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For those that wonder "Are we the same Prairies Sun?" Yes, we are!
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Prairie Sun History
The roar of a chainsaw marked the genesis of the legendary Prairie Sun Recording Studios, founded in 1976 when Mark "Mooka" Rennick bore a tremendous hole through the living room wall of his rental house. "We needed a control-room window," recalls Mooka, who at the time was studying East Indian music at Sonoma State.
In 1976, Mark Mooka Rennick started recording local Sonoma State University artists and then began working with artists from all over the world. And for the last 46 years Mooka has continued working with local Northern California talent as well.
Prairie Sun was named for the Prairie Grass Restoration Project in Rennick's native Illinois. The facility has accomplished the difficult task of appealing to local bands with small budgets and little experience while garnering established national acts via industry word-of-mouth.
Now in its fourth decade of operation, the studio has become a World-Class Music Recording facility with a technical bent toward vintage analog-recording equipment, as well as state-of-the-art digital technology. It happily boasts of working with industry giants such as Van Morrison, Greg Allman, Kate Wolf, Mickey Hart, Primus, Faith No More, the Melvins, Ramblin’ Jack Eliot, and surf music creator Dick Dale.
All of these talents have recorded at Prairie Sun or used its post-production facilities. Producer and engineer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, Led Zeppelin) has done work at PSR. Of special note is Sonoma County artist Tom Waits, whose Bone Machine album, winner of the 1992 Grammy for Best Alternative release, was co-produced by Waits and his wife, Kathleen Brennan, entirely at Prairie Sun.
The list of talent is so large and diverse, that we can't list all of them here, so head on over to the Clients page by clicking here or click the Client menu selection under the About menu.
In 1976, Mark Mooka Rennick started recording local Sonoma State University artists and then began working with artists from all over the world. And for the last 46 years Mooka has continued working with local Northern California talent as well.
Prairie Sun was named for the Prairie Grass Restoration Project in Rennick's native Illinois. The facility has accomplished the difficult task of appealing to local bands with small budgets and little experience while garnering established national acts via industry word-of-mouth.
Now in its fourth decade of operation, the studio has become a World-Class Music Recording facility with a technical bent toward vintage analog-recording equipment, as well as state-of-the-art digital technology. It happily boasts of working with industry giants such as Van Morrison, Greg Allman, Kate Wolf, Mickey Hart, Primus, Faith No More, the Melvins, Ramblin’ Jack Eliot, and surf music creator Dick Dale.
All of these talents have recorded at Prairie Sun or used its post-production facilities. Producer and engineer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, Led Zeppelin) has done work at PSR. Of special note is Sonoma County artist Tom Waits, whose Bone Machine album, winner of the 1992 Grammy for Best Alternative release, was co-produced by Waits and his wife, Kathleen Brennan, entirely at Prairie Sun.
The list of talent is so large and diverse, that we can't list all of them here, so head on over to the Clients page by clicking here or click the Client menu selection under the About menu.
STUDIOS OVERVIEW
STUDIO A |
STUDIO B |
STUDIO C |
Our flagship mixing studio, Studio A featured an API 1604 console, a wall of prized vintage analog outboard equipment, and the best in cutting edge digital hardware and software. It was one of the Bay Area's premier production/mixing/mastering suite.
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Studio B was a flexible tracking and mixing studio featuring a stunning 80 series Neve console, Studer 2" 24 track, Pro Tools HDX, and a Yamaha C7 grand piano.
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Studio C was a spacious, relaxed tracking environment featuring another gorgeous 80 series Neve console, Studer 2" 24 track, Pro Tools HD, a Baldwin 9' concert grand piano, and 3 highly unique acoustic environments including the famed "Waits Room."
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Studio AStudio A is our flagship mixing studio. Commissioned in 2001, Studio A (Version 3) was designed and tuned by Manny LaCarrubba of Grimani Systems utilizing “spectral acoustics,” and features a early vintage 16 channel API 1604 mixing console, with a digital/analog hybrid workflow. The room is outfitted to be seamlessly implemented into any mix whether it be an analog mixdown or a modern in the box workflow. Not only is Studio A a mixing room but also a Production/Master Suite.
