport is a community with a rich musical history, and is home to many Grammy Award-winning recording artists. It’s where the phrase “Elvis has left the building� was coined, referring to a comment made when the artist performed on the popular local radio show, “The Louisiana Hayride.� It is also the exact type of setting that both Blade and Crompton agreed would be a perfect place to put down some roots of their own by opening up a brand new recording studio and become a part of the community’s history. They knew that the design and feel of the studio would be the lynchpin of their plan. During their search to find a designer to help create the space, the Russ Berger Design Group (RBDG) immediately became a front-runner for the project.
“We knew we had to build a world-class facility,� says Crompton, executive producer of Blade Studios. “When we started looking for an architect, we agreed we needed someone who was well-respected and had the passion and driving desire to build something perfect. No other company conveyed the same passion for the project like RBDG, which started out by asking me ‘what are you trying to do,’ ‘what’s your plan’ and ‘how are you going to do it?’ From day one, the company made sure our plan came through.�
The entire design of the studio, from physical space to the services provided, has been built around the client. The facility is located in BioSpace 1, a truly creative center that houses other complementary businesses, such as a full animation and visual effects company and a film production company, all within the same complex. The 7,000-sq-ft Blade Studios facility features Studio A, a traditional recording studio with a 1,100-sq-ft tracking room, control room, spacious lounge, VIP areas, separate bathrooms and showers, large kitchen, eating facility and conference area. Studio B’s configuration is best suited for for mixing, commercials and post production for music and the area’s growing film industry. Here, users will be able to assemble audio to picture as well as handle automated dialogue replacement (ADR).
Rounding out these studios is some of the latest recording equipment alongside one of the best vintage outboard gear and microphone collections. Highlights include an SSL Duality Console, a CLASP recording system, a vintage Studer 827 recorder and a custom Ocean Way HR2 monitoring System.
“The first day we arranged a set of drums in the main tracking room, we turned all the drum mic’s off and just listened through the room mic’s,� Crompton explains. “And these rooms that RBDG designed so phenomenally, sounded great. The proof is in the pudding. We are really pleased.�
In addition to providing a creative space for artists to be at their best, Blade Studios is also enacting an educational initiative. The studio has begun to bring in interns to show them studio setup, microphone techniques, and tips for session players. The Biospace 1 building itself has multiple conference rooms with full HD video conferencing capabilities and dark rooms, which Blade, Crompton and the studio’s engineer Chris Bell will be using for training and other educational programs.
“Brady, Scott and their team built Blade Studios to capture an artist’s imagination and inspire creativity,â€? said Russ Berger, president of RBDG. “It was fun working through the challenges together with them throughout the design and construction process. Blade Studios represents a significant commitment to Louisiana music and production with a stunning pair of studios as a result, operated by a talented and committed staff.“
Another incentive for those looking to record at Blade Studios: the state of Louisiana offers a very aggressive tax credit for producers. If a record is made in Louisiana, for every penny spent, whether it was spent on travel, lodging, food, musicians, studio rental, etc., the state will offer a rebate of 25 cents on the dollar. Blade Studios will be offering its clients additional services related to the tax incentive, such as handling the coordination of travel, catering, staff, and equipment needs, track expenses, and filling out the application on the clients’ behalf.
“Louisiana’s long tradition of music has produced many excellent musicians,â€? Berger adds, “and now there is a reason for them to come back, and a reason for new local talent to stay. This technical wonder will bring the music business back home to Shreveport.”
For more information on Blade Studios, please visit www.bladestudios.com, or call
318-213-0777.
About Russ Berger Design Group (www.rbdg.com)
Russ Berger Design Group (RBDG) is a design and consulting firm that combines expertise in acoustics, architecture and interiors to create technical environments and buildings for recording and broadcast studios; facilities for entertainment and media content, audio, film and post production; technical learning environments for higher education; residential theaters, and corporate production spaces.
