Pyramid Recording: One Studio’s Collective Solution to the NYC Puzzle

KOREATOWN, MANHATTAN: NYC recording studios used to need a big console and a big enough live room to stay in business, and the rest was gravy. Today, those basic assumptions are so out the window, it’s not even funny.

One fabulous study in the evolution of NYC recording facilities is Pyramid Recording. Smack dab in the middle of Koreatown, this warm room was founded by sonic craftsman Todd Hemleb (Michael Kamen, Whitney Houston) in 1976, and is powering forward today with a custom API console (a rarity in NYC), a natural vibe and non-stop street smarts.

For evidence of the latter, read on about the collective approach in operation at Pyramid. This group survival/success strategy sees Hemleb looking to a diversified gathering of in-demand producer/engineers to keep business flowing for both his room and themselves. For Mathew Leland (Asa Ransom, Sharon Kenny), Denise Barbarita (Mary J. Blige, Herbie Hancock, Arto Lindsay), Robert L. Smith (Aerosmith, Bon Jovi), and James Cargill (Asa Ransom), Pyramid forms a group that’s worth the effort.

front row: Denise Barbarita, Todd Hemleb, Mathew Leland; Back row: Robert L. Smith, James Cargill

Q: What’s the brief history of Pyramid Recording Studios? Why did Todd found the studio, and when?

A (Todd Hemleb): I opened in 1976, I was working in bands and thought it would be a great way to stay in the business. I started with a 4-track and a small board, and I’ve worked my way up to Pro Tools HD and a great vintage API console. Over the years I’ve worked for every major record label and have done projects for artists such as Whitney Houston, ABBA, MOP, Michael Kamen, Al Green, Mary J. Blige and others.

Q: That’s a good progression! Who else is in the picture now that makes Pyramid not just a studio, but a collective?

A (Mathew Leland): In a lot of ways we are in different worlds of the music scene in New York, and we all have our own projects and goals we are constantly working towards.

I would say that James and myself are much newer to the business than Denise and Robert, so on any given night you can find us in any number of DIY venues, and the scene in and around Williamsburg. Robert and Denise are veterans in studios like Avatar and Kampo. Both of them came up through the ranks, which was normal for such a long time. Nowadays people start as serious hobbyists and go from there.

You could almost say that in a lot of ways these neighborhoods reflect how we came through the ranks to make this a career. And in a way, James and I have found a chance to work with more experienced people. And although we all partner in this endeavor, I feel as though we’re lucky to have people who can help us fill in the gaps as we try to perfect our process and knowledge base.

Q: It seems like a positive arrangement, all around. I can see that this studio has some interesting technical highlights — fill us in on the API console and other goodies.

A (Denise Barbarita): The API came from Bad Animals in Seattle. I don’t know all of the details on how Todd was able to get it — maybe he should answer that?

TH: The 1976 API console is a custom-built model, originally built for Danny Kaye and then bought by Heart and placed in Bad Animals Studio.  The console was not only used for Heart recordings, but it saw action with the likes of The Spinners, REM, and Soundgarden, to name a few, and has been used by many great engineers.

We also have great outboard gear! LA-2As, Neve 1073 PRES/EQs, Neve 2554A Stereo Compressor Limiters, Pro Tools HD2, Otari MTR 90, Otari 2-track MTR1211H and a full compliment of vintage and contemporary microphones. We also have a Hammond B3 Organ with Leslie and a 1923 Baldwin Grand Piano.

DB: Don’t forget the echoplexes…

ML: For me, walking into the control room, I couldn’t help but notice the console. It really symbolizes the care and time companies used to take building their products. Todd has been very diligent about maintaining its appearance and functionality. The more I work on it the more I fall in love with its character and charm. It’s one of a kind.

The other great part of the console is the ability to throw up the Neve 1073’s on eight extra faders on the API. I can only describe it as this electric feeling of having the best vintage gear right at your fingertips. And that’s just the console. From vintage LA-2A’s and DBX compressors, all the way to Cooper Time Cubes and a huge spring reverb, the studio is filled with gear that my favorite plug-in’s are based on. And that’s not even getting into the ability to go between Pro Tools and analog tape.

An A+ API

Q: I think every room in NYC has its own character. How would you characterize the type of studio Pyramid is?  What niche does Pyramid fill in the NYC spectrum of facilities?

