Summer/Fall 2007 :

Allaire Studios is pleased to announce the addition of an historic piece of recording equipment to its already impressive arsenal: the Neve ‘Air Montserrat’ console. This console has just been installed in the Great Hall and replaces the SSL 9000J that had been in use since 2003.

The Air Montserrat was custom designed and built in 1978 by Rupert Neve & Co. for George Martin’s famous Carribean recording outpost, Air Studios Montserrat. Martin and Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick collaborated with Rupert on the desk’s design and were so happy with the results that they had two more built for Air Studios in London. These three consoles were the last ones designed by Rupert for the Neve company. One of the three still remains at Air while the third resides at The Warehouse, Bryan Adams’ studio in Vancouver, BC. Allaire owns the only one in the United States.

The console design represented a departure from earlier Neve desks. The ‘Air Montserrat’ boasts ultra high bandwidth (up to almost 100KHz before significant roll off), extremely low noise (-80dB) and ultra wide (106 dB) dynamic range. It was also the first console to utilize remote mic preamps and features toroidal transformers on all console inputs, outputs and summing amps. What does all this mean? Everything sounds better through this console! Artists who’ve used the desk include the Police, U2, Dire Straits, Paul McCartney, Rush, Stevie Wonder, the Rolling Stones and more.

The first project on the new board at Allaire was a new album by Chilean singer Claudia Acuna, produced by Branford Marsalis. Rob Hunter engineered the sessions, assisted by Allaire’s Stephanie DuFresne.

In other session news, the Black Crowes were in Allaire’s Neve Room this summer to record their first studio album since 2001. Brothers Chris & Rich Robinson rocked the mountainside with longtime collaborator Paul Stacey as co-producer & engineer. Joining in were keyboardist Adam MacDougall and Luther Dickinson from the Mississippi All Stars. Allaire’s Justin Kessler assisted.

Isobel Campbell, V2 artist from Glasgow, Scotland, recorded and mixed a new album with Matthew Cullen in the Neve Room.

Matthew Cullen also recorded New York singer & composer Duncan Sheik. Duncan brought his newest collaborative band project to Allaire, featuring David Poe, Matt Johnson, Morgan Taylor and Fil Krohnengold.

Florida stalwarts Awestruck ventured north to record at Allaire this summer. Rock producer/engineer Pete Thornton commandeered the Neve 8068 in the Neve Room for the project.

We were also treated to the eclectic cabaret/pop sounds of New York based Anthony & the Johnsons. Anthony Hegarty and band which featured Julia Kent, cello, Parker Kindred, drums, Jeff Langston, bass, Doug Wieselman, horns, Maxim Moston, violin, arrangements and Rob Moose, guitar and violin, worked in the Great Hall with producer/engineer Stewart Lerman and engineer Matt Cullen. Assistance was provided by Stephanie DuFresne.