Flux Studios An East Village Atelier
EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN — Earlier this year, we reported on the new Flux Studios, highlighting its Dangerous Room and several of the records cut there since the studio’s opening in January. Much of Bebel Gilberto’s new record, released last week, was recorded at Flux, with Didi Gutman of Brazilian Girls, producing. And, another NYC-based Brazilian band — Forro In The Dark — has made a new record entirely at Flux, with owner Fabrice “Fab” Dupont producing/engineering for Nat Geo Records.
Flux sounds worldly, right? Indeed, Fab’s world-pop production credits draw much of the studio’s clientele. “The world music scene is very active in New York,” Fab mentions. “Lots and lots of South American musicians land in NYC one way or the other and choose to stay.
“It’s fun to work with them because the musicianship level is very high. It takes a lot of talent to uproot and go live in one of the most expensive cities in the world as a full-time musician.” A transplant from Paris, Fab sees the city as a filter for international artists. “Those who make it here are the best ones,” he says, adding that as a producer/engineer, “I have consistently found that the most accomplished musicians have the best outlook and attitude and I find that particularly true with foreign musicians who live here, which makes these sessions a blast.”
Fab produces and plays keyboards/electronics with a French band called Mam, who also recently tracked a record in The Dangerous Room. On our last visit to Flux, Fab played us several tracks recorded live in the studio to demonstrate the studio’s acoustics for live instrumentation as well as its heavy integration of computer-based music technology. Listen to MAM’s track, “Penthème”: Click to hear MAM’s “Penthème”
FOR THE UNINITIATED…
A studio once run by the guys who started Dangerous Music and thereby named, the Dangerous Room has hosted sessions with The Rolling Stones and The Black Crowes. So there’s a total legacy in its design and vibe, but Fab and the Flux team have fully spruced up the studio for today’s music business.
“This room has been restored to what it was when the Stones recorded here, but it’s actually more controlled now, and has zero street noise, where there was a lot of noise before,” says Fab. “There’s really no classic analog room, built and equipped at this level, in this phenomenal location, at the prices I’m asking.” [Call Meredith at 917-512-3489 for a quote.]
An 1895 Steinway Model A Parlor Grand Piano sits in the center of the naturally-lit live room, notably accompanied by an upright piano “that sounds so Beatles-y it’s almost painful,” 50s, 60s and 70s-era Rhodes, a Wurlitzer, a Hammond B3 with Leslie, and a collection of classic amps. Baffles stand tall near the windows, symbols of the room’s multiple configurations. “We record bands 100 percent live in here, with no editing and no overdubs, and it really sounds amazing,” notes Fab.
MAKING RECORDS FROM A-TO-Z
An 1895 Steinway Model A Parlor Grand Piano sits in the center of The Dangerous Room.
With full-up facilities and engineering staff, Fab has been producing records from start-to-finish at Flux. “I did a record with a British singer named Will Knox, which is really beautiful,” he says, describing, “It’s like this gorgeous, ornate and fragile equilibrium of music — we recorded it here and I’m mixing it now.”
Jazz bands and producers, like Com Voce with producer Matt Pierson, can check into Flux and leave a few days later with a fully-mastered album.
“We did a ten-song record with Com Voce, recorded, mixed and mastered in three days,” Fab explains. “Meredith tracked them in the Dangerous Room, and as she finished songs, I’d get the files over our network, open in my room and mix and master them. So, when the musicians were leaving at night, they’d pass by my room and hear songs they recorded that morning, mastered.
“We’re doing another record with Matt Pierson and an artist named David Caceres this month,” adds Fab. “David’s an unbelievable singer and alto sax player from Texas. And we’re doing it the same way: 10 songs in 3 days.”
Artists such as R&B singer Chester Gregory, Pharoahe Monch, Duncan Sheik, Joan Osborne and Afrika Bambaataa have also recorded at Flux since it’s opening.
QUEST FOR A BETTER WORKFLOW
The uniquely tailored equipment setup at Flux, including one-of-a-kind mods and custom gadgetry courtesy of in-house technician Joe Russo, adds to the personality and technical reliability of these studios.
Flux's newly refurbished Gates AC70 preamp
As previously reported, the Dangerous Room’s Neve 55-series broadcast console is retrofitted with a Euphonix DAW control surface and a Dangerous Monitor ST. Dangerous analog summing, Mytek Cue system, Lynx A-D-A converters and racks of specially selected processors form Fab’s ultimate analog front- and back-end for the DAW (Pro Tools HD3 or Logic) or tape machine of the client’s choosing.
Flux also recently expanded to include a proper client lounge and audio restoration workstation, manned by Mike Comparetto. “We also added a tunnel FTP system, which is a hybrid between an FTP and a VPN,” Fab adds, “So uploaded files land directly on our desktops, saving a lot of time.
“I’m always on the quest for a better workflow,” he concludes.
We think that as more and more producer/engineers and artists experience Flux, awareness of “better workflow” systems and indeed, better sound, will spread.
“We’re also designing gear here,” Fab concludes. “Someone in Paris gave me an old Gates AC70 preamp — basically two transformers and a very dirty circuit board with broken everything and no tubes. Joe restored it, extended the functionality, put it in a box and made it look cool, and now it’s the best sounding thing I’ve ever heard.”
For more information on Flux Studios, visit http://www.fluxstudios.net.