March 2023

Are You Looking for a Music Studio Long Term Let in Tottenham?

If you are looking for a music studio long-term let in Tottenham, Ten87 might be a great fit for you.

Ten87 has 47 music studios for long-term let in Tottenham, spread across three sites. First, there’s Gaunson House, where it all started, with six studios. Then there’s High Cross, the newest and most advanced studio complex, containing ten studios. And then there’s the biggest studio complex, Markfield Road, with a total number of 31 long-term let music studios.

However, it’s worth noting that these are not fully equipped with gear for you to use. You will need to bring your own instruments and equipment. Ten87 provides acoustically treated and soundproofed spaces for creators to use long-term, but you need to bring your own gear. Of course, the advantage to this approach is that you get to create music however it suits you, using equipment you are familiar with and happy using. Ten87 provides the space and takes care of everything else. 

Although Ten87 has a day hire space you can use, most Ten87 studios in Tottenham are for a long-term let. The minimum time you can book a studio for is three months, with a two-month notice period. However, you can book a studio for as long as three years, making it an ideal solution for those planning to work on a long-term project such as recording an entire album of new music.

But it’s perhaps the sense of community which is the biggest plus point to making music in a Ten87 studio. When you arrive, you will be introduced to other musicians so that you can become part of a tight-knit collection of creatives. You can also share a studio, which further increases the likelihood of collaboration. 

Ten87 has connections and partnerships that can help you on your creative journey. Whether it’s access to audio hardware and software for purchasing or hiring, or radio stations. Ten87 can help you as an artist to build bridges and expand your creative network. 

In regards to COVID safety,  the studios are thoroughly deep cleaned daily, and any frequent touchpoints are cleaned throughout the day. This is in addition to the unique air-flow systems installed in all of the studios and sanitation points to help you keep your hands clean.

For much needed Refreshments and great coffee, Craving is the place for you. Or If beer and pizza are more to your taste, True Craft is where you need to go. But if you want the unique experience of having a beer in a former public toilet, The High Cross is for you.

So, there you are, the search for a music studio long-term let in Tottenham might not be as hard as you anticipated.   All of us here at Ten87 are so excited to hear the great music you could make during your time here!

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

Are You Looking for a Recording Studio for London?

Are you looking for a recording studio for London?If so, you are definitely in the right place. Here, we look at some of the most iconic studios in London, plus a particularly special collection of modern recording studios in the North London area.

London: giving birth to many great musicians

Home to over nine million people and being the UK’s capital city, it’s easy to see why London has a thriving music scene. The city hosts many big music companies, such as Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group International, and has some of the world’s best music performance venues, such as:

  • The Royal Albert Hall
  • The Royal Opera House
  • The Barbican Arts Centre
  • Cadogan Hall
  • The London Coliseum
  • The O2 Arena
  • Wembley Arena
  • Brixton Academy
  • Hammersmith Apollo

As for musicians and bands, you are in good company in London. Here are some well-known musical artists from the city:

  • Adele
  • Amy Winehouse
  • Led Zeppelin
  • David Bowie
  • Queen
  • Pink Floyd
  • George Michael
  • Rolling Stones
  • Coldplay

Are you looking for a recording studio for London?

If you are looking for a recording studio for London, particularly in North London, look no further than Ten87 Studios. We are not just one studio. We are a collection of studios and a whole musical community. More than 150 recording artists call Ten87 their musical home. 

And it’s easy to see why. We have over 40 recording studios across three locations in Tottenham, North London. These can be hired for whatever length of time suits you, from a couple of months to two years. 

  • High Cross is our newest site, containing ten studios with an advanced acoustic design and plenty of natural light. Thanks to the customised panelling, the reverb times are superb, and there is plenty of storage space if you have lots of gear.
  • Markfield Road is our largest site, with 31 long-term let studios. And if you need refreshments, the onsite restaurant, cafe and bar have some of the best food and coffee around.
  • Gaunson House is where it all began and contains six studios that were all refurbished in 2020.

But what if you don’t want to hire a studio for several months? That’s fine. In that case, our day hire studio contains all the audio recording and processing equipment you need and enough space to fit a 10-piece ensemble. 

The most famous recording studios in London

Of course, we couldn’t talk about recording studios without paying our respects to London’s most famous recording studios. 

  • Britannia Row Studios. Pink Floyd built this studio to record their 1975 album Wish You Were Here. Since then, it has played host to Jocelyn Brown, Westlife, and Mike Skinner.
  • Abbey Road Studios. Famous for the Beatles album of the same name and that iconic pedestrian crossing that everyone now photographs themselves walking across. 
  • Trident Studio. The Beatles recorded here, too, when making some of their White Album. It has also welcomed Elton John, Queen, the Bee Gees, Lou Reed, and the Rolling Stones.
  • RGM Sound. Created by producer Robert George Meek, well-known for making experimental pop with space-age sounds. He went on to win the prestigious Iver Novello award in 1962.
  • Sarm Studios. Opened by producer Trevor Horn, Sarm went on to be used by Band Aid, the Pet Shop Boys, Stereophonics, and Radiohead. 
  • Olympic Sound Studios. An iconic studio on par with Abbey Road, Olympic Sound has played host to Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Dusty Springfield.
  • Townhouse Studios. Created by Richard Branson in 1978, Townhouse has been used by The Jam, Coldplay, Jamiroquai, and Phil Collins. 

So, if you are looking for a recording studio for London, you are spoilt for choice. But rather than go for one of the expensive well-known studios, why not opt for something more affordable? That’s where Ten87 Studios comes in, and you will surely find a studio space that suits you.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

How Much Does it Cost to Build a Music Production Studio?

What is a music production studio? And how much does it cost to build one? Here, we will answer both of these questions and then pay our respects to some of the best music studios in the world.

What is a music production studio?

A music production studio is any space where you can record and mix music. This could be anything from a few pieces of equipment in a budget home studio to a fully-equipped professional studio. 

Typically, a professional music production studio will consist of:

  • A live room, where singers and musicians can perform their music. It is often treated with soundproofed walls, so the sounds don’t leak into other parts of the studio.
  • A control room. This will contain all the equipment to monitor and mix the audio, such as a mixing desk, speakers, and other audio processing equipment.

Depending on the particular studio, instruments may be available, or you might have to use your own.

How much does it cost to set up a music studio?

How much it will cost you to build your own studio depends on your requirements. If you are just looking to make some music on your own at home, the costs can be much lower than they used to be. 

Computers are much more powerful than in the past and cheaper. So if you are making electronic music on your own, you might only need a good computer with some music software, a MIDI keyboard, some speakers, and some sound treatment for the room. But if you want to record a live band with vocals, you will need more space, instruments, and some decent microphones.

So, depending on your needs, you are looking at anything between £500 and £20,000.

However, the costs can be significantly higher if you are looking to build a professional recording studio. Here are some of the additional costs that you might need to pay:

  • Designing and building the studio space – £12,000 to £18,000.
  • Mixing console – £18,000 to £85,000.
  • Audio processing equipment – £35,000.
  • Speakers – £2,500.
  • Microphones – £1,300 each.
  • Recording booths – up to £3,400.

There could be other costs, too, such as additional equipment and the general maintenance of the studio. So, for a professional music production studio, you could be looking at anything from £70,000 to £150,000 or more.

Famous music production studios

We couldn’t write an article about music production studios without paying our respects to some of the most famous studios in the world:

  • Abbey Road Studios, London, UK. Yes, the one where the Beatles recorded Abbey Road. Other well-known albums recorded there include Duran Duran’s debut album, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, and The Bends and OK Computer by Radiohead.
  • The Dungeon, Atlanta, USA. Famous for the Dungeon Family, a hip-hop collective that grew out of it. Artists who have recorded there include Outkast, Gnarls Barkley, Bubba Sparxxx, Cee-Lo Green, Janelle Monae, and Future.
  • Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Alabama, USA. Famous bands and artists to record here include Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, and the Black Keys.
  • Trident Studios, London, UK. Hidden away down an alley in the fancy Soho area of London, Trident has seen the likes of Queen, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, and James Taylor.
  • Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, USA. Initially created for recording Disney music, it went on to welcome Led Zeppelin, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, the Doors, Jet, and Macy Gray. 

