Tannery Recording Studio, located at 1950 South Hilbert, first opened in the late 90’s. Over the years, Tannery has become an underground resource in the Milwaukee area for audiophiles with top-quality recording needs. More recently, after an extended series of remodeling jobs, the studio has re-opened with new vigor. Tannery Studio’s sound engineer, Daniel Friedman recently talked to the Post, and answered some questions about the new studio.

The Post: What kinds of changes and new features can visitors expect, now that renovations are complete?

Daniel Friedman: It may not affect business, but it will certainly affect how we make records. Before we remodeled, one concern was not having a window in our control room, which became a communication problem between us and the musicians. A lot of times, the control room often turns into another place for musicians to play, since they can monitor themselves from the studio monitors rather than a set of headphones or something. To do it was really complex, but it had been a big deal because of how soundproofing worked in the studio. We also removed a lot of lead from the building, replacing it with better soundproofing and insulation.

Post: You mentioned that the building has its beginnings in the 1850s. Are there are any ghost stories associated with the studio?

DF: Yeah, kinda. It was originally a leather tannery, hence the name. It’s neat because you can see acid stains in the floors and stuff (from cleaning hides); very historic feel to the place. When I first started at Tannery I found old timecards from the early 1900s. Even though the neighborhood has gotten a lot hipper recently, this was not the case in years past. There used to be a lot of really neat, inexpensive warehouse spaces for rent. Most of the buildings near Tannery are made from old Cream City brick, with wood floors and wood ceilings, which makes for great acoustics.

Post: You gave a brief history of the studio, but where does it start?

DF: After spending some time at Berklee [College of music] in Boston, I realized that getting a degree in audio engineering was not viable, and that I was never going to be able to pay back the tuition by making records. On top of that, there’s no real job placement – you have to make connections, and know people. Before joining Tannery in 2003, I had number of years’ experience recording in my basement, which paid off. The studio space was purchased from a friend, but originally most of the work done at Tannery was film-oriented, with adjuncts from UWM.

Post: What does the studio prides itself on the most?

DF: I’d say it’s a philosophy that extends to material connections. I wanted the ability to do live recordings with analog technology, veering away from multi-track recording. Analog technology provides ease to recording, and it certainly has characteristics that sound better to many people. There is a definite mentality associated with analog recording, too. Analog technology captures spontaneity and vibrance, whereas multi-track recording muffles the profundity in a way…there’s something missing. You don’t need fancy equipment to make a record that has energy, but you can’t create energy that isn’t there by using expensive equipment. I always recommend staying away from technology – things sound dated when you use effects or manipulate the sound. It’s all about process.

Post: Do you feel that Tannery attracts a certain niche or demographic?

DF: The majority of what we’ve done lately is instrumental, particularly instrumental rock. It could be that I know a lot of people in the circuit, but experimental music flocks to us in general. A lot of studios now are set up specifically for digital recording – everything’s being mixed into a box on the computer. Our place is a rarity in that we still have the huge mixing desk, tape machines, etc. Lots of people come to Tannery just to mix their record, but anybody who can afford the software and the microphones can make a record. Business has definitely slowed down because of that concept.

Post: What do you feel that Tannery has that no one else does?

DF: For the equipment and space we have, you’re not going to find a cheaper recording studio in the country, unless you’re not paying for it. And that’s how I wanted to Tannery to be – I wanted to people to know that and trust it. What people recorded on in 1992 for $70,000 I offer for $250 a day. Remember that this was only available to professional audio consumers previously. It’s also some of the nicest analog equipment that you’ll come across, as well as a space that’s bigger than anywhere you’ll record.