Russian Recording

Russian Recording is a full-service analog and digital recording studio located in Bloomington, IN.

Tour

The Control Room

The Control Room is 21’ deep by 13’ wide with an 11.5’ ceiling. It's cozy, comfortable, filled with amazing gear, crystals and plants, and sounds great no matter where you are in the room. 


The Live Room

The Live Room is a spacious 28’ x 23’ with 17’ ceilings and non-parallel walls. It is acoustically treated with broadband diffusion and absorption, resulting in a big, lush, and flattering ambience that is also controlled and even, making it perfect for drums, vocals, ensembles, and solo instruments.


The Live Isolation Room

The Live Isolation Room is 10’ wide by 11’ deep with 13.5’ ceiling and has distinct acoustic properties characterized by lively ambience with a moderately short decay time.


The Dry Isolation Room

The Dry Isolation Room is 9’ wide x 10’ deep with 12’ ceiling, provides a clinically dry recording space with minimal acoustic reflections across the entire frequency spectrum. It's perfect for tight drums, bass, guitars, and vocals.


Band Apartment and Lounge

The Band Apartment provides full accommodations and ammenities for out-of-town clients/engineers. Two dorm rooms with bunk beds and trundle beds can accommodate up to 8 people, and come with fresh bedding and towels. There is also a full kitchen with gas range, a full bath, and a lounge with TV, streaming entertainment, and a hi-fi. 

Gear

Console

Sphere Eclipse Type III - 48 x 16 x 2

Our Sphere Eclipse Type III console started it's life as a 1972 Sphere Eclipse Type II, and was the only Type II every made (and is now the only Type III ever made, but more on that later). The Type II was one of the earliest large format Sphere consoles (alongside it's bigger brother the Eclipse Type I), preceding the Eclipse A which is commonly thought to be the first iteration of the Eclipse. In fact, our exact console was the one used for the photograph on the brochure for the Type II, and as far as we know another was never made. It was originally comissioned by Bob Beckham for Combine Music in Nashville in the early 70s, and it lived there until the 90s when it was commissioned by Echo Park Studios here in Bloomington, IN. When Echo Park closed their B Studio in 2010, I purchased the board to be installed at Russian Recording. It had seen many unfortunate modifications over the years, including a bunch of basement made circuit boards with IC's for the line inputs and all of the summing amps. It also didn't have polarity reversal, wasn't techncially an in-line design, and didn't even have polarity reversal on the mic preamps or line inputs. Needless to say, it definitely could have used some upgrades, so we did just that and much much much much much much much much much more. 

In 2019, we started designing the Sphere Eclipse Type III. Our goal was to revert the console to it's original discreet signal path and design while adding a host of features that were needed in a modern studio enviornment, implementing a ton of new unique features, all while making the entire console highly serviceable. To accomplish this monumental task, we basically had to build a brand new console from the bottom up, and fit it inside of the original Type II frame. To be clear, the main features of Type II still use the original vintage M1200b microphone preamp cards, the SPA50 output amplifier cards, and the venerable 900 Series Graphic EQs. In addition to that, our technician and electrical designer Mike Stucker designed a brand new socketed version of the SPA62 op amp (the same op amp that's at the heart of ever module in the Sphere Eclipse series) to be used for all of the summing amps and newly added features, which are listed below. We replaced all of the original wiring, faceplates, knobs, and even built a fancy brand new linear power supply. 

Master Section:

  • Switchable transformer balanced master insert
  • Wet/Dry blend of master insert using 24 position Elma rotary switch
  • Switchable Type III Stereo Master EQ (build from a pair of NOS 900 Series EQs and a pair of 300 Series EQs with mastering boost/cut increments)
  • Master EQ can be positioned pre-insert, wet path, dry path, post-insert, or used as an outboard EQ
  • 24 position pre-insert trim 
  • 24 position master stereo balance
  • Separate Dry and Wet Outputs 

