Pictures of the tour.
All participating attendees arrived at Pyramix Studios at 1:00 PM and were introduced to the sight of a large pyramid in the backyard of the studio owner. Upon arrival, James Maras, the owner and sole builder of this studio introduced himself and started the tour.
Mr. Maras walked us down the ramp underground below the exterior of the pyramid where we were treated to the sight of very clean and organized live room with a Gretsch drumset and a standup bass on display. Once everyone was inside, we realized we were right underneath the pyramid as we could see sunlight through top of the pyramid coming through a blue-colored sunroof. Mr. Maras then started explaining the engineering detail of the live room and isolation booth. He lifted the tiles on the floor near the drumset and showed us that all of his cabling runs underneath. He also pointed out how his termination points were labeled and how there were hidden compartments that held cables and other various hardware.
Before entering the control room, Mr. Maras walked us up a spiral staircase by the door to the control room which led to a lounge area that overlooks the live room. Comfort and decoration were obviously a factor in the construction of the studio as there were many decorative items, including a large Egyptian themed chess board in the middle of the lounge.
When Mr. Maras took us into the control room, he took the time to explain how all of his exterior connections run into the singular patchbay on the right side of his console which was labeled with every specific mic preamp and patch point. Since the studio is available to be rented for freelance work, the signal flow of the studio had to be specific enough and organized enough to allow for ease of use and workflow. Mr. Maras also pointed to some of his equipment, including but not limited to the C24 Digidesign console, PreSonus and API Mic Preamps, Distressor compressors, etc.
Lastly, we all were able to hear some of the work that had been done in the studio. The quality of the sound was incredible, and we were able to listen to the songs while sitting in the lounge of the studio, enjoying the vibe and feel of a homemade studio. Pyramix Studios is definitely a sight to behold. Special thanks to James Maras for allowing us as students to be able to witness a professional studio's structure and design in such a fascinating way.
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