From DIY to DIY: how we got here

Hey Everyone,

I’ve always loved the do-it-yourself mentality, even when I didn’t know what it meant. I’m an only child and grew up in a small town, in a neighborhood sparsely populated with other kids. Even though I played in bands, I couldn’t find anyone that wanted to play my songs, or style of music. So I learned how to play the instruments I wanted and my parents encouraged this (my dad is bassist and my mom can sing, even if she won’t admit it).  I started getting a few songs together, I needed to record them. Starting out, my studio was in my parents basement on a Sony laptop, Yamaha USB mixer, and a few dynamic microphones. I was discouraged and frustrated until I learned how to make everything work together.

Eventually, I upgraded to bigger and better equipment, but I was still in the basement. I was still writing, and recording my own music. I learned about basic recording techniques watching any video I could find. I absorbed everything. But when it came time to apply, I realized the fundamentals were the same, but my basement studio wasn’t going to sound like Abbey Road or Ocean Way, there was no way. I figured out, using shipping blankets, plywood, and the concrete floor that I could get great drum sounds. Later, I got a job at a local music store with a small DIY project studio in the back. Between teaching lessons and after closing time, I was usually either recording bands or my own music. This was an upgrade from the basement, but still DIY, we used a lot of scrap materials, like extra ceiling tiles for a drop ceiling and old rugs became acoustic treatment. When I went to college, I got to record everything from solo performers, world renowned pianist, ensembles, marching bands and orchestras. This was my first real gig as a recording engineer, I was getting paid to do something I loved, and it helped to have cash during this time for “school supplies” During this time I was allowed to keep my setup in a closet in the instrument storage room that no one had touched in years. It was cool, and it actually ended being a good room to mix because there were no parallel surfaces (floor or walls) lots of shelving made for great diffusion. I even arranged cases to make a BBC diffusion panel behind the mix area. Post college I returned to the music store, doing sales, managing the store, teaching lessons, and still making time to record artist for about 3 years.

Then I moved to Columbia and moved into various apartments, maintaining a small studio. I learned how to work within the box, no outboard gear and mixing under adverse conditions. About 2 years ago, a friend from college, whom I still get to play every Sunday at church decided to form a band, mainly playing covers, mainly to get to play the music we wanted, and have fun. It’s been a blast, we’re called The Hi-Tops. Our bassist had a space we still practice in that would become the warehouse. So about year later, Dave and I founded The Nuclear Warehouse Studios and its been off to the races. Much of the studio is DIY, from the video backdrops, gobos, acoustic treatment in the live room are all DIY. Using recycled and repurposed materials and tweaking them, we have made a unique space that looks and sounds great.

I say all that to say this, if you want to do something, do it. Learn from your mistakes and allow that to make you better. Having all the expensive gear in the world doesn’t mean a thing if you can’t use it. Buy what you have to, but build what you can. The Warehouse may not be flashiest, most extravagant space in town, but you will get a product that accurately represents your art and stands up as something you can be proud of.