Hi and welcome to the third part of this series of insights into my life that was leading to:- how I became and still am a broadcaster (and more)
It has been an interesting journey for me and filled with WoW moments all along the way.
So when we left the story last time I promised a bit of a wow moment so here goes…..
Dave Wycherley and I were tasked by Halton Borough Council to investigate how they could help the up-and-coming musicians of Widnes and Runcorn.
After some research we identified that around the county several local authorities had provided Rehearsal space (the old church/the citadel) but others had gone a stage further and had provided recording facilities.
So we just had to go and investigate!
The first place we went to was a “studio“ near Ormskirk – sadly this was a great example of how not to build a recording studio – it was basically a rehearsal space – and even that was definitely lacking.
It was located in the heart of an industrial estate without any form of soundproofing so it was a totally wrong location and a perfect example how not to put together a creative space!
The second studio we visited was near Preston and this had been done very well although the equipment was somewhat dated. It all worked, and it produced a high standard of recording.
However, the third studio we visited proved to be the best, it was the most up-to-date, and it contained a huge surprise.
We made the drive from Runcorn to Sheffield and eventually found the place we were looking for "Red Tape Studios".
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| (Image obtained via Google). |
The building that contain the studio was a former car sales showroom but little did we know when we went through the doors that this journey was going to be (in the words of “Rodney Trotter”) - “orgasmic”.
The studios had been supplied (at the council’s expense) with amazing technical equipment. We counted several high-value items including at least 10 A-dat recording machines, each of which (at that time) had a retail value in the region of £10,000.
However, more was yet to come…….
We were taken on a tour of the studios and were shown a number of small studios that could be rented for varying time periods.
Our guide told us that several of these small studios had been rented out long-term to several high-profile Sheffield stars.
After the tour was over we returned to the reception and were talking about the operational details of the studio when Phil Oakey of The Human League came into the area.
Introductions followed and we were invited to go upstairs and take a look at his studio. Phil played us a few samples of the material he was working on at the time and to a fan of Human League (as I am) that was simply incredible.
Eventually, it became time to leave and as we headed back to Cheshire I think Dave and I had grins on our faces that were as wide as the Mersey Estuary!
oooOOOooo
Thank you for reading this post and check back again soon for Part 4 where "I have an idea......!"
If you want to email me - Click Here!
Have a fantastic day, be safe, be careful and above all remember -
Don't predict the future - CREATE IT!
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