The room features a fully equipped Pro Tools HDX system with conversion via Burl Audio’s B80 Mothership and two "blackface" Avid HD I/O’s. Accurate monitoring is provided via a pair of Barefoot MasterStack12, and Amphion Two15's. Two original EMT plates are available at a moments notice, along with a bevy of other vintage and modern effects and an amazing collection of outboard processing.
Studio A also features a mid-size isolation booth with direct line of sight to the control room. With a comfortable and spacious floor plan, Studio A is perfect for extended mixing or overdub sessions. |
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Console |
Pro Tools |
Dynamics |
Reverb/FX |
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•Vintage API 1604 20 Input Mixing Console
Monitors• Barefoot MasterStack12
• Amphion Two15 Analog• Studer A-80 2” 16 Track
• Ampex ATR-102 w/ 1/2” Flux Dynamic Headstack OR 1/4” Ampex Headstack |
• Avid Pro Tools 12 HDX
• Mac Mini i7 64GB RAM • Burl Mothership 4in/24out • 2x Avid HD I/O 16x16 Mic Preamps• Eight channel rack of Neve 1064 and 1081
• 2x Calrec PQ 155 |
• 2x UREI 1176 blackface
• 2x UREI LA-3A • Teletronix LA-2A • Two ch. Neve 2254 rack • Altec HE 436 • Altec 438A • 2x Valley People Dynamite • 2x DBX 160x • Avalon 747sp • Publison Fullmost |
• Bricasti M7
• Lexicon 300 • Demeter spring reverb • Eventide DSP-4000 • 2x Lexicon PCM-41’s • TC Electronic 2290 • 2x Yamaha SPX-90 • MXR Flanger/Doubler 126 Equalization• Pultec EQP-1
• Summit Audio EQP-200B |
Studio B
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The centerpiece of Studio B is our custom Neve 8036 mixing console equipped with Flying Faders II. Originally built for Pete Townshend’s Eel Pie Recording Studios in London, UK, the console was used to record parts of The Who’s Quadrophenia.
Lovingly restored by Aurora Audio’s Geoff Tanner and Prairie Sun engineer Gene Cornelius, our 8036 represents one of the best examples of an 80 Series Neve Console in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our Neve is complemented by a Studer A-827 tape machine, a 26 in/26 out Pro Tools system, Barefoot MicroMain27 (Gen 1) monitors, and custom Urei 811 main monitors. Studio B features a beautiful 1983 E-Series Yamaha C7 grand piano, a world standard in both concert and studio. |
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Console• Custom Neve 8036 w/ Flying Faders II
Monitors• UREI 811 with sub
• Barefoot MM27 • Yamaha NS-10 |
Cue System• Avid Pro Tools 12 HDX
• Mac Pro quad core • 2x Avid HD I/O 16x16 • Lavry Blue 2in/2out • Sync HD Analog• Studer A-827 2” 24 track
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Pro Tools• 2x UREI 1176 blackface
• Publison CL-20 two channel compressor • Drawmer DS-201 two channel gate |
DynamicsFurman HDS-16 with HRM-16 mixers
• send from any source on patch bay • 4 stereo and 8 mono channels |
Studio C
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The creative heart of Prairie Sun, Studio C hits you the moment you walk through the door. With three distinct acoustic environments, Studio C is spacious and can easily accommodate large ensembles.
