Oct 1, 2001 12:00 PM

SPEC SHEET Company Name: The Lodge. Services Offered: analog and digital audio mastering, digital audio editing, specialized digital and analog audio recording and mixing, DVD authoring. Main Technology Platforms: Sonic Solutions 16/24, SonicStudio HD 24/96, Sonic Solutions DVD Creator authoring system, extensive digital and analog signal processing and recording equipment. Partial Client List: Columbia Records, Dreamworks Records, Elektra Records, Interscope Records, Priority Records, Putumayo World Music, RCA Records, Sony Music, Virgin Records, Warner Music Group.

The Lodge
740 Broadway, Suite 605
New York, NY 10003

Tel.: 212/353-3895
Fax: 212/353-2575

www.thelodge.net
E-mail: info@thelodge.net

The finest in digital and analog technologies, coupled with a unique sense of style, set The Lodge apart from other mastering facilities. It’s no surprise that audiophiles from major and independent labels alike seek out this service-oriented Shangri-La.

President/CEO and mastering engineer Emily Lazar established The Lodge in Manhattans bustling bohemian (and increasingly high-tech) Lower Broadway area in 1997. Since then, it has become one of New York City’s leading high-end audio mastering and specialized recording facilities. Designed by Lazar with assistance from Waterland Design’s Vincent Van Haaff, the multiroom facility is based around Sonic Solutions16/24 and 24/96 HD digital audio workstations.

Select highlights from the studio’s extensive equipment list include converters from dB Technologies (AD122-96 MkII A/D and DA924 D/A), Prism Sound (AD-124 A/D and DA-1 D/A) and Apogee Digital (AD-8000SE multichannel converter). It also features analog gems from Avalon (AD-2077, AD-2055, AD-2044, and AD-747), Pultec (a matched pair of EQP 1A-3 program equalizers), and Tube Tech (SMC-2A stereo multiband compressor), as well as digital outboard equipment from TC Electronic (M6000 and M5000), DK Audio (MSD600M), Weiss (DS-1 de-esser/compressor/limiter), and Z Systems (ZQ-6 6-channel mastering parametric equalizer and ZCL-6 6-channel mastering dynamics processor).

"The mastering suites are intended to provide the best in both digital and analog audio technology," says Lazar, who earned a master’s degree from NYU’s Music Technology Program, where she has also taught graduate-level courses. The main mastering suite includes three soaring windows that bathe the studio in natural light, and the custom desk, which houses a Muth Audio Design CM-2040 console, is made from bird’s-eye maple and has intricate inlay detail. The fully stocked kitchen and relaxing atmosphere of the lounges add to The Lodge experience. "It’s not just a concept," explains Lazar. "We’ve proven that providing a refreshing space with versatile and talented engineers delivers genuine results." The accommodating and dedicated staff organizes even the most challenging projects with grace, and their meticulous attention to detail gives The Lodge its distinctive flair and steadfast consistency.

When discussing just one of The Lodge’s many playback monitoring options–a Genelec 1031A/1094 6-channel surround array–Lazar explains, "The listening environment was designed with a natural approach, and the relative accuracy exists in virtually any position." In addition to the mastering suites, The Lodge offers a Pro Tools-based studio, which includes an iso room and a wide array of vintage instruments, amplifiers and microphones. All of the suites in the facility are tielined, which makes completing a project at The Lodge a smooth and efficient process.

The Lodge was an early entrant in providing DVD authoring services, adding Sonic Solutions DVD Creator in 2000. The Lodge’s experience with handling the many options for DVD-Audio serves as its portal to the new media market. "Besides existing on the more traditional mediums like tape, vinyl and CD, audio has exploded on the Internet and is available in various compression formats," Lazar says. "We address the issues associated with all of these newer technologies by testing our mastered projects in a number of playback scenarios. This way we can hear not only how it sounds on great speakers, but also how well it holds up in the domain of new media and digital distribution."

Recent projects mastered at the Lodge have included Sinead O’Connor, Gang Starr, Mindless Self Indulgence, Sun Ra, Vitamin C, Neil Sedaka and Taj Mahal. Lazar also mastered the Saturday Night Live 25th Anniversary boxed set, the Hedwig & the Angry Inch cast album, more than two dozen titles in the Putumayo World Music Series, and a host of high-profile soundtracks, including Pokémon: The First Movie, Boys Don’t Cry, American Psycho and Training Day.

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