LIVE ROOM
pointed live room ; an adjacent vocal recording room ; a control room loaded with sought-after gear that ’ s ready for recording sessions or THX-certified surround mixes ; and impressive collections of guitars , keyboards and synths , and other creative tools readily available to clients .
Among his favourite pieces is the 24-track Studer A827 2-in . tape machine anchored in the control room that he acquired a few years ago from Toronto ’ s Giant Studio , owned by Metric guitarist Jimmy Shaw . “ People love it ,” Riggi enthuses . “ It ’ s a huge draw these days and still works great .”
A key difference between the studio ’ s current operations compared to its early years on both the audio and video sides is the more distinct division of work – where , for example , the recording engineer and producer were typically different people , and there were more professionals with specialized roles typically involved in the recording process .
“ Everyone was still working as a team , respecting each other ’ s domains ,” says Riggi . “ Even the studio rats – people wanting to be interns or hanging around to grab
some scrap sessions where someone might need a guitar player or background vocalist . It was always just a bunch of creative people hanging around .”
Today , workflows are inherently more insular as budgets and timelines tighten and customer expectations increase . “ And it ’ s nice to have that ability to work faster and work smarter and get great results more easily ,” Riggi admits , “ but it doesn ’ t create a collaborative , creative environment .”
Subsequently , Riggi Media International has adapted its approach to keep pace with modern workflows and expectations while maintaining some of the aspects that allowed it to thrive in earlier years . “ At our studio , for example , we don ’ t send out for tracks ; we always bring in session musicians whenever we can ,” Riggi offers . “ We like the client here , the producer here , the engineers here , the musicians here , and then go from there . It makes for a better experience for the client , and that always results in a better end product . The client leaves smiling and happy , and that ’ s been our marker for success since the beginning .”
Of course , those expansive
STUDER A827 TAPE MACHINE
PROFESSIONAL SOUND 31