PatchWerk Recording Studios
Encyclopedia
PatchWerk Recording Studios is a recording studio
located at 1094 Hemphill Avenue, West Midtown in Atlanta, GA. It was established in 1993 by former NFL
offensive tackle Bob Whitfield
of the Atlanta Falcons
, and is currently owned and operated by Curtis Daniel III and Mike Wilson. The facility features two totally isolated recording studios, namely Studio 995 and Studio 9000, along with Studio 1019, a vocal tracking and editing studio in the 9000 wing of the building. Apart from the facility's use as a recording studio, the premises are also used for Audio mastering
in the Mastering Studio, as well as offering CD duplication and computer repair services.
Outside of the studio, PatchWerk Recordings were functional as a record label from 1993 to 2006, releasing records from the likes of Ras Kass
, Vooodu, Meen Green, Jatis and the Southwest Click. They have also hosted a number of events and musical seminars, including the IdOMusic® series and Music University.
in Carson, California
, by former Atlanta Falcons
offensive tackle Bob Whitfield
, after financing studio time to record a demo for his high school friend and aspiring rapper Ras Kass
, Bob hired his college friend and entrepreneur B.J. Kerr, and together they released Ras Kass first single "Remain AnonymouS". The success of that single led to a licensing deal with Priority Records
in 1995, and the release of Ras Kass debut album Soul on Ice the following year.
In mid 1995 PatchWerk expanded their operations by opening a full service recording studio in Atlanta, Georgia
. The original studio was a 3000 sq. foot facility located at 995 McMillan Street, converted from a residential house in the Home Park
area of West Midtown. The studio quickly gained a foothold in the market, attracting producers from the likes of Organized Noize
, So So Def Recordings
, LaFace Records
and Hitco Music Publishing. Equipped with a fully automated Otari Concept One 32-track console (64 input/output), the Studer A827 recorder and the Spectral Direct-to-Disk digital recorder with Prism Audio interface, the studio featured fully automated 48-track 2" recording capabilities, and was home of four of the most sought after engineers in the South.
The year 2000 saw the studio relocating to its current location, a 10,000 sq. foot building located on 1094 Hemphill Avenue. Once a convenience store which was refurbished into a photography studio for The Coca-Cola Company
, the building was remodeled once again, with operations running in the new Studio 995 simultaneous to the expansion in the back of the building of Studio 9000, which was completed and made operational in 2002. The new studio, at the time, had the only SSL
J 9000 console in the city. In 2007 the Otari Concept One 32-track console was upgraded to a SSL Duality Console, 48 input with Total Recall, Ultimation and Pro Tools HUI control in Studio 995. The Otari Concept One console was donated to the Senate Music Recording Industry Committee, and is currently on display at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame
in Macon, Georgia
.
, OutKast
, Goodie Mob
, TLC
, 2Pac
, The Notorious B.I.G.
, Nas
, Missy Elliot, Beyoncé
, Madonna
, Too $hort, Lil Jon
, Ludacris
, T.I.
, Young Jeezy
, Birdman and Lil Wayne
, to name a few.
The upstairs lounge area of the 9000 wing features a pool table, wide screen television and an Xbox 360. There are vending machines as well as a kitchen in Studio 9000, with a private parking lot in the back of the building. A second lounge area is located in the back of the 995 wing. Upscale amenities such as private lounges, gourmet cooks, and a runner service are also available.
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
located at 1094 Hemphill Avenue, West Midtown in Atlanta, GA. It was established in 1993 by former NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
offensive tackle Bob Whitfield
Bob Whitfield
Bob Lectress Whitfield III is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League.-Early career:...
of the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and is currently owned and operated by Curtis Daniel III and Mike Wilson. The facility features two totally isolated recording studios, namely Studio 995 and Studio 9000, along with Studio 1019, a vocal tracking and editing studio in the 9000 wing of the building. Apart from the facility's use as a recording studio, the premises are also used for Audio mastering
Audio mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
in the Mastering Studio, as well as offering CD duplication and computer repair services.
Outside of the studio, PatchWerk Recordings were functional as a record label from 1993 to 2006, releasing records from the likes of Ras Kass
Ras Kass
John Austin IV, better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is also a part of hip hop supergroup The HRSMN along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt...
, Vooodu, Meen Green, Jatis and the Southwest Click. They have also hosted a number of events and musical seminars, including the IdOMusic® series and Music University.
History
Founded in 1993 as a record labelRecord label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
, by former Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
offensive tackle Bob Whitfield
Bob Whitfield
Bob Lectress Whitfield III is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League.-Early career:...
, after financing studio time to record a demo for his high school friend and aspiring rapper Ras Kass
Ras Kass
John Austin IV, better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is also a part of hip hop supergroup The HRSMN along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt...
