Transition from The Bridge Recording to Silent Zoo: In 2019, after 10 years and thousands of film, TV, video game, music, trailer and media library scoring sessions, The Bridge Recording owner Greg Curtis put his popular Glendale, CA-based facility on the market. When Holden Woodward first set foot in the studio’s incredible 1800 sq. ft. live room, the veteran musician, music producer, indie film producer and (at the time) student in USC’s music industry program envisioned buying it as a personal facility. With its 96 channel Neve VRL console and large 875 ft. control room, it seemed like the perfect spacious and sonic environment to record his surf/grunge band Checkerneck’s new 13-song album and continue his slate of scoring and artist production (rock, electronic music, etc.) projects. In December 2019, Woodward opened it up for a screen scoring session with his fellow USC students––and it went so well that he decided to expand operations to become a commercial studio for all types of clients and recordings.
Building upon a Legacy: Woodward took advantage of the pandemic downtime to revamp the studio sonically, aesthetically and equipment wise. Carrying on the great legacy left by The Bridge, Silent Zoo Studios is committed to continuing to be an integral part of the screen scoring world, while incorporating contemporary music of all genres. The facility is also fully equipped to livestream live concerts, shows, sessions, podcasts, interviews, etc. Silent Zoo Studios is now open with a fully re-capped and refurbished console and the latest Apple computing power running the current Pro Tools, Logic Pro and Ableton Live programs, including the latest plug-ins and recording software. The outboard gear and mic locker have been further enhanced with many new offerings, including three matched original Neumann M50’s, maintained by Klaus Heyne, the foremost practitioner of condenser microphones modifications in America. Silent Zoo’s recent bookings include a cinematic trailer for Magic: The Gathering; jazz piano sessions; brass, strings and wind sections for Netflix; and vocal sessions for 2021 American Idol star Grace Kinstler.
Equipment and Amenities: With the capacity to accommodate 50+ musicians and two large iso booths, Silent Zoo Studios offers a full backline of instruments (drums, guitars, basses, keyboards, pedals, etc.); a 4K video rig with multiple cameras; a 9-foot Steinway Concert D; the complete Telefunken Diamond series of mics; and over 300 guitar effect pedals. Vibe changes and additions include vinyls and a record player in the lobby; art by artists from all over the world; Apple TV, video games and more; lightbulbs that can change colors to create any spectrum throughout the studio; and high quality coffees like Blue Bottle. The walls have exposed brick and the facility has vintage 1920’s lighting fixtures for an overall hybrid factory-industrial/rustic aesthetic.
Quote from Holden Woodward: “When I first saw it, the live room took my breath away. When it’s that size, you can do just about anything and I quickly envisioned a whole range of exciting possibilities. We are thrilled to reopen this magnificent studio at full capacity and provide a world class space for music creation and production of all kinds.”
Contact Silent Zoo Studios, 818-484-5222
