Customer Spotlight: NOLA Music Studios

The Bay Area’s NOLA Music Studios is an inviting labyrinth of incredible-sounding recording rooms, stuffed with top-flight gear, all tied together by dual control rooms. Customization is at the heart of NOLA’s modus operandi — no matter what kind of project you’re working on or what kind of workflow you require, this multifaceted production facility can accommodate you. Rodd Webb, one of the proprietors of NOLA Music Studios, took time out of his busy schedule to share with Sweetwater his thoughts about his career and his impressive production space.
What’s your musical background? Do you play any instruments yourself?

Rodd Webb (right) with Grammy Award-winning engineer, Fab Dupont

As a kid growing up in New Orleans, I started playing the trumpet in the second grade. I continued playing instruments through college, adding the baritone, bass guitar, and the double bass along the way. It was my good fortune to be a bass player in a band with very talented musicians. This is where I found lyric writing as a way for my creative expression to thrive. Life kicked in, and I was away from music for many years, but I was never without a pen.
In 2011, I saw Esperanza Spalding in concert. It brought me back to a time when playing music was central to my life. Within a couple of weeks, I purchased a bass guitar. Soon after, I found Sweetwater and I made my first purchase.

What inspired you to get into music?
I grew up in a home where music was always being played, ranging from R&B to pop and from jazz to rock. This wide cross section of musical influences helped me to form a true appreciation for music.
In 2012, I was afforded an opportunity to participate in Gino Vannelli’s the Art of Composition Master Class. Since then, I was committed to building a professional recording studio and developing as an audio engineer. I have been a pureMix Pro member for the last two years, and these tools are making me a better audio engineer.

How long have you been into recording and audio engineering?
I was introduced to multitrack recording by bouncing tracks on a TEAC reel-to-reel. It was a low-tech but effective way to support writing songs. Fast-forward to NOLA Music Studios; we take a more comprehensive approach to developing music-based projects.
What gear did you step up to after your TEAC?
My first quality audio interface was a Universal Audio UAD-2 connected to a PC by FireWire. Shortly after, I added a pair of Focal Solo6 monitors. Quality gear helped me to hear what’s possible, and I became even more committed to creating this vision.
What’s the story behind NOLA Music Studios?
My vision was to create a DAW-based studio with very high-end analog and digital recording equipment, blended with a curated collection of modern and vintage pianos, guitars, and basses. This studio is founded on honoring traditional recording practices with a mix of new methods, designed to drive innovation.
I’ve been blessed to have great mentors. NOLA Music Studios is operational because of the selfless contributions of Mark Escott, owner of Phoenix Sound Design; Darrell Lavigne; Rodger Willis; and Ken Rich.
Your setup is pretty versatile — it looks like you could handle just about anything.
NOLA Music Studios is inspired by the “Studio B” concept of a larger post-production and music recording facility. It’s best suited for the music producer or singer/songwriter requiring a comfortable, well-equipped recording studio to develop their projects.
We’ve designed the “Producer’s Den” concept. The “Producer’s Den” is a modular design concept, placing a wide array of industry-standard musical instruments and recording gear within arm’s reach. This ergonomic design ensures the artist/producer can work their projects, their way. We’ve sourced and combined the right ingredients of hardware, software, and analog and digital gear to meet the needs of today’s professional music producers and artists.

What kinds of projects have you worked on?
Although this studio has been in development for the last eight years, NOLA Music Studios formally opened in January of 2019. We have a group of artists and producers on a regular rotation working on projects. The feedback we are getting is very solid.
Our goal is for NOLA Music Studios to be a destination, offering a creative experience for the singer/songwriter, musician, or music producer. I consult with our guest in advance to understand their workflow, their preferred hours of access, and their overall goals for the visit. We review our equipment and instrument list, and we customize the optimum blend of instruments, analog outboard gear, and software for their session. So even before the session begins, they are able to get their ingredients prepped for their session. This is the beginning of NOLA Music Studios enhancing the creative process.
What work are you the proudest of?
This studio is developing the tech/gearhead part of me. I’ve spent many hours reconfiguring the space to increase the range of options for production flows. Working through each design model, we expand the configuration options so we can create a personalized experience for our visiting artists and producers. The goal is to have the artist/producer describe their preferred workspace components, and we configure the space to match. Our technical consult, Rodger Willis, is the owner of New Beginning Mastering. He is the engineer for NOLA Music Studios mastering clients. I met him over 10 years ago, while attending the Pro Tools classes he was teaching.
We’ve hosted keyboard-centric music producers, and for them, we have a Studiologic SL88 Grand keyboard controller to drive our extensive virtual instrument collection. Additionally, we are wired to trigger our Korg Kronos II, Yamaha Montage 6 and Motif XF8, and our Minimoog Model D. This keyboard design was developed in consultation with my writing partner, Darrell Lavigne.
Your studio is loaded with great gear — Pro Tools Ultimate with 48 channels of Apogee AD/DA, along with Neumann mics, a rack full of Neve and Focusrite mic pres, and more. What are your favorite pieces of gear?
It’s the gear housed in the Mastering Module. A Maselec MTC-1X Mastering Transfer Console is at the helm. Our collection of outboard gear rivals the best mastering studios in the industry and complements the tracking and mixing modules at the studio.
What mics do you reach for first?
My go-to mic is the Neumann TLM 67, and it’s used on most of my projects. I also have a matched pair of Neumann M 147s that get a fair amount of use.

