Recording at quay west studios
Set inside an awe inspiring church, Quay West Studios is built around a stunning API 1608 console at the heart of our control room, alongside various outboard, synths and PMC monitoring.
The control room was purpose built to sound right and give engineers a space they can trust, with the API 1608 at the centre of everything we do.
For tracking, we have a controlled live room alongside the huge church nave, giving us two very different spaces to work with.
The nave is incredibly versatile. Depending on how we use the space and position the microphones, it can give us everything from tight, dry and controlled sounds through to huge, open and absolutely epic ambience.
That makes it an incredible space for drums, piano, strings, brass, vocals and pretty much anything that benefits from having a choice of natural acoustic character… and the room sound here is God tier!
Between the control room, live room and nave, we can shape the sound around the record rather than forcing every session into the same type of space.
mixing
Nicholas mixes across a wide range of genres, from punchy band records through to high track count and more cinematic productions.
Every track needs its own identity. Nicholas doesn’t approach every mix with the same set formula, it’s about understanding the style of music, what makes that particular track work and then building around that.
Drums are a big part of Nicholas’ sound, with a strong focus on weight, punch and impact, but never at the expense of the song as a whole.
Whether the session is relatively simple or packed with layers, the aim is always the same: keep the mix clear, powerful and full of character while making sure the artist still sounds like themselves.
If you would like Nicholas to mix your music, use the contact form to get in touch.
session musicians
If your project needs an extra player, we can help find the right person for the job.
Over the years, we have built up a strong network of musicians across a wide range of instruments and styles, so whether you need bass, drums, guitar, keys, strings, brass or something more specific, we can help put the right person in the room.
It is not just about finding someone who can play the part. It is about finding someone who understands the music, fits the session and brings something useful to the record.
If you are not sure exactly what you need, we can help work that out too.
Sometimes another reverb plugin just isn’t what a track needs.
We can re-amp existing source material through the church nave and capture it back with multiple room microphones, using the space itself as part of the sound.
It can add a huge sense of depth, scale and realism to drums, vocals, guitars, keys, strings and other recorded material, from subtle natural ambience through to something absolutely massive.
Because the sound is actually moving through a real space and being captured again, it brings a depth and character that is very difficult to recreate with a plugin alone.
If you have a track that feels like it needs more space, size or something a little more real, send it over, and we can talk through what might work.
Re-amping & Natural Room Capture
podcast Production & creative hire
Professional podcast recording and filming is available within the studio, with setups tailored to suit your brand and aesthetic.
The live room is also available for songwriting sessions, independent podcast production or private creative work. A distinctive space designed to give your ideas room to breathe.
Video
Quay West Studios is more than a recording space. The scale and character of the building make it a striking setting for live video sessions, performance films and artist content. The vast nave provides a dramatic backdrop for live recordings, while the control room and studio spaces offer intimate, atmospheric environments for stripped-back performances and creative shoots.
We regularly host live video sessions, capturing artists performing in the space with high-quality audio and visual production. The result is content that feels authentic, cinematic and true to the performance.
The building is also available as a unique filming and photography location, offering architecture and atmosphere rarely found in a traditional studio setting.
In today’s landscape, music and visual identity go hand in hand. Sessions at Quay West can be documented thoughtfully, ensuring artists leave not only with a finished record, but with meaningful visual content to support their release.
