From Project Studio to World Class Experience: Not long after multi-instrumentalist, producer/engineer and singer/songwriter Devon Steelman launched his humble project studio in 2008 as a private space to demo material for his then-band, he realized the potential to develop it into a full-service independent studio. In three years, Steelman Studios had outgrown its first location and Steelman built a new facility in Van Nuys, CA, in collaboration with Dave Hampton (author of The Business of Audio Engineering) to accommodate the workflow. “We wanted something that had vibe, and a ton of great gear,” Steelman says. “There isn’t anything we can’t do here! We wanted zero limitations.”
Everyone Digs That Vibe: With a clientele of indie musicians, up-and-coming artists and such renowned names as Ledesi, Kirk Whalum and three-time Grammy nominee Dave Rideau and Grammy-winning Usher engineer Tremaine “Six7” Williams, Steelman Studios has been praised by engineers and musicians alike. Steelman and his staff have created a relaxed feeling via darker shades of chocolate brown and copper on the walls, a homespun atmosphere and even candles. The wood floor in the live and control rooms, as well as the vaulted 16-foot ceiling, contribute to the aesthetic and add acoustic excellence. There is also an isolation booth perfect for vocal and guitar tracks. “I wanted this to be more than a room full of great gear,” he says. “I wanted it to be a place where musicians and artists can comfortably create.”
Services and Experience: Steelman offers an ideal environment for tracking, mixing, mastering and re-amping. Clients record on top-of-the-line equipment with one of the facility’s seasoned engineers—including Steelman himself. The owner prides himself on their ability to help mold tracks to fit every artist’s vision, and taking that mix to the final product and enhancing it via mastering. Re-amping is a special service which allows clients to re-do elements, like guitar and bass tones, simply by providing the staff the DI tracks, which they’ll send through an amplifier/ cabinet/microphone/preamp combination of the client’s choice.
For more information, visit steelmanstudios.net.
