By the time a piece of vinyl or an mp3 reaches your hands, it’s traveled a long and involved path. There’s the songwriting, arrangement and then —finally —the recording process. So, where are these magical places called recording studios, where your favorite local and national artists come to pick and pluck songs to perfection?

Dive’s got the scoop on three of the area’s most active and prestigious studios, from Jeff Crawford’s home-based outfit Arbor Ridge to Durham’s Pure Sound, which is equipped (and sells) state of the art equipment. Read on to learn about what these three studios are up to, and what makes the products they produce so diverse.

Arbor Ridge

Empty beer bottles, a littered outdoor fire pit and a converted water jug reading “Studio Beer and Sundries Fund” — it’s clear that musicians coming through Arbor Ridge not only play rock ‘n’ roll, but live it.

Jeff Crawford’s studio doesn’t house isolated sound booths or dampening foam, but what it lacks in expensive accessories, it makes up for it with a wall of classic guitars and a scattered room of keyboards, pianos and organs.

“A lot of people are really doomsday about the music industry and not being able to make money off of CDs anymore, but I think the more digital it becomes, the more it’s going to make for a lot of neat recording projects,” Crawford said.

“Lots of people are doing 7’s on vinyl now, and vinyl seems to be even more accessible to local artists.”
Upcoming projects for Arbor Ridge include a recording session with local folk rock sweethearts, Mandolin Orange and a new Brett Harris album.

-Joseph Chapman

Arbor Ridge uses a Pro Tools system and features a 4-track TEAC tape machine. Crawford’s studio mixes digital and tape recording processes. DTH/Joseph Chapman

For more information on Arbor Ridge: www.arborridgestudios.com

Nightsound

Nightsound provides a cozy atmosphere for musicians. Recent local artists seen in the studio include Birds and Arrows, Luego and The Soft Company. DTH/Josphen Chapman

If Nightsound Studios’ business mantra could be summarized with a single image, that visual would be a clock with no hands. In fact, such an object hangs in the recording studio’s confines.

“When people are standing in there recording, I want them to see that clock and go, ‘OK, they’re not going to just charge me until I run out of money and then I’ll never finish my project,’” said Nightsound’s Chris Wimberley.

This relationship between the artists and the studio extends far beyond the missing hands on a timepiece.
Soon, the business will branch into the marketing end of the spectrum.

“It’s not enough for us to just simply work on something and send it out there into the world,” Wimberley said. “We’re starting a company called Hidden Door, which is a marketing company for artists and small businesses that can’t afford marketing firms.”

There’s nothing the studio won’t touch, be it death metal or the indie pop featured on the recent local compilation “Musical Chairs.”

-Linnie Greene

Visit Nightsound Studios: 116 W. Main St., Carrboro
For more information: www.myspace.com/nightsoundstudios

Sound Pure

Sound Pure Studios boasts an array of modern recording gear and houses a custom guitar shop. Clients have access to hundreds of guitars and amps. Courtesy of Sound Pure Studios

Sound Pure Studios boasts an array of modern recording gear and houses a custom guitar shop. Clients have access to hundreds of guitars and amps.

Sound Pure is the Ferrari equivalent of local recording studios. Sleek, sizeable and cutting edge, it’s immediately clear that this isn’t a small, lo-fi operation — and Sound Pure’s Todd Atlas wouldn’t have it any other way.

“For me and a lot of the engineers here, the best thing we can do is work on projects at the highest possible levels,” said Atlas.

In plain terms, that means sessions with Grammy winners and nominees — like Nnenna Freelon — along with recordings of local artists and organizations like collegiate a cappella groups.

Ultimately, Sound Pure’s ability to dabble in numerous areas of the recording spectrum set it apart.

“It’s the variety of the projects that’s just really, really exciting as an engineer,” Atlas said. “Once upon a time, engineers and producers — and a handful of them still do — were very, very focused. I think the reality is that to be successful in the studio business today, you can’t be a one trick pony.”

-Linnie Greene

Visit Sound Pure Studios: 808 Washington St., Durham
For more information: www.soundpurestudios.com