BROOKLYN, NEW YORK: With an API 1608 console, a jaw-dropping collection of analog equipment, and a straight-up rock ‘n roll recording vibe, Brooklyn’s Strange Weather studio is growing at an incredible rate. A move to a larger space with custom acoustical design by Wes Lachot of Wes Lachot Design is destined to help Strange Weather thrive in the years and decades to come.
In addition to Lachot’s accurate acoustic design and owner Marc Alan Goodman’s ever-growing collection of gear and his valued partner Daniel Schlett, the new space benefits from an expanded API 1608 analog console with 48 fully-automated channels and 24 expansion slots for API 500 Series modules. But beyond the particulars, the studio’s greatest strength derives from the cohesion of its acoustical, electrical, and creative environments.
Lachot takes a broad and balanced perspective to studio design and recognizes that a lot of what makes Strange Weather successful is out of his hands. “The most important component of a successful recording studio is the talent, and Marc is at the hub of a vibrant creative community,” he said. “They have the songs, the instruments, and the performances that have the potential to become enduring recordings. After the talent, the acoustics are most important. That’s coming from an acoustic designer of course, but if the acoustics aren’t there, then the musicians don’t feel right and the performance suffers. The accuracy of the acoustics on both sides of the glass also impact how well a performance is captured and how well it translates. After the acoustics, the console is the next critical component because everything will travel through it multiple times.”
Goodman acquired Strange Weather’s original API 1608 in 2008. “The idea of having something new and reliable with an honest vintage sound was very appealing,” he said. “I love the simplicity of the API 1608. It has eight aux’s, eight busses, and no crazy routing. Unlike everything else that’s being made today, it’s not overbuilt. And of course the sound is very attractive, especially to our mostly rock-based clientele.”
Lachot regularly recommends API consoles to his clients. “Our rooms are very quiet and very accurate,” he said. “When we’re finally done and we fire up the tunes, the quality of the console is obvious. And if the quality of the console isn’t there, it can be a brutal realization. API’s all-discrete analog consoles have a hugeness, clarity, and depth that’s unbeatable. And the people at API are great to work with. They stand behind their products.”
Because the API 1608 is expandable, Goodman was able to grow his console to its current 48 channel form, and even included an additional bucket to accommodate 16 additional 500-Series slots. “If anyone can fill those slots up fast, it’s Marc,” Lachot joked.
ABOUT API (AUTOMATED PROCESSES, INC.) Established more than 40 years ago, Automated Processes, Inc. is the leader in analog recording gear with the Vision, Legacy Series and 1608 recording consoles, as well as its classic line of modular signal processing equipment.
