Little Red Wagon Studios is a privately owned and operated recording studio offering a unique analog experience.
In the face of the prevailing digital culture whose mantra is often "more is more", and where endless overdubs, autotuned performances, and sample-replaced drums are the production norm, Little Red Wagon exclaims "there is
another way!" LRWS offers a refreshingly minimalist magnetic tape-based experience that eschews the digital status quo and instead capitalizes upon creative limitations to deliver the ultimate in analog sonics.
Experience the new magnetic age and rediscover how sound can truly stir the soul.
Is my band or my music a good candidate for the magnetic experience at Little Red Wagon? If you answer a resounding "yes" to the majority of these questions, then please get in touch to find out more.
1. You believe that magical things can happen when a group of musicians performs together live in an acoustic space.
2. You believe that limitations are an inspiration and not an impediment to the creative process.
3. You believe that making records should be fun and stress-free.
4. Many of your favorite records were made before the year 2000.
5. You are not a fan of 40 ft. wide drum kits.
5. You feel that computers might be better suited to surfing the internet.
What sets us apart:
1. Vintage analog decks meticulously maintained.
2. Bob Hodas tuned control room and recording rooms.
3. Custom analog electronics tweaked for serious music making.
4. Collection of vintage and custom amps, instruments, and effects pedals.
How it all goes down:
1. Recordings are made to a completely refurbished 1979 MCI JH-110A 1" 8-track reel to reel deck with discrete transformer-coupled preamps.
2. The band plays primarily live in the same acoustic space.
3. Multitrack tape usage is free.
4. Songs are monitored and mixed through a custom audiophile-grade console using hand-selected custom and boutique outboard equalizers and dynamic tools.
5. Mixdowns are performed onto a Studer A807 1/4" 2-track reel to reel deck. (If you choose to provide analog masters to mastering then you must purchase 1/4" reels of tape).
6. Digital transfers from keeper multitrack takes and 2-track mixdowns are made at 24-bit, 96kHz using Mytek converters and are burned to DVD for archival and/or mastering.
The 10 key ingredients of a great recording:
1. Great songs with
2. Great arrangements played by
3. Great musicians giving
4. Great performances using
5. Great instruments in
6. Great acoustic spaces recorded by a
7. Great producer/engineer with
8. Great ears using
9. Great microphones and
10. Great preamps
Please read our MANIFESTO blog above!
How to integrate your analog tape deck with your DAW (revive the analog love affair):
