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Last summer we had Le Couteau in for a two-day lockout session in Studio A. At first the goal was just to capture their sound and release it as close to live as possible. But after hearing everything, the band decided to take their time with the process and we are glad they did. Save for a few hours of guitar overdubs in Studio B, the band tracked their whole record in those first two days. Driven primarily by frontman/guitarist, Jean-Francois Blain, the band blends their various influences to make something familiar to shoegaze fans but unique to each of the players in the band. Phil Murphy sang backup and played bass. And Faris Abayya played drums. Q Engineer, Terrance Reeves, co-produced and recorded. And all the tracks were mixed by local friend, Dereck Blackburn (of Quiethouse Recordings).

We were incredibly happy to host local icons Count Zero a couple of months ago for a very ambitious project. They wanted to perform their new record "thought so," AND a bunch of older songs, live with and without an audience, while we multi tracked the show AND filmed with multiple cameras.

This session would require the highest possible quality of recording (including isolation), careful lighting, and multiple cameras and angles, alongside live sound reinforcement for the audience, and in ear monitoring for the band. We spent quite a bit of time getting to know the material and plotting the set up - and working through all the possible technical pitfalls we'd run into. The band booked two days - one entire day was dedicated to set up, then to recording/performing the set once with out an audience. On the second day we ran through the set at least one more time - with costume changes, and then the audience rolled in and they performed the set a final time (two sets, to be exact). We were able to capture a full multi track of the performance, mix the show live for the in house audience, and capture as many as 7-9 cameras of the performance (oh, and we also ran a secret livestream out to close friends and family of the band:).

Chuck Hargreaves engineered the recording, Izaak Biewald assisted and mixed the live sound, Rafi Sofer oversaw the entire production and took care of lights and cameras, with additional help provided by Q interns Kieh Blevins and Lydia Hazzard-Lael.
Peter Moore and Will Ragano (of the band) mixes and edited the resulting videos - check out this one for their song SOUTH.

A few months ago Bob Bradshaw brought his band of killer players to Studio A, alongside a very talented video crew, and proceeded to record a live album in a single day!

The band, which plays regularly with Bradshaw in haunts as near as the Lizard Lounge and as far as Tipperary, Ireland, is a finely tuned band. Featuring (the Amazing) Mike Connors on drums, Andrew Stern on guitar, John Sheeran on bass, and special guests James Rohr on piano and Andy Santospago on pedal steel and guitar, this crew pulled no punches during an incredibly long day. They recorded upward of 12 songs! The video crew, helmed by Mark Steele captured multiple cameras with fantastic lighting, and the resulting album will be released soon - the videos have been trickling out in anticipation of this release. Rafi Sofer recorded the band, and Dave Westner mixed it (not at Q:).

Check out this video of the song Albuquerque.

Did you know that Q Division has a mailing list? Because social media posts are so unpredictable, the mailing list is a great way to keep in touch with us and hear about events and studio news! Please sign up so that you don't miss any news! And, don't fret - we don't send out a ton of emails. You can sign up for our mailing list here, AND through the CONTACT form on the website (the contact form assumes you might want to book time, the other link just lets you sign up for our list. Confused yet? I am :).

In the meantime, enjoy Jon Strymish's photo of Jonathan Richman that's hanging in Studio B's lounge (2025)!

While thinking about the new studio we discussed having an area that could serve as a gallery. It turned out that Studio B’s lounge wall is almost perfect for that (it does get some blinding winter morning sun). The inaugural show is now hanging and features 54 black and white photos taken and printed by photographer Jon Strymish.  Photos taken in rooms all over New England of artists who’ve worked at Q and those we hope will stop in some time soon, including Dennis Brennan, Melissa Ferrick, Peter Wolf, Richard Thompson, Hazel Royer, Anne Heaton, Billy Conway, Laurie Sargent, Jonathan Richman, Dave Robinson and many more.

