Recording Studio Sweet Spot: Transmitter Park Studio — Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Shed your skin, begin again.
It happens everywhere in nature, and as it turns out, in Brooklyn too. At Transmitter Park Studio, the renewal was only clear to owner Abe Seiferth and his crew after they wrought major changes to their airy Greenpoint facility and made a discovery: This was no longer the studio known as Spacebar, but something else entirely.
Following a restructuring of the workflow where two control rooms shared one live room, and the addition of a new SSL XL console in Studio A, they knew they had a different place on their hands.
As Transmitter Park, this invigorating space is equally adept at musical inspiration as it is post production. Meanwhile, the sonic tools — an uncommonly deep collection of synths, drum machines, FX and instruments — make the ideas flow fast. Allow Mr. Sieferth to show you…
Studio A: Sonic feng shui (Photo credit: DW Burnett)
Facility Name: Transmitter Park Studio
Website: http://www.transmitterparkstudio.com, http://www.abeseiferth.com
Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Neighborhood Advantages: A lot of the the indie music industry is located in Greenpoint. Within a block you have numerous record labels, management companies, and a lot of our clients live in the area. There are also other recording studios that make for a vibrant music community in Greenpoint.Beyond that, there is the convenience of great cafes, bars and restaurants. And last but not least, nearby Transmitter Park, which is a great place to take a break on a nice day.
Date of ReBirth: Spacebar was founded in 2011 when I left DFA studios. At the time I had joined forces with former Soma Studios engineer and keyboardist in Wilco, Mikael Jorgensen to open Spacebar.
When Mikael moved to California, I wanted to change the setup of thestudio and have two control rooms share one live room. Danny Taylor and Matthew Patterson Curry moved in and we redesigned the control rooms to give the studio aunique vibe.
With everyone participating in a new vision for the studio and helping withthe installation of the new SSL XL desk, it felt like a new studio and we decided to nameit together as, Transmitter Park Studio.
Facility Focus: With two control rooms and a modestly sized live room the focus tends to be on production, mixing, and writing. Clients also love tracking drums here and Studio B can also handle Post Production work.
Studio B is a dream for synth lovers and sound designers. (Photo credit: DW Burnett)
Mission Statement:Transmitter Park Studio is a contemporary music production facility designed for the needs of modern music making.
Clients/Credits: http://transmitterparkstudio.com/clients.html
A few notables: Lianne La Havas, Yeasayer, Bear In Heaven, Jon Hopkins, Kurt Vile, RAC, SusanneSundfør
Key Personnel:
Abe Seiferth
Danny Taylor
Matthew Patterson Curry
System Highlights:
Studio A: SSL XL Console, Apogee Symphony, UAD Plugins
Studio B: Vintage Synth Collection, UAD Apollo
Distinguishing Characteristics:Transmitter Park Studio offers a relaxing alternative to your typical dark windowless recording studio. With windows full of natural light in every room, and a large diverse collection of instruments, artists feel inspired to create.
An SSL XL console was central to the evolution. (Photo credit: DW Burnett)
The building is on fire, you only have time to grab ONE thing to save, what is it? I would grab my Jazzmaster. I’m a musician first, and my instrument is guitar. I would need the comfort of my favorite guitar to deal with the lost.
Rave Reviews: They love the natural light and all the synths and instruments around. The place seems to inspire creativity. Most clients like coming to Greenpoint as well. It’s a slightly slower pace than the rest of the city but still has all the conveniences. But above all, people come here to work myself, Danny or Matthew. The people you work with is more important than any piece of gear.
Most Memorable Session Ever:The most memorable session for me, still has to be working at DFA while James Murphy was finishing the last LCD Soundsystem, “This is Happening.” James is a great teacher and thoroughly explained how and why he recorded everything a certain way.He wanted to make sure that I would record the same way as he would at his studio while on tour with LCD Soundsystem.
The most memorable session at my current studio has to be when James Ford of Simian Mobile Disco did a writing session with Lianne La Havas. James Ford is a hero of mine and Lianne was unknown to me at the time. It might have been her first time performing in NYC, as she was playing the Mercury Lounge that evening. During the session Prince contacted her and wanted her to fly to Minneapolis the next day. You could say- the rest is history. It was very inspiring to see someone’s career explode right in the moment.
Session You’d Like to Forget: I have no answer. . .
Dream Session: Lately, I’ve been obsessed with Pink Floyd’s “Animals.” The way the synths and acoustic instruments work together on that record is really amazing for the time. It also has some of my favorite guitar sounds.
— Abe Seiferth, Transmitter Park Studio
Room to drum. (Photo credit: DW Burnett)
A treasure trove of guitars and amps are integral to the melange. (Photo credit: DW Burnett)
Abe Seiferth is constantly mixing up the formula. (Photo credit: DW Burnett)