From the Ground Up: There’s a fascinating link on the Studio Tour website page of The Greene Room, a full-service state of the art studio launched by veteran engineer Marc Greene in 1999. It’s a step-by-step photographic essay of how the structure was built from the ground up on an empty residential lot in Sherman Oaks, CA, followed by images of how the rooms inside were developed under the sonic design guidance of Steven Klein’s Sound Control Room, considered one of Los Angeles’ leading acoustic design and consultation firms. Greene built his own commercial space after years as a successful freelance engineer in the ‘80s and ‘90s, working on a diverse array of high profile and independent projects at top facilities like Wally Heider’s in Hollywood, as well as at Cherokee, Devonshire, Enterprise, Evergreen and Capitol.
Diversity of Projects: Greene’s goal at launch was to offer an auxiliary room for himself and fellow engineers to track small rock and pop projects – but The Greene Room has grown through the digital era to include film work (including overdubs and individual instruments on the 2022 animated film Addams Family 2), ADR (where actors replace dialogue), editing and mixing of choirs and orchestras and shooting videos. The studio also offers mixing and mastering in stereo and 5.1 Surround, full band and drum tracking, vocal recording, tuning and repair, recording of small string groups, location use for film, TV and video, Pro Tools instruction, audio restoration and noise reduction, voice overs, narrations, audio books and podcast recording.
The Studio Layout: “Because The Greene Room was literally built from the ground up rather than by converting an existing space, the electricity is correct, the floors are floating, the walls have the perfect soundproofing and the correct quiet flow of air conditioning. The ceilings are 12 feet high and the rooms (a 320 sq ft main recording room, 300 sq. ft. control room and three smaller isolation rooms) are set on a diagonal to lend a feel of spaciousness while avoiding acoustic problems. Steven Klein did a great job of nicely tuning the rooms. They’re not gigantic but they sound amazing. We designed it together based on my input from years of experience as a mixing and tracking engineer at large studios. The best thing about this space is that it’s very quiet and focused. The intimacy allows you to hear every detail that you might have trouble with in a much larger commercial facility room.”
Vintage Analog Equipment: Having started his career in the analog era, Greene balances keeping ultra-current with the new technology while maintaining and offering the use of some of the best vintage analog equipment he used in the 80s and 90s. His collection of vintage equipment is impressive and includes Neumann, AKG and Sony tube mics, RCA and Royer ribbons. Neve, API and Trident Mic pre’s. UREI compressors, Lexicon and Bricasti reverbs, keyboards, guitars and amps. In his words, “It’s not about just sounding good, but sounding right”—and he will find the mics and equipment that work best for the client. A full list of his digital and analog gear is available on the website.
Contact The Greene Room, 818-781-1144