Studio C also features the world famous “Waits Room,” where Tom Waits tracked such albums as Bone Machine and Mule Variations. It is virtually untouched since the days of the La Lomita Hatchery. “The Waits Room” has a distinct sound that has even been featured on Bricasti’s M7 reverb, along with Studio C’s “Prairie Room” and our two original EMT plate reverbs. Studio B features a beautiful 1983 E-Series Yamaha C7 grand piano, a world standard in both concert and studio. Also available to Studio B is our Hammond B3 organ and Rhodes Suitcase 73 electric piano. For more information, or to book Studio B, please call or email us. Studio C houses our second 80 Series Neve console, a custom 8026 Mark 2, along with a completely restored, early 70's API 1604 console, a Studer A-820 24 track tape machine and a Pro Tools HD 2 System featuring Radar converters. A completely restored 9' Baldwin SD6 grand piano with an unique, larger than life sound is permanently housed in Studio C. |
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Consoles• Custom Neve 8026 Mark 2
• API 1604 Analog• Studer A-820 2” 24 track
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Monitors• Genelec 1022A’s
• Paradigm Reference Studio 20’s • d&b Q1’s w/ Qsub’s • Yamaha NS-10 |
Pro Tools• Avid Pro Tools 10 HD on Mac Pro quad core
• 24in/24out on Digidesign 192 I/O • iZ Radar 24 as A/D converters • Sync I/O |
Cue SystemFurman HDS-16 with HRM-16 mixers
• send from any source on patch bay • 4 stereo and 8 mono channels |
Prairie Sun Microphone Locker
Dynamics• 2x AKG D112
• 3x Electro Voice RE-20 • Shure SM-7A • 3x Sennheiser MD-421 • Sennheiser MD-441 • Heil PR-40 • 4x Shure SM57 • 2x Shure SM58 |
Small Condenser• 6x Neumann KM 184
• Neumann KM 54 • 2x Neumann KM 254 • 2x Neumann M-582 (tube) Ribbon• 2x Royer R121
• Crowley & Tripp Naked Eye • 2x Crowley & Tripp Naked Eye Roswellite • 2x Cascade Fathead II • 2x Cascade C77 |
Tube Large Condenser• Neumann U-47
• Neumann M49 • 2x Neumann U-67 • 4x AKG C12A • 2x Wunder CM-7 • 2x Korby KAT systems Large Condenser• 2x Neumann U-87
• Neumann U-47fet • AKG C414EB • AKG C414B-ULS • 2x custom Korby "Stubby" |
Direct Boxes• Radial JDV
• 3x Radial J48 • Radial Pro48 • 2x Countryman Type 85 Problem Solvers• 2x Radial SGI
• Radial JD7 amp distribution • 2x Radial X-Amp (reamp) • 2x Reamp (original) • 2x Radial Phazer |
Studios A, B, & C Outboard Equipment
Mic Preamps/EQs• 8- channel rack of Neve 1064 and 1081
• Pultec EQP-1 • Summit Audio EQP-200B • 2x Calrec PQ 155 Dynamics |
Dynamics• 2x UREI 1176 blackface
• Publison CL-20 two channel compressor • Drawmer DS-201 two channel gate |
Reverb/FX• Bricasti M7
• Lexicon 300 • Demeter spring reverb • Eventide DSP-4000 • 2x Lexicon PCM-41’s • TC Electronic 2290 • 2x Yamaha SPX-90 • MXR Flanger/Doubler 126 |
Additional Outboard Equipment
Dynamics• 2x Empirical Labs Distressor
• 2x Empirical Labs DerrEsser • 2x API 525 • Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor • Shadow Hills Vandergraph • Two channel Neve 2254 rack • Chandler TG1 • API 2500 • Requisite PAL • Neve 33609 • 2x Warm Audio WA-76 • 2x UREI LA-4 • Manley Variable Mu • DBX 160X |
Mic Preamps/EQs• 2x two ch. Telefunken V72
• Two ch. Neve 1066 rack • Two ch. Neve 33122 rack • Chandler TG Channel • 4x API 550b • 2x API 560 • 2x Mercury EQ-P1 • 2x Warm Audio EQP-WA • 2x Empirical Labs Lil FrEQ |
Reverb/FX• 2x EMT 140 plate reverb
• Bricasti M7 • Fulltone Tube Tape Echo |
Prairie Sun Instrument Rentals
Guitar Amplifiers• Roland JC-120
• Marshall 50w MKII Lead • Marshall JCM 900 • Marshall JCM 900 w/ Reverb • Marshall 1960a 100w cab • Marshall 1960b 300w cab • Two Rock 10th Anniversary • Two Rock Custom SN#1 • Two Rock Custom Reverb Signature • Matchless Chieftain • Matchless C30 Reverb • Matchless EDS 2x12" cab • 2x Two Rock Custom 2x12" cabs • Leslie 145 with original Leslie Combo Preamp • Various 1960s Vintage "Department Store Amps" |
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