Jon writes:  “Music is the only universal, effective tool for keeping troubles at bay, and I’ve always felt a need for the largest dose possible! The streams of music that run through the bars and basements of Camberville and Boston have been very welcoming to awkward nerds like me, and I’ve tried my hardest to preserve some of the beauty I’ve been lucky enough to witness, and am very grateful for anyone who has allowed me to get away with it!”

Jon’s photos will hang for the next few months, and we’ll have an opening at some point in the near future. If you’re not planing on recording at Q and would like to see the show, please drop us a line and we’ll be happy to find a time for you to visit. 

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!

The Elovaters brought all the good summer vibes to Q Division while recording here this December. Their music transporting us from this cold Boston winter to a warm sunny beach. This track Sky High (with Jared Watson of Dirty Heads) was recorded in Studio A with Q's Chuck Hargreaves engineering. Produced and mixed by Grammy nominated Danny Kalb.

Stream Endless Summer now on all listening platforms and be sure to check out Endless Summer Deluxe Edition when it drops 10/18/24

Fuzzy Bumble is fused with a mix of indie rock energy and compelling visual art all blended into one. The band tracked an array of new songs at Q Division, including their songs Clones and Deep End. And with Q's very own team comprised of Joel Edinberg engineering, Pat DiCenso mixing and Ed Valauskas producing the session, it was magic in the studio! Check out their awesome live recording of Any Other Way shot in Studio A.

Described as a high-octane cocktail of chicken pickin' electric guitar & face melting accordion, this session was all that and more! Engineered by Q's very own Rafi Sofer and mastered by Mike Quinn of The Moontower studios. This EP was recorded almost entirely live at Q in a single day.

Check out their Bandcamp, linked below

https://kierbyrnes.bandcamp.com/album/all-gone-wrong

Hey folks - we're so very pleased to finally be booking sessions in Studio A!

At long last, we’re looking forward to introducing you to the new 2800 square feet of our main recording room.

Q’s Neve 8068 is spic and span - inside and out (more of the restoration story soon), and we have a big - currently lonely- live room that’s waiting to be filled with you. The performance studio includes a large high-ceiling central space, a sizable live isolation room (we’re calling it The Drum Room), and a very dead room we’re calling The Piano Room. We’ve prioritized sight lines between all these rooms and also into the control room. There are two additional small isolation booths for amps, and an area we’re calling “The Inspiration Wall” which we find visually and acoustically… um… inspiring.

So give us a call - after almost two years of working on this space - we’re looking forward to hearing you in it!

FAQ’s:

When?

We’re now booking sessions starting from April 15th and beyond.

Where?

171 Rindge Ave. in Cambridge MA. It's behind 169 Rindge and across from the Reservoir Church.

Parking?

You can reach us easily from three MBTA stops - Porter Square, Davis Square, and Alewife. We have limited parking in our driveway for artists, and there’s a bit of guest/non-permit parking in the neighborhood. More details on our website.

How Much?

We’ve built a brand new facility and put an incredible amount of effort into restoring the Neve, and well - the world’s come a long way since 1986 - so our rates have gone up. BUT - while we’re still building Studio B, we’re offering an introductory rate. Check in with Ed or any of us via email or phone for all the details.

Will brought in a gang of ace musicians to help flesh out his new album. They learned the songs and recorded them all together in the room - just how we imagined the space being utilized. Not only did these guys track all their parts live, they ALSO live-streamed the sessions a couple of times a day, giving fans a chance to hang in the room as tape rolled!

Alongside his long time collaborator and all around musician extraordinaire Dave Brophy, Will brought James Rohr, Ken Clark, Jeremey Moses Curtis, Andrew Stern, Cody Nilsen, Joe McMahon, Ed V, and of course Dave's studio assistant, Coco the Chill. Our very own James Bridges engineered, and Rafi Sofer took some pictures and set up the live streams. Videographer Chris DeSanty was also taping the sessions for a future video documentary on the production of the album.

Will was kind enough to commit to working in the space before we were done - in fact hosting him allowed us to learn A LOT about the room and some of the issues we still have to sort through, before we open our doors to the general public on APRIL 15!