Bearsville Sound Studios (Bearsville, N.Y.), for the first timesince its founding over 30 years ago, is undergoing a radicaltransformation with all studio services centered around Turtle Creek.Key components that were part of the separate Studios A and B have beenreallocated to Turtle Creek with some notable exceptions, including the40-input custom Neve 8088 console, which had been built in 1977 for TheWho’s Ramport Studio. The building that houses Bearsville A andB, as well as the console, is slated for eventual sale, as thetransformation into Bearsville at Turtle Creek is made final.
This one-time barn was the brainchild of Albert Grossman, manager ofBob Dylan; Peter, Paul & Mary; Janis Joplin; Paul Butterfield andothers. Grossman also managed The Band whose Robbie Robertson and GarthHudson were involved in the creation of Turtle Creek. Muddy Waters andThe Band inaugurated it as a world-class recording facility in 1975with The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album; prior to that, The Bandrehearsed for and recorded parts of their Stage Fright albumthere the previous year.
According to Sally Grossman, Bearsville owner and CEO, “All of ourefforts are now being devoted to providing the kind of qualityrecording environment, brought up to date and sensitive to contemporaryneeds and current realities, that has always been our hallmark.Bearsville at Turtle Creek represents an innovative response to currentconditions and expectations; we’re delighted to share it with thecreative community.”
Housed in a century-old rough-hewn barn, Bearsville at Turtle Creekhas been outfitted with the latest Pro Tools 192k units as well tocomplement the popular API Legacy console with its rack of 16 Nevemodules, all housed in an extension of the original barn. Bearsville atTurtle Creek offers a residential recording situation with threesoon-to-be upgraded duplex units on-site, as well as livingaccommodations within Turtle Creek barn itself. The facility also hostshigh-speed Internet access, gourmet meals and a helipad. Bearsville atTurtle Creek’s equipment cabinet includes vintage microphones from thevacuum tube era, classic Studer A-800 Mark 3 2-inch tape machines andthe latest cutting-edge gear. Bearsville at Turtle Creek is fullystaffed under studio manager Chris Laidlaw, who has been with thestudio for over 15 years. Other key members include full-timemaintenance guru Victor Segal and resident recording engineer BillSynan (Steely Dan, Cheap Trick, Branford Marsalis, matchbox twenty,Keith Murray, Jeff Watts).
For more, visit www.bearsvillestudios.com.
