Welcome back to Show Us Your Space, a series where we invite producers, music-makers, and studio pros to send us photos of their workspaces.
Last time around, our pal Butch Walker gave us an inside view of RubyRed Productions. Today, Matt Gieser is giving us a tour of Treehouse Records, an all-analog studio on Chicago's west side.
Have you assembled an awesome music space that you want to show off? From bedroom production rigs to historic concert halls, we're interested in seeing and sharing it. Contact us at [email protected].
Welcome to Treehouse Records! We started as a small, tape-based home studio operating off of a Tascam MSR 24. I met [co-owner and engineer] Barrett during a home recording session, and we decided to partner up to build an incredible space that would be affordable for the every-day band.
Since 2013, we have been located on the NW side of Chicago in Hermosa. We started as a 2,300 square foot studio in some old office space and have since grown to a 30,000 square foot facility that houses one full analog studio outfitted with our infamous Trident TSM, 27 rehearsal rooms, an auxiliary studio, and as of October 2017, and the Chicago Electric Piano Company.
Some notable acts we've recorded include Cage the Elephant, Twin Peaks, White Reaper, Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes, Local H, and Mini Mansions (a QOTSA side project).
Our Studio A Control Room is home to the infamous Trident TSM #9 console. We recently acquired the console from Paragon Studios. Prior to that, the board was built and housed at Trident Studios in London. The console was made famous by Pink Floyd and The Wall, Queen, Keith Richards, Kiss, and many more.
We pride ourselves on being a 100% tape facility. We currently do not have a Pro Tools rig and have no plans to get one in the future. The studio’s primary tape machine is a 24-track Studer A-827. We also make extensive use of our Ampex 440 C2 Track ¼-inch tape machine, as well as our mono Ampex 440 1/4-inch machine.
As an all-analog studio, we need to have an extremely wide variety of equipment on hand. We proudly offer over 40 new, used, and vintage stringed instruments, multiple drum kits, pedals, and amps, all included in our hourly rate. As our facility is now home to the Chicago Electric Piano Company, their arsenal of vintage keyboard instruments is also available for use at the studio. You can find a full gear list on our website.
Beyond recording, we offer monthly rehearsal rooms. We now have 27 spaces ranging from $350 a month to $2,000 a month, depending on size and amenities. Anything from a basic rehearsal room to a full, private studio.
Our studio is full of vintage tape machines, rock 'n' roll, and Chicago memorabilia, and is definitely one of the more “vibey” studios the city has to offer. I'm a flea market-aholic and am constantly outfitting our space with vintage neon and other cool stuff I find. We're also very happy to include multiple murals throughout the building from local Chicago Artists. That last image features a custom piece from Patt Knerr.
Have you assembled an awesome music space that you want to show off? Contact us at [email protected].