Recording Studio Sweet Spot – Catch This Music, Nashville
At the core of a rebirth, an essential element of the original may still remain.
That’s the case with Catch This Music Recording Studio (CTM), which revived a Music Row space while retaining something special. Once the home of Bayou Recording, the studio’s reopening in 2011 as CTM made sure there was a familiar board ensconced in Studio A: The Trident 80B that came with the place.
You’ll see more about this special console below. Meanwhile, observe an equally healthy reverence for microphones and choice outboard – all essential for satisfying a demanding clientele that includes George Jones, Tanya Tucker, Kenny Chesney, Trace Adkins, Dreamworks, Warner-Chappell Music, and many more.
How is CTM standing out in a very competitive scene? Owner-CEO Eddie Robba puts you in the know.
A beloved Trfdent 80B is at the center of CTM’s Studio A.
Facility Name: Catch This Music Recording Studio
Website: http://www.catchthismusic.com
Location: 1008 17th Avenue South, Nashville TN 37212
Neighborhood Advantages: Located in the heart of historic Music Row, near major record labels, publishing companies, booking agencies, management companies, and other nuts-and-bolts of the industry.
Date of Birth: 2011
Facility Focus: Studio A is perfect for tracking and mixing full album projects and demos, and for soundtrack and other specialty projects. Our studio B is great for guitar-vocal demos, voice-overs, books on tape and other small, personalized tasks.
Room for sound to move in Studio A.
Mission Statement: Catch This Music has top-of-the-line equipment to capture the heart of your in-studio performance. Our engineers have recorded amazing takes by some of the nation’s most renowned artists and songwriters.
Clients/Credits: Recording artist Jared Mitchell, signed to CTM Records and CTM Writers Ink publishing company. Composer and Grammy-award-winning songwriter Marcus Hummon and his son Levi, who were nominated for an Oscar for the independent film Two: The Story of Roman and Nero, Tanya Tucker, George Jones, John Anderson, T. Graham Brown, Lynn Anderson, Marty Stuart and The Martins, Donna Ulisse, The Gatlins, Ben Speer, The Vespers; Ritchie Ramone of The Ramones, The Outlaws, The Excuses and others have used our studio.
Key Personnel: Owner-CEO Eddie Robba, studio engineers Rebekah Long and Brandon Perdue and staff members Shawn Bowling and Shona Burr. We also have access to some of the best session musicians, singers, songwriters, engineers, producers and recording artists on the planet.
System Highlights:
STUDIO A:
Recording formats:
Digital via Pro Tools
Analog via Otari MTR-90III 24 Track – 2” Tape
Console: Trident 80B console with 32 input channels for tracking or 56 inputs for mixing. Uptown automation with flying faders. Fully restored and reconditioned.
Close up on the Trident.
The Trident 80B is one of the things that makes working at CTM unique. Especially in Nashville. There aren’t a lot of these desks left in this area, especially in the condition that ours is in.
While Neve, SSL and API are upheld as the Holy Trinity of consoles (and they’re all great!), the 80B just does something none of the others do. The EQ on this console is amazing, and the Pre’s are open and punchy. Every time an outside engineer or producer comes in to work or check out the space, they get a sparkle in their eye when they see this desk.
And the versatility of the sounds you can get through it is on par with much more expensive consoles. We’ve done Country, Rock, CCM, Bluegrass, Gospel and Pop projects over the past couple of years and this desk has been up to the task every time. Paired with our selection of outboard preamps and compressors, our 80B can serve any project that comes through.
This particular Trident is special because it has lived in this building since it was built. When Eddie bought the old Bayou Recording Studios and decided to give it a long overdue update, he knew he wanted to salvage the Trident and the history associated with it if at all possible.
Legends like George Jones, Tracy Lawrence, Trace Adkins, Tanya Tucker, Richie Ramone and so many others have cut countless records through this console and there is still a lot more life left in it.
After having it taken apart and gone through circuit-by-circuit, dipped in an audio bath, and fitted with a new frame from Sound Construction and wiring from Skinny Fish Audio, this desk really is in tip-top shape. We have it serviced regularly and use it on every session.
Mikes: Neumann U67 Tube, (2) Neumann U87, Neumann KM184 Matched Pair, Neumann KM84, Manley Reference, Coles 4038 Matched Pair, Bock Audio 251, Matching Pair of Royer 122′s,AKG C414 Matched Pair,(2) AKG C414 XLS/ST (Matched Pair), (2) Vintage AKG 414-EB, AKG 414B-ULS, AKG D112, AKG C1000, Radial JDI Duplex Stereo DI, (2) Radial Pro DI, Sanken CU32, SE Voodoo VR1,Groove Tube Model One, Audio Technica AT4031, Audio Technica AT4033A, Electro-Voice D868, Electro-Voice D408B, Yamaha SubKick, (5) Sennheiser MD421, Shure SM7B, Shure SM81, (10) Shure SM57, (2) Avlex AVS79, Electro Voice RE20, Electro Voice ND868 Bass Drum Mic
Mikes Available With Engineer: (2) Vintage U87, Lawson Tube 47, Lawson 47 fet, Lawson 414, KEL HM-3c, (2) Stereo Pair KEL HM-2d
Mics are highly prized at CTM, a la the Manley Reference.
