EQ Magazine - March 2009 - (Page 21)

Third Eye Blind’s Stephan Jenkins Crafts Sounds in the Ballroom of his 1870s San Francisco Mansion by Greg Reynolds Somewhere in San Francisco, an upscale neighborhood is oblivious to the fact that one of rock’s most ingenious vocalists/producers is banging out yet another masterpiece right beneath their noses. Hell, if it wasn’t for the video crew packing up their van as we walked down the street, we might have never known that Third Eye Blind’s Stephan Jenkins was inside laying down some tracks in his new recording facility. So, come join us as we check out Jenkins’ new digs, and speak with him and his in-house engineer Sean Beresford about building a studio, choosing gear, and tracking hits. This place is absolutely amazing. Tell us a little bit about your pad. Jenkins: It’s a Victorian-era mansion that was built during the 1870s. The original owner was a prominent figure in the early 20th-century music business, so there’s an incredible ballroom on the west side of the house where some popular musicians used to come and perform. It even has a balcony in the corner where opera singers would stand and sing. It’s really cool. The mixing room is separated from the main house in a building where the horses and carriages were kept. How much time and planning went into turning the house into a recording facility? Jenkins: Sean and I designed my last studio, so already had logged a lot of time in figuring out all of the ergonomics of how we wanted to work. Beresford: It was two years ago when we first came in here, and we spent three months going through everything and deciding how everything would fit together. After the designs were completed, it took about six months before the first hammer fell. Did you guys design everything yourself? Jenkins: We had our friend Chris Pelonis [of Pelonis Sound and Acoustics] come in and design the studio. He has done many well-known studios, and he’s really good at what he does. Basically, I wanted to be able to say, “This is what I want to do,” and then get it done. I didn’t want to deal with a lot of set up, so everything is interconnected and wired. For example, we have a 6' x 6' amp closet that is plugged in and ready to go, and we even wired the bathroom for mics. What considerations did you keep in mind when designing the rooms? Jenkins: Even though we are blessed to have these grounds, we’re still in an urban environment—which means we have neighbors all around us, and cars driving by. Also, as the house is considered an historical building, the outside could not be remodeled or changed. The inside, though, was completely redone. What were the most important changes that had to be made? Jenkins: We had a big argument about keeping the windows. One of the things I love about this studio is that it has natural light and natural air. My usual experience with studios is that you’re in a dark hole where air is being pumped in, and it’s always too hot or too cold. So we kept the windows, and then installed another set of thick, half-inch panes on the inside (Continued) www.eqmag.com MARCH 2009 EQ 21 http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - March 2009

EQ Magazine - March 2009 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Mr. Scruff Apollo Sunshine Al Schmitt Toolbox Third Eye Blind Kind of Blue Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Ableton Live Vocal Tools Gadgets & Goodies Room with a Vu

EQ Magazine - March 2009

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