The latest entry onto the New York City top-tier studio scene has arrived in the form of Germano Studios (www.germano studios.com). Located in the downtown environs of Manhattan&apos;s NoHo district, the facility takes the expertise of Troy Germano&apos;s years of running all of the multi-multi-studio Hit Factorys in New York City, Miami and London, and focuses it onto a much more intimate two-room space.
A visit to the studio revealed a very 2008 approach to the design of a world-class recording and mix facility. Both of the rooms — designed by Germano and David Bell, Studio 1 and Studio 2 — are centered around SSL Duality 48-input analog consoles, plus SSL 32-input X-Rack monitor mixers for a total of 80 inputs. A healthy mix of highly varied outboard dynamics processors and plug-in effects combine for a versatile and dependable sound-shaping signal path. The facility represents an intriguing addition to the already competitive high-end New York City studio scene.