Equipment

The Sky Trail Productions studio is equipped with the most advanced recording gear available today. Very few studios in the Denver and Boulder area possess the sonic capabilities obtainable through our equipment. Your end product will closely approximate what can be achieved at some of the finest studios in the industry.

Solid State Logic (SSL) 8000G+ Console

Our studio is equipped with a Solid State Logic (SSL) 8000G+ console. It is a 48 frame 8000 gb with G+B EQ console. The SSL 8000G+ utilizes high voltage (250 volts) to capture the highest fidelity sound on each recording.

Approximately 73% of all Billboard Top 100 hits have been recorded on SSL G boards since their inception in 1984. These consoles have been the gold standard in the recording industry for more than two decades, and they have been used in top studios all over the world on recordings spanning a variety of genres, including rock, pop, hip hop, jazz, and Nashville. For many years, Prince used an SSL 8000 in his Paisley Park Studio.

SSL only manufactured a limited number of 8000 series consoles (approximately 200-300). When you record with one of these boards, you are benefiting from a unique and exclusive experience rarely achieved in a small independent studio.

The SSL 8000 console at Sky Trail Productions was factory modified with Jensen transformers on every channel to improve the microphone signal for the recording, and the sound is better than most outboard microphone gear available. This enables our engineers to streamline recording sessions, making them run much more smoothly and efficiently.

 

Microphones

Our engineers worked closely with Fletcher of Mercenary Audio to select all of the microphones in the studio with the goal of creating a well-rounded microphone cabinet that blends vintage and new products. Over a period of six months, Fletcher would send  a variety of microphones to audition. At the completion of this lengthy and exhaustive process, our engineers had assembled an arsenal of microphones capable of delivering the most stunning sound available:

  • Neuman U47 (pair) – A classic mic used by Frank Sinatra and George Martin (producer for The Beatles). This set was actually owned and used by Kenny Rogers.
  • Josephson 700A – A dual capsule mic with a hand-wound transformer. It was the first of its kind ever made featuring an omni capsule and a figure-8 capsule in one microphone. It excels as a vocal and drum mic, but it is effective for most applications.
  • C12VR – A tube mic for vocals.
  • AK47 – A tube mic for vocals.
  • Groove Tube CL1 (matched pair) – A set of tube mics for vocals.
  • Telefunken Elam 251 – A tube mic with a silky high end that is perfect for female vocalists.
  • Sennheiser, Audix, and Shure microphones to round out the dynamic mics for instruments.
  • Coals 4032 – A ribbon mic for overheads.

 

Software

We have 24 Pro Tools HD inputs and 40 outputs to make the most of the SSL 8000’s potential. The more tracks you can get out of the console and onto a single track, the more character can be imparted to the final mix.

We also use Full Waves software plug-ins, the industry standard in virtual signal processing for people who have files programmed “in the box.”

 

Please contact us today to schedule your recording session. We serve musicians from our location in Boulder, Colorado area.