Do you use a hardware, in-the-box, or hybrid mixing workflow?
NOLA Music Studios utilizes a hybrid mixing workflow with three separate modules for tracking, mixing, and mastering. These are separate modules hard-wired to work independently or in different combinations.
The tracking module starts with analog mic/line preamps. The analog signal is captured by an Apogee Symphony I/O MKII with 48 channels of analog I/O and processed through an 8-core iMac Pro.
The mixing module begins with an Avid S3. It works seamlessly with Pro Tools and Logic X, to give the tactile feel of a console with the added features found in a premium control surface.
This mastering module is configured with the Maselec MTC-1X, inserting equalizers and compressors from Rupert Neve Designs, Dangerous, SSL, and other mastering outboard gear. All three modules are sent to a Crane Song Avocet IIA monitor controller sending signal to a pair of Focal SM9s with a Sub6.
What are your go-to plug-ins?
From a design perspective, we focused on configuring a diverse array of analog outboard processors to serve as a base for music production. Additionally, we have the artist/producer in mind and provide the tools they would be using in their workflows. We have an extensive plug-in and virtual instrument collection including Universal Audio UAD-2 OCTO Ultimate 6; Waves Horizon; Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2, Trilian, Keyscape, and Stylus RMX; Native Instruments Komplete 12 Ultimate; Synthogy Ivory II Grand Pianos; and drum loops from Loop Loft.
I’m really digging your instrument collection — you’ve got an authentic 1974 Fender Rhodes Mark I!
Yes, Ken Rich, owner of Ken Rich Sound Services, helped me to pick the right Fender Rhodes for NOLA Music Studios. He is a legend in the electronic keyboard world, and his keyboards were sampled for the Spectrasonics’ Keyscape collection. He has also worked on keyboards for George Duke, Donald Fagen, and many other artists.
Not to mention a stockpile of drool-worthy guitars, basses, and drums. Are you the sort of guy who scours pawn shops and auctions looking for cool instruments?
I found a used 1986 Gibson ES-165 Herb Ellis signature hollowbody guitar. It is in collector’s-quality condition, and it sounds awesome. I purchased a really cool acoustic guitar from a pawn shop. I heard someone playing it from across the room, and it captured my attention. It is a T. Haruo T-60 acoustic guitar manufactured in 1984. T. Haruo was an OEM for Martin Guitars, based in Japan. This guitar is modeled after a Martin D-35. The craftsmanship, the tone, and the mother-of-pearl inlays are nothing short of exquisite.
Your studio has a really intricate layout — every detail seems geared toward getting a great sound. My understanding is that it was designed by the same guy who designed Skywalker Ranch?
Yes, how cool is that! This premier audio facility was built in 1994 by Dennis Stearns, the famed designer of the Bay Area’s finest studios. The list includes Russian Hill, Skywalker Ranch, Fantasy, and the Studio — 25th Street Recording, among many others. Our facility features two control rooms that share an iso room.

What’s your favorite part about being a Sweetwater customer?
My favorite part of being a Sweetwater customer is the partnership with Aaron Smith, my Sweetwater Sales Consultant. He has helped me to equip my dream studio, just short of the Rupert Neve Designs 5088 Shelford analog mixing console with automation that I hope to add one day. Over the years, Aaron has gained an understanding of my vision and his experience has helped me to create it. He has also helped me to avoid making poor equipment choices.
Learn more about NOLA Music Studios: Nola.studio/

Build the Studio of Your Dreams
NOLA Music Studios really helps you find your muse — just looking at pictures of the place makes you want to create something. Are you thinking about building a studio? Or maybe you want to upgrade your current one? Rodd and other customers like him have relied on Sweetwater’s industry-renowned service and advice to bring their dreams to fruition. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just getting started, Sweetwater will give you the same professional treatment. Give us a call at (800) 222-4700, and we’ll get the ball rolling!
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