IN SESSION: Super Control Studios, Hollywood

Super Control recording studios is a full-service recording studio in North Hollywood, built within an acoustically designed space at the renowned Bill’s Place rehearsal studios. It offers a mix of contemporary recording technology and vintage gear, and can accommodate most needs, from production, writing, arranging, editing, tracking and mixing.

Super Control was set up by a trio of musicians – Paul Ludemann, Brian Siegel and Kris Haavig – in order to provide engineering and production services to fellow independent artists. 

Its staff is comprised entirely of working musicians with bands of their own and the studio promises not only an understanding of what it’s like to be on the other side of the control room glass, but also a very friendly, creative and relaxing environment

The facility was intended from the beginning to satisfy the demand from independent artists to be able to work with an engineer and producer who could ensure high-quality recordings at an affordable cost and, more importantly, be creatively invested in their projects. The studio’s rates are designed to within the reach of be musicians on a budget and prices are therefore very reasonable as standard, however, the studio is very flexible and will do what it can to work to a specific monetary figure.

Co-owner Paul Ludemann explains that the idea for Super Control came following a bad experience with an under-qualified engineer at a recording session: “The engineer didn’t know what he was doing. At one point he said: ‘I wish I went to school for this’. I thought, I’m paying you and you mention that? I’ve found that a lot of engineers, more often than I thought, weren’t really artists or musicians or creative minds. I figured there’s a need for artists, especially indie artists, to be able to communicate with the engineer. That was our goal when starting the studio, and why I got involved as an engineer.”

By way of explanation, he continues with an example: “There’re two new groups, Sleep For Now and Bullet Made Statues, that I’m mixing. They like to come in and we talk conceptually. I work to connect with their idea, the art behind the music and establish trust. If I understand their concepts and we’re really communicating, I can do more for them than they can imagine or would even know to ask for.”