ing UAD and Waves plug ins, “So I can start
mixing, basically, into the same gear it’s hit-
ting later, but quickly and without worrying
about set-up.”
He’ll begin with a pass through whatev-
er he’s working on, shaping the sound and
making decisions about ambience, pan-
ning, and overall tone at the outset. “I don’t
like to spend more than an hour or two
with any given song at a time because you
lose the big perspective. It’s good to forget
what you did, open it up, and hear it like a
civilian again,” he offers. After another pass,
still tweaking in the box, he begins replac-
ing plug-ins with analog gear. “I’ll print an
analog vocal chain at that point and com-
mit to it. If I’m printing drums or bass and
want to re-amp the bass using a real amp,
I’ll do that through the next pass and then
route everything out through real gear.”
Overall, Abraham prefers analog gear,
citing his observations over years of using
a rig that enables him to A/B the two swift-
ly. “I love the sound of analog. It’s still bet-
ter. It’s immediately more present with the
exact same settings and gear. Once you hit
half a dozen pieces of outboard plus some
GEAR AT
A GLANCE
Recorders/Computers/Playback/
Mixer
Studer A80 2-in., 16-Track Mk II/III
Tape Recorder
Antelope Orion 32+ (USB & Thunder-
bolt) 32-Channel A/D Interface
SSL Sigma Delta 32-Channel, 2-Mix
Buss Analog Summing Mixer
Monitoring
ATC Custom Soffit-Mounted Mains
(3-Way Drivers w/ 12-in. Bass Driv-
ers, Custom Tri Amps & Xilica
DLP-4080 Crossovers)
Focal Solo6 Be’s
Yamaha NS-10s (w/ Bryston 2B LP
Amp)
Avantone MixCubes (Active)
Heritage Audio RAM 5000 5.1
Monitor Controller
Hear Technologies Talkback 600MV
Hear Technologies Hearback Hub
Hear Technologies Hearback
Mixers (x4)
Neumann NDH-20 Headphones
Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro
Headphones (x4)
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro
summing, that’s when you start to hear the
difference.”
In the end, he has no regrets about the
necessity of moving as Secret Door is, per-
haps, even better set up for both Abraham’s
needs and those of other producers and
artists looking for a thoughtfully-designed
and high-functioning recording space.
“Looking back I’d still have built Soleil. It was
about an eight or nine-month build – all the
floats, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, the whole
thing – but I learned a ton doing it and
also created a client base of producers who
worked out of there.”
There is one critical difference between Se-
cret Door and Abraham’s previous workspac-
es: specifically, that he’ll have less routine in-
teraction with other creators, simply because
Secret Door is a standalone facility rather than
one of many workspaces in a building.
Via potential partnerships with other
facilities and organizations, however, Abra-
ham aims to ensure that type of commu-
nity exists in and around Secret Door, if in a
different way. One initiative, for example, is
his partnership with Signal Creative Com-
munity. Secret Door will be their first affiliate
studio, he explains. “They have about 16,000
square feet of studios and office space on
Adelaide [Street] and 200 or so members
who pay a flat monthly rate to access shared
workspace and can book studio time using
their platform. Their goal is to bring togeth-
er the music community and facilities under
one system, making it easier to operate and
monetize studios.”
Given Secret Door’s capabilities as a re-
cording and post mix room, Abraham thinks
the alliance will be mutually beneficial. And
for those times when Secret Door is rented
out, Abraham will work out of a space at
Joao Carvalho Mastering with a computer rig
mirroring Secret Door’s set-up specifically for
digital mixing, editing, and programming.
Abraham is excited about the future, and
the idea of building on his existing commu-
nity of collaborators in a brand-new home
base, welcoming new and diverse clients
and artists to put Secret Door’s uniquely
streamlined capabilities to great use.
Kevin Young is a Toronto-based musician and
freelance writer.
Headphones
AKG K240 Headphones (x2) Tech21 SansAmp RBI
Thermionic Culture Rooster
Microphones
AEA R84 Ribbon
AKG 451 EB
AKG 414 EB
Audix i5
Chandler TG Microphone
Coles 4038 (x2, Matched Pair) w/ AEA
Stereo Mounting Kit
Coles 4040 (x2, Matched Pair)
Electro-Voice N/D 408B (x4)
Microtech Gefell UM70
Microtech Gefell UM92s
Neumann TLM 67
Neumann KM 84 (x2, Matched Pair
w/ Consecutive Serial Nos.)
Neumann KM 84 (x2)
Royer 121 Ribbon
Shure Beta 52
Shure SM7b
Shure SM57 (x2)
Senheisser 421 (x2)
Senheisser 509
Senheisser 609
Subkick (Custom)
Yamaha Subkick Equalization
A Designs HM2EQ Hammer
API 5500
Chandler Germanium Tone Controls
(x2)
Manley Massive Passive
Retro Instruments 2a3
Thermionic Culture Rooster
Mic Pre/DI
AEA TRP
API 3124+ (x2)
Chandler Germanium
Chandler TG2
Daking Mic Pre IV
Phoenix Audio N8
Compression
Airfield Audio Liminator 2
API 2500
Chandler TG1
Empirical Labs Distressor EL8 (2)
Slate Pro Audio Dragon
Smart Research C1
SPL Transient Designer TD4
Effects, Etc.:
Bricasti M7 (By Request)
Korg GR1 Stereo Spring Reverb
Korg Stage Echo Tape Delay/Spring
Reverb
Little Labs IBP Variable Phase DI./
Instrument Splitter/Re-Amper)
Radial SGI RX (x2)
Custom 4-Channel Wet/Dry Parallel
Blend Mixer
Various Effects Pedals & Other Tools
Plug-Ins:
Slate Everything Bundle
Sound Toys 5 Complete
UAD Assortment
Waves Assortment
…and Many More
Select Instruments & Amps:
Rogers Vintage ‘70s 3-Piece Drum Kit
(24-in./18-in./14-in.)
Gretsch Vintage ‘70s Chrome Snare
DW Maple Snare
Hammond C3 Organ w/ Leslie 122
(circa 1959)
Fender Rhodes 74 MKII Stage Piano
Moog Sub 37
Petrof Upright Piano
Roland Juno 106
Roli Seaboard Rise 25
Willis & Co. Vintage ‘30s Pump Organ
(tuned to A440)
Yamaha YC30 Solid-State Organ w/
Leslie 825
Gibson Les Paul (w/ Bigsby)
Gibson Vintage ‘40s Lap Steel
Gretsch Tennessee Rose
Larrivee L9 Acoustic
Cromwell Vintage ‘30s Parlour
Acoustic
Ampeg B15 “Flip Top” (1960s)
Bogner Duende 50-W Head w/
Bogner 2x12 Cab
Fender Super Reverb (1978)
PROFESSIONAL SOUND 33