 24 Main Channels:

  • Vintage M1200b preamp w/stepped input gain, output gain, 48V, Polarity, and input impedance select and up to 81 dB of gain with LED metering
  • Transormer balanced line input with LED metering
  • 24 position Elma rotary switches for pan
  • Vintage 900 Series EQ
  • Transformer balalanced switchable channel insert (mic and line)
  • 4 x mono aux sends
  • 4 x stereo aux sends
  • 16 x Output Busses 
  • Channels 17-24 have direct outs

8 Stereo Channels:

  • Transformer balanced line inputs
  • Switchable between stereo channels or stereo subgroups
  • Bounce Feature (allows you to print stems a the same time as your mix)
  • Stereo balance  push-pot (push for mono)
  • Two stereo Aux Sends

4 Stereo Echo Returns:

  • Transformer balanced line inputs with stereo LED metering
  • Switchable between stereo channels or stereo subgroups
  • Bounce Feature (allows you to print stems a the same time as your mix)
  • Stereo balance push-pot (push for mono)
  • Normalled to outboard effects processors
  • Assignable to all 16 output busses

Control Room Section:

  • Control Room level on 32 position Elma rotary switch
  • Subwoofer mute, assign, and level adjustments
  • SPA62 based headphone amplfier
  • Mute, mono, dim

Microphones

Tube Condenser Microphones:

  • Sony C37a (x2)
  • Sony C107 (x2)
  • Sony C57 (x2)
  • Sony C19b
  • Sony C17b (x2)
  • Altec M11 "Coke Bottle"  w/21b Omni Capsule (x2)
  • LOMO 19A-4 (x2) 
  • LOMO 19A-5
  • LOMO 19A-9 (x2)
  • LOMO 19A-10 (x2)
  • LOMO 19A-13 (x3)
  • LOMO 19A-14 (x2)
  • LOMO 19A-18 (x2)
  • LOMO 19A-19 (x2)
  • Lenkinap KMD-2 (19a14 prototype)
  • IRPA MK-12 (x2)
  • Oktava MK-13 (x2)
  • IRPA MK-14 Stereo Multipattern Tube LDC
  • IRPA MK-15
  • Oktava MK-61 (x3)

Solid State Condenser Microphones:

  • Neumann U47 FET
  • Neumann KSM 85i (w/KK84 capsules - x2)
  • Josephson E22s (x2)
  • Sony C500 (x2)
  • Sony C350 (x2)
  • Sony C100 (x2)
  • Sony C55p (x2)
  • Sony C48p (x2)
  • Sony C38b (x2)
  • Sony C37p (x2)
  • Sony C36p (x2)
  • Soyuz 023 Bomblet (x2)
  • Soyuz 013 FET (x2, all capsules)
  • Peluso P-414 (x2)
  • Peluso P84 (cardiod and omni capsules)
  • LOMO 19a-21 (x2)
  • LOMO 19a-23
  • LOMO 19a-53 Stereo
  • LOMO UM51 (x2 w/8a5 and 8a11 capsules)
  • LOMO UM53 (x2 w/cardioid, omni, and fig-8 capsules)
  • Nevaton MC416
  • Oktava MK13m
  • Oktava MKE-7 (x2)
  • Shure KSM137
  • Shure KSM141

Ribbon Microphones:

  • RCA Photofone PB-31
  • RCA BK5a
  • Coles 4038 (x2)
  • AEA R88A Active Stereo Ribbon
  • AEA R92 (x2)
  • MBHO MB301
  • Beyer M360
  • KINAP 10a-1
  • KINAP 10a-2
  • MRTP ML-11b (x2)
  • Oktava ML-11m (x2)
  • Oktava ML-15 (x2)
  • MRTP ML-15
  • Oktava ML-16 (x2)
  • Oktava ML-17 (x2)
  • Oktava ML-19 (x2)
  • Tannoy "Ex-Parliament" Brass Barrel (x2)
  • Aiwa VM-12
  • Aiwa VM-13
  • Aiwa VM-17SA
  • Toshiba Type B
  • Toshiba Type F
  • Toshiba Type G
  • National WM-703
  • Fostex M88rp Printed Ribbon 

Dynamic Microphones:

