Studio Tour
Ferris Wheel Studios
Tell us about the space
Ferris Wheel Studios is a
recording space built specifically
for musical endeavors. We
have three studios in total. The
way the studios are setup is
rather unique and has sharing
capabilities among each other to
facilitate a live band recording
with complete isolation between
each instrument. There are 3
Control rooms and two isolated
live rooms. Both isolated rooms
can be patched to Control A
and B. Control room B can
double as a third isolated live
room for Control room A if
required. Control room C is a
production suite specifically
for electronic productions.
Take us through the process
of setting up a recording
First we request the artist to bring
a rough recording of the song.
It can even be a phone video in
a jampad. This gives us clarity
on genre, length tempo and the
artist intentions. We then set up
a production and overdubbing
plan. Since each drummer has
his/her own setup and style of
placement and it takes a bit of
time setting up, we encourage the
singer and other musicians to try
out different mics and preamps in
the other isolated live room while
the drummers take their time.
This productive utilization of
time is key as studios are booked
on hourly basis and this gives
the artist to the opportunity to
try different equipment without
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wasting time and making the
best choice for their song.
Once all mics and preamps are
decided, we draw out a patchlist
and begin micing and patching
in the band. The DAW is fired
up and we create the required
tracks and monitor returns for
everyone. Then it’s just a matter
of recording the performance.
What are some of the
studio essentials you
would recommend?
No Laptops. We always suggest
investing in a desktop PC. It is
always easy to upgrade later
in stages and is much more
reliable in terms of performance.
A good audio interface. More
inputs does not mean better.
Understand your genre and needs.
For someone who is looking to
do a lot of electronic work, a
simple Focusrite is good. But for
someone who intends to record a
majority of their arrangements,
an interface with good clean
preamps is good. Then comes
the decision of number of inputs.
Monitor speakers. Don’t just
buy what people recommend. Go
and check them out yourself. It’s
easier said than done but since
it is a considerable investment,
finding a studio with the monitors
you want to buy and booking
it for 2 hrs so you can just play
your favorite songs and judge
by yourself is the best way to
go about it. Also, expensive is
not better. A lot of expensive
monitors require the listening