Grosvenor Road Studios. The Abbey Road of Birmingham. A proud musical gem, situated in the heart of the city. The studio has been around for over 60 years and is one of the oldest studios in the UK. It has a unique and epic history that has seen the likes of Cliff Richard, Thunderbirds, Moody Blues, UB40, along with many other greats, walk through the door and record iconic tracks. Libbie Price spent the day getting to know the place.
The studio is set within a beautiful 1870s Victorian house and with its size is deceiving to an outsider… the elegant house gets bigger and bigger once you walk through the front door. GRS has so many incredible facilities available to use, such as three amazing recording studios, that are steeped in history. The Project Suit is a fabulous room for editing tracks, as well as a great place for new producers to upgrade their skills and who are looking to progress from their bedrooms. Studio 2 is the perfect size space, for smaller groups and solo artists to record in – with the studio being fitted with excellent equipment and holds a fantastic sound quality. Studio 1 is the biggest studio, and is fitted with a legendary SSL desk. This studio is said to have the “biggest live room outside of London”. A lot of the equipment that they own is vintage, which helps create a classic sound and makes the studio even more unique. This being said they also want to blend the old with new and exclusively revealed that they are going to be installing a Neve desk in the studios, which will offer lots more opportunities. All the facilities create so many fantastic chances for artists to professionally record their music, no matter the size of the group or genre and they are always going to be guaranteed to receive a polished sound.
Despite it being modernised over the years, the studio has kept a lot of the original features and equipment, which helps create a uniqueness and warmth to the building and to the sound of the music. This warmth is further spread throughout the studio, with its super friendly staff, who are always on hand to help you, making sure you feel comfortable and feel a part of the family. Making legendary music isn’t the only thing GRS is known for… their love for the community around them plays a massive part of its beating heart. Due to where it is situated, nestled into a street, Grosvenor Road Studios also opens its arms to all people nearby, with weekly Walk-ins, coffee mornings and support, known as “Warm Welcome”, to help bring everyone together. They also hold lots of events with various different groups and is home to Females About Music which is a project created by ACM student Javina Greene to help women feel confident in a professional studio environment. GRS are proud believers in having more females in production and because of this, they offer the use of their studio space and the expert knowledge of the studio managers, to help inspire more women into working in production studios.
I was lucky enough to have a look around in all the rooms and meet with the amazing people who run it. I really got a sense of a family environment and felt very welcome. Whilst at my visit I got to speak with managers Shereece (Site Manager) and Tony (Studio Manager). They told me about the amazing history and the opportunities that they offer, as well as what their upcoming plans are. Tony also spoke to me about the amazing connection Grosvenor Road Studios has with ACM. This fabulous connection is down to Tony also being a well loved production tutor at the ACM Birmingham campus. Due to this alliance, ACM students are allowed to enjoy the fantastic facilities GRS has to offer, which is an amazing opportunity for the aspiring new artists to experience and record at a professional studio. On behalf of all ACM students present and future, I thank you for this opportunity.
Thank you to Grosvenor Road Studios for allowing me to get a first hand experience of the brilliance of your studio, giving me the chance to meet your lovely team, as well as educating me in your amazing history. Grosvenor Road Studios, you are a true Birmingham treasure.
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