Take a virtual tour of the facility by clicking around the pic above, just like Google Street View

Welcome!

Hilton Head Audioworks is open for music-making! After enhancing our performance areas we have started doing some projects and have upgraded our main studio computer with faster drives, more RAM and an expanded palette of virtual instruments!

A studio in the 21st century needs to be flexible, professional and accommodating. There are so many different ways to work these days and many ways to take advantage of what a pro studio has to offer–some of which you don't even have to show up for! Even if you're on a tight budget, there are lots of things we can do to help make your project sound as good as it can that won't involve a large time or monetary commitment, such as:

• Recording your drums or loud guitars with high-end microphones and mic pre's
• Recording your vocals world-class microphones you'd love to own but don't fit your budget
• Mixing your home-recorded tracks using thousands worth of amazing plug-ins suites
• Recording your rhythm section in our live room (taking advantage of our top of the line headphone system) so you can then take the tracks home to do overdubs and editing
• Perfect your prerecorded tracks using our sophisticated pitch and timing correction software
• Clean up any prerecorded tracks using our noise control software

Facility Highlights

Hilton Head Audioworks was designed to be a no-compromise recording facility that can provide you every possible service at very high quality but still be affordable to both professional musicians and local artists alike. We know you can do a lot of work outside a traditional studio and embrace that but know that we can still provide you with ‘next level’ services because of our extensive selection of high-end microphones, outboard gear, fantastic software, and musical knowledge.

We literally have dozens of top shelf microphones, such as Neumann, AKG, Beyerdynamic, Royer, Earthworks, Sennheiser, Beesneez and Shure, to name a few. From large diaphragm condensers to multi-purpose mics to boutique ribbon mics, we've pretty much have all the bases covered.

One great asset we have that players love is our multi-channel headphone system where each musician can design and control their own custom headphone mix, which can be provided for up to 8 different players simultaneously. No more having to suffer through a session with a headphone mix that's designed for somebody else!

Software

We are compatible with a wide variety of DAWs, such as Apple Logic, Digital Performer and, of course, ProTools. We have a variety of methods and techniques to allow files to be easily transported across all the different Audio Workstation software and computer platforms.

In addition, we also have some very advanced software tools such as Melodyne (pitch correction), VocAlign (adjusts timing of tracks to be more together; great for background vocals or doubled lead vocals), AutoTune, Drumagog (real-time drum sample replacement), iZotope RX-4 Advanced (unbelievable feats of noise reduction) as well as a small army of WAVES plugins.

We also have a very complete set of virtual instrument sounds through the Komplete 10 Ultimate set of instruments that run under the Native Instruments "Kontakt 5" sample player and other assorted instruments including MOTU's Mach5 which has some grand pianos that are startlingly real sounding!

Lastly, we also do Mastering here using the Ozone Advanced mastering environment which allows the inclusion of 3rd party plugins, in addition to it's fine integrated approach.

Hardware

We designed our hardware layout to provide a ‘no limits’ setup with the capability to record more than 16 channels at once without compromising on quality by using high-end ‘boutique‘ microphone preamps in two API ‘lunchbox’ units loaded with modules from Neve, Brent Averill, AEA, Grace and Vintech for starters. Additionally, if you've got a favorite high-dollar mic preamp you like to use that we don't happen to have (yet,) bring it! We've got dedicated output lines just waiting to get your signal into the computer.

We also have a vintage 70's Ludwig kit available (although we insist that you to bring your favorite personal items like a snare and cymbals,) as well as a really solid keyboard controller with MIDI for getting piano or synth parts in.

The Rooms

Hilton Head Audioworks consists of three main rooms: a spacious, acoustically treated control room, an upstairs live room with enough space for 5 or 6 players for drums, electric guitars, bass, keyboards, horns etc. and a super-quiet isolation room. In addition, we can use the control room and other rooms as iso booths so even larger groups can play live if needed. All rooms are connected through the aid of video links and large monitors for visual contact.

Well Connected

We love all the creative and collaborative possibilities that the internet provides so we made sure to build-in great connectivity via our real-time ISDN line and speedy internet file transfers so that if you need to contribute a performance to someone else's project you can come here, get recorded while being directed over video conference and have your track uploaded to the producer minutes after you finish performing it! God it's a great time to be alive and creative!!!

Our Engineers

We know you're probably not all that interested in the exact nature of our mic preamps or minute details of our software plugins. What you want to know is, what do we bring to the party exactly?

What we bring is a ton of experience and expertise to our client's projects.

We are expert audio engineers with a truly staggering amount of hardware and software tools at our disposal to accomplish virtually any musical task.

We are lifelong musicians who are actively performing in the Hilton Head area so we understand what it is you're trying to accomplish from a musical perspective, not a technical one. We have an extremely wide array of musical experience across decades of performing in styles such as hard rock, alternative, pop, blues, jazz, funk, hip hop, folk, punk, rockabilly, metal, hardcore, powerpop, psychedeilc, emo, salsa/latin, broadway and classical. Most importantly, we understand how to work fluidly in each of these genres with the appropriate stylistic knowledge to get you great results, right away.

Most importantly, we understand the fundamental difference between “making a record" and just punching the red button. Quite often, the key to success in making a commercial project is what you leave out, in addition to being able to identify and properly feature all the really important elements of the music. Moreover, the key to a truly successful project is having the end result come as close as possible to what was in the artist(s) head when the project began.

At Hilton Head Audioworks, we realize that you are the artist and we strive to work with you, rather than dictate like so many other producers and engineers often do. Our aim to clearly understand your vision for the project and then act as facilitators in making it the best that it can be. We have been through this process literally thousands of times and have a great understanding about what ‘works’ and what doesn't to help save you both hours and frustration. And since we handle the technical end of things, you can concentrate on the thing that matters the most… The music.

As a lifelong musician/engineer/producer I'm thrilled to be involved with Hilton Head Audioworks at my new home here in the Low Country of beautiful South Carolina. I've been making and producing recordings of every possible variety… (more)