by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
Years ago, when I owned a recording studio, I had the idea of building rehearsal studios for rent. However, I had so much money invested in recording equipment, I couldn’t afford to make it happen. Over the years, several people have attempted to provide rehearsal spaces for struggling local bands. The last rehearsal studios I toured were primitive and not very inviting–like a glorified egg carton-walled facility.
Last week I was invited to attend the Stay Tuned Studios grand opening party. Truthfully, my expectations were low until I toured the facility. Whoa, the co-owners Don Ringhofer and Joey DeSena have set up five fully equipped studios of varying sizes that are plushly decorated with leather couches, a top-of-the-line drum set on a riser in each room, quality amplifiers and even guitars by Hamer or Fender. Most bands are not this well-equipped. And, the beauty of this setup is: bands do not have to drag their equipment into a rehearsal space. Just bring your axes, drum sticks, drum pedals and hi-hat cymbals–a handful of stuff.
The big Studio E is set up as a showcase concert hall with big Marshall amps, drums on a riser, professional bass amps with outboard gear, monitors and everything a band would need to just come in with their instruments and floor pedals and rehearse or perform a showcase for record company A&R reps or the media. The decor is modern with professional studio sound suppressors. Each studio has its own electronic temperature control. Hell, the Rolling Stones could rehearse in this studio–it’s that well-decorated and staged.
Don Ringhofer said he thought about what he would want in a rehearsal studio and he spared no expense to make it first class. I was most impressed by the amount of band equipment that is in each studio. Just log-onto the Stay Tuned website (staytunedstudios.com) and there is a complete list of equipment in each studio. Trust me, any band would not think twice about playing in these studios using this top-tier gear. Clearly, Don has invested mucho dinero in this equipment and facility. He has thought of everything.
Brand names you’ll find in these studios are top-quality too. Yamaha drum kits, Marshall JCM2000 guitar amps, Marshall cabinets, Vox AD100 guitar amps, Vox cabinets, Ampeg bass amps and cabinets, Carvin passive mixer, Crown power amps, Crown power monitors and mains as well as JBL speakers–monitors and mains. Also, there are Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amps, Peavy ValveKing all tube guitar amps, Gallien Krueger bass amp heads and 4 x 10 cabinets, and Roland keyboards are available with many other choices. Don said they also have mobile recording equipment available for recording live.
The five studios are all roomy with comfortable seating to accommodate family members or fans that want to checkout the band. The price scale is reasonable for each size room. Of course, there are a few rules, like no smoking in the studios. Stay Tuned Studios is open weekdays Monday through Friday from 6 pm to midnight and Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to midnight.
The tour guide for my visit was my friend Tanya Kroeber who is now Stay Tuned Studios’ Operations Manager and she still plays for Too Many Shoes. She tried a Hamer guitar through a Vox amp. Man, it sounded twangy, for which Vox amps are known. In the big E Studio, the band C5 was cranking up. This is a tight professional band which I’ve previously lauded in print. It took them ten minutes to set up and do a sound check, then they were performing their repertoire of original and cover material. It sounded great. Stay Tuned Studios is located near the Avenue’s Mall off Shad Road at 5570 Florida Mining Blvd. South, Unit 105. Call 292-9997 for rental rates and directions. Finally, a truly professional rehearsal facility that will impress the most discriminating musician. I give it an A+.
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