  • Sennheiser MD441 N (x2)
  • Sennheiser MD421 N (x2)
  • EV RE-55 (x2)
  • EV RE-38
  • EV RE-20 (x2)
  • BeyerDynamic M380
  • BeyerDynamic M88 (x3)
  • BeyerDynamic m201 (x4)
  • BeyerDynamic M69
  • AKG D224E (x2)
  • Sony V-F200
  • Sony V-F300
  • Sony F-560
  • Sony F-769
  • IRPA MD-36
  • IRPA MD-38
  • MRTP MD-56
  • IRPA MD-68 (x2)
  • IRPA MD-69
  • IRPA MD-289
  • KINAP 82a2 (x2)
  • LOMO 82a5
  • LOMO 82a9 (x2)
  • LOMO 82a11
  • LOMO 82a12 (x2)
  • Oktava MD-44
  • Oktava MD-45 (x2)
  • Oktava MD-46
  • Oktava MD-52a (x2)
  • Oktava MD-57
  • Oktava MD-59 (x2)
  • Oktava MD-66a-III (x8)
  • Oktava RDM (x2)
  • AKG D112
  • Audix D4
  • Shure SM57 (x2)
  • Shure SM58

DIs/Misc

  • Little Labs Redeye DI/Reamp (x6)
  • Countryman FET 85 DI (x4)

Outboard Processing

Dynamic Processors:

  • Knif Vari Mu II Compressor
  • Highland Dynamics BG1 Stereo Compressor
  • Foote Control Systems P4DMS Excalibur VCA Mastering Compressor
  • Foote Control Systems ClipSat Mastering Edition
  • Buzz Audio SOC-M Optical Compressor
  • Buzz Audio DBC-M Diode Bridge Compressor
  • Dave Hill Titan Compressor (x2)
  • Overstayer Modular Channel Stereo
  • Overstayer Saturator
  • LOMO 100U3 Vari-Mu Compressor (x2)
  • Electrodyne CA700 Compressor (x2)
  • Purple Audio MC77 Compressor (x2)
  • Distressor EL8-X Compressor (x2)
  • Manley ELOP Compressor
  • KUSH Audio UBK Fatso Compressor
  • Elysia Nvelope
  • Urei LA-22
  • LOMO 60U Series FET Lunchbox Compressor (x3)
  • DBX 160X Compressor (x2)
  • Orban 526a De-esser

Equalizers:

  • Knif Soma Mastering EQ
  • Pultec EQM-1S3 Mastering EQ (x2 - MP) 
  • Chandler TG12345 Curve Bender EQ
  • Sphere Type III Stereo Master EQ
  • Bettermaker EQ 232p MKII Mastering EQ
  • Iron Age Audioworks V2 EQ
  • Elysia Xfilter Stereo EQ
  • Avedis E27 (x2)
  • Heritage Audio 73EQJr (x2)
  • API 560 (x2)
  • Thermionic Culture Pullet Mid-Range Pultec EQ w/mastering mod
  • Overstayer Modular Channel Stereo
  • LOMO 60U Series Korrektor Lunchbox EQ (x2)
  • LOMO 60U-127 Passive Tube EQ (x6)
  • Sphere 900 Series Console EQ (x24)

Outboard Effects and Other Processing:

  • Echo Fix EF-X2 Analog Tape Delay/Spring Reverb/Chorus (x2)
  • Benson Tall Bird - Tube Stereo Spring Reverb
  • Tegeler Raumzeitmaschine Stereo Reverb
  • Lexicon PCM-41 Digital Delay (x2)
  • Klark Teknik DN780 Digital Reverb
  • Klark Tekink BBD-320 (Dimension D)
  • 70s ESKO Soviet Analog Tape Delay, Fuzz, Octave, Vibrato and Reverb
  • Alisa LM-1229 Soviet - Analog Delay (x2)
  • Overstayer Modular Channel Stereo
  • Overstayer Saturator
  • Foote Control Systems ClipSat Mastering Edition

