Leeders Farm - Residential recording studio in Norfolk

It's not very often that we find a new studio that surprises and impresses us. Who builds big new residential studios these days anyway? Well here is just that, a fantastic new residential recording studio that seems to have got the mix of the best of the other residential studios, past and present, and brings new ideas to the mix too.

Video features

Dan Hawkins talks on camera about Leeders Farm Studios

David Pye talks on camera about engineering at Leeders Farm

Leeders Farm Studios are an hour and a half from London on the way to Norwich. The studio may be out 'in the sticks' but in just 10 minutes walk you can hop on a train to London. So what's here? The studio offers a very large main live room, nice sized control room, iso areas and a huge mic collection.

Dan Hawkins talks on camera about Leeders Farm Studios

David Pye talks on camera about engineering at Leeders Farm

Leeders Farm picture gallery

Dan Hawkins picture gallery

That is just the start though. The house offers 8 bedrooms, all are excellent and 6 are en suite. There are loads of relaxation areas, fantastic kitchen etc etc. The strange thing is, it feels like we've been here before. The kitchen feels Hook End Manor, the control room feels Rockfield and outside feels Ridge Farm (sadly missed). The main recording area feels great, it's got a nice character and has tons of space.

The studio has vintage Neve and Calrec analogue mixing consoles and features frequently used and back in fashion Studer analogue 2”, 1/2”, and 1/4” tape machines but also includes a high spec pro-tools set-up. Monitoring is via a Cranesong Avocet monitor controller to KRK V8’s KRK V4’s, KRK 9000’s, Yamaha NS10’s, with Quad amplification, AR18’s and Tannoy DRM2 using Bryston amplification. There is an extensive range of vintage, valve and modern outboard and microphones including Neuman , AKG, Sennheiser , Schoepps, Urei, Coles , GML, SSL, Smart , Tubetech, DBX, Focusrite, EMT and plates.

Leeder’s Farm is a picturesque and beautifully restored timber frame farmhouse, dating from the mid-17th Century. The studio is set well in it’s own land, approached by a long drive and surrounded by attractive mature and well-stocked gardens with two natural ponds and meadow land. The meadowland surrounds the house to the north, east and south and is divided into three separate meadows, one of which is now a football pitch. In 2006, a barn adjoining the house was developed and now houses Leeder’s Farm’s superb, world-class recording facilities.

Leeder’s Farm is secure, secluded and very private. They are situated in the village of Spooner Row in the Norfolk countryside, which has an extremely good village pub/restaurant, and local rail link, with regular trains to London Kings Cross via Cambridge.

Leeders Farm Studios website.

MIXING RECORDING AND MONITORING

1 x Calrec CM162/62 M Series Mixing Desk
1 x Neve Melbourn 12CH Mixing Desk
1 x Crane Song Avocet Studio Controller & Remote
1 x pair KRK V8 Studio monitors
1 x pair KRK V4 Studio Monitors
1 x pair Tannoy DRM2 Speakers
1 x pair KRK 9000B Studio Monitors
1 x pair Yamaha NS10 Studio Monitors
1 x pair AR18 Studio monitors
1 x KRK V12 Subwoofer
1 x Bryston 4BSST Power Amp
1 x Quad 4052 Frequency Splitting Amplifier
1 x Studer A820 1/2” Master Recorder
1 x Studer A810 1/4” Master Recorder
3 x Dolby System 361 Noise Reduction Module
1 x Studer A827 2” Multichannel Recorder
1 x Studer A827 Multichannel Controller
1 x Fostex G16 Multitrack Recorder

PROTOOLS

1 x Digidesign Control 24 Pro Tools Controller
1 x Digidesign Midi I/O
1 x Digidesign Protools Sync
2 x Digidesign 192 Protools Interface + accel cards with expansion cards
2 x Formac DVI Monitors
1 x Samsung 42” Plasma screen TV
1 x Frontier Tranzport Remote Protools controller
1 x Storcase Firewire 800 Dual Drive
1 x Macintosh G5 Hard drive
1 x Digidesign Digi 002 Recording Interface
1 x Granite Digital Dual Firewire Drive (2x250g)>