If you are looking for a music production studio in North London, take a look at Ten87 Studios. With both day hire and long-term hire studio spaces available, we are at the heart of the modern London music scene.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

Is There a Music Studio for Rent Near Me?

“Is there a music studio for rent near me?” This is the question that has brought you here. The big question is, where are you? If you are in London, particularly North London, you are in luck, as we definitely have some music studios near you for rent. 

Long-term or day hire?

How long do you need to hire a studio for? Do you only need it for the day? Or are you looking for a studio space you can settle into for months so you can work on an important musical project? Whichever it is you are looking for, Ten87 Studios has both. 

Day hire

If you only need something short-term, perhaps to rehearse or work through some new ideas, the day hire studio could be just what you are looking for. A high-end tracking facility now stands on what used to be a legendary underground venue. The live room has superb acoustics, high ceilings, multiple instruments, and enough space to fit a 10-piece ensemble. 

Then there is the control room containing an SSL6032E with 232 (Pulteg) EQ, flying faders, and total recall. Combine this with the Genelec custom monitoring and outboard and backline gear, and you have one of the best audio production systems available. 

Long-term hire

Ten87 has three long-term studio locations, each containing multiple studio spaces you can hire for anything from three months up to two years.

High Cross

If long-term hire is what you are after, you are sure to find what you are looking for at High Cross. It is not just one studio but ten and has a superb acoustic design. Set back from the busy Markfield Road, it had plenty of natural light. Some of Britain’s best sound engineers and electronic musicians spend their time here as part of its tight-knit music community. The reverb times are perfect, with customised panelling, and you can even increase the isolation with sliding doors. And if you are a large organisation or a touring band, backing storage options are also available. 

Markfield Road

If you thought our High Cross location was impressive with its ten studios, check out Markfield Road. It has 31 long-term let studio spaces of different specifications and sizes and even has its own restaurant, bar, cafe, and event space. There is a rumour that it has the best food and coffee in the area. This is ideal because even musical geniuses need to refuel. 

Many creators have visited the Markfield Road studios as part of their musical journeys. Is that due to the fabulous refreshments? Or is it the wide range of studio spaces available? We will let you be the judge of that. 

Gaunson House

This is where it all began. But that doesn’t mean Gaunson House is outdated and irrelevant, as it was refurbished in 2020. Set within a warehouse shared with other people in the music business, it is the ideal place to progress your music journey and find collaborators. 

So, there you go. You came here after searching for “is there a music studio for rent near me?” If you are in the Tottenham area of North London, it turns out there is. And not just one, but multiple studios. So, whether you are looking for day hire or long-term hire, Ten87 Studios has a music studio for you.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

Rent a Music Studio for a Day in London

Are you looking to rent a music studio for a day in London? Sometimes, making music is a spontaneous thing. You don’t always want to commit to hiring a studio for many months at a time. That’s where a day-hire studio can be the perfect solution. If you just want to try out some new song ideas or experiment with some instruments, it’s ideal. 

One place you might want to consider is Ten87’s day hire studio, The Club. Situated in South Tottenham, a short distance from Underground and Overground railway stations, it’s the perfect music studio for short-term rent in London. 

The building in which the studio now stands once used to be a popular underground venue. It has been fully equipped for recording and producing music, with precise acoustics, tall ceilings, and various musical instruments. This makes it great for musicians, singers and songwriters without much equipment of their own. You can hire the studio for the day, dive right in and start using all the instruments and equipment already there. 

So, you might be wondering, what instruments does this studio contain? Well, there are several guitars. You’ve got a Fender Strat 1969 custom USA, Fender Tele USA, an acoustic guitar, and a Fender Precision Bass. If pianos are your thing, there is a Yamaha C3 Grand Piano and a Rhodes 73 MK 1.

But it is perhaps KOMPLETE Kontrol by Native Instruments that is the most powerful tool in the studio. It is a powerhouse of virtual musical instruments and effects. It doesn’t just contain electronic sounds from virtual synthesisers but many virtual recreations of traditional instruments. 

Here are some of the excellent instruments and effects included with Komplete:

  • 14 synthesisers, including Massive X, TRK-01, Reaktor 6, FM8, Absynth 5, Massive, Kontour, Monark, and Form.
  • 30 sampled instruments, including electric guitars, strummed acoustic guitars, grand pianos, electric pianos, African percussion, Middle Eastern percussion, Indian percussion, orchestral strings, and brass.
  • A selection of full drum kits.
  • 16 effects, including Guitar Rig 6 Pro, phaser, chorus, distortion, flanger, EQ, compression, and reverb.

As you can see, even though the studio is suited to playing traditional live instruments, there are also more instruments than you could ever need in virtual form. So whatever sounds you want on your recording, they are all there. 

But if you do want to use a whole bunch of real instruments, the live room has enough space for a 10-piece ensemble. So, for example, if you are a 5-piece rock band that wants to collaborate with a string quartet, it’s perfectly suited to that.

As for recording and mixing, the control room has an SSL6032E console with 232 (Pulteg) EQ, flying faders, and total recall, making it great for those who want full control over their mixing sessions. And with the Genelec and TPI monitoring systems, you will surely hear everything crystal clear.

So, there you go. If you want to rent a music studio for a day in London, look no further than Ten87’s The Club. Full of all the music-making equipment you could ever need, and with easy access to railway stations in South Tottenham, it’s the perfect music studio for short-term rent in London.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

Looking for a Recording Studio in Tottenham?

If you are looking for a recording studio in Tottenham, look no further because Ten87 has everything you need. They don’t have just one recording studio in Tottenham, they have 50! So let’s dive in and see what makes Ten87’s recording studios so unique.

Ten87’s recording studios in Tottenham

Ten87 has three separate recording studio premises in Tottenham these are:

  • Gaunson House – containing six studios.
  • Markfield Road – containing 31 studios.
  • High Cross – containing ten studios.

That’s a total of 47 studios! Let’s take a look at what each of them has to offer.

Gaunson HouseThis is actually where it all began. There are six music studios within a warehouse shared with other artists, bands and labels. All these studios were updated in 2020 to improve their acoustics and appearance. Over the years, Gaunson House has been the location for many big names in the music industry. Yet, it remains an affordable environment for you to get creative with your music and offers various studio options. 

Markfield Road

The Markfield Road studio complex has become a landmark within the British music community and is Ten87’s flagship recording location. It has developed some of Britain’s most exciting music in the past few years, and many musicians have passed through it as part of their musical journeys. It features an impressive 31 long-term let studios of various specifications and sizes, spread across several zones. As if all that wasn’t enough, there are also plenty of facilities on-site – a cafe, bar, restaurant, and event space, with the best coffee and food in the Tottenham area.

High Cross

Ten87’s newest Tottenham recording studio site has an advanced acoustic design across ten production studios. Set away from the busy Markfield Road, the building has plenty of natural light. With backstage storage space, it makes a good choice for larger organisations or touring musicians. The High Cross studios are home to a thriving community of music creators and have some of Britain’s best electronic artists, mix engineers, and sound designers. Suiting them perfectly with the customised panelling, allowing for the best reverb times and sliding doors to maximise the isolation of the sounds.

Why record at one of Ten87’s Tottenham recording studios?

There are so many reasons why recording your music at one of these studios is a great idea. For a start, because it’s a long-term home for many creators, you can become part of a true musical community. With more than 150 recording artists using these spaces, you have an excellent opportunity to get to know a lot of musical talent.

When you arrive, you have the option for the in-house A&R team to introduce you to existing members for potential collaboration. Also, the studios are zoned according to musical genres, so you are more likely to meet others who can complement your creativity.

