Chicago agency community gets new 2000 sq. ft. production studio
07/01/2004
Vagabond Audio, commercial sound design and audio post specialists, have introduced a new 2000 sq. ft. production studio to the Chicago agency community. In addition to a substantial arsenal of digital and vintage gear, the homey complex is flooded with natural light and boasts a charming view of the Chicago River. Co-owned by engineer/sound designer Drew Weir and producer RisÈ Sanders, Vagabond boasts one other important attraction, an optimum acoustic environment created by TEC Award- winning studio architect John Storyk of New York’s Walters-Storyk Design Group.
Specializing in sound design, recording and mixing for TV commercials, Vagabond Audio’s primary technology is the Digidesign HD2 Accel Pro Tools system. The technology enables Weir to interface seamlessly with Avid workstations and other offline environments. Studio software operates on a 2gig, Dual Processor Mac G5 with digital picture lock up via Avid Express. Mixing is accomplished with Digidesign Pro Control with audio playback on Dynaudio Air 6 speakers and a 42-inch plasma display.
“Our SNS Fiber Drive system stores thousands of instantly accessible sound effects and samples,” Weir says, “totally eliminating the need to shuffle through CDs. Final mixes are available in DAT, DVD and CD formats, as well as via the Internet on our FTP site.
“The sound of the studio was the critical issue for us. We worked closely with John and his WSDG team to keep the studio as ‘transparent’ as possible so that clients hear the mix, not the room. We’re particularly happy with our 10’ x 12’ live room, which is ideal for voiceover, Foley and ADR work,” he adds.
“I’ve known Drew since the beginning of his career,” Storyk remarked, “…he was a WSDG intern after he graduated from Full Sail. He’s extremely talented and technically savvy, and we had a great time collaborating on his dream studio.”
“Drew is an imaginative sound designer who has contributed to national campaigns for McDonald’s, Anheuser-Bush, Coors, Champion, DiGiorno, Disney, Tombstone, Toyota and many other high visibility clients,” RisÈ Sanders says. Weir began his career at Chiat/Day in NY and later moved to Nu World Editorial and Red Car Chicago.
Sanders is a veteran producer whose credits include documentary work for A&E, The History Channel, The Learning Channel and MSNBC. “Our new studio was designed to meet all his creative needs and to make our clients as comfortable as possible. We’re thrilled with the way Vagabond looks, feels and sounds,” she concludes, “it’s already helping Drew create and mix some of the best work of his career.”