Studio 1 - Control Room
The Amek 'G2520' is the analogue heart of The Base. Built and shipped to Australia in 1987, Phil purchased the console in 2004, and recapped and upgraded the entire board in 2016. It's dual path, in-line design features 40 mono channels with killer eq and filter sections, 8 stereo returns, P&G analogue faders and extensive routing capabilities.
The outboard in the control room leans heavily towards compression, a deliberate choice given the 40 great eq's and filters on the console.
A complete gear list is available on request, but highlights include pairs of Retro STA Levesl, LA-2’s, 1176 ‘Blue Stripe’ Rev A and 1176 Rev D’s, Distressors, SSL 611’s, Neve 535’s, Valley People Dyna-mite, Amek 9098 Stereo Compressor.. the list goes on!
There is more than just compressors in the rack though, with BAE 1073s, Neve 1073’s, Millennia pre's, Giles Audio valve pre's and Pultec-style valve EQ’s rounding out the options.
The digital side of things revolves around the MacPro 'trashcan' running Pro Tools Ultimate. Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, Cubase 11 and Luna are also available.
The 56 channels of I/O are via 2 AVID HDX cards and Lynx Aurora converters.
Alongside the native DSP in the Mac, each HDX card has 18 cores, and with a Universal Audio Octo card and a Quad expansion, there’s enough power for even the most demanding and plugin heavy track.
The plugin list is very comprehensive and features full suites from UAD, Fabfilter, Soundtoys and Waves, alongside plugins and software instruments from Native Instruments, AudioEase, Spectrasonics, Slate, XLN and many others.
Monitor options include Focal SM9, Genelec 1029a, NS10m and Adam 10Sub, and the headphone system is a flexible 'audio over ethernet' design, sending 16 discreet channels to the live room and allowing artists to build their own headphone mixes.
With an acoustic design courtesy of Peter Brown Architects and utilising a rear diffuser, bass traps, floating floors and all the expected features of professional studio design, the control room is a great sounding and very comfortable space for engineers and artists alike.
Studio 1 - Live Room
The live room at The Base is an excellent room for almost anything. Drums, big - or little - guitars, solo or group vocals, strings, brass and full bands... the list goes on. The live space was also designed by Peter Brown, and it's wood floors, acoustic treatments and furnishings provide a natural and even sounding live space. Kept clean and free of clutter, it has a vibe that artists feel immediately comfortable in.
A feature of the live space is the Yamaha C7 Grand Piano - at 7 feet, it's a big instrument with the sound to match.
A Rhodes 88 MkI with suitcase amp, a Wurlitzer 200a and Hammond L100 with Leslie 147 round out the in-house keys in classic style.
Additional instruments and amps include a Fender 'Deluxe Plus' Tele (1998), Fender Stratocaster, MusicMan Silhouette Special, a Fender P Bass, Fender ‘66 Deluxe Reverb amp, Marshall JTM60 amp, Orange Tiny-Terror and a Fender Rumble Bass amp.
The mic cabinet holds the usual collection of greats - Neumann u87s, tlm49s, an original - and unbeatable - u67, as well as other must haves from Coles, Royer, Schopes, AKG, and Telefunken.
Alongside the always useful dynamics like RE20s, 421s, m88s, sm57, sm7Bs and even an old NS10 we sometimes use as a mic, there's plenty of choice.
STUDIO 2
S2 is a beautifully equipped writing, recording and production suite.
Located within The Base this studio features an isolated vocal both and some great gear - like the UA Apollo Twin, Focal monitors and another Rhodes.
S2 also has access to all the instruments, hardware and mics from Studio 1, making it an excellent option for artists or producers wanting a quality space for any project.
Give us a call or email for enquires on rates and availabilities - info@thebase.com.au
studio 3
S3 is the writing and production suite of Grammy Nominated music producer and songwriter Kaelyn Behr (aka Styalz Fuego).
Kaelyn's accomplishments include a Grammy Nomination for his 2023 work with Troye Sivan, alongside multiple ARIA and APRA awards as both a Producer and Songwriter on records for both Australian and International artists.
All enquiries for Styalz can be directed to Calibre Music Management via weez@clbr.co