So, there you go. If you are looking for a recording studio in Tottenham, look no further than Ten87. With 47 studios spread across three different sites in Tottenham, you will surely find a recording studio perfect for your creativity.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

What is the Best Music Studio, Long-Term Let, in London?

If you are looking for a music studio, long-term let, in London, look no further than Ten87. It is a world-class recording studio community and prides itself on being a long-term home for music makers. It is a music community available to everyone and is home to over 150 musicians.

Ten87 currently has three long-term music studio sites in London, all with high-end studio spaces that provide the perfect place for creators to connect and develop as musical artists.

Tottenham – Gaunson

Gaunson is where it all began. Set within a warehouse shared with other musicians, it comprises six music studios with a range of different options. It has hosted many large names in music, which has helped make Ten87 what it is today. 

Tottenham – Markfield

This is Ten87’s flagship studio site and contains an impressive 31 studios for long-term let, across a range of sizes and specifications. So no matter your music genre or recording style, there will surely be a studio here for you. Thousands of musicians have passed through Markfield on their musical journeys, and it has become an important part of the British music scene.

And when you need to take a break to get some refreshments, you don’t even need to leave the site, as it is next to one of the best spots in the area, Craving who provide coffee, food, booze and events! 

Tottenham – High Cross

This site has the most advanced acoustic design across ten production studios. If you’re looking for a quieter studio setting with a more natural feel to it, High Cross could be ideal. It is set away from the bustle of the main road and features plenty of natural light.

Perfectly designed with customised paneling and excellent reverb times, it is home to many prominent British musicians and producers. 

Brixton House

Ten87 is opening up a new site containing between 25 and 30 studios set within the basement of Brixton House. Rob Burn, Founder of Ten87, said:

“We are so excited to partner with the Future Workspace Fund and Nesta in the creation of a brand new musical hub within the heart of Brixton, a place of such rich cultural heritage. We are looking forward to building a thriving audio community which will provide all levels of artists a much needed space to connect, collaborate and create.”

What facilities are available?

When looking for a long-term let music studio in London, it’s good to know that you will be getting the best facilities available. Here’s what Ten87 has to offer:

  • 24/7 access, with on-site parking, high-end electronic security systems, and CCTV.
  • Essential amenities, including shower facilities, air conditioning and ventilation, and on-site cafeterias and restaurants. 
  • A wide range of flexible studio options, including studio sharing and contracts lasting from 2 months to 3 years.
  • World-class, high-end acoustics set in award-winning architecture and featuring plenty of natural light.

How much does a music studio long-term let in London cost?

If you want a studio all to yourself, the prices start at £900 per month. However, if you are happy to share with other recording artists, you could bring that down to as low as £180 per month. And that is all inclusive, with no other hidden costs.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

What is an Audio Recording Studio?

An audio recording studio is, like the name suggests, a place where audio is recorded. However, it is not just used for recording but for the whole process of audio production, including mixing.

What equipment does an audio recording studio contain?

A modern recording studio contains all the necessary equipment to record and mix audio to professional quality. Such as:

  • Computer running Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software – used for sequencing electronic music and editing and processing recorded audio.
  • Microphones and Stands – these are necessary for recording vocals and various instruments.
  • Mixing Board – once the audio is recorded, it needs to be properly mixed. If the DAW software has its own built-in mixing abilities, a hardware mixing console might not be essential, but most studios have them.
  • Sound Baffles – to neutralise or “deaden” the room to reduce any unwanted acoustic effects.
  • Headphones and Speakers – to be able to hear the audio accurately.
  • Instruments – these will range from traditional instruments such as guitars and drums to electronic instruments such as synthesisers and samplers. 

Who would use an audio recording studio?

A recording studio would be used by anyone wanting to produce a professional sound. This will include singers, musicians, and bands. The benefit of using a professional studio is that you will get the help of an experienced engineer and producer to get the best recording possible.

What jobs are there in audio recording studios?

An audio recording studio is not just a place where musicians and bands get to record their music. It’s also a workplace for some essential members of staff. For example:

  • Record Producer – this is the project’s overall creative and technical leader. They work directly with the artist and engineer and make creative and aesthetic decisions to achieve the goals of the artist and the record company.
  • Recording Engineer – this person is responsible for setting up and operating the recording equipment. They are experts in everything to do with audio and play a vital role in audio recording.
  • Assistant Engineer – works closely with the Recording Engineers and Producers while recording the audio. They will be under the direction of more senior, experienced engineers. 
  • Mastering Engineer – once the recording process has been completed and the audio has been fully mixed, the mastering engineer makes final adjustments to the mixed audio. This involves optimising it for playback on a wide variety of equipment. 
  • Studio Technician – this person will help with any practical aspects of the recording process. They will operate and maintain microphones and headsets in the recording booths, operate mixing consoles, advise singers on the use of their voice, and edit recordings.
  • Studio Manager – this role involves overseeing the daily operations of the recording studio. This can include studio and equipment maintenance, business operations, and customer relations. 
  • Bookings Manager – anyone who wants to use the recording studio needs to book time in it. It is the booking manager’s responsibility to handle all session bookings. It is a customer-facing role that involves fielding inquiries via email and phone, discussing studio availability, and coordinating studio visits with new clients.
  • Runner – this is a junior position involving helping with anything else around the studio. That can include answering the phone, helping set up the studio, cleaning, and troubleshooting any issues with the sound equipment. 
  • Receptionist – there always needs to be somebody to welcome people, whether in person or as a first point of contact for phone calls.
  • Cleaner – this one is self-explanatory. You don’t want the studio to get dirty. 

So, there you have it. That’s essentially what an audio recording studio is.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

Why Invest In A Ten87 Music Studio Long Term Let?

As our in-house music experts have proven time and again, a quality long term music studio let in London is a fantastic investment for your long term career. Once you have developed your individual sound as a professional musician, a studio is the next exciting step forward. Much like going to the office everyday,  having a long term commitment to practicing and recording music in a professional studio, creates a great environment to help set deadlines and be efficient with creating a polished final finished product. The routine aspect of having a studio to attend long term, nurtures artists and helps them to progress to the next level. 

At Ten 87, we offer a world-class recording studio community with high-end equipment that is open to all. Our substantial architecturally designed studio complex is currently based in Seven Sisters, North East London. Access to Seven Sisters is available 24/7 via a flexible two-month sharable contract with electronic entry systems, allocated parking spaces and CCTV. We are also excited to share that we will be opening a further complex soon in Brixton, South West London. 

A Quality Shared Music Expertise 

Our studio space is all about creating a reciprocal collaborative community, with partners including industry-leading cultural organisations and brands such as iZotope, NTS and Spitfire Audio. Currently, we are home to over 150 recording artists and three types of long term studios (A, B or C). You provide the equipment, we provide everything else – including Wi-Fi, post sorting, a kitchenette, business rates and even on-site shower facilities. Nearby, you can also enjoy the excellent artisanal coffee shop FKA Craving Coffee on top of the legendary Zen records just around the corner. 

Over previous years, technological advances in music tech have taken great steps forward. A high fidelity sound needs to resonate through an acoustically treated and soundproof space in order to limit sound fluctuations and ensure that your end product is crisp. So when it comes to creating exciting new sound interactions, it is all about the finer details. With a long term music studio let, you can enjoy our most advanced acoustic design to date. This is exactly why our studios feature custom panelling, perfect reverb times and exterior sliding doors to increase isolation. 

By using our professional recording studios, you will naturally grow in your expertise as you learn to refine and hone in your sound practice whether that is sound design, mixing and mastering, songwriting, producing or being an artist. We also specifically allocate rooms based on shared interests for you where possible. So you will greatly benefit from our wider community too, as you will be working alongside internationally known producers, sound technicians and songwriters from a multitude of genres. 

