When desktop recording became feasible in the beginning of this century; from the outset it looked like the playing field had finally been leveled. No longer did musicians have to rely on expensive recording studios whose hours were hundreds (to thousands) of dollars. However, it was a double-edged sword. Even with a well invested desktop setup, a musician may find it takes so many hours to master the techniques of the complicated software, that the creative process is marred. This is where a studio like True Music Studios finds its place. Founded and operated by musician/engineer Nolan Quartaroli, the lower costs of state of the art digital recording afforded him the opportunity to start a full blown professional studio at package costs for as little as $25 per hour. Quartaroli started the studio because as a guitar player since age ten (prodded to learn by his violin and harp playing mom), he had run the course of trial and error that any musician goes through when trying to get their music recorded in a professional sounding format. Also, as a guitar teacher, Nolan found a potential clientele of students who were ready to take their creative muse to the next level. When the music store he started True Music Studios in had to close, Nolan quickly made the decision to take advantage of an ideal location Lark Industrial Complex in Smithfield, RI. Lots of surrounding restaurants and big box stores makes the setting convenient for finding supplies to help get through the recording process; yet the actual studio is isolated by both sound proofing and closed hour businesses so as to accommodate flexible recording schedules at all hours. The main room looks like a blank canvas when we visited for a recent tour. This is to provide enough space for a full band to perform live. Nolan believes in capturing what the musicians want to hear during the recording instead of relying on a "fix it in the mix" approach. He feels this better captures an inspired performance that is essential to great records. To that extent, there is a special high point in the room's ceiling that makes it a natural reverberation source for ambient drum miking. There is also a state of the art isolation booth for singers, voiceovers or even guitar amps (and it is all soundproof climate controlled). Top that off with a Pro Tools automated desktop mixer/recorder and top of the line Neuman microphones (along with various enhancement processors) and you get a bit of the picture. Nolan played us some samples of his work, and it displayed his versatility in genre hopping; dub inspired reggae, commercial audio and enchanting yet aggressive folk styling. Wherever your particular passion lies, True Music Studios is ready to help it be realized with adaptability to your style as their mantra. -The Juice
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