, Bob hired his college friend and entrepreneur B.J. Kerr, and together they released Ras Kass first single "Remain AnonymouS". The success of that single led to a licensing deal with Priority Records
Priority Records
Priority Records is an American record label, owned and operated by EMI, which has made a name for itself dealing primarily in hip hop, pop and world...
in 1995, and the release of Ras Kass debut album Soul on Ice the following year.
In mid 1995 PatchWerk expanded their operations by opening a full service recording studio in Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The original studio was a 3000 sq. foot facility located at 995 McMillan Street, converted from a residential house in the Home Park
Home Park (Atlanta)
Home Park is a neighborhood of Atlanta, north of Georgia Tech roughly between 10th Street, Northside Drive , 16th Street, and I-75/85 in Atlanta, Georgia...
area of West Midtown. The studio quickly gained a foothold in the market, attracting producers from the likes of Organized Noize
Organized Noize
Organized Noize is an Atlanta-based American hip hop production company made up of Rico Wade, Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown.-History:Among the hit records they have worked on include TLC's "Waterfalls", En Vogue's "Don't Let Go ", and Ludacris' "Saturday "...
, So So Def Recordings
So So Def Recordings
So So Def Recordings is a record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, and owned by producer Jermaine Dupri, specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B and bass music.-Beginnings:...
, LaFace Records
LaFace Records
LaFace Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment.-Company history:LaFace was formed in 1989 as a joint venture between the producing duo Antonio "L.A." Reid & Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Arista Records. The combined nicknames of the duo's successful...
and Hitco Music Publishing. Equipped with a fully automated Otari Concept One 32-track console (64 input/output), the Studer A827 recorder and the Spectral Direct-to-Disk digital recorder with Prism Audio interface, the studio featured fully automated 48-track 2" recording capabilities, and was home of four of the most sought after engineers in the South.
The year 2000 saw the studio relocating to its current location, a 10,000 sq. foot building located on 1094 Hemphill Avenue. Once a convenience store which was refurbished into a photography studio for The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
, the building was remodeled once again, with operations running in the new Studio 995 simultaneous to the expansion in the back of the building of Studio 9000, which was completed and made operational in 2002. The new studio, at the time, had the only SSL
Solid State Logic
Solid State Logic is a manufacturer of high-end mixing consoles and recording studio hardware headquartered in Begbroke, Oxfordshire, UK.- Company information :...
J 9000 console in the city. In 2007 the Otari Concept One 32-track console was upgraded to a SSL Duality Console, 48 input with Total Recall, Ultimation and Pro Tools HUI control in Studio 995. The Otari Concept One console was donated to the Senate Music Recording Industry Committee, and is currently on display at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame
Georgia Music Hall of Fame
The Georgia Music Hall of Fame, located in downtown Macon, Georgia, preserves and interprets the state's rich musical heritage through programs of collection, exhibition, education and performance...
in Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
.
Recording and mixing consoles
- Studio 995: 48 Fader Solid State LogicSolid State LogicSolid State Logic is a manufacturer of high-end mixing consoles and recording studio hardware headquartered in Begbroke, Oxfordshire, UK.- Company information :...
Duality Console - Studio 9000: 96 Fader Solid State LogicSolid State LogicSolid State Logic is a manufacturer of high-end mixing consoles and recording studio hardware headquartered in Begbroke, Oxfordshire, UK.- Company information :...
9096 J
Interior
The interior of Patchwerk is modern and elegantly designed in an 'industrial cool' fashion, a two floor building with a basement and a private parking lot in the back. Studio 995 is situated in the front of the building, Studio 9000 in the back, and the Mastering Studio in the basement. A spiral stair case leads to the Mastering Studio in the basement, as well as another lounge area and some offices. The walls in the hallways are decorated in Gold and Platinum plaques from the likes of Ras KassRas Kass
John Austin IV, better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is also a part of hip hop supergroup The HRSMN along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt...
, OutKast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
, Goodie Mob
Goodie Mob
Goodie Mob is a Hip Hop act based in Atlanta, Georgia that formed in 1991 and currently consists of members Cee-Lo Green, Khujo, T-Mo and Big Gipp.-History:The group's name acts as a double backronym...
, TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
, 2Pac
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
, The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, Missy Elliot, Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Too $hort, Lil Jon
Lil Jon
Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
, Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
, Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
, Birdman and Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
, to name a few.
The upstairs lounge area of the 9000 wing features a pool table, wide screen television and an Xbox 360. There are vending machines as well as a kitchen in Studio 9000, with a private parking lot in the back of the building. A second lounge area is located in the back of the 995 wing. Upscale amenities such as private lounges, gourmet cooks, and a runner service are also available.
See also
- List of recordings made at PatchWerk Recording Studios
- List of artists who have recorded at PatchWerk Recording Studios