Surrounding yourself with trained professionals at the top of their game is the perfect way to learn and share. Our Air Studios Engineer Fiona Cruickshanks discovered this for herself. “It’s so nice to feel like part of a community again and be inspired by all the amazing people creating around us,” she said. “With Ten87, you can get your sound spot on each and every time without hesitation.” Contact us now to discuss the different music studio long term let London package options currently available to you today. 

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

We Have The Day Recording Studio For You

London is well known for its exciting, vibrant and diverse music scene. This is exactly why we created our exclusive day rental recording studio, The Club. Creating music is a unique experience for every artist, but artists universally need a quiet productive recording studio. So, when you rent a recording studio for a day with us, you can expect a visually stunning neutral finish and perfectly proportioned acoustic dimensions. Plus, we’ve kept a wink to its underground past by retaining some of its characterful original features. Together, these combine to create an inspiring world-class tracking facility that is open to all for day hire. 

The Club’s exciting studio space takes the place of the former legendary nightclub Five Miles. During its time, Five Miles was host to a wide range of internationally acclaimed artists such as Theo Parrish and Virgil Abloh (RIP). Now, there is still over four feet of soundproofing between The Club and our long term let studios. The smart new interior was designed in conjunction with expert acoustician Nick Whittaker’s specialist specifications alongside a dedicated team of designers and engineers. So, you can be sure that your music will not be interrupted and that you are in excellent company. 

Our Exclusive Recording Studio Specifications

Use of The Club includes access to a substantial combined area of 100m² – this includes a separate session area and a listening area. Our on-site studio equipment includes a vintage SSL6032E fully loaded with the legendary 232 (Pulteg) EQ and total recall. You will also benefit from custom monitoring from Genelec, and comprehensive outboard and backline equipment. Musicians will doubtless also enjoy access to our Fender, Mac, Shure, Neumann and Yamaha C3 Grand Piano instruments. There is even enough space for a 10 piece ensemble separate from the listening booth.

Our secure access Tottenham studios are accessible 24/7 and offer on-site parking, Wi-Fi and kitchen facilities as standard. If you are in need of some refreshments, you can also access the excellent local cafe Craving which is situated on our doorstep, alongside some great local pubs and a brewery. We actively encourage collaboration between our clients so you can make use of our in-house A&R team as well as commercial partnerships with iZotope, Spitfire Audio and Aston Microphones by calling ahead. 

We think that we have designed the perfect option to rent a stunning recording studio for the day. So, we also encourage you to share facilities with friends and family to get the most out of the experience. Kai Campos from English Electronic duo Mount Kimbie said: “I’ve had a few studios at Ten87 and it’s been my musical home for a number of years now. The strong community element is an important part of why I’m here.” If you need a temporary space for inspiration to capture your perfect new sound then come and join The Club! 

For full specifications visit here.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

What Makes A Great Music Recording Studio?

Between our world-class acoustics and award-winning architecture, the Ten87 team are passionate about helping our expert engineers, producers and artists create top high fidelity sounds. We want our 150+ long term lets and day hire clients to thrive within our friendly architecturally designed facilities. But, what exactly makes our music recording studio facilities stand out from the rest?

1. Bespoke Soundproofing & Acoustics

“I was originally a sound engineer and rented some space from some friends in a studio in Stoke Newington,” explained Rob Burn, founder and owner of Ten 87. “It was open plan and we were struggling to find artists to record. We ended up splitting the space up into a few different rooms and rented them to producers we knew.”

But we didn’t stop there – the design process for the Ten 87 studios was extensive and comprehensive. We consulted designers, architects, engineers and artists to create the perfect environment for you to work in. Thanks to our extensive early research, we use soundproofing material that expands as far as 4ft to guarantee that your session is uninterrupted by the outside world.

2. Collaboration

We understand the importance of the wider music community and how individuals can really benefit from working with others, to expand their practice and make new connections. As part of our dedication to collaboration, our facilities are enjoyed by internationally acclaimed artists and local musicians alike. We encourage you to share studios to help grow our community.

You can also reap the benefits of our very own in-house A&R team to really make the most of the process. Plus, we will place you in zones with other artists who we feel are a great fit for your interests where we can. Our own commercial partners include iZotope, Spitfire Audio, Slate+Ash, Aston Microphones, Roland, NTS.

3. Accessibility

Our extensive Tottenham facilities are open 24/7 with CCTV and secure entry included as standard. You will also personally benefit from bright and light spaces, on-site parking, Wi-Fi and a kitchenette. The studios themselves feature customised panelling, perfect reverb times and backline storage options too. So, you can really get the most of your time with us. 

If you are feeling in need of a break, we recommend trying Craving Coffee – some of the best coffee in town just seconds away from your door. Or, one of the nearby local pubs!

4. Flexible Contracts 

All of our competitively priced contracts are inclusive of our advertised facilities alongside a range of studio options and terms ranging from two months to three years. We now also offer an exciting new day hire venue named ‘The Club’, which was previously known as a popular nightclub called ‘Five Miles’. 

During its time, Five Miles was host to a wide range of artists such as Theo Parrish and even Virgil Abloh (RIP). Now, it has been converted around the incredible acoustician Nick Whittaker’s bespoke design. The result? The perfect neutral finish and proportioned dimensions for a truly even listening environment for you to enjoy.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

Alex Evans

Behind every hit is a mix engineer that hears those bits the producers don’t. We caught up with acclaimed mix engineer, producer, and Ten87 stalwart , Alex Evans after a particularly hectic month of mix work to hear the stories behind his favourite mixdowns.

We sat down with grammy nominated mix engineer Alex Evans to hear his favourite mixdowns he’s worked on and the stories behind them.

Foreign Beggars – Standard ft Rag’n’Bone Man & Bangzy

“2 2 Karma” LP
Par Excellence, 2018

‘I started out as a professional engineer by working with Foreign Beggars. Way back in 2006. I knew my way around Pro Tools so I started recording all the tracks and features they had come in. [This] was the springboard to me meeting new artists and working in different genres. A favourite mix I did for them was “Standard” Featuring Rag N Bone Man. This was a really fun mix to do. It was a bit of a party atmosphere in the studio. There were quite a few people in the room and I did it about 2 in the morning. It was one of the late, great Ebow Grahams favourites too so it has a special place in my heart.’

Basement Jaxx – Never Say Never

“Junto” LP
PIAS, 2014

“A turning point in my career was working with Basement Jaxx. The song Never Say Never was the lead single from the Album “Junto” which I mixed in 2014. The process of mixing this album was unlike any other I’ve worked on. I spent two months in their studio, working with them. The album was being put together whilst I was mixing it and I could hear “Never Say Never” being made in the other room, when I was working on other tracks. I could tell it was a big one. The setup I used was Logic (which I’n not a big fan of) into an SSL AWS 900 (which I am a big fan of). The SSL adds so much depth to the mix I find. I did this mix over night in the course of about 3 days. Simon and Felix had a habit of changing the arrangements during the day so It evolved while I was working on it. The song achieved a Grammy Nomination for Best Dance Recording and #1 on the billboard dance chart.”

Goldie – Inner City Life [2017 Rebuild]

“Inner City Rebuild and Burial Remixes” EP
Metalheadz, 2017

”Another legend I’ve had the honour of working with is Goldie. When I met him I was working with Ben Verse from Pendulum at the time who Is a friend of Goldie’s and one day he came into the studio. I’d wanted to meet him for a long time as I’d been into Drum and Bass since I was a kid. In fact the first vinyl I bought was “Inner City Life” I think I was about 11 or 12. Ben played him some tracks we were working on at the time and Goldie liked the sound of them so he gave me a tune to work on. It was “Inner City Life”. Goldie and James from Ulterior Motive had essentially remade the classic to sound identical to the original. When listening to the vocal as an acappella, it was pretty poor quality. Goldie sourced the original DAT recordings. So I rebuilt the vocal from the takes to match the original version and as close as I could, replicated the effects used. I’m really pleased how it came out. I felt a lot of pressure to get it right as it’s probably one of the most important tunes in Drum & Bass.”

