My Studio

Irie Idea Studio

When COVID shut everything down in 2020, I lost all my gigs, my tours, and my bar shifts in the same week.

Up until then, I’d been working out of a shared studio. When everything stopped, I decided it was time to build my own space.

And that’s how Irie Idea Studio began.

A small, quiet space where I can mix at midnight in my socks and walk into the kitchen for a sandwich when I need fresh ears. Natural light. Plants. Everything is already set up, so I can work for hours without thinking about the room, just the music.

I built the acoustic treatment from the ground up. Treated the first reflections, tuned the room until what I heard at the desk was what ended up on the record. It’s an accurate listening environment, which means the decisions I make in here translate to whatever speakers, headphones, or car stereos you end up hearing your music on.

This is a mixing and overdub studio. It’s built for getting records right, not for tracking a full band live. When a project needs a bigger room for tracking, I book studio time elsewhere and bring everything back here to mix. That said, I’ve recorded everything from solo vocal sessions to full arrangements in this room. It handles more than its size suggests.

The Setup

I record in Pro Tools and Logic, but the computer is only part of the process.

My studio is a hybrid of digital and analog. Analog interfaces, outboard compressors, EQs, analog summing, and some legendary digital effects processors that have been shaping records since the ’80s. Everything runs through the hardware before it hits the software. That’s how I get the warmth and character I’m looking for.

Some people love talking about compressors, EQs, and preamps. Some people never want to think about them.

I’m happy either way.

Your job is to make music. Mine is to make it sound great.

The Newest Piece

Toft Audio ATB 32. I’ve wanted this board for a long time.

Studio at a Glance

Recording

Tracking and overdubs

Mixing

Analog + digital hybrid

Production

Arrangement to final mix

Natural light

Windows and plants

Pro Tools + Logic

DAWs

Gear

Want to geek out about gear?
I’ve got a healthy amount of outboard gear
If you’re into microphones, compressors, preamps, and all the nerdy stuff, here’s everything that’s in the room.