A (DB): Pyramid is a mid-sized, one-room facility. The live room is wood paneled and has a lovely rich tonal quality. Just enough “air” but not too live. A producer I work with who did a session there recently said “I want to do jazz here! Its perfect for jazz.” I would agree with that, it’s perfect for any medium-sized ensembles or singer/songwriter projects.

It’s also great for overdubbing live instruments like a string quartet or horn section. There are two booths, both roughly the same size, one filled with a myriad of amps that a client can choose from. There are also two in-house drum kits with all hardware and brass.

I think we fill a very important niche. We’re the perfect choice for artists or producers who are looking for a private room with “old school” amenities, great gear, mic selection, and vintage and modern outboard gear but don’t have the budget for the larger rooms in the city.

(James Cargill): It’s definitely large enough to do full sessions, but doesn’t have the overhead of larger spaces.

I see it as part of my role to help artists balance their time and budgets between the most appropriate locations. I definitely work more in the indie-pop-rock world, so I try to bridge the gap between the Brooklyn DIY mentality and making a professional-sounding record—so a conversation might be along the lines of, “Sure, work out your demos on an M-Box, we can even use some of those tracks with the mix, but here’s why we’re going to the studio to record your drums… this is what great mics and preamps sound like, etc…”

So Pyramid is a great place to start a record, getting drums and initial tracks down. Then the band may work on overdubs in another space and then return to mix or even sum stems, depending on the budget and if the mix took place in the box at another location.

ML: I think that the first thing you have to say about Pyramid is that it’s a labor of love. Todd built this himself, and continues to maintain and run it.

I would say that the studio is the type of room ideal for mixing and tracking for groups of 4-5 people. It’s interesting to notice though that 10 years ago Pyramid would have gone into a list of smaller rooms. As time goes on and more studios close, it has the potential to offer as much, if not more, than most rooms around.

Q: That’s an interesting point about the evolution of room sizes and the expectations attached to them. Pyramid seems to be a studio that’s flown below the radar for the last several years. Is this by accident, by design, or a little bit of both? Why?

A (TH): A bit of both. It would be safe to say that self-promotion and marketing has never really been a joy for any of us, but is, of course, a necessary aspect of any business. Pyramid has always been a labor of love. The amount of promotion necessary to keep a room working used to be far less because more people were using rooms as opposed to doing it themselves.

ML: As time has passed and home studios have become more prevalent, there’s less of a need for artists to continually go into larger studios, but the need for professional studios and gear has certainly not gone away. As some of the larger studios have closed, we’re in a position to offer artists another viable alternative.

Moving forward, we’re adapting our business model to better serve the needs of our clients, and provide a place for where artists can realistically make music without having budget concerns compromise quality.

Q: I think the most interesting aspect of Pyramid is the “collective” approach it represents. How did this idea develop? How does it work?

A (ML): Simply put, there is strength in numbers. This is what brought us all to the table in the first place. I would also say it works differently on a daily basis. There has to be a certain flexibility to any collective approach.

DB: Again, we’re all freelancers. More importantly, we’re all friends. I personally worked out of Kampo studios for years, but what I kept running into were clients who said, “I want to work with you but I can’t afford the studio” And because they assumed I ONLY worked there, it started to become a personal problem.

So, I was in search of a room that gave me what I needed in terms of gear complement but at a more affordable price point. As a group, we chose to call Pyramid a home base of sorts specifically for that reason. We have all worked together in the past in various capacities and we respect/love what each of us brings to the table.

I can’t speak for Robert, but I really miss the days of having a place to go where you know everyone, the interns, the assistants, the other engineers… I miss the camaraderie and the personal dramas (well sort of) and I miss the give-and-take of ideas, tips or tricks. Listening to each other’s horror stories, and solutions to problems, talking to the various musicians who come and go about his/her new snare drum or new guitar amp purchase. To me, this is what we are creating, Really re-creating! A community for like-minded individuals who want to make a difference, who see “the artist” not as someone who has no clue about anything and needs to be “molded” but as someone who wants to do their best work, and we fill that role in helping them to facilitate that goal.

Perhaps Mat wants to concentrate on producing an artist and doesn’t want to deal with engineering, he’ll call Bob or I to fill that need. Perhaps I’m in a session and one of the musicians doesn’t show, I may ask Mat or James to play on a track, or ask their opinion about whom I should call. Maybe I don’t want to fill the producer role for a date, I can call James or Mat. If I need mastering done, or, maybe I’m working on my own music, and I don’t want to worry about my kick drum capture while I’m recording vocals! Go figure? I’ll call Bob.