Thaiboy Digital – Legendary Member ft. Bladee, Yung Lean, Ecco2K

“Legendary Member” LP
Year0001, 2018

”This album was a favourite of mine to work on. Year0001 approached me a couple of years ago to do some masters for Yung Lean. When I first heard of him I wasn’t convinced immediately but after watching a few of his videos and learning about him more I was really intrigued. I think he’s a genius and ahead of his time stylistically. So when they asked me to mix one of their artists “Thaiiboy Digital’’s album I was hyped. Also Gud is one of my favourite producers. I still listen to this album regularly which isn’t the case with most of the things I mix. I end up over analysing everything…”

KESH – not gaan out

Single
TENNNN, 2020

”Kesh has been a style icon for years. I was a fan of her imagery and artistry from back in the Myspace days. I met her at Shy Fx’s last album launch and she talked about her music and contacted me to work together. The first track she released was “not gaan out” which coincidently (or not) landed at the start of the first lockdown we had. Her music style is as interesting as her imagery. I’m a big fan of making music building a strong mental image and taking you on a journey. I approach mixes very visually in my head. I always see the music being played somewhere and try and make it fit in to that aesthetic sonically. “Not Gaan Out” is the perfect example of that. It takes you to a trippy, dark place in your head. Kesh and I are currently working on new material. Which I’ve been producing as well as mixing as part of a new production collective I’m part of. The next release will be out very soon.”

Nolay – Corn

Single
Self Released

”I’ve been listening to Nolay for many years. We first worked together when she featured on a track I recorded for NoNames from Foreign Beggars. We’re back in the studio together now and the work rate is so high. This track was so much fun to record and came together very quickly (recorded, mixed, mastered, video shot and released in under 24hrs) We had so much jokes recording it. (sorry Trillary) The energy and straight up force that Nolay has is unmatched. She’s too cold. She’ll also be a very familiar face very soon. But that’s all I will say on that subject.”

You’ll be sure to hear more of Alex’s sonic fingerprint in the future no doubt – until then have a gander at Alex Evans’ Twitter, Instagram and website.

For info on how to join Alex as a member of our community be sure to get in touch here

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

Yvngface

Prolific beatmaker, producer and mix engineer Kam Shariff AKA Yvngface narrows down 5 elements he can’t work without.

Ten87 Studios resident and heavyweight producer and sample creator Kam Shariff opens up about the tools and rituals he needs to get things done for the first addition of our series – The Bits.

Yvngface’s work has featured on tracks by the likes of Drake, DJ Khaled, J Hus, Vybz Kartel, Wiley, 2Chainz, Dizzee Rascal to name just a few and has been in resident at Ten87 since those early days in 2017 so we are over the moon to hear what makes him tick.

A treated room

“If Im doing any serious mixing or producing I need to be in a room I can trust. We spend lots of money on monitors, but often neglect the actual room. So acoustic panels, bass traps and ceiling clouds.”

Monitors

“Related to the last point, but more subjective as taste comes into it. I work in 2 studios, the main one and my home set up so its important to have a degree of consistency. Im blessed to be using the amazing Focal SM9s at the main studio, they are an amazing 3 way speaker. At home I use the Focal Alpha 65 which has the same beryllium tweeter as the Sm9s, and I also have the Yamaha H5 with a sub for when I need to check the super low end. I don’t often mix or produce with the sub but it’s essential for checks.”

Aromatherapy

“I like to have a nice vibe when sitting down for a session, so oil diffusers, scented candles are always around. I used to use incense sticks, but Im not fond of smoke indoors, especially in the studio. Woody aromas like oud, cedarwood, amber etc. Im not loyal to one brand and honestly some of the Tesco versions of Jo Malone style scents are actually really good!”

UAD Plug-Ins

“Im a huge fan of UAD,plugins. Always using 1176s, 1073s, Distressors, Fairchilds, SSLs, Manlleys, Chandlers, Shadow Hills and Pultecs.”

Room Correction Software

“Lastly, to compliment the room treatment and really have faith in what you’re hearing, room correction software is essential to cross the Ts and dot the Is. In the main studio we have the legendary Trinnov outboard system. For my home studio Sonarworks does the job nicely.”

Massive shouts to Kam for talking us through what he needs to get to work, he’s busy in the studio still plugging away on new bits for Levi and an upcoming tape from HMD (Black Butter Records) which we’re looking forward to hearing into 2021.

If you’d like to know more about becoming a member of Ten87 be sure to fire over a message here.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

Monitor Shakedown

We take a look at some of the most popular monitors here at Ten87 Studios.

We hear a lot of water-cooler chat between mix-engineers, sound designers and producers swearing by a certain make or model of monitor. With a sea of choice available out there we’ve decided to put a little list together of the 3 most popular boxes used at Ten 87 towers (and one wildcard)…

Neumann KH 310

Maybe the most popular monitor currently in our studios, they feature an active three-way tri-amplified design and deliver healthy weight and precision in equal measure. The KH series and particularly the 310’s are powerful and by no means an entry level speaker, which is reflected in their price. German engineering for the ears!

A favourite of producer and mix engineer alike, notable users of the KH 310 at Ten87 are Lewis James, Fiona Cruickshank, Adam Miller, Joe, Ahadadream, Mickey Pearce, Alex Evans, SBTRKT, Tom Clements and the speaker of choice for Ten87 HQ.

Amphion One 18

This iconic white and black monitor is extremely popular here at the studios. These speakers offer a super wide sweet spot and pinpoint-accurate imaged sound. They play the music without prejudice, with a super flat response – what you hear is what you get.

Our High Cross complex residents Alex Loring and Tom Andrews boast a dual (!) Amphion set-up and have this to say about it – “The detail in the mid range and stereo imaging make for mix choices that feel instinctual and inspired. Problems are easy to pinpoint and rectify, with translation that is practically guaranteed”….”I love the depth of field you get the most. They cover the mid – range detail with the same translation as an NS10, at the same time as being vibey enough to work on for hours without getting tired”.

There’s your sparkling review if you were ever looking for one.

ADAM A77X

We’re in scary horizontal 3 way dual woofer territory with the A77X’s.

The A77X’s are on the weightier side of the monitoring scale due to their 4 chunky 7” woofers – these are still a crisp favourite and are a bit more friendly on the bank account. The 77X’s are used in our studios by producers such as Jerome Williams, Aubrey Whitfield and Flux Pavilion (although Flux has the S3H’s in his studio).

The little sibling to the A77X the A7X you can find in the studios of Markfield Road’s very own Hinako Omori and fellow key wizards Sounds Like These and Hakan Ozkan.

TPI Type. RN1

Looking for a wildcard choice? Enter stage left: TPI. Designed and manufactured in the UK by a dedicated team obsessed with quality. The advanced aerospace-grade composite construction renders unwanted cabinet resonances inert.

Phase-Beating crossover technology and custom made reference-quality drive units, are hand matched and paired to remove any possibility of discrepancy. These speakers are trusted by the best engineers, artists and producers in the game including our own mixing wizard Alex Evans – within their price bracket these are some of the best out there.

For info on how to become a member of our community be sure to get in touch here.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

21′ The Perfect Storm

It’s no secret that it isn’t the best of times to be a musician right now. Neither is it the best time to be a mix engineer, vocalist, hairdresser, tattoo artist or healthcare worker, we’ve all had a tough ride over the past 18 months. However for those working in music, the last 5 years have really felt like the perfect storm has been brewing.

In this piece, we take a look at how streaming, politics and a pandemic have come together to challenge those making music in 2021.

In a few short years streaming completely transformed the structure of the global music industry. 

Streaming currently reigns supreme as the format of choice for listeners around the globe. Part and parcel of releasing music In 2021 is getting it published onto streaming platforms and playing the game to get material featured in playlists that hit a global audience. 

