Effortless Records Studio Space(s) / places we've recorded...
CURRENT SERVICES
This isn't my full time thing by any means, and I'm usually swamped with other aspects of my job and business,
but if I'm available and I think I can help you - we might be able to work something out.
At very least I can refer you to a few other guys in town who might be able to help you if I can't.
Services available include:
Recording
Mixing
Quick - fake Mastering (Possibly good enough, certainly not the real deal)
Vintage and Simple. We love classic albums. Motown, The British Invasion, through to the 70's with a stopping point right around
where things started to sound terrible. After the pink spandex tiger stripe leotards and gated reverb snares calmed down a bit -
let's call that... 1992-ish, albums began to sound modern or 'normal' if that makes any sense. So we're usually either shooting
for something intentionally sounding like anything from 1957 to NOW, if you subtract the 80's decade entirely.
The classics are classic for a reason - so whenever possible - I try to stock gear known to be of workhorse quality
that have been used in major studios on classic albums. (Neve, API, Trident, UA, AKG, SHURE, Neumann etc.).
If the tools are good, they won't get in the way.
ITA STUDIO 3 (2010-Present)
TRACKING SETUP
As of 2021, all tracking equipment is now mobile - we can now record remotely.
We can record an entire band, choir, etc. 'live off the floor'.
When we first moved in - the band to most use the space was the Exotic Pets,
who morphed into the Maple City. Gay finsihed what they started at the previous studio here.
Observatory finished 'Secrets of Memory Man' here, having started it / working on it in the 2 previous studios.
Most of our 12 years here have been fairly dead time. I really don't know where the time has gone.
We actually have recorded a fair amount here, but have not released anything since 2010.
The studio flooded / we lost the floor / and then tore out the ceiling / and then started upgrading gear, and now we are here.
'Buy nice or buy twice' and 'Use the tools you have'... are 2 lessons I've probably not quite learned yet, but should.
Tascam Model 24 Hybrid Board
(16 native preamps onboard)
Mastering Chain
Reaper --> Waves --> UAD Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor / UAD Fairchild / UAD Tape Emulator(s) (or RND 542 Tape Sims between the Motu and the Tascam) -->
Motu 828es --> Tascam Model 24 board --> Final Media
-----THE PAST-----
ITA STUDIO 2 aka (The House of Miraculous Recovery) (2009-2010)
For a brief time, ITA took over the former House of Bleen's basement studio, previously occupied by the legendary Square Root of Margaret.
Effortless Records / ITA Recording occured here - mostly with 'Gay'. To date it's the only ITA Studio to have a control room, which doubled as my bedroom at the time.
I'm not sure that anything worked on here was ever finished here.
Later the recording and rehearsal space of the Exotic Pets and The Maple City.
Will this monument ever be revived again?
No pics available
ITA STUDIO (2006-2009)
Some of the more memorable session here were with Observatory, Hey! Death? , BluIgloos , Underwater Solitaire and The Vague Accountants.
Primary recording and rehearsal space for Observatory.
We went through various in-the-box digital trackers to a 'home' version of Pro Tools and eventually discovered Reaper.
This was probably our Golden Age.
Pretty sure I left here using a M-Audio Profire rig and Reaper as the DAW.
Some old pics...
inTouch Studio (2003-2006)
Birthplace of Effortless Records.
Primary recording and rehearsal space for Observatory.
The 4-track was abandoned for a DAW setup, and then for other in-the-box digital trackers.
Bob Hiltz and Brett Samson were a big help through the evolution from pushing record on a tape cassette to how things work in real recording studios.
This is where I started chasing the rebbit down the hole - striving for 5% increments in improving the recordings.
I regret almost everything.
No pics available
Apartment 309 (1999-2000)
Pre-Effortless records.
Rumor has it - the ghost of the real Captain Canada still haunts the hallways.
Some post Pseudo Star / pre-Observatory recording was done here, 4-track only.
No pics available
The House of Bleen (1995? to 2006?)
Effortless Records never owned this - but we lived there and recorded there.
We were lucky enough to be there in the hey-day of Square Root of Margaret running The House of Bleen as it's primary recording and rehearsal space.
Also home to Fifth Beetle and 33 1/3 records.
They tracked to tape through a big Soundcraft 'Spirit' board. Possibly the Spirit Live 4 2 , and then mixed down to ADAT.
Pseudo Star recorded it's only album release there. Recording started in '97 or '98 and concluded in 99, and was mixed/mastered elsewhere later.
The space later became ITA STUDIO 2 aka The House of Miraculous Recovery.
No pics available
Miller Farm / Charlie's Shed (1996 or 7 -1998 or 9)
Pre-Effortless records. A recording and rehearsal space of Pseudo Star.
Pseudo Star did get a few 4-track sessions done here.
No pics available
Craig's (1996 or 7 -1998)
Pre-Effortless records.
A recording and rehearsal space of Pseudo Star.
Captain Zapoleon material likely recorded here.
No pics available
Tupperville (1997-1998)
Pre-Effortless records. Both Watchtower albums were recorded here, on Boom box and then 4-track.
No pics available
Kerr Farm (1996-1997)
Pre-Effortless records.
Possibly where some recording took place, on boombox, maybe 4-track.
It's actually bulldozed now, though the barn/shed still stands.
No pics available
WHAT DOES ITA STAND FOR?
I wish I could say it has a more exciting meaning but basically my business owns the studio.
In around 2004 or 2005 I needed a business name quick for general consulting... inTouch Advanced was a
quickie catch all name for all the various computer, electonics, programming, business consulting I did at the time.
Multimedia, photography, video-stuff, audio-stuff became a part of this. inTouch Advanced was dropped after I had seen
there is some celebrity rag magazine you can buy called inTouch - so I shortened it to ITA, kind of a nod to EMI.
I'm currently situated in the third revision (third location) of the studio. If you are billed for servies here - your invoice
will actually be from 'ITA'.