Q: Makes sense. Are there clear advantages and challenges of the collective approach?

A (ML): As I said before there is strength in numbers. There is also at times compromise. Decisions have to be made for “the greater good”, which means that every time we sit down we all have to agree on what “the greater good” is. To me it’s completely worth the extra step because in the end a few good ideas lead to one great idea or even a new and completely different one.

I think in this case, you start with the basics. All of us bring our own client base. So, first you make sure that every experience is positive. Then they come back, and since the business is small people want to tell others. Then others come. Then they leave happy…so on and so forth. We’re currently working to make a few additions to accommodate post work as well.

DB: I can’t really think of any disadvantages at this point. There are challenges in any relationship — all of us have good days and bad days. The trick is to keep each other focused on what’s important “in the moment”. As Mat said, concentrate on “the greater good”. There will be, and have been, times were we “agree to disagree” on certain ideas or opinions. But that doesn’t stop us from moving forward.

Q: Om. How do you strive to publicize/promote Pyrmaid, and successfully diversify your revenue streams?

A (JC): As far as promotion, we attend industry events as a group, pass out post cards, take turns with the task of online marketing, etc. As far as revenue streams, we each have our strengths, be it post-production, mastering, artist development or orchestration and we each steer potential clients towards the best match in the collective.

DB: Postcards, parties, Internet social networking, networking events, word of mouth. The same thing everyone else is doing. Again, as a freelancer I wear many hats. I’m a composer and a songwriter and I generate income through those avenues.

As an engineer, I choose the studio that best fits the needs of any given project rather than trying to make a project fit a room. We will work together whether a project is tracked at Pyramid or, for whatever reason, the choice is made to track elsewhere. That’s going to happen from time to time. It’s the nature of the beast. Buuuut, perhaps we’ll do overdubs at Pyramid? Perhaps the client can’t afford to mix in a commercial facility and opts to mix at one of our home studios? We can mix stems at home, and finish the mixes off at Pyramid, running the stems through the API and opt to use the outboard reverbs or whatever other sexy gear that’s there? Options are limitless.

Q: It sounds like you guys are committed, to say the least. What makes you determined to be a part of the NYC studio scene today?
A (DB): I love music. I love making music. I will do whatever I need to do to continue making music in any way, mixing, tracking, composing, writing, performing, Whatever!

I HAVE to do it; otherwise I’m a big depressed waste of oxygen. In terms of the overall studio scene, well, it’s tough for a lot of rooms to keep going. It’s tough for a lot of studio staffers whose hours are getting cut, engineers or assistants who have more lag time between projects, or who need to cut their day rates or hourly rates in order to accommodate a project.

This is the whole reason why we chose Pyramid as a workspace. This relationship gives me, personally, another option. Does the client want a room with high-end gear but doesn’t have a high-end budget? Well, I can make it happen. I work, our assistant works, the studio is booked, the client is happy. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters, everyone is happy and making music. Mischief managed.

JC: Like everywhere, the NYC studio scene has been reshaped by the proliferation of home recording and the general slump in music sales. Obviously a lot of previously big name studios have shut down, but a number of them have hung in there. I’m very happy that Pyramid is one of them. Why I’m so excited to be working in the recording industry these days is ANYONE can begin recording themselves with a very minimal investment in gear, throw it online and it can be heard worldwide. The idea that we can step away from the model that you can only afford to record your album, because a label that thinks you are sellable picked you up is great. Have an idea—record it—get it out there. Great.

That said, go to MySpace and there are a million bands all going this route and obviously not all of it sounds great. I want to be there, to help talented people hone their ideas and get above the noise of everyone else out there. Why is it that anyone can make a record at home now, but the new American Idol is still on my radio? I want to be there when that puzzle gets solved.

ML: It’s no secret that it’s harder and harder everyday to keep studios open. It seems to me studios are being forced to charge less and offer more. So, the model becomes, “How do you stay lean and efficient without affecting the quality of the work environment?” I personally came to a point where I realized that if I wanted to see the space I work in change, then why not do it myself? When the space works I work better, when I work better, I work more, and when I work more the space does better. It’s a win-win situation. I am really excited to explore that model. — David Weiss

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