For many artists today streaming revenue represents the majority of their income. However it’s no secret that streaming royalty payouts are unethically low; Artists must now obtain over 1 million streams to make on average just £2000.

To add to the struggle, In wheels Brexit. 

Earlier this year, it was discovered that the UK Government rejected visa-free travel for musicians when deciding terms of the new EU Brexit deal. The music industry was ignored despite contributing a massive £5.2 billion a year to the wider UK economy.

Before Brexit, musicians were able to tour 90/180 days in the EU without permits. Now, acts have to ensure they check every individual country’s entry requirements and pay a small fortune for the privilege of a short term working visa. European touring has turned into a dangerous wild west for many acts, with agents, managers and artists left in a muddle of confusion and red tape. UK musicians now have to navigate a 3 max stops on a tour before returning home to the UK leaving musicians with a lack of momentum on europe’s touring front.

The lack of consideration for the nation’s talent and their livelihoods is questionable. The ending of freedom of movement for musicians, will no doubt prove detrimental to an industry whose touring infrastructure was once so well renowned.

For more information on what’s in store for British Acts touring in the EU… read more here.

The past 18 months have left artists, touring companies, agents, bands and everyone in between, severely impacted in one way or another.

Within the post-streaming record industry, many artists have been forced to pivot their income streams into touring, this provided both a renewed way of monetising their art and a strengthened connection with audiences. With this suddenly removed, these artists are now faced with the prospect of pivoting once again in order to maintain their profile and secure their financial survival.

A challenging task considering the refusal from the current government to support musicians, but in turn has allowed various sporting events to make place with large audiences. This year ascot was able to take place seemingly without social restrictions in place and Wembley stadium will be packed with 60,000 fans in the next week, all while our large venues stay shut.

The studio has provided an important creative refuge for many artists and producers fortunate to have access to a creative space. For these creators, focusing their effort into their creativity was a natural reaction. However for those that rely on in-person sessions or the use of large tracking facilities, the restrictions around Covid-19 have meant a bumpy ride.

There has been huge growth in the utilisation of platforms such as Instagram & Twitch to stream live performances. For those with an established audience this has been one of a few ways in which to maintain engagement with their fanbase.

The return of live music will (hopefully) bring about a refreshed respect for the arts. However, with the government’s announcement of a 4 week delay to lockdown easing, over 5,000 live events have now been cancelled at a cost of 100’s of millions to the industry.

With all of this uncertainty, what can we do to support our favourite artists, bands and producers? 

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

Optimize Your Studio

Whether recording a podcast, music or a radio show, getting good sound at home can often be a difficult process. Luckily, there are a few simple things you can do to improve your setup. But before we jump into the tips, it is important to distinguish between ‘soundproofing’ and ‘acoustic treatment’.

Soundproofing refers to the construction of a room, using different construction materials in walls to reduce the amount of sound which escapes the room. Soundproofing is for scenarios where you might need to play loud and not annoy your neighbours. 

Acoustic treatment differs from this; the aim instead is to create a certain acoustic environment. In production terms, the most common environments are the live room and control room. The live room is used for recording acoustic instruments and the control room is the playback space. A home studio is typically a hybrid of these two spaces, and very important for improving the sound quality of your recordings, as well as making mixing decisions in the post-production process. 

We teamed up with Mixcloud to explore different ways to improve your home setup to be better set for recording and listening.

Adjusting Your Monitor Placement

If you have speakers, it’s important to have them in the right position within the room. Wrong placement can lead to boosts in parts of the frequency spectrum, usually in the low end, resulting in an unpleasant and inaccurate boomy sound. 

To alleviate this, avoid having the speakers firing down the shortest wall of the room. If your room is rectangular, try adjusting your setup to be facing parallel with the longest wall, as illustrated below.

If you have the space, it’s best to create some space between the back wall and the speakers, (anywhere up to a meter if possible!) This helps to minimize sound reflections which occur from behind the speaker and bounce from the back wall and back to your ears – this problem generally creates problems in the low end. 

Lastly, the angle at which you have your speakers is also an important factor. Try rotating them toward your listening position so that it creates an equilateral triangle.

Absorbing Reflection Points

Given you’ve followed tip #1, your speakers will be sending sound waves directly towards you; this however is not the full story. The next point of contact for the sound wave will be the walls parallel to you. If left untreated, the flat surfaces will create points of reflection which continue throughout the room. A simple solution is to hang thick fabrics or absorbing panels in these areas.

Another problematic area are the corners in your room, where the low end can build up. Standard practice is to use ‘corner traps’, which break the right-angled corner space and are made from dense material (such as rockwool). Foam can be a good starting point, although generally the denser the material the better.

The last area of concern is the wall opposite your speakers. Using the same process, place a large, dense and absorbing object such as a sofa or bed. See below for a potential home setup –

Isolation or ‘Decoupling’

A common placement for your speakers is on your desk in front of you. One issue that arises is that the direct contact can cause the desk to vibrate with the speaker, creating unwanted rattling or resonant boosting. 

An economical solution is to find materials such as foam or rubber to place underneath your speakers — there are also speaker insulation solutions which can be bought, however a stack of books could be an alternative. Extending from this, you can buy floor stands which are designed to entirely decouple the speaker from the rest of the setup, although this requires more space and can be more costly.

Blue Sky Thinking

It’s time to think three dimensional. Whilst your walls are now set, it is good practice to treat your floor and ceiling if possible. You should aim to have at least one of the surfaces as non-reflective — a stylish solution is to lay a rug on the floor, or if you have carpet you’re already halfway there! Even better would be to hang panels from the ceiling (aka a ceiling cloud) — this of course might not be practical, so sticking to the floor is a good start.

Make Your Own Vocal Booth

Whereas the other tips help to optimise your listening experience, you might struggle to get good, clean recordings with your recording setup. Vocals are a common sound source for recording, so we’ll focus on this. 

When recording vocals at home, you may find that you’re picking up too much background noise. This can be easily reduced by creating a vocal booth using a duvet. The duvet will act as a faux room partition, reducing the amount of ‘room tone’ which is picked up by the microphone, giving you a more direct sounding vocal; great for recording podcasts or vocals for music. 

You could also use a combination of your wardrobe/clothes rail and duvet to complete the booth. If you’re looking for a more permanent solution, we’d recommend getting a reflection filter such as the Aston Halo.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

Trans* Creative Collective

In the coming months Ten87 will be hosting an exciting series of events led by the newly formed Trans* Creative Collective – co-founded by studio favourite Charlie Deakin-Davies, record/mix engineer Max Blue Churchill, visual producer Nelly Rodrigues and music producer Jesley Faye.

All four have taken ownership of the need for better resources and representation for the trans, non-binary and LGBTQ+ community in their respective creative industries and established TCC as a safe space and platform for like-minded creatives to truly express themselves.

The TCC use the term Trans* as an umbrella term that refers to many identities within the gender identity spectrum, including, but not limited to non-binary people, trans women, trans men, gender fluid people, essentially anyone who identifies outside of being cis-gendered.

Ahead of their first live event, we sat down with Charlie, Max and Nelly to talk about what The TCC stands for, their journey so far, and the shape of things to come.

Jules:

Hey! Could you start by introducing yourselves?

Max:

My name’s Max, my pronouns are he/him. I’m a recording and mix engineer, and co-founder of The TCC. Within The TCC I have been working on event ideas, connecting Trans* creators, and community outreach.

Nelly:

I’m Nelly, my pronouns are they/them. I’m a non-binary filmmaker, also working in radio. I focus on getting marginalized people involved with big names, because it’s great to say, we support you and then it’s another thing to actually do it. I focus on doing it.

Charlie:

I’m Charlie, my pronouns are they/them. I’m a record producer/writer and engineer as well, like Max. Within The TCC I’ve been involved in organising things generally – I collaborate with everyone and oversee what’s happening to make sure our ideas get launched.

Jules: 

Can you tell us a bit about the collective, what does TCC stand for?

