History of Nolit’s Studio
In the late 80’s I was always interested in multitrack recording. At first I tried to experiment if it was possible to do multitrack recording using two cassette recorders. I simple play on one cassette tape what I had previously recorded and play along with it while recording both on another cassette tape recorder. Later on I realized I can do this with a karaoke box. I was also very interested in electronics and started collecting reading materials and assembly kits. I designed my own mixer for recording a live band into cassette. I also built several electronic projects including guitar effects such as fuzz, distortion, phaser, chorus, drum trigger system and drum synth, amplifiers, etc
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In 1992, I was able to buy a Fostex 380s Multitracker from Avesco in cubao. Nolit’s Studio started from a simple home studio built on my own living room. I had a Yema Music drum set borrowed from luns’s drummer on one corner of the room. With my band Luna, we recorded our first album with this machine. Later on I was able to purchase my own studio set up with the following equiptment bought brand new and second hand – A Premier ATK Drum set with Sabian B8 Pro cymbals, Boss SE-50 halfrack Stereo Multi effects, Dostex DE-1 dual Effects Unit, Roland D5 multitimbral keyboard, a 3 tier keyboard stand, a RS3000 amp head with a DIY Speaker Cabinet of two 12 inch Dai-1chi instrument speakers, a Sony cassette deck and plenty of “diskarte”. I converted my single’s pad living room into a studio by converting the windows into glass to prevent outside noises from coming in. I built a new wall to separate the room from the kitchen. I also pasted hundreds of eggtray covering all of the walls and ceiling of the 3.5 x 4 m room. The mics I used were an old Electro Voice Stereo electret condenser mic for overhead on the drums, a fostex dynamic mic which came free with the fostex 380 multitracker for the snare. A very cheap mic for the kick. And a small diapragm condenser mic for the vocals which was surprisingly good. I built a pop filter out of hanger wires and old unwashed brown stockings.
At this point, plenty of bands came to record their own demo. This was the time when local radio station LA105.9 was accepting songs from underground bands to include on their regular playlist. And so the studio became so busy recording songs from hundreds of local alternative bands. But this was not only the case, there were also recordings of bands who wanted to come up with an album including variety bands from cruise ships and school projects.
As the demand grew, Nolit’s Studio decided to team up with a couple other investors to come up with the Purple Music Studio. This was build on a different location in D. Tuazon st., Quezon City. One investor supplied the set of shure mics, Fender guitar amplifiers and keyboard amplifier, Marshal bass amplifier, while another set up the studio construction. This time, the studio was accepting rehersals as well as recording on a scheduled basis. Purple music studio however was short lived and before its 1st year anniversary the investors decided to call it quits.
After the collapse of Purple Music Studio, I decided to concentrated my efforts in my career as a session bass player playing for Gladys and the Boxers with K , and later on K and the Boxers. This was during the height of popularity of the song “Sasakyan Kita”. I stayed with the rhythm section of the band for several years on. I have been playing session bassist also for several other local singers including Eric Santos, Aiai Delas Alas, Rufa Mae Quinto, Ara Mina, and a lot more. During this time, I never ceased to study on the development of recording especially as digital was coming in.
In 2007, I found a demand to record my new band Muffin who was making an album. We did drums from another studio in Quezon city and recorded all the other instruments in our own homes. Our keyboardist and I had recording set ups at home that can be brought elsewhere when we want to do a recording. And when Indiepinoy, a music company of hundreds of independent bands and artists was born, the demand for a recording became more pressing. Naturally I took the opportunity and worked on steps to build the
Nolit’s Studio again. Employing the help of three more investors, Nolit’s Studio was revived from the same house where it all started.
This time Nolit’s Studio runs on a digital system of Protools and Sonar with tons of hardware and software plugins, preamps and effects. The studio now uses two rooms – a control room and a acoustically treated tracking room. In 2012 the studio started going commercial running in full gear towards the start of 2013.
Nolit’s studio continues to upgrade its equipment to ensure quality audio output and to accept additional services.
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