At the heart of the control room is our vintage, custom 53 series Neve. At 36 channels, it is the compact sibling of the legendary 80 series consoles, such as the one featured in the “Sound City” documentary. These consoles all share the same uncompromising commitment to quality, being hand-built to the highest design specifications of the day, arguably the high water mark of analogue audio design.

These esoteric vintage consoles usually have an interesting past, and this one is no exception: it was originally ordered by Granada TV for their studio in Manchester, and used from the late 70’s through to the 90s for live music broadcasts, with bands such as 808 State, The Stone Roses and Joy Division, with  maybe just a touch of Coro St and Eastenders on the side…

After being decommissioned (a digital console would have taken it's place!), it was purchased by Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos, who shipped it to LA and had it installed in his personal studio. There it was fully recapped, and then used to make several albums, before, one can only surmise, his wife grew tired of the studio in the family home and made him sell it! Cesar's home troubles became The Lab's gain, and we took delivery of it in 2006, and haven't looked back. For the Neve trainspotters, the unique works order number is A5831…

Mic Pres

Neve 33119 (x26 in console)
Neve 33115 (x10 in console)
API 3124+ (4 pres)
Studio Electronics Pre 2 Hariball Lola x2 TL Audio EQ2 (has 2 preamps)
Universal Audio 6176

Microphones

*AKG C12 (clone)
AKG C414EB x2 (brass CK12 capsules)
AKG C414 TLii
AKG C451
Coles 4038 x2
*Neumann U47 (clone)
Neumann U67 x 2
Neumann U87x2
Neumann SM69fet
*Neumann U87x2 (clones)
*Neumann m49bx2 (clones)
Neumann M147 *Neumann KM84 x6 (clones)
Pearl CR55 x2
Rode NT2 x2
United Audio Fet47 (yes another Neumann clone)

AKG D112
AKG D224 x2 AKG D202ES x4
AKG D190
AKG D130 (omni)
AKG D1000
Audix D1, D2, D3 & D4
Audix OM3
EV RE635A EV RE20
Beyerdynamic M88
Beyerdynamic M201 x2
Beyerdynamic TG-X 50 (looks like M380)
Sennheiser MD421 x4
Sennheiser 609
Shure SM57 x4
Shure SM58 x4
Shure SM7 x2
Shure SM91

Countryman Type 72 DI
Whirlwind Passive DI x2
DOD Passive DI x2
Pro Co Passive DI
Behringer active keyboard DI

Recording Medium

Pro Tools HD, via 32 channels of Apogee AD/DA 16X
No tape. That train has not just left the station, the service has been cancelled too.

Dynamics/EQ

ADR F760X-RS Compex Compressor/Limiter x2 Buzz Audio DBC
DBX 160 VU x2
EL8-X Distressor x2 JLM LA 500A x2
MXR Dual Limiter
Neve 2254/E x2
SSL 4000 stereo buss compressor (clone)
*Sontec 250EQ (clone) x2
Studio Electronics C2S TL Audio EQ2
Universal Audio LA3A x2
Universal Audio 6176
Urei 1176 x2 (blackface/Rev.D)
*Urei 1176 x2 (Hairball Rev.D)
Urei 1178

Reverb/FX

Aphex Aural Exciter Type B
Eventide H3000 Ibanez AD 220
Korg SDD-1000 Delay
Roland SDE-2000 Delay
Roland SRE-555 Chorus Echo
Yamaha REV5

Monitoring

JBL LSR28P, Bryston 9BST powered JBL LSR32
Yamaha NS10 Behringer HP16 Personal Monitoring System

Instruments

Danemann grand piano Fender Rhodes (suitcase) Wurlitzer 200A
Kramer upright “character” piano
Hammond C3 with Leslie 147
Korg MS20
Yamaha DX7

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, 1974
ESP ”Navigator” ‘59 Les Paul, 1982
Gibson SG Standard, 1998
Gibson Les Paul Special (Double Cut, P90s)
Fender Telecaster ‘52 reissue
Fender Telecaster Deluxe ‘65 reissue
Fender Stratocaster x3 (‘54, ‘62 & ‘69 style)
Fender P Bass (‘54 reissue) Fender P Bass (‘62 reissue) Greco Brian May Red Special Tama acoustic (‘70s MIJ Martin D25 copy)
Yamaha FG75 (high strung)

Amplifiers

Fender Twin (AB763, handwired) Fender Deluxe Reverb (AB763 handwired)
Fender Bassman (AB165, handwired)
*Fender 5E3 Tweed Deluxe (handwired clone)
*Fender 5F1 Tweed Champ (yes, another handwired clone)
Laney Klipp (the 100 watt Black Sabbath amp, from 1973) GK RB400 bass head LAB Series bass head
Marshall 1959 Superlead, hand-wired reissue from early ‘90s
Marshall 1987 Lead, from 1974, currently operating as a 2204.
Marshall Silver Jubilee 2554 (1x12 combo version)
Vox AC15 HW1X
Marshall 1960A (Greenbacks) & 1960B (G1275) quad boxes

Drums, etc

Premier, (blue grey pearl) early 70s mahogany, 20" kik, 16” & 12” toms.
Premier (purple), early 70s mahogany, 22" kik. 16” & 12” toms.
Rogers Londoner (white), mid 70s maple, 22” kik, 16”, 13”, & 12” toms
Ludwig Supraphonic snare
Rogers Super 10 snare
Pearl Sensitone Elite brass snare
Slingerland 60’s wooden snare
Plus lots of other things too numerous to list.

Zildjian K Custom Dark set, 14” hats, 17” & 18” crashes, 22” ride.
Zildjian A hi-hats, 18” crash, 24” sweet ride.
Paiste Dark Energy hi hats.
Paiste 2002 20” ride
Please note that the crashes are only available to drummers who play relatively lightly.

DW 9000 & 5000 kik pedals.