Mic Preamps

  • Sphere M1200b (24 ch in desk)
  • Highland Dynamics Delta 4-7
  • AEA RPQ2
  • DACS Clarity MicAmp
  • LOMO/KINAP 100U3 Tube Preamp/Compressor (x2)
  • LOMO UM5 Tube Preamp (x2)
  • Overstayer Modular Channel Stereo w/ 2 Ch Microphone Preamp
  • 1960s RTE Soviet Tube Preamp
  • JHS Colour Box V2

 


Monitors

  • B+W Matrix 805 Speakers 
  • Bryston 4B3 Pro Amplifier
  • Genelec 7360a Subwoofer 
  • Avantone Active Mixcubes
  • Mytek Private Q2 Headphone Mix System (x6)
  • Sennheiser HD6XX Headphones 
  • Beyerdynamic DT-1770 Headphones
  • Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro (x4)
  • Beyerdynamic DT-770 M (x2)
  • Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro (x2)
  • Extreme Isolation Headphones (x7)

Converters

2 x Burl Audio Mothership B80 (28 in, 52 out):

  • 6 x BAD4
  • 1 X BAD4M
  • 6 x BDA8 
  • 1 x BDA4M

Recorders/Software

  • Otari MX-80 2" 16/24 Track
  • Studer B67 1/4" Half Track
  • Protools Ultimate
  • Samplitude Pro X4
  • Waves Gold Plug-In Bundle
  • Sonic Toys Plug-In Bundle
  • Fabfilter Plug-in Suite

Amplifiers

 

Heads:

  • 1972 Sunn Model T (first generation)
  • 1965 Blackface Fender Bandmaster
  • 60's Sound City 50 Plus Mark 4
  • 70's Marshall JMP
  • Orange OR15
  • Sovtek MIG-100
  • Sovtek MIG-50
  • Hartke HA3500 Bass Head
  • Roberts 720 Tube Tape Deck

Combos:

  • Fender '57 Custom Champ (reissue)
  • Fender '65 Twin Reverb (reissue)
  • Fender Blues Jr
  • VOX AC30C2
  • 50's Gibson Les Paul Junior
  • 70's Gibson Super-Medalist
  • 1965 Ampeg B15n Fliptop Bass Amp
  • Traynor TS25B Bass Amp

 


 

Cabinets

Guitar Cabs:

  • Marshall JCM900 2x12
  • 70's Sound City 4x10
  • 60's Fender 2x12
  • Orange 1x12
  • 70's Sunn 312S 3x12
  • 80's Sunn 412L 4x12
  • Sovtek 2x12

Bass Cabs:

  • Ampeg SVT15e 1 x 15
  • 1965 Ampeg B15n
  • 70's Marshall 8 x 10
  • 60's Altec Horn


Guitar Effect Pedals

  • JHS Colour Box V2
  • JHS Crimson Fuzz
  • Walrus Lillian Phaser
  • Walrus Mako D1 Stereo Delay
  • MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay (x2)
  • MXR Modified O.D.
  • Heather Brown Electrnoicals Blessed Mother 
  • KMA  Queequeg Sub Octave
  • TC June-60 Chorus
  • Meris Polymoon Delay
  • El Musico Loco Blisterlily
  • El Musico Loco Tube OD Prototype
  • El Musico Loco Dual Boost Prototype
  • Wampler Ego 2 Compressor 
  • Darkglass Hyper Luminal Bass Compressor
  • Stigtronics Compressor
  • Stigtronics Electron Drive
  • Electroharmonix Big Muff Pi
  • Red Threat Overdrive
  • Pixel Shoe
  • Kazan Germanium Tremolo
  • Kazan Germanium Booster
  • Kazan Germanion Kvaker (Wah)
  • Estradin Effekt-1 Flanger
  • Esko Tape Delay/Octave/Fuzz/Reverb

Drums

  • 60s Gretch Round Badge (22, 13, 14)
  • 70's Gretsch Stop Sign (22, 12. 13, 16)
  • 80s Slingerland (24, 13, 18)
  • 80s Slingerland Metal Snare
  • 60s Gretch Round Badge Metal Snare
  • 60s Ludwig Wooden Snare
  • 70s 24" Ludwig Steel Kick Drum
  • Various Modern and Vintage Cymbals
  • Various Percussion

