Media Press SonicScoop - Mar 20, 2012
Studio Sweet Spot: The Wave Lab, NYC, Williamsburg Brooklyn
By David Weiss
Published: March 20, 2012
sonicscoop.com
Talk about hanging tough. Engineer/producer AJ Tissian launched The Wave Lab, NYC in 1997, setting up shop in Manhattan’s vibrant Lower East Side. Three years later he saw the larger spaces of Brooklyn, moved The Wave Lab, NYC to Williamsburg, and never slowed down.
Today, The Wave Lab, NYC is a versatile player in the Brooklyn scene. From tracking in the large asymmetrical live room, to mixing, post and more in the Amek/Neve Media 5.1-equipped control room, Tissian’s domain has established itself as a well-equipped workhorse.
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Facility Name: The Wave Lab, NYC
Website: www.thewavelab.com, www.facebook.com/thewavelabnyc
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Neighborhood Advantages:
The Wave Lab, NYC is conveniently located on Grand Street in west Williamsburg, directly between the Bedford Ave and Lorimer Street L train stops, three blocks from the Marcy Ave J and M train stops and a half a block from exit 32 of the BQE.
There is a thriving nightlife: Trash Bar, The Commodore, The Knitting Factory and Duff’s are all within a 2-block radius. There are abundant restaurants, coffee shops, yoga studios, hipster clothing stores and food stores everywhere. We are a half a block from South Side Guitars and a 5-minute walk to Mikey’s Hook-Up and Main Drag Music.
Date of Birth: The studio’s been through a few metamorphoses over the years but it was originally opened in 1997 on the LES. It moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 2000 and has gone through two major renovations since that time at the same location.
Facility Focus:
The Wave Lab, NYC is a full production studio. We can handle any audio job from full band tracking, video/film post, live recording on location, mixing and on to mastering. We may struggle a bit with tracking an orchestra or a big choir in house but short of that, we’ve pretty much got ya covered.
Mission Statement:
Here at The Wave Lab, NYC we strive to capture your best ideas and performances with some of the finest recording equipment available.
Clients/Credits:
Over the years a great many clients and artists, from independent startups to international heavyweights, have graced The Wave Lab, NYC with their talents.
Our client list includes:
Action Daddy, Tori Amos, Audiovent, Bloc Party, Brandy, Buckcherry, Bugs in the Dark, Cobra Starship, Collective Soul, Phil Collins, The Corrs, The Dead Betties, David Delp, The Donnas, Funeral For A Friend, Philip Glass, Gym Class Heros, Hootie & the Blowfish, Hot Action Cop, Jewel, Kid Rock, Kung Pao, Geddy Lee, Li’l Kim, Toby Lightman, The Lyricst Lounge, Matchbox Twenty, O.A.R., Porcupine Tree, Rolling Stones, Rush, Duncan Sheik, Sean Paul, Jason Shain, Rod Stewart, Stone Temple Pilots, Sugar Ray, Triple Cobra, Uncle Kracker, Lucy Woodward, Aaron Ziegler
Our corporate clients include: 1 XTRA – BBC Radio, London, AOL, Atlantic Records, BBC Radio, Bacardi, Beethoven Inc, Choice FM 96.9 – radio, London, Cleopatra Records, Discovery Channel, getmusic.com, Lava Records, Maduro Records, Mambo Media L.L.C., MTV, MTV-Canada, MTV-2, rollingstone.com, SAE Institute of Technology, Shimmy Recordings, spinner.com, Studio 360-WNYC radio program, Warner Bros. Records, Waves Audio Ltd,
Key Personnel: AJ Tissian (owner, producer, chief engineer), Joe Hogan (producer, engineer), Giacomo Ginammi (producer, engineer), David Liles (producer, engineer), Rich Crescenti (producer, engineer), Tim Crossley (producer, engineer), Jerry Dzerens (producer, engineer)
System Highlights:
The studio revolves around an Amek/Neve Media 5.1 long frame 44 channel in-line console with on-board dynamics, total recall and vca automation, an Otari MTR-90 mkiii 2” ATR with both 16 & 24 track headstacks, a Tascam MS-16 16-track 1” ATR (modified to run at 30ips) and an Otari MTR-10 ¼” 2-track ATR.
We also have an Apogee Symphony64 card with AD-X and DA-X converters, Pro Tools, Logic and several other audio applications as well. We have racks and racks of outboard preamps, dynamics and effects processors — yes, all of the standard big brands are representing — and a collection of over 60 microphones.
Distinguishing Characteristics:
The Wave Lab, NYC features a large high ceilinged control room (20’W x 18’L x 10’H, asymmetrical), an even larger live room with a very high ceiling (25’W x 18’L x 12’H, asymmetrical) including a large 8’ (internal height) diamond shaped isolation room and a lounge area that is wired as a second live room/iso if it’s needed. It is a very relaxed environment dressed in soothing colors and lighting that are perfect for the expression of creative energy.
The building is on fire, you only have time to grab ONE thing to save, what is it?
The hard drives and tapes in one box, as the recordings they contain can’t possibly be replaced.
Rave Reviews:
What do people tell you they love about your studio? The quality of their recording, and how much they enjoyed the process of creating it.
Most Memorable Session Ever:
Wow, there are so many… It’s impossible to narrow it down to just one.
Session You’d Like to Forget:
On the other hand, this one’s really easy to answer: Buckcherry.
Dream Session:
This one is even easier to answer: The Beatles.
– AJ Tissian — Owner, Producer, and Chief Engineer, The Wave Lab, NYC