Outboard gear: (4) API 512C Preamp, (2) Millennia HV35 Preamp, (2) Vintech 573 Preamp, Avalon VT 737 SP Preamp/Compressor/EQ, (2) A Designs/Pacifica P1 Preamp, (2) DBX 166 Compressor, Tube-Tech CL1B Compressor, (2) Empirical Labs Distressors, Universal Audio 1176 Compressor, JoeMeek SC3 Compressor, Bellari Tube Compressor, Lexicon PCM-90, Yamaha SPX 90II, Yamaha Rev 5, Yamaha Rev 7, TC Electronics Finalizer Plus, Aphex Gates
Cue system: Aviom Pro 16 series personal cue and mixing system
Monitoring: Focal Twin6BE monitors, Yamaha HS80M
Pro Tools: MAC Pro 8-core 2.4GHz processors with 6GB memory, External 2TB Glyph storage, Avid ProTools 10 HD2 Accel System, (2) Avid HD I/O 16 x 16 Analog Pro Tools|HD Audio Interface Modules, Avid Sync I/O,(2) 24’ Flat Panel widescreen display, Avid C|24 Pro Tools Control Surface with 24 Touch-sensitive Faders, 16 Preamps, Talkback Mic, and 5.1 Monitoring Section
Plug-ins: Waves Mercury bundle, Pitch And Time, SoundToys, Steven Slate Trigger, Lexicon Reverbs, Sonnox Oxford, Celemony Melodyne, Antares Audio Suite
The Yamaha C7 grand piano.
Instruments: Gretsch Catalina Maple Drums (22×18 kick, 14×6 snare, 10×8 rack tom, 12×9 rack tom, 13×10 rack tom, 14×14 floor tom, 16×16 floor tom), Hammond B-3 organ, Yamaha C7 grand piano
Recording rooms:
Main Tracking room: 15’ x 21’, 12’ ceiling, 24 mic, 4 midi, 6 tie, 4 cue lines
ISO room 1: 5’ x 7’, 9’ ceiling, 4 mic, 2 cue, 2 tie lines
ISO room 2: 7’ x 7’, 9’ ceiling, 4 mic, 2 cue, 2 tie lines
ISO room 3: 9’ x 9’, 11’ ceiling, 8 mic, 2 cue, 2 midi, 2 tie lines
ISO room 4: 9’ x 12’, 10’ ceiling, 8 mic, 2 cue, 2 midi, 2 tie lines
ISO room 5: 7’ x 7’, 9’ ceiling, 4 mic, 2 cue, 2 tie lines
ISO room 6: 5’ x 7’, 9’ ceiling, 4 mic, 2 cue, 2 tie lines
Amp room 1: 3’ x 4’, 8’ ceiling, 4 mic, 4 HI/Z, 2 tie lines
Amp room 2: 3’ x 4’, 8’ ceiling, 4 mic, 4 HI/Z, 2 tie lines
Echo Room: 4’ x 11’, 9’ ceiling, plaster walls, 4 mic, 2 fixed mic, 2 cue, 2 tie line
STUDIO B:
Recording Formats:
Pro Tools HD Native (Versions 11 and 10 co-installed), Mac Pro 6-Core, 3.33 Ghz w/ 16GB Ram and a 50″ HD Monitor (Wall-Mounted), Avid HD 16 x 16 IO, Avid Artist Series DAW Controllers (Control & (2) Mix) – 20 Faders Total, Waves Mercury, Antares AutoTune 7, Sound Toys Native Bundle, Slate Virtual Tape Machines, Slate Virtual Console Collection,Slate Trigger Platinum Drum Replacement, Native Instruments, Izotope Ozone, Reason 5, Toast Titanium
Many more plugins and virtual instruments
Distinguishing Characteristics: Our studios are crisp, clean and still smell brand new! We have great acoustics with beautiful design by Dave Mattingly in our Studio A. The walls are stained poplar wood and we have wood floors. We have a wood amp closet and another with a corrugated-tin look.
There are six Iso booths surrounding the live room. Mike Tharrett designed our Studio B. It is decked out in wood also, with a gorgeous Massenburg-inspired diffusion wall.
Diffusion inspired by Massenburg: Studio B
The building is on fire, you only have time to grab ONE thing to save, what is it?All of it!
Rave Reviews: Our studios are refreshing. Everybody loves the sound of the Trident 80B.
Most Memorable Session Ever: There are so many to choose from but having George Jones and Tanya Tucker in at the same time is the most memorable!
Session You’d Like to Forget: Our engineer says her first session here!
Before she was technically hired on she was called in on an emergency session. Rebekah had warned us that it had been a while since she had done a large session in a major studio having worked in a country music legend’s private studio for three years. It takes a while to learn a studios layout well enough to be able to handle anything thrown at you! Anything that could go wrong did that night! She was soaked to the bone in sweat, but thanks to her brilliance and the patience of the client she was able to get everything wrapped up and the record is climbing the charts!
Dream Session:Wow! Just one? That’s tough! I think Fleetwood Mac would be an ultimate band session. I mean there are so many number one groups and artists. Even trying to narrow down a genre is tough. The Beatles. Gosh. That’s a mind-boggling one that would take some serious consideration!
Eddie Robba, Owner-CEO, Catch This Music
The matched pair of Royer 122’s.
Another view on the Studio A live room.
Poised to record.
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