Guitars

  • Gibson RD Artist Bass
  • Fender Musicmaster Bass
  • Electra Lawsuit-Era Jazz Bass Copy
  • Kramer DMZ 5000 Bass
  • Electrical Guitar Company EGC Custom Guitar
  • Yamaha SA 2000 Guitar
  • Squire Duosonic Guitar
  • Guild S-60D Guitar
  • Jancar Custom Acoustic

Keyboards and Other Instruments

  • Kohler and Campbell Baby Grand Piano
  • Fender Rhodes 73 MKI (fully refurbished by Cepco)
  • Wurlitzer 200A (fully refurbished by Cepco)
  • Korg MiniKORG 700
  • Roland Juno HS60
  • Mellotron M4000D Micro
  • Moog Prodigy
  • Moog Sirin
  • Rheem Kee Bass (fully refurbished by Cepco)
  • Hammond S6 Tube Chord Organ
  • Yamaha Orchestra Bells
  • Lap Dulcimer
  • Various Keyboards

About

Russian Recording is a full-service analog and digital recording studio owned by Mike Bridavsky. The studio is located in downtown Bloomington, IN that has contributed to over a thousand records since 2003. We have spent the last 17+ years obsessively working at making our studio the most comfortable, efficient, and enjoyable place to make a great sounding record.

We provide recording, mixing, and mastering services in a spacious and comfortable environment, accompanied by the finest studio cats you can find. In addition to our studio cats, there are several experienced in-house engineers and producers you can choose to work with: Mike Bridavsky (owner), Joe Caldwell, Damion Schiralli, and Kyle Houpt. The studio is also available to freelance engineers and bands that wish to engineer their own projects. We typically recommend hiring one of our house engineers for the first day to get you situated, and someone can always be around as needed. We have complete lodging accommodations with two dorm rooms that sleep up to 8 people, a full kitchen, and full bath. If additional lodging is required, we also have two luxury AirBNB apartments located above the studio that could be rented out at a discounted rate, permitting availability.

The studio boasts an impressive and eclectic assortment of some of the finest modern and vintage recording equipment and musical instruments available, all of it in impeccable working condition. At the heart of the studio is a fully refurbished 24 channel Sphere Eclipse Type II Mixing Console, Burl Mothership A/D/A converters (28 in/52 out), a regularly maintenanced Otari MX-80 2" 16/24 track tape machine, and a fully refurbished Studer B67 1/4" half-track tape machine. We have a carefully curated collection of modern and vintage microphones, compressors, microphone preamps, equalizers, and effects, as well as one of the most complete and immaculate collections of vintage Soviet microphones and Sony microphones on the planet. The studio has a plentiful selection of modern and vintage guitars, basses, amplifiers, drum sets, synthesizers, keyboards, and acoustic instruments, including a regularly tuned grand piano. All of our equipment is obsessively maintained, calibrated, and fully operational.

The studio consists of three tracking rooms; a spacious live room with beautiful natural light (23'x28'x17'), a live isolation room (10'x11'x13.5') and a dead isolation room (9'x10'x12'). Each room has been acoustically treated and isolated, and has its own distinct sound providing a wide variety of sonic options. The control room (13'W x 21'D x 11.5'H) is a comfortable and acoustically neutral listening environment with plenty of natural light. 

The layout of the studio is designed so that there are clear sight lines between each of the tracking rooms and the control room. There are tie lines to every room, allowing total flexibility with amp placement and headphone routing, making it possible to put any musician in any room and be able to send any signal to and from anywhere in the studio.

In addition to the full sleeping acommodations, we provide free fizzy water, our own proprietary Hopscotch Coffee blend, and a wide assortment of teas for our guests. 

News

August 6th, 2018:

It's been two years since we've posted any news on here. Classic.

We just celebrated our 15 Year Anniversary, and celebrated with an outdoor concert in our parking lot with 14 bands that either contained members that have worked here, or bands that have recorded here recently. Over 500 people attened, and the event raised $3,000 for local charities.