All:

Trans* Creative Collective!

Charlie: 

Last year during trans visibility, Max said “Charlie, it’s Trans Day Of Visibility. We should do something”. I was like, “Why don’t we do a documentary with Abbey road?” and then we did and it was amazing! We brought in a production crew, including Nelly and Jesley, and we filmed a documentary about trans visibility. From doing this, it sparked this whole other idea, and we suddenly realized there was a massive community that we didn’t know was there, so we decided to do something about it. We spent about eight months developing the concept behind The TCC. A lot of really long zoom meetings! We ended up managing to launch this year.

What The TCC is to me, is a community of creative people who are often marginalised from certain groups and events – the goal is to create a totally accessible and welcoming space for our community. The collective is also very action based rather than just an online community, which is amazing. 

Nelly: 

All the conversations we were having when making the documentary played a major part in me coming out. From the moment I met you all I felt like I had a voice, I have a platform that you’ve brought me onto, which is now The TCC. And it’s been a year since then! I feel like so much personal growth has happened.

Max:

As a trans guy who is trans masculine presenting, I went to a lot of events where I felt there wasn’t enough trans representation. I remember saying to Charlie, “It would be really cool to see someone like us on panels” and then Charlie was like, “Max, I think it’s gonna have to be you!”. The TCC is a space in which I feel I can be myself, and now I feel I can also inspire others, giving back to a place I’ve taken so much from.

Jules:

That’s so great. Do you feel like things are moving forward in terms of trans* inclusivity in the creative industry or do you feel it’s still an ongoing challenge? 

Nelly:

I can only talk from a video perspective, but it’s a challenge. The company I work for is the biggest of its kind in Europe, and the LGBTQ+ people I come across, they all either work in makeup or talent – the more glam roles. When it comes to the production team, I am sometimes the only black person there, let alone the only non-binary person – hello, unicorn! I had this joke about it with the head of my company, where I said, “I’m a unicorn in this environment. I’m a black, asian, non binary child of a first generation immigrant”. But it feels very lonely in those spaces. 

Max: 

Having a network of trans* identifying people creates a safe space where you don’t have to deal with issues of being misgendered – which is what happens a lot. Having this sort of community is also a really good way of getting people from the outside to understand, and for normalizing gendering people correctly, because it should be normal.

Jules: 

Can you talk about your upcoming events and what you hope will lead the change that needs to happen? 

Charlie: 

Women’s events tagging non-binary onto the end of the description is not enough. It’s too much to assume that an all female led event will know enough about the requirements of the trans* community. So our events will exist as a celebration of the previous events that have come before us, such as 2% Rising and Redbull and NormalNotNovelty, but we’re creating a version that people in our community can come to in a space where they feel completely understood. With The TCC community you’re not being misgendered or being grouped in as ‘ladies’. We want to educate people in the community too. If you want to run events that are trans* and non-binary inclusive, then here is a really good example of how to do it well, and we want to help.

Max:

It feels so vital that events for the LGBTQ+ community are hosted by people who have shared experience. The limitations sometimes encountered as a trans* identifying person are very specific. For example, there’s been parts of my career that I’ve had to tweak because of surgeries. How do you navigate those things? It’s just little conversations about things like this that will bring the community closer together. Since we launched The TCC, we’ve had many people reach out wanting to talk about their experiences, so by hosting events, this means that people have a place to talk openly about more sensitive topics in a safe space, as well as sharing in our creativity. 

Jules: 

What has the initial response been like? And what are you hoping to see happen in the future?

Charlie: 

The way we pitched it was that The TCC is a safe space for trans* creators and allies, and after we launched it was clear there was a demand for it. We now have a collection of other people that are keen to do anything they can to help The TCC grow. It’s overwhelming because we’ve all experienced lots of discrimination, all in different capacities. I remember we were talking about this – it was scary – the thought of doing the first launch and thinking, “are we going to get any backlash?” We didn’t know if we were just suddenly gonna get an influx and all of our social accounts doxed – and that was just a risk that we agreed to take. 

Since then, we have only had positive responses, you know, tens of thousands of views on our first few posts! The only negative response was on TikTok – someone reported our video and our account got shadow banned – I got it appealed – but we’ve seen our views massively capped since then. 

Nelly: 

I have already been doxed for being black – being black and trans, I’m worried that could happen again, but I know that I have a good community behind me now. I’ve had to learn how to deal with discrimination myself, so I want people to have access to legal information to know what their rights are. There are trans* and trans* ally lawyers out there that want to support us.

Charlie: 

One of the core reasons why we launched The TCC is the directory. It’ll include producers, artists, solicitors, managers, A&R’S, and so on. It already exists, but it would be amazing to improve and expand it further, and basically create a green list for the music industry. People can go on this list, find trans* and trans* ally creators, who are skilled and understand what’s going on creatively right now.

We are so excited here at Ten87 to be partnered with The TCC, and can’t wait for what the future holds. Thank you so much to Max, Nelly and Charlie for chatting with us about the project.

The Trans* Creative Collective’s first showcase event is happening here at Ten87 on the 5th February, the event is free and tickets are available here. Until then go and check out their Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

Billie Marten

Yorkshire born singer songwriter and Ten87 resident Billie Marten has been busy in the studio working away on an exciting new album. With her career starting at just 12 years old, signed at 15 and nominated for the sound of 2016 award, the indie folk singer-songwriter’s delicate acoustic sound continues to inspire audiences worldwide. 

On a cold and gloomy January afternoon she was kind enough to invite us into her world to talk about her musical process, her sources of inspiration and new endeavours in self-production on her latest project.

What are the key aspects of your process, and tools you need for writing music? 

The most important thing for me is an actual physical urge to write, I can’t sit there every day and wait for something to happen, it has to be more of an instant feeling, knowing that I have something to say. Noodling around is also helpful however, and any ideas I get I’ll note down for later use, but mostly it’s spontaneous. Sometimes you have to creep up on it too, pretend you’re not even trying to write. I need a good pen, my moleskine (classically), my ’58 Gibson, and the inspiration of course.

Where is your favourite place to write music? And where do you seek inspiration when uninspired?

If I’m feeling uninspired, I keep quiet and go into my introspective self, ingesting lots of other peoples’ work as reference, in search of that common creative thread. If music dies down I’ll get really into reading and listening, and then the circle comes back around again.

At home our table sits in front of big windows, and the window is quite hidden from the world, so it’s a great place to observe and write. I love to walk around London’s busyness and green spaces, with my headphones in but not listening to anything, so I’m removed from society in a way and people don’t notice me listening and taking in their character or their words. It’s a great hack for new lines.

What’s the music that kept you going through 2021?

Lots of music has been heard, that’s for sure. My favourite thing in the world is being a music fan, more than making it myself. Diane Cluck’s album Oh Vanille / Oh Va Nil has been a real saviour, in terms of what one can make with so little. Gerry Rafferty’s Right Down The Line has been on constant repeat, the band Coco who seem to have just arrived from nowhere are brilliant, El Michels Affair, DANGERDOOM, Sam Evian’s new album, a lot of Labi Siffre and The Beatles back catalogue of course, and recently this girl PACKS from Canada who I think is real cool.

What are you working on? 

I’m beginning to feel out the next album, slowly digging my way into the production world, and just seeing how far I can get without asking for help in the usual places. It’s a real experiment, and I lose faith sometimes and make daily mistakes, but it’s getting there. I’m finding a lot of joy in simplicity and sparsity at the moment, amidst all the constant noise, so it’s more about capturing the perfect recordings and what fits perfectly with the ears, tonally speaking.

How has your experience been being a part of the Ten87 community?

This is not a forced response I promise – it has been a real blessing finding Ten87. I felt immediately welcomed into the community and there are wondrous people hiding in the studio cubes, people with completely opposing tastes and musical backgrounds but somehow it really works. If you need to borrow a really specific piece of gear someone next door is bound to have it, and everyone is always on hand to help. There’s no element of competition and you can be as close or as far removed as you like.

