Paisley Park Renovates, Upgrades Mic Collection
May 18, 2005 8:00 AM, By Mix Editors
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This Month in Mix
Dave Hampton with his Royer R-122
Paisley Park Studios, the Minneapolis, Minn. facility owned by Prince, recently underwent an extensive renovation, which included, among other things, a sizeable upgrade to their mic closet.
Dave Hampton and his staff at MATK Corporation, along with longtime associate Khaliq Glover, managed the facility upgrade. “Studio B was totally restored, and we rebuilt the room’s API de Medio console—bringing it completely up to date,” says Hampton, who also serves as technical director for Paisley Park. “We also updated all the monitoring systems in both studios A and B. Further, the amplification was changed over as well as some of the cabinetry and traps, and we modified the control rooms to address the types of music production that’s taking place there these days.”
The newly reopened Paisley Park features four music studios: Studio A, the largest of the four, features an SSL 8000 G+ 80 channel film console with Ultimation; the popular Studio B offers a vintage API; Studio C, a small format production suite, contains a Midas Venice and Pro Tools, MOTU Digital Performer and Studer two-inch options; Studio D, a smaller DAW-based studio, features Pro Tools, Logic Audio and MOTU workstations. Paisley Park also contains an edit suite, 12,500 square-foot acoustically soundproof soundstage, prestage area, production offices, rehearsal room, dressing rooms and three loading docks for film projects.
The studio’s revamped mic collection includes, among others, two Royer R-122 Active Series phantom powered ribbon microphones, which have already been placed into active duty.
“We’ve used the R-122s as room mics for a number of drum sessions, and we’ve also used them to record piano and a number of other instruments as well. In addition to Prince’s work, we’ve used the R-122s on a number of private projects and on some commercials,” notes Hampton.
Among the music works recorded at Paisley Park using the Royer R-122s are Prince’s “The United States of Division,” “Silver Tongue,” and “Cinnamon Girl.” These and other Prince songs are available for download at http://www.npgmusicclub.com/.
For more information on the studio, visit www.paisleyparkstudios.net. For more information on Royer mics, visit www.royerlabs.com.
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