I am always embarrassed when visitors come here and ask me about tourist spots I have not been to myself. It is like you take it granted when you live some place. Such I think is the case with our own Bruce Brown. I am always taken back when I see his name pop up on description of an album I am buying. I have to remind myself that I know this highly talented but unassuming person and he lives in our neck of the woods!
So I thought I remedy the situation by visiting his place and doing a write-up. We discussed it at RMAF when I had dinner with Bruce and his lovely wife. Took a while to schedule it but we managed to do that a few weeks ago.
Bruce's studio is downstairs in his home. It is like a secret bunker in a James Bond movie. You would have no idea it is there as the house doesn't give any hints of what sits within. The neighborhood is quite nice and at high elevation (east of Seattle). I found the house immediately remembering Bruce telling us about the artificial turf in front of his home. He sure has the best looking grass!
Walked into the home and we sat at the system Bruce has put together for his wife:
The Maggies nicely coordinate with the red color accents. Stylish and Elegant at good prices!
Now you know you are some place special when you turn around and this beauty is sitting there in the hallway:
We walk down to the secret bunker and first we are greeted with the Equi=tech balanced power providing the juice:
We then enter the back part of the studio where Bruce tests multichannel mixes and capturing of records. My apologies for the wide angle lens pulling him out of proportions
This is where the action is:
Focal monitors do the job here:
Close up of the gear:
Meitner and Korg A/D (?)
Cavalli Audio Headphone amp:
Isn't great to have so many albums to have your name on, and sound that you produced?
Now we go to the main stage where a pair of Revel Salon 2 speakers are driven by pass labs amplifiers:
The room is highly treated with the back side (opposite of the above) being a large bass absorber. Corner traps are there as is fabric covered walls (was there something behind them Bruce?). The presentation here is focused which is required for the work that Bruce does.
Looking back you can see Captain Kirk in his command chair!
Analog effects module is center stage:
Flanking the right side of the console is the Merging Technologies Horus:
To the left is the audio workstation software (Pyramix):
And what studio would not have master volume control?
You can see all of them in view including half-inch Studer A80 tape deck we listened to first:
We were talking about how to position the speakers and Bruce had an interesting approach. He uses a Qsound encoded track and sees how definite the images are. He plays a Madonna digital capture of an LP which I did not know existed with Qsound encoded (track list at the end). I just about fell of my chair when he played this. There were 3-D images that were pin pointed on the side wall focused in just a few inches. I literally looked at that exact point. Then another hit me on the rear left. Again, it sounded like it came out of a tiny spot. Never heard such precise focus from Qsound or even surround sound.
Don't you just love the monkey toys?
We played many tracks. Sound was sublime and again, focused tight. Bass was tiny bit boomy at times. Despite the large amount of treatment Bruce has, the room is relatively small so bass modes are strong to start. We talked about me coming over with my measurement gear to find the offending peaks and use the Audio Workstation filters to knock them out.
As is typical of Salon 2s, the sound is clean, smooth and silky. We listened and listened. I could sit there for hours! But I had to leave eventually. Before that, Bruce showed me yet another secret bunker. This time, his wine cellar!
Man, life is good!
Of course we chatted fair bit about the industry, about how much trouble you guys can be, etc. What? You didn't think we talk behind your backs? Of course we do.
Bruce also gave me a blind test of what is wrong with a mix down of a 3-channel recording to two. Sounded like the voice levels were too low but I was afraid to say so for the fear of being wrong! Wouldn't you know it, that was the answer.
Here is the track list of what we enjoyed in digital and tape:
Duke Ellington - Manetoba Spank
Metallica - Enter Sandman
Madonna - Vogue and Holiday
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Nat King Cole - When I Fall in Love
Jazz Masters - Seven Steps to Heaven
David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name
Overall was a fantastic visit helped in no small part by Bruce's hospitality and large body of knowledge. If you even come to Seattle area, you owe it to yourself to get an invitation from Bruce for a personal tour.
Thank you Bruce!
So I thought I remedy the situation by visiting his place and doing a write-up. We discussed it at RMAF when I had dinner with Bruce and his lovely wife. Took a while to schedule it but we managed to do that a few weeks ago.
Bruce's studio is downstairs in his home. It is like a secret bunker in a James Bond movie. You would have no idea it is there as the house doesn't give any hints of what sits within. The neighborhood is quite nice and at high elevation (east of Seattle). I found the house immediately remembering Bruce telling us about the artificial turf in front of his home. He sure has the best looking grass!
Walked into the home and we sat at the system Bruce has put together for his wife:
The Maggies nicely coordinate with the red color accents. Stylish and Elegant at good prices!
Now you know you are some place special when you turn around and this beauty is sitting there in the hallway:
We walk down to the secret bunker and first we are greeted with the Equi=tech balanced power providing the juice:
We then enter the back part of the studio where Bruce tests multichannel mixes and capturing of records. My apologies for the wide angle lens pulling him out of proportions
This is where the action is:
Focal monitors do the job here:
Close up of the gear:
Meitner and Korg A/D (?)
Cavalli Audio Headphone amp:
Isn't great to have so many albums to have your name on, and sound that you produced?
Now we go to the main stage where a pair of Revel Salon 2 speakers are driven by pass labs amplifiers:
The room is highly treated with the back side (opposite of the above) being a large bass absorber. Corner traps are there as is fabric covered walls (was there something behind them Bruce?). The presentation here is focused which is required for the work that Bruce does.
Looking back you can see Captain Kirk in his command chair!
Analog effects module is center stage:
Flanking the right side of the console is the Merging Technologies Horus:
To the left is the audio workstation software (Pyramix):
And what studio would not have master volume control?
You can see all of them in view including half-inch Studer A80 tape deck we listened to first:
We were talking about how to position the speakers and Bruce had an interesting approach. He uses a Qsound encoded track and sees how definite the images are. He plays a Madonna digital capture of an LP which I did not know existed with Qsound encoded (track list at the end). I just about fell of my chair when he played this. There were 3-D images that were pin pointed on the side wall focused in just a few inches. I literally looked at that exact point. Then another hit me on the rear left. Again, it sounded like it came out of a tiny spot. Never heard such precise focus from Qsound or even surround sound.
Don't you just love the monkey toys?
We played many tracks. Sound was sublime and again, focused tight. Bass was tiny bit boomy at times. Despite the large amount of treatment Bruce has, the room is relatively small so bass modes are strong to start. We talked about me coming over with my measurement gear to find the offending peaks and use the Audio Workstation filters to knock them out.
As is typical of Salon 2s, the sound is clean, smooth and silky. We listened and listened. I could sit there for hours! But I had to leave eventually. Before that, Bruce showed me yet another secret bunker. This time, his wine cellar!
Man, life is good!
Of course we chatted fair bit about the industry, about how much trouble you guys can be, etc. What? You didn't think we talk behind your backs? Of course we do.
Bruce also gave me a blind test of what is wrong with a mix down of a 3-channel recording to two. Sounded like the voice levels were too low but I was afraid to say so for the fear of being wrong! Wouldn't you know it, that was the answer.
Here is the track list of what we enjoyed in digital and tape:
Duke Ellington - Manetoba Spank
Metallica - Enter Sandman
Madonna - Vogue and Holiday
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Nat King Cole - When I Fall in Love
Jazz Masters - Seven Steps to Heaven
David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name
Overall was a fantastic visit helped in no small part by Bruce's hospitality and large body of knowledge. If you even come to Seattle area, you owe it to yourself to get an invitation from Bruce for a personal tour.
Thank you Bruce!