Following a burst pipe and subsequent flood, Studio Q1 on the 10th floor of Quad Studio’s Times Square premises has just re-opened in a re-build project that includes the decision by owners Ricky Hosn and Alessio Casalini to install a new Neve G64 Genesys Black console that’s automatable via the Genesys Control plugin.
“Considering the success of our original room we didn’t want to reinvent the wheel,” Hosn says. “However, we did address the limitations imposed by the size of the room because the Neve console allowed us to reduce the amount of outboard gear in Studio Q1, thus reducing the size of the racks. We were also able to elevate the audio quality of customers’ projects by giving them access to Neve’s classic analog sound.”
Located in the heart of Manhattan, the facility has played a significant role in New York’s music scene, particularly for the HipHop and Urban genres, since it was first established by Lou Gonzales in 1978. Hosn became Quad’s owner in 2005 when Gonzales decided to retire. Dave Malekpour, President of Pro Audio Design Inc and Augspurger, was asked to liquidate the equipment, but instead he approached Hosn, who was planning to build a studio in Florida, and suggested he buy the facility.
“I thought Quad was such a key facility in NYC that I didn’t want to see it closed down,” Malekpour says. “Ricky was immediately interested. When you can buy a good, existing facility it makes a lot of sense.”
Hosn adds: “2005 was a rough time for studios in the NYC market. Changes had to be made immediately to keep the studio relevant and operating at a high level. Some of the changes meant adapting to the digital trend and building new rooms designed to better fit modern day workflows. The studio has gone through several transformations in the last 16-plus years and these changes have helped Quad stay dominant in the NYC market.”
Casalini, who became a partner in 2012, now handles the studio and technical side of the facility, leaving Hosn free to concentrate on business and administration. Quad now has three studios on the 10th and one on the 12th floor, which was opened in 2018. The 12th floor also offers the 2,500-square-foot Quad Club, which is used for album release parties, writing camps, streaming events and much more.
Installing a Neve Genesys Black G64 in Studio Q1 means that Quad offers customers a large format, digitally controlled analog console with touchscreen DAW control. If has 48 faders, 32 analog channels and an integrated DAW display as well as Neve microphone preamplifiers and analog circuit design.
“Since we have three other rooms based on the original Q1 hybrid concept, we thought why not go all the way with an analog board?” Casalini says. “Most of our sessions require very fast recalls and workflow, so we wanted a desk that interacted as seamlessly as possible with the DAW and removed the need for manual recalls and complicated setups. We were looking for ease of use and quick changeovers and the Genesys Black was the perfect machine. Also, most of our outboard gear was severely damaged during the flood, so this was an opportunity to go in a different direction.”
Hosn had been following the Genesys Black’s progress since 2011 when Quad’s Q2 studio hosted some of the first U.S. demo sessions for the new board. He recognised its ability for those who want to work “in the box” as well as those who prefer a more traditional analog recording approach.
“Our rooms are designed to be very versatile and every studio can be used for mixing as a lot of today’s projects are done ‘in the box’,” he says. “The addition of the Neve to Studio Q1 will become a no brainer for anyone looking to get a better sound out of their mix and anyone looking to do serious tracking.”
Casalini adds that the size of Studio Q1’s live room makes it well suited for tracking sessions, especially as it will soon feature a new grand piano. “That’s something we are looking forward to,” he concludes. “As for mixing, the Neve will definitely make a difference compared to our previous setup, and we still have a good amount of outboard gear for the engineers to choose from. Personally, my favourite feature of the new console is its interaction with Pro Tools. I like the Genesys Control plugin that you can insert into Pro Tools and control the EQ and compressors on the different channels. It’s very straightforward and easy to use, plus I’ve always liked the Neve sound.”