Since our last update we have:

  • Hired two new producer/engineers: Ben Lumsdaine and Matt Tobey
  • Expanded our Control Room, now 21' deep with better acoustic response
  • Replaced the "ugliest and most comforable couch in the midwest" with a much more attractive and only slightly less comfortable one
  • Added natural light to the entryway and live room
  • Completely renovated of the former lounge into 2 dorm rooms that sleep up to 8 for bands to stay in, full kitchen and full bath
  • Recorded, mixed and mastered a ton of great records, including ones by Bugg, The Cowboys, Amy O, Kevin Krauter, Rodeola, Hoops, Durand Jones & the Indications, Jacky Boy, Major Murphy, Evenings Standards, and many more
  • Added extensively to our collection of microphones, recording equipment, and instruments to include:
  1. Matched pair of Sony C37as
  2. Matched pair of Sony C38s
  3. Matched pair of Sony C107s
  4. Sony C500
  5. Neumann U47 FET
  6. LOMO 19a5
  7. LOMO 19a10
  8. Pair of LOMO 19a14s
  9. Pair of LOMO 19a18s
  10. Pair of LOMO 19a21a
  11. Pair of LOMO/KINAP 10a1a
  12. Pair of Cole/STC 4033
  13. Pair of Sennheiser MD441s
  14. Knif Soma Mastering Equalizer
  15. Pair of LOMO 100U-3 Tube Preamps/Variable Mu Compressors
  16. STAM SA-4000 Stereo Buss Compressor
  17. LOMO 60-U FET Compressor
  18. Thermionic Culture Pullet Equalizer
  19. API 5500 Stereo Equlizer
  20. API 2500 Stereo Buss Compressor
  21. Fender Rhodes
  22. VOX AC-30 Guitar Amp
  23. Fender Blues Jr

The studio has never been busier, so if you're interested in booking a session, please contact us at booking@russianrecording.com

Audio

Clients

Russian Recording has been a part of more than a thousand projects since opening in 2003, most of them from start to finish. We have worked on every kind of record imaginable from hardcore bands to world music, live improvisational ensembles to slick country records, hip hop records to doom metal. Some of the notable artists we've worked with include:

  • M. Ward
  • Magnolia Electric Co.
  • Tig Notaro
  • Half Japanese
  • Built to Spill
  • Tortoise
  • of Montreal
  • Yoni and Geti
  • Why?
  • Lil BUB
  • Durand Jones and the Indiciations
  • Surfer Blood
  • Murder By Death
  • Mac Demarco
  • Kelley Deal
  • Rogue Wave
  • Defiance, OH
  • Good Luck
  • Saintseneca

Rates

Email booking@russianrecording.com for booking inquiries.

Mastering

  • $10/minute of audio (unattended)
  • $15/minute of audio (attended)
  • $7/minute of audio for Instrumental Masters (if paired with album master)
  • $90 fee for separate Vinyl master
  • $50 for DDP
  • $35 for separate Cassette master

Tracking & Mixing

w/ Mike Bridavsky

  • $550/day
  • $475/day (for 4 days or more)
  • $70/hr (4 hour minimum)

w/Joe Caldwell, Damion Schiralli, or Kyle Houpt

  • $400/day
  • $350/day (for 4 days or more)
  • $55/hr (4 hour minimum)

Studio Rental (without house engineer)

  • $275/day

Sessions booked for 7+ days are eligible for a discounted block rate, please contact us for more information. To book a session, please email booking@russianrecording.com.

Lodging

$50/night for:

  • two bedrooms
  • sleeps up to 8 adults
  • clean sheets and towels
  • full kitchen
  • full bath
  • lounge w/TV and Hi-Fi

Analog Tape

  • New 2" reel - $390
  • Used 2" reel - $200
  • Used 2" reel rental - $100
  • New 1/4" reel - $85

Piano Tuning

  • Piano is regularly tuned and maintained twice a year
  • If you'd like an additional piano tuning specifically for your session there is a $100 charge. Please let us know at least 2 weeks before your session.

 

Contact

1021 South Walnut Street
Bloomington, IN 47401

(812) 323-USSR

Booking Inquiries
Mike Bridavsky
Matt Tobey
Ben Lumsdaine
Kyle Houpt

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