Bay 8 is owned and operated by engineer Matthew “Formatt” DeFreitas. The Providence, R.I., native moved to Miami in 2009 after several years in Northeast studios. Bay 8 began as producer Fabio “Estefano” Salgado’s Midnight Blue Studios, which was designed by John Arthur and John Lambert. DeFreitas purchased the two-studio facility from subsequent owner/producer Marco “Infamous” Rodriguez-Diaz and dubbed his new studio Bay 8 in 2015.
Featured equipment includes an SSL AWS 900 console, Pro Tools HD and Logic Pro; an assortment of monitors from Dynaudio, KRK, Yamaha, JBL, ADAM and M-Audio; a range of plug-ins, analog outboard equipment; and a stocked mic cabinet.
“I have a hybrid setup in Studio A, which is where I normally work; I use a bit of both digital and analog,” says DeFreitas. “I use the SSL 99 percent of the time, but I also have hardware inserts that are super cool because they allow me to access hardware direct from Pro Tools.”
DeFreitas does much of his own engineering—including recent projects with Mark Johns, Xantos, and Leslie Grace with producer Tainy Marco Masís—but he also takes great pride in the collaborative way he works with his house engineers and other staffers.
“Our staff is some of the coolest and most laid-back engineers and producers; some are at different stages in their careers, but they all offer something that makes Bay 8 different,” DeFreitas says. “Bay 8’s clients expect quality and professionalism, and we are all about offering an environment to create. We all clean, we all go on runs, including myself. We are all about the experience here. I want clients to leave this facility and have a memory of a lifetime.”
