In the heart of the city of London, only a few minutes’ walk from St. Paul’s and Farringdon underground stations, lies Offtape Studios; a state-of-the-art recording facility owned and run by producer/engineer Ran Steiner. Ran’s passion for live music has fuelled fifteen years’ work with up-and-coming artists, both on stage and in the studio; it has also helped him create a studio with a warm and relaxed atmosphere, providing a friendly, creative space for artists to make their recording experience organic and stress-free.
Ran told us, “Offtape was built around the concept that artists should be able to track their projects in a live set up with total amp/instrument separation if preferred; both to fit the vision of each artist and to help them achieve their best performance. We understand that every artist is different, as are their needs and expectations. Therefore our packages include pre-production, tracking, mixing and mastering, tailored to each session’s requirements. A great musician deserves to track in a great sounding room, with a clear line of sight to the control room.
“At Offtape our main recording space (7 x 5m) offers a range of controlled acoustics with excellent ambience, wooden floors, handmade Van Damme tie lines, isolated vocal booth (3.5 x 3.5m) and two isolated amp rooms. The tie-lines connect all our live rooms to our spacious main control room which means we can accommodate any kind of session. We offer a unique collection of vintage analogue gear and high end digital making Offtape a great vintage / modern hybrid.
“The control room centres around a Toft ATB series mixing console, with Pro Tools 11 or Logic 10 available, as well as recording to analogue 2†24 track via an in-house Otari MX-80. Monitoring is via Barefoot MicroMain27s and Yamaha NS10Ms while our outboard includes items from Manley, Urei, Tube Tech, API, Telefunken and UA. The mic cupboard boasts a versatile selection from Neumann (M149, U87, TLM49 and KM64) as well as Coles, AKG, Schoeps, Gefell, Sennheiser and Shure.” Full tech spec here.
Clients can also book Offtape’s main live room as a band rehearsal space or as a comfortable setting for pre-production before entering ‘recording mode’. Included in the hourly rate are a full range HK Pro PA System, Soundcraft 200B 16/4/2 mixing desk, Yamaha Rock custom drum kit, 2 x vintage guitar amps, Ampeg bass amp, and mics. Offtape also have an in-house video crew available to film in HD, capturing bands and artists in action whilst recording and mixing live performances. Ran commented, “Adding ‘behind-the-scenes footage‘ is always a great treat for your fans!â€
Recent clients to grace the board at Offtape include: Kat May, This Flight Tonight, Electric Suitcase, Rizzle Kicks, St. Agnes, Lost Souls Club, ReelWorld, Universal.
Access by public transport couldn’t be easier, with nearest stations St. Paul’s (Central line) and Farringdon (Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City, Circle line and First Capital Connect) within a mile of the front door. And, last but not least, should you wish to step out from the comfort of the studio during your session, there are a number of well-respected local restaurants, pubs and a secret beer garden in the trendy Farringdon area.
For more about Offtape, including contact details, visit their page here. (Photos Giora Hirsch)