I put forward my song Liquid Love recently for the beat club, and it was incredible to hear so many peoples’ interpretations of it. Little creative projects like that keep you going, and it’s a real treat to be here. My work ethic has gone right up also!

Thanks again to Billie for giving us an insight into her musical world. We’re really excited about the new paths she is taking with her upcoming project, and can’t wait to hear it. If you are not familiar with Billie Marten’s music already, go and stream her latest EP here, And check out her website, and socials on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

Danny T

For those that don’t already know, Danny Trachtenberg (Aka Danny T) is a seasoned recording Engineer and producer with almost a decade in the game. Danny’s work spans across music, film and TV, and includes credits with the likes of A$AP Rocky, Jorja Smith and WizKid.

A few weeks back, I was lucky enough to get an insight into the fine details of the tools and techniques used within his production process. Danny has been a pillar of the Ten87 community for almost 4 years, and In that time he has built up an incredible space filled with sonic rarities and all the modern tools required to execute his sonic vision.

We asked Danny to talk us through some of his favourite credits and the stories behind creating them.

Kojaque – Town’s Dead

Album

Beyond the fact that Kevin (Kojaque) is a beautiful and hilarious man, this was a massive pleasure to work with him on. We ended up taking a bit more time to work on this, as we found it worth revisiting some of the production ideas and sounds to make everything tie together. Plus Kev wrote a whole new song in the middle of it all. 

The album tells a story, so it was really important for us to make sure the narrative thread worked. The challenging part was making all of his stylistic influences from 90s rap, to punk, the LA Beat scene, soul, to jazz all feel cohesive. This was also the first time I put my custom Neumann summing mixer to the test. I use it on everything now.

George Ezra – Shotgun

Single

I recorded the Horns Section and Drums for producer Fred Again in Mark Ronson’s old studio at Tileyard. Fred and I go way back and whenever I’ve gotten to work with him, it’s always such a brilliant lesson in trusting your gut. Tracking wise, Fred wanted really simple stems to work from so I recorded the drums with 3 mics (Kick, Snare, OH) and sub-mixed it before bouncing it. The Horns had some close dynamic mics on each of them but then had a stereo pair and a mono at a distance. The mono ribbon ended up sounding the best, so Fred just took that.

Zebra Katz – Zad Drumz

Single

Ojay and I had known each other since the IMA READ days, so when he played me the demos of the album (LESS IS MOOR), he mentioned one that had some Amen style breaks which he wasn’t too sure about. I kind of took a shot and said I’d give it a go re-producing it. I had never worked with Amen breaks before but grew up with Jungle and DnB, so it felt natural finding a direction. And being a Zebra Katz record I knew going as hard as I could was right. I get a little bit of joy freaking people out when I play them this record now. Unless they’re Squarepusher fans, then they’re like…. “cool”.

Dance System – In Your System

Album

I mean, this record was wild to work on. James has a real punk mentality to his production so we mixed it with that in mind too. We ran everything through my summing mixer, an SSL Fusion, and a dusty old RNLA compressor which has this awesome logarithmic setting for super pumpy release settings. The vibe was essentially there, so really it was about not going too far. Club records have such a delicate balance groove-wise, and the original intention of a seasoned producer like James is usually the right one. So my job was to just not mess that up, while making it feel bigger and deeper.

Sarathy Korwar – My East is Your West

Album

This was originally a live show concept that Sarathy had happened to record at Church of Sound, and it went so well he had to get it mixed. The record itself is this wonderful idea of re-imagining old Jazz records that had incorporated some kind of South Asian instrumentation or musicality to it. From Sarathy’s perspective, not all these records were done with the right players, or the right performances – a white, inexperienced Sitar player for example. So his mission was to “retake ownership” of these pieces, with a band of at least half South Asian players and play everything better and with more authenticity. So to mix this with him was a real honour. I think we mixed it in two days at the old Red Bull Studio in London Bridge (R.I.P).

From our time together it’s obvious that Danny’s practice is truly helping artists to grow sonically, expanding their horizons through a genre hopping adaptability, and vision not seen in many Engineers.

If you haven’t already heard the work of Danny T then go ahead and check out his website, and socials; Instagram, Vimeo and Discogs. We’re all looking forward to hearing more from the prolific engineer very soon.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

The Club

Beneath the surface of the day to day bustle of the studios, a very special project has been quietly brewing; Ten87’s first day hire tracking and mix facility aka ‘The Club’. After nearly a year and a half in the making, the team are all so excited to see the space finally ready for action. We sat down with Ten87 founder Rob Burn and studio manager Sam Burgess to talk through some of the space’s technical specifications, equipment and special features.

What equipment and outboard specifics are there in the Club?

The room is centred around a vintage SSL6032e fully refurbished by the lovely people at AES Pro Audio. Legendary tech Peter Higgs spent the past three months painstakingly refurbishing every element of the board. The desk has 24 channels of the original 242 EQ, as well as eight channels of the 232 (Pultec) EQ.

The original onboard SSL computer has been ditched in favour of a new system from THD labs called ‘Tangerine’. The system allows for seamless integration with modern DAW’s and total recall within its design.

We are very excited to announce that TPI will launch their brand new M220 main monitors via the room, presenting “the very finest audio reproduction systems available”. In addition, we have a pair of Genelec 8351s taking on near field duties and the classic Avantone Mixcubes as extra reference speakers.

Over the years I have built up a pretty comprehensive collection of vintage and modern microphones that I will bring to the space, as well as the entire Aston microphones range (a big thank you to our kind sponsors).

When we were planning spec for the room, we surveyed our wonderful community of engineers and producers for their input. Through this we have covered the main bases with regard to outboard. To give some alternative options for preamps, we’ve got 10 channels of Neve 1073. We also have a pair of Universal Audio 1176’s and an LA2A. 

What instruments and backline are set up in the space?

The live room is a great size. We knew from the start that we somehow had to get a piano in there. A good friend of ours was looking for a home for her stunning vintage Yamaha C3 and the rest is history! We also have a beautiful vintage Rhodes piano in there and a collection of guitars and pedals.

What varied types of recording sessions can The Club hold?

The space has been set up for tracking primarily. The desk makes the space very versatile. The Club can host everything from one-on-one vocal sessions, to full band live recordings, all the way through to 10-person string ensemble sessions. 

Are there any special key features of the club as a day rate studio that you’d like to mention?

We have real EMT 140 plate reverb which is going to give a unique flavour and vibe to the room, and which we are very excited about. We also went into quite a lot of detail planning the foldback system for the space. There are eight panel locations dotted around the complex, making it easy to set up the hearback mixers in a variety of different locations. Giving really great flexibility to sessions and players.

What new future possibilities will The Club bring to Ten87?

Our community was a big driver behind setting up the space. We have such an inspiring group of creators who call the studios home. However for many, a part of their musical work can’t be done solely in their long-term studio room. 

The Club will allow for more projects to be solely written, produced and recorded under our roof. To make this a reality we’ve introduced a community rate for our existing members to take advantage of, which we hope will enable our existing members to use the space.

The high level of the studio’s sonic potential, and new energy that this space will bring to the Markfield Road site for the future is incredibly exciting. Next week we will be looking at the architectural design that has gone into The Club as well as the interesting history behind the space. The Club will be open for bookings from the 4th April, for all enquiries please contact info@ten87.studio and for the full tech spec visit our day hire page.

At Ten87 Studios we offer long term studio hire and day hire music studios. Each recording studio is acoustically treated and sound proofed to optimise any type of audio recording and music production. We are home to a large community of musicians, producers, engineers and audio professionals working in the music industry. Our main day hire studio is a world class tracking facility equipped with the best in recording studio gear, instruments, outboard and backline. We’re based in Seven Sisters, Tottenham with easy transport links to the city centre – ideal for anyone looking for a London recording studio.

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