The Lodge tries hard to be the best recording studio in the area in terms of experience, expertise, efficiency, facilities and value for money and we believe we are.

Whilst The Lodge has kept up to date with all the latest technology and digital recording techniques, the studio has retained the best of the vintage gear, a decision which has turned out to have been a good one.

The studio has always been run by musicians and our senior staff between them have had many years experience both in the studio and on the stage. This means that the music always comes first and the technology plays its role in the background.

The Lodge was first established in 1979 by Robert John Godfrey and Stephen Stewart. Situated in a large farmhouse in the Suffolk countryside, it soon became one of the best known mid priced residential recording studios in the business with such artists as Kim Wilde, Katrina and the Waves, New Model Army, Mari Wilson, Marillion and Paradise Lost using it on a regular basis until 1988 when the owners closed it in order to concentrate on separate musical careers.

In 1992, Robert John Godfrey reopened The Lodge in Northampton where he, together with Max Read, have served the recording needs of the local community ever since offering very substantial discounts for young artists taking their first steps.

We do most of our work for regionally based bands - it is our forte and it is what we do best. However, our current client list extends from the biggest labels such as EMI or Warner Music, wanting relatively inexpensive recording situations for younger signed artists such as The OnOff's and The Departure; smaller labels like BEM doing a full residential project for Rattlesnake Remedy to Voiceover productions for ATS Heritage and Barclaycard.

Live Room
The Lodge is the only local studio with a truly purpose designed sound stage for recording drums and serious percussion, a fact which can make an enormous difference to the outcome of any recordings.

The main Live Room is geared up for bands. With 20 feet of space above the drum area and a ceramic ceiling the naturally created ambience gives a superbly huge sound.

There are also two quadruple-glazed, nested dead rooms having visual contact with all areas enabling unparalleled separation when recording all-at-once performances.

Chill Out
The chill out room is very popular. Providing a home from home space in which to relax and collect your thoughts. To eat and drink. To have a smoke and a chat with friends. To make and take those inevitable calls. To take a break. Cable TV - Home Cinema (10ft Screen) - Hi-Fi - Broadband - Email - DVD - Kitchen - Bathroom - Roof Garden

Vintage CADAC

72 Channels At Mixdown, 32 Channels Of Automation, Full Parametric EQ, 10 Sends, 32 Track Routing.

A Vintage CADAC is probably the best recording console ever produced and In its day, it was also the most expensive to produce. Now, they rarely come onto the market and are much sort after. You only have to hear a CADAC recording to appreciate that cheaper modern consoles like Audients, or budget project desks like Mackies are just not in the same league. The nearest thing to a vintage CADAC is a NEVE of the same era or a modern SSL.

The CADAC in The Lodge was originally commissioned in 1977 and installed at the famous Battery Studios in North London where it was used to record some of the greatest recordings of the day (The Sex Pistols, The Police, Queen, The Who, Def Leppard and Duran Duran). It was acquired by The Lodge in 1986 for £55,000 and remains our most valuable asset.

* * *

The CADAC name has been synonymous with top quality sound mixing consoles since 1968. The name epitomises a blend of innovative electronic design and excellence of audio quality, supported by reliable performance and service simplicity in the great British tradition. CADAC consoles were built to endure, using the highest quality components, complemented by innovative electronic and mechanical designs.

CADAC ceased making recording studio consoles in 1986 to concentrate on developing superior audio systems for the great theatres and opera houses of the world where a demand for the highest quality live/broadcast/recording facilities began to be demanded and and where cost was no object. So CADAC has become the industry-standard choice for leading musical productions, prestigious theatre installations, and the international touring circuit, underlining the breadth of the current CADAC product base.

Once recorded and mixed, there is one more very important stage that can make a dramatic difference to the sound of your tracks - mastering.

Mastering involves the use of a combination of different processes on the raw mix to achieve a variety of effects. Different kinds of music require different approaches; for example an unplugged acoustic song would sound very nasty with the kind of mastering used for a rock song. The end result can then be optimised for CD or vinyl duplication.

Until recently, mastering was the exclusive trade of posh studios with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of highly sophisticated equipment. Now, the power of a modern PC enables high quality digital mastering to be done on a much lower budget and we have all you need here at The Lodge to make a good job of it.

A mastering session involves listening to each track individually and fine tuning the mix, paying attention to the amount of bass, overall presence, dynamics and perceived volume. Sometimes it may be necessary to "fix a mix", for example if the vocals are too quiet it is sometimes possible to pick them out with a bit of added eq. at just the right notch. Generally though, mastering is just the "icing on the cake".

A good mastering will add clarity, depth, "air" and also perceived volume to a mix whereas a bad mastering may add a lot of volume and a bit of distortion as well! It is important to note, however, the skills and experience of a mastering engineer working in a purpose-built room with calibrated equipment is by far preferable - if you can afford it!

The Lodge accommodation is situated at the studio in the spacious home of the owners, Max Read and Robert John Godfrey.

It is clean and comfortable but certainly more guesthouse style than hotel. In our experience it suits bands who get on well together and like each other's company. In other words, not suitable for all personalities.

• Sleeps Six
• One large room containing four comfortable single beds.
• One room containing a double bed and a single bed.
• One bathroom reserved exclusively used by our guests.
• Large living room with a Computer for email and web surfing - Home Cinema - Broadband - Cable TV.
  Roof garden
• Catering is very flexible and very good - Home cooked food to suit all tastes. Alternatively, the kitchen is available for self catering if desired.
• The cost of accommodation is modest and the catering is good value. Ring for more details.

Sudent Rate
For Students - Very Small Labels - Unsigned Bands - Bona Fide Charities and Modest Self Financed Recording Projects:

10 Hour Day (Mon-Fri) - £195
10 Hour Day (Weekends) - £225
Hourly Rate - £27.50 (2 Hours Minimum Booking)

Standard RateE
For Businesses, Bigger Labels,
Major Record Companies
and Signed Bands:

10 Hour Day (Mon-Fri) - £350
10 Hour Day (Weekends) -£450
Hourly Rate £45
Haggling Welcome - Block bookings and Lockouts are negotiable.

Lockout
INCLUDES IN HOUSE ACCOMMODATION AND CATERING

£450 per day

£2800 per week


All rates are inclusive of any tax

The Lodge Recording Studios 23 Abington Sq Northampton NN1 4AE

Contact: Max Read or Robert Godfrey

Admin: 01604 475399

Control Room; 01604 516997

Max Read Direct: 07915 610735

Email: studio_enquiries@lodgerecording.co.uk

Web: www.lodgerecording.co.uk