Axis Studio History

Axis recording studio was founded in 1988 as a lowly 4-track studio based in a back bedroom.

Today it has developed into a purpose built, state-of-the art 2000 square foot facility offering Pro-Tools, Radar or 2" analogue recording options. The studio features an acoustically designed air conditioned control room, spacious live room, custom designed vocal booth as well as recreational areas to relax and recharge.

Studio director, Matt Elliss, explains the studio's development alongside his own. "I started off doing cheap demos for local bands. As time went on I 'learned my trade' and slowly began to build up the studio's equipment and reputation until the quality was good enough to begin making serious demos. These demos were good enough to impress record labels and to be used as finished masters for smaller independent labels". "Over the next couple of years the studio moved to more suitable premises and expanded to first 8-track, then 16-track. As the recordings we were making at Axis began to gain wider attention the studio began to attract bands from further afield on the strength of recommendations and the fine reputation the studio was building."

Bands that had recorded at Axis started to get record deals (including Matt's own band 'Honky'), and record companies began to send some of their own artists to the studio to record.

The studio had become fully 24-track by the mid-1990's, but by 1998 it was clear that larger, better premises were required. New premises were found and over the next 7 gruelling months the building was totally gutted and refurbished to a custom high-spec acoustic design.Re-opening in 1999, the large investment paid off as the studio was fully booked long into 2000 which allowed further investment in new equipment. The studio expanded into digital recording, purchasing both the Radar 2 and Pro Tools Mix-cubed systems which Axis now has installed.

Over the last 3 years we have consolidated the studio, improving the Live Room acoustics for great drum and guitar sounds, building up a great collection of new, vintage and unusual mics, and purchasing and installing the highest quality mic preamps and compressors to complement the ever-expanding ProTools system, and concentrating on making great recordings for bands on a budget wanting to get finished singles or demos made in as little as 2 days.

The comfortable and relaxed atmosphere at the new studio along with the latest equipment, plus Matt's extensive experience and expertise as a producer and engineer means that bands or labels can be confident of a successful recording session at Axis.

You can see pictures of the state-of-the-art studio complex in the 'Picture Gallery' section (though lots of the outboard equipment in the racks has been upgraded since these photos were taken). Click on the navigation buttons at the top of the screen.