Red Bull Studio
The studio aims to promote New Zealand music by providing access to an up to date and state of the art recording and production facility to a variety of local and international musical talent.
Red Bull Studio Live Sessions
One of the Red Bull Studio’s aim is to promote New Zealand music by providing a live performance platform which is simultaneously broadcast by the bNet radio stations nationwide every Thursday at 330pm. These performances are the Red Bull Live Sessions.
The Red Bull Studio provides a unique and relaxed atmosphere where musicians can feel free to create their own music in anyway they wish without the external pressure of audience expectations, a chance to get back to their own musical roots and play a Live Session.
In preparation for a Live Session the Red Bull Studio live room is equipped with an acoustic drum kit and set up to requested mic requirements, enabling musicians to simply plug in and play. Inside the control room the inhouse engineer masters the sound through a toft 24 channel desk, running it through apogee convertors, outboard compressors and other effects, then streams it through the latest Apple X server to the 6 nationwide bNet stations
After the Live Session, the audio recording is mixed and mastered in Logic Pro 8 using the latest software plug ins. The audio is used then used with the HD video footage shot of the session and uploaded for viewing at Red Bull Live Sessions Sound in the control room is provided by Genelec 5.1 surround.
Studio Equipment and Hardware
• FXT.C Electronic M-One Dual Effects Signal Processor
• Compressors - Klark Teknik, 8x channels of compression/gate
- Avalon VT-74Stereo Compression/EQ
• Audio Convertors - Apogee Ensemble,8 Channel.
- Apogee Rosetta 800,8 Channel.
- Digi 002 Rack8 Channel (Pro Tools)
• Monitors - Genelec Near-Field and Far-Field
• Instruments - Tama Star Classic5 Piece Drum Kit
- Akai MPC 2000 x l
- 2 x Pioneer CDJ 1000
- 2 x Technics 1210 Mk3
- 2 x Rane TTM5
- SeratoRane TTM56
• Microphones - Shure SM58 x 2, Shure SM57 3, Shure Beta 91 x 1
- Shure SM58a x 2, Shure SM87 x 2, Shure Beta 52a x 1
- Shure Beta 56a x 1, Royer 121 Ribbon x 1
- Oktava 012 Matched x 2, Oktava 012 x 1
- Sennheiser MD-421 x 1, Sennheiser E604 x 2
- AKG C 414 B – ULS x 1
Red Bull Studio - The History
In 2001, a tiny yet amazingly designed digital recording studio was unveiled in the basement of the head office of Red Bull New Zealand.
Its main purpose was to further increase the technical experience for secondary students attending a sponsored DJing and production program that would run over the school holidays there. Unknowingly, it was to be the beginning of something great.
The acoustics in the room were first class, designed and fitted by the team from Buzz Audio. It was a no corners cut, state of the art treatment of the room. The gear consisted of an Apple G3, Pro Tools, ASR10 a Yamaha 01V and a Roland keyboard and a pair of tiny Genelec speakers. From there the Red Bull Studio journey began: two major upgrades in hardware and software in four years, and the development into one of New Zealand's most loved studios.
Beginning primarily as a digital recording studio, production-wise the team was mainly working with electronic artists, with two educational programs running alongside focused towards secondary school students with either a passion for DJing or music production. These courses would run over 12 weeks of the year, with the remainder of the year spent helping and working with local artists.
The first studio upgrade included Logic, a new G4 8oomhz, some Mackie 824's to sit next to the 1029's and a bunch of DJ gear, turntables, DJ Mixers Vestax/Allen & Heath, Pioneer CDJs and a bunch of headphones. Around this time the Red Bull “Live” Studio also came to fruition, when a 6x6m room next to the studio that was used for storing boxes was transformed into a live room for bands to play and potentially have their sessions broadcast on local radio. Phase two was now complete, and plans for live broadcasts began to take shape.
The second equipment upgrade was mammoth, and included elements like a complete 5.1 Surround Genelec monitoring system, five 8040A DSP MDE Loudspeakers, 7070A LSE Sub Woofers and Genelec Autocal DSP Software. There were also custom made sound baffles supplied by Buzz Audio. The first of the now infamous Red Bull Studio “Live To Air” sessions began in 2005, and were broadcast live across local student radio station, 95 bFM. This involved no less than fifteen Kiwi bands playing across five days, and since then the Red Bull Studio team have recorded and broadcast over 200 sessions live, with all genres being catered for and performances being archived from the likes of local stars The Black Seeds and OpenSouls and visiting international names like Kasabian, Jose Gonzalez, and Rodney P & Skitz, to name a few ... Three years later the room is now complete with a 5.1 surround system and is one of - the best sounding non-commercial recording studios in the country.
The studio has been responsible for recordings from New Zealand artists, alongside the many international producers and DJs who stop by to enjoy the studio's particular brand of Red Bull hospitality. The roster of acts through its doors speaks for itself, but the proof is in the pudding and if you listen to any of the live sessions on this link you can make up your own mind.
After years of blood, sweat, tears and good times, the studio has gradually evolved from being a digital workstation to a recording studio that aids and supports local musicians and projects. Studio manager Grace Boyle and Sound Engineer Ben Lawson also now produce a weekly live show which is streamed across the bNet network of student radio stations which involves cabling, routers and satellite dishes the length of the country. Having a passion for technology and strong roots in New Zealand music, who knows what the inhabitants of the studio will be cooking up next, so keep checking back for new and updates on the ever-changing beast that is the Red Bull Studio…
