RPG Diffusor Systems

Alicia Keys’ Oven Studios

Grammy®-winning recording artist Alicia Keys’ success as a performer, songwriter and producer inspired her and KrucialKeys Enterprises (www.krucialkeys.com) partner Kerry “Krucial” Brothers to build a world-class recording studio. Determined to maintain their direct connection to the production of her music, Keys and rothers found an existing recording studio in Long Island, NY with exactly the physical and acoustic qualities they sought. Talented recording engineer Ann Mincieli, whose credits include the multi-Platinum Diary of Alicia Keys CD came on board to oversee the transformation. Working with the original facility’s solid “bone structure” and proven vibes, they retained the Walters-Storyk Design Group (www.wsdg.com) and Dave Malekpour’s Professional Audio Design (www.proaudiodesign.com ) to orchestrate the technological and physical renovation required to make their re-christened Oven Studios an optimal 5.1 production environment. Completed in the summer of 2005, the dramatically upgraded facility features and SSL AWS900 console in Studio A, a custom patchbay, Augspurger and Yamaha NS10 monitors, and a wealth of mics and outboard gear. Perfectly tuned by WSDG’s John Storyk and Dirk Noy, the live room is ideally suited to the needs of a superstar vocalist/pianist. It provides Keys with both optimal reverb and critical low frequency absorption. Studio AB, outfitted with Pro Tools HD3 and Studio C with its Akai MPC workstations and Roland and Korg synths are ideal creative writing environments. Though not originally intended as a facility for hire, The Oven is already proving itself attractive to a select group of major recording artists including Donna Summer and Keyshia Cole. Graced by an elegant interior design created by WSDG partner Beth Walters, this showplace facility is sure to be producing outstanding music for many years to come.

”We took Alicia’s piano artistry very much to heart when designing the live room in studio A,” John Storyk remarked, “but acoustics have always been our primary concern. For example, our positioning of the low-frequency absorption treatments have been interpreted as aesthetic nods to the black keys of a piano. Though some subconscious ‘inspiration’ may have been at play when Beth (Walters) and I designed that room, the treatments actually do an excellent job of balancing the wooden floor and stone wall.”

”The Oven Studios are the result of an incredible collaboration,” engineer Ann Mincieli adds. “We had a team of absolute professionals. Everyone from WSDG architect John Storyk, acoustician Dirk Noy and interior designer Beth Walters to PAD technology pro Dave Malekpour and contractor Chris Bowman were at the top of their game here. Alicia and Kerry had an extremely good sense of what they were looking for, and I as able to help them articulate those desires. The resulting studio is a perfect example of team members listening to each other and pulling together to make a very special place.”

“Major artists don’t build careers on luck or talent alone,” Dave Malekpour says. “Alicia and Kerry are savvy on both a business and a technical level. They knew what the wanted to accomplish with The Oven, and they played a valuable role in the selection of the technology. The SSL AWS900 is a perfect example of finding the right gear for the right room. The Studio A control room is only 230 sq. feet, so we needed a desk that packed a lot of power into a small amount of space. All the options were considered when we made the recommendation, and the choice was unanimous. It’s very gratifying when that happens.”