Making great sounding records in comfort and style in Boston's best recording studio
Ours (and everyone in Boston’s) friend Hazel Royer joined the Colorado based bluegrass band Big Richard a while back. While they do most of their recordings in Colorado, Hazel does drop in at Q on occasion to cut a vocal or bass part.
Their new album is called Girl Dinner, and the vocals for the first single, Town Line, was recorded in Studio B by Rafi.
Shotgun Waltz returns to Q Division to track to new singles, Pity Party and Sink or Swim, out now on Bandcamp! Produced and mixed by Ed Valauskas with mastering by Pat DiCenso and recording by James Bridges, these sessions were bound to rock out and rock they did. Pulling influence from Indie, Americana and alternative rock, Shotgun Waltz delivers a fresh sound while holding on to a 90’s rock vibe.
Alisa Amador came to Q to shoot a live version of her song ‘Enough’ for The Kelly Clarkson Show. Backed by the incredible Cilla Bonnie on bass and long time friend of Q, Dave Brophy on drums, it was magic in gorgeous Studio A! Chuck Hargreaves recorded and engineered and Dave Brophy mixed.
Alisa Amador made history in 2022 as the first-ever Spanish language song to win the Tiny Desk Contest and has since gone on to release her highly praised first full length album Multitudes.
We’re really pleased to share the news that we’ve partnered with our friends at the Ronan Fund to create a special apprenticeship program. This apprenticeship will give a high school graduate, who’s not college bound, the opportunity to learn on job while earning a stipend. Q Division has for decades run a robust internship program – in fact, all our engineers started out at as interns.
Ronan Jeanotte was an incredibly talented musician who recorded and then interned at Q Division. The Ronan Fund Apprenticeship at Q Division seeks to keep his memory alive and enable youth, who much like Ronan, want to learn by doing.
Details about the apprenticeship can be found on our website here. One part we need your help with is spreading the word to potential candidates – high school grads who aren’t headed to college. Please help us spread the word of this unique opportunity. In addition, the Ronan Fund can use support – please visit their website to find out how you can help them – they’re supporting aspiring musicians/engineers/producers, and kids who’re looking to strike out on their own in a variety of fields.
We’re happy to share that Studio B is ready for prime time, open, and that we’re booking sessions in there.
Studio B is designed for mixing in both STEREO and ATMOS. Artists can take advantage of both analog and digital – aka hybrid – mixing techniques. An SSL-XL analog desk is at the center of the system alongside analog and tube compression and EQ. In addition to the console and the outboard, access to our EMT 140 Plate, tape delays, spring reverbs, and vintage digital delays and reverbs, make this room particularly appealing for hybrid mixing workflows. We’ve loaded the M2 Studio Mac with plugins from iZotope, UA, Waves, Soundtoys, FabFliter, and others. Not only that, we’ve finally installed Logic Pro on both our machines – so if your DAW of choice isn’t Pro Tools, we can still accommodate your sessions!
The ATMOS rig utilized Neumann speakers, and stereo mixers can take advantage of both the Neumanns and a pair of Fulcrums.
There’s also a small ISO booth for overdubbing. Artists can access all of our microphones, instruments, and amps, and one can get quite a lot of overdubbing done in what is a relatively small space (compared to our Studio A). This space is also great for V/O work.
The truth is that Studio B’s lounge is still a work in progress (we didn’t want to hold up opening the room). There’s a couch, a table, and some comfy chairs there now, not to mention an upright piano- but it will be getting a few more amenities as time goes by. Both studios share a kitchen, fridge, coffee, and bathrooms, though Studio B has its own entrance!
