The studio was built for Kirk to record his music and tinker with Analog Audio and Tape Machines-[He always hated his Guitar sound -when he would Record in The Big Local Studios-So it was time to learn about getting The Sound of Life]but to have the latest in Recording equipment-to support buying New Gear-he recorded his friends -The name came from a band Kirk had called AFTER DARK-Started as a 8 track studio built around a TASCAM Model 10 console and a TASCAM 70-8 1/2 " tape machine -JBL 4311's-McIntosh Amps-at 4932 Pearl Road in a old Dry Cleaners store front-the Apartment upstairs became the home to Wally GUNN and Stan TOWNHOUSE-[who would go on to form The Punk Band THE BALONEY HEADS]-it was the Local Recording Studio to The PUNK band The DEAD BOYS-[Stiv Bators did alot of his productions there]The PRE Production of The Dead Boys 2nd LP was done there-with help of New York City Producer Felix Pappalardi[Mountain-Cream-The YoungBloods]---------Neil Geraldo[Pat Benatar-Derringer]-Don Kriss-Flatbush-Rick Bell[Lou Reed]and Many Many Local Musicians from The Cleveland Rock scene started to record at AFTER DARK[the list will be here soon]-after 1 year it was time to move up to a New Building w/ design ideas from Many Nashville Studios and the Help of Local Audio Guru Tom Brown-[Tom was a friend and Mentor of Kirk's ever since he saw a Console Tom Built from scratch for a Local band]-[The people from MCI in Nashville were so impressed by Tom Brown -he was offered a gig in Nashville at The MCI/Sony Pro Audio office -and of course he went ]it was Cement Block walls -in a basment of a Bank Building- 2 Studios were built[5510 Pearl Road]Cedar wood planks -Burlap over Fiberglass -Carpet and Wood floors-now it came time to find the money to buy a Console and Machine-Kirk at the age of 21-secured a SBA[small business loan]with the help of a girl friend who worked at a local bank who had some friends in the Business loan dept[and some Smoke and Mirrors]- Now it was time to find gear -Many trips to Nashville- a MCI 416b-24 LM console was bought from US Recording in Nashville Tenn [that studio was owned by The Late Great Roy Obrison]and a MCI JH-100 16 trk machine w/auto locator 2 and a AMPEX 440c 2 trk [this installation was done by a young Audio Tech by the name of Randy BLEVINS-this was his 1st of MANY times to Cleveland Ohio][Because of Randy's friendship -AFTER DARK had The most Hot Rodded MCI gear in the Midwest- remember this is 1980]RANDY was and still is the king of Analog Audio in Nashville-6 months later a MCI JH 114 24 trk machine w/auto locator 2 and TVI was added-along w/ 2 trk JH 110-JBL 4343s-U 67s-U 87s-Pultecs-AURATONEs-Eventide 910h-949h -EMT 240 GOLD FOIL-Lexicon 93 Prime Time-and loads of Valley Audio Kepexs and Gain Brains-ENGINEERS-George Sipl/Greg WEBSTER/Frank Amato/Studio Manager-MJ DiFino-------The Studio Closed in 1986-----Kirk Moved to NYC-------------
I edited my profile at MySpaceSupport.com , check out these Myspace Layouts !