DIGITAL MASTERING

1 x Tascam CDRW750 CD Rewriteable Recorder
1 x Tascam DA20 MK2 DAT Tape Deck
1 x Technics SLP5900 CD Player
1 x Tascam CDRW750 CD Recorder
1 x DBX Quantum 2 mastering unit/finalizer OUTBOARD
1 x MGE Pulsar Evolution 1100 UPS
1 x Coutant Electronics ASC500
3 x EMO E730 Phantom Power Supplies
1 x Copycat Tape Echo
2 x Nachhallverstarker EMT162 Reverb Amp & remotes
1 x Bentley Piano 2 x Tube Tech PE1B Equaliser
1 x Digitech tube Leslie simulator
1 x Tube Tech LCA2B Compressor
1 x Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor
5 x Drawmer DS201 Dual Gate
1 x BEL Electronics BD80 Digital Delay
3 x Tube Tech CL1A Compressor
1 x Drawmer DL221 Compressor/Limiter
1 x Valley International Quad Gate
1 x Oberheim Matrix 1000 Module
1 x TC Electronic TC2240 Parametric EQ
4 x Universal Audio 1176 Limiting Amplifier
1 x TL Audio VP5051 Processor
4 x DBX 118 Dynamic Range Enhancer
1 x Alesis Quadreverb
1 x Lexicon MPX100 Dual Processor

1 x Boss CE-300 Chorus
1 x Korg SDD3000 Digital Delay 1 x GML Dual Parametric EQ
1 x Boss Space chorus/echo
1 x Smart Research C2 Compressor
1 x Chiswick Reach VK1 Stereo Compressor
1 x Zoom 1201 Digital MultiFX
1 x Boss GX700 Guitar FX Processor
1 x Aphex Aural Exciter Type B
1 x Aphex Aural Exciter Type C
1 x Avalon U5 DI box
1 x Furman HDS16 Headphone distribution system (inc PSU & cables)
5 x Furman HRM16 Headphone Remote Mixer

MICROPHONES

3 x Octava MC012 Microphones
2 x Electrovoice RE20 Microphone
1 x Shure Beta 52A Microphone
2 x Shure Beta 91 Microphones
7 x Shure SM57 Microphones
1 x AKG D12 Microphone
1 x AKG D25 Microphone
2 x AKG 414 Microphones
6 x Sennheiser E606 Microphones
4 x Sennheiser 421 Microphones
2 x Neumann U47 Microphone
3 x Neumann TLM170 Microphones
2 x Neumann U87 Microphones
1 x Neumann U67 Microphone
4 x Schoeps CMC5 Microphones
2 x Coles 4038 Microphones
2 x Shure SM58 Microphones
2 x AKG Solidtube Microphones
3 x Shure Beta 57A Microphones
1 x Shure Beta 87C Microphone
1 x Shure Beta 58A Microphone

VARIOUS

1 x Marshall Microamp
1 x Danelectro Microamp
1 x Yamaha Subkick microphone
1 x Xitel Hi-fi Link
1 x Samson MDR6 6ch Mixer
2 x Gefen Systems TSE150S Monitor Amp Keyboard Extender
1 x Bayer Dynamic MSG248 Dual Phantom Power Unit
1 x Btech BT31 3 way input controller
1 x Beringer DI100 DI Box
2 x Little Labs Cable Extender
2 x BSS AR133 DI Boxes
3 x Custom Stage Boxes
3 x Acoustic Screens
Line 6 Guitar pods
Line 6 Bass pods

VARIOUS VINTAGE GUITARS, AMPLIFIERS, KEYBOARDS AND PEDALS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

Leeders Farm Studios website.