Studio Spotlight: Kore Studios, London

Audio Pro International, in association with AllStudios, presents the latest installment of our Studio Spotlight. This time our focus is on Kore Studios in West London…

Kore Studios is a purpose-built, high-end recording studio opened by producer George Apsion in 2004, which received international recognition back in 2010 when it won ‘Best Studio’ at the UK Music Producers Guild Awards.

"Over the past eight years Kore has gained a reputation as one of the most technically accomplished and reliable recording spaces in the UK," Apsion said. "The studios are arranged over two floors, with Studio 1 occupying the ground floor and Studio 2 on the second.

"Studio 1 offers a large, 42 square-metre tracking space, with a generous four-metre ceiling height and two additional iso-booths. The room is extremely versatile and can accommodate anything from a full band to medium-sized string ensembles (16 players). There is natural daylight, a Chappell upright piano and personalised headphone mixers for players to build their own balances. Further ambience can be added to the room, simply by opening the doors and positioning mics in the adjoining brick corridor."

The control room in Studio 1 is home to a 48-channel Audient console, along with Pro Tools HD/Radar multitracks. Apsion continued: "The Audient is extremely reliable, quiet and configurable and doesn’t force its own sonic signature onto the signals. In that regard it serves as an exceptional monitor path and perfect complement to Kore’s biggest client draw – a sizeable inventory of outboard mic preamps. At the last count there were 48, which included 12 vintage Neves (1081 / 1073 / 31102s), eight Tweeds as well as units by API, Chandler, Universal Audio and Shadow Hills. There is also a fantastic range of compressors on offer, meaning that you are well covered for both recording and mixing sessions."

Main monitoring is provided by Exigy with Yamaha NS10 and Pro Ac nearfields running on Bryston/Quad amps. Kore’s microphone collection offers the usual studio standards, highlights of which include a pair of Neumann U67s, as well as some rare and esoteric vintage mics – ribbons by Melodium, Altec, Bang & Olufsen and Toshiba – plus a selection of lo-fi FX mics by the likes of Placid Audio and Cadenza.

The new Studio 2 is located upstairs and next to the large sitting room.

"The centrepiece of this room is a gorgeous vintage 1978 Tweed Audio console," Apsion added. "For those not familiar with this brand, Tweeds were built by ex-Neve engineers and share many Neve characteristics and sonics, including Marinair transformers and a thick, punchy EQ. This room has become extremely popular for mixing, as the combination of the Tweed’s rich summing amps and the Prism converters we offer give any recording passed through it that instant glue and ‘finished’ quality."

Kore’s client base includes acclaimed artists and producers from the UK and Europe. Ronnie Wood, Florence and the Machine, Feeder, The Enemy, Plan B, Scott Walker, Ray Gelato, Z Management and The Saw Doctors are just a few of the high profile names who have made use of its facilities.

For more information and contact details, click here.

Keep up to date with the latest developments from the world of pro audio by registering for our free daily newsletter.