James Bio Pic

James McLaughlin

Recording Engineer. Drummer.

I've been lucky enough to live in Charlottesville, VA since late 2001. It's been a great place to develop my drumming and production skills. I'm grateful for the diversity and the unique generosity of spirit that resides within the music community here. This studio has been built to realize a lifelong dream: a place where music can be created without limitations.

In 2019, we found a property with an old forest, untouched in over a century, located just minutes from downtown C'Ville. This beautiful piece of land was so inspiring, I knew it was the place I would build my "forever" studio. I hired renowned acoustic architect JH Brandt, who designed the tracking and mixing rooms to his exacting, world class specifications. It took about 18 months, hundreds of hours before and during a pandemic, and the rooms sound phenomenal. My goal has been realized: I've created a relaxing and inspiring space not only for myself, but for artists, producers, and other creatives, allowing all of us to focus on what really matters: the music. (and the occasional round of disc golf.)

Tracking Room

Experience
Mountainside.

Lounge 1.jpg

Mix Room

GEAR

Focusrite Red 8Line: Thunderbolt 3, Dante, Pro Tools HD, Logic Pro
58 Input, 64 Output - 32x32 DANTE

Analog
Universal Audio 4-710d (w/1176 comps)
Revive Audio M12 mk2 (API 312 Preamp x4)
Revive Audio Mod: Warm Audio WA-412
Focusrite Red Evolution Preamps (x2)
Revive Audio Mod: ART PRO-VLA2 Compressor (x4)
Midas Pro Preamps (x48) (Midas M32R, DL16, MR18)

Monitoring
Adam Audio a77x monitors
Yamaha NS-10M (original) (Hafler P3000 Amp)
KRK VXT4 with 10S Sub
Midas M32R, MR18, X32 Producer, X-Air 12

Headphones
Behringer P16 Monitoring System
Grado PS-500
Audio Technica ATH-M40x (6)
AKG K553 MKII (2)

Midi
Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S49 MK2
Native Instruments Maschine Mikro
Alesis USB Pro Drum Kit

Instruments and Amps
DW Collectors Series Drum Kit (10", 12", 16", 20" kick)
Ludwig 1971 Jazz Fusion kit (12", 13", 16", 20" kick)
Gretsch Catalina Club kit (12", 14", 18" kick)
Various Cymbals, Snares, Percussion

Piano: Kimball Grand Scale Upright (1894)

Hammond M3 Organ, Tour Series Leslie 760 cabinet
Kurzweil SP3X Stage Piano (fully weighted)
Korg MicroKorg Synth

Ampeg V4B Bass Rig
SWR Goliath SR bass amp
Fender Bronco Amp
1980 Rickenbacker Bass
1978 Gibson Ripper Bass
Epiphone Coronet Guitar
TEAC Reel to Reel Tape Machine
Premier 90 Reverb Tank

DI Boxes
Warm Audio WA-DI-A x4
SansAmp
Radial Engineering SGI Guitar Interface
RadiaL Pro DI x5
DW
N

Mics
JZ Black Hole 2 (pair)
Neumann TLM 103
Neumann KM 184 matched pair
Warm Audio WA87 R2 (pair)
Warm Audio WA47 Jr (pair)
Michael Joly Mods:
Rode NT1-A
The Hulk
Oktava MC 012 matched pair
Ribbon
AKG C414
Slate VMS-ML-1
Rode NT4 stereo
Rode NTK Tube
Shure SM7B
Sennheiser e 604 (x3)
Sennheiser e 906
AKG d112
Shure Beta 52A
Shure Beta 58 Wireless (x2)
Shure SM57 x8
Shure SM58 x8
Blue Encore 100 (x4)
Blue Hummingbird pair
CAD Equitek E200
Electro-Voice 635A
Audix F15 (x2)

Plugins
Waves Horizon, Restoration, Saphira, NLS
Waves Abbey Road Suite, Producers Plugs
iZotope Music Production Suite 4
Native Instruments - Komplete Ultimate 12
Slate Digital VBC, VMR, VTM, Blackbird VMS, Trigger 2
PSP (full suite, Vintage Warmer)
Celemony - Melodyne
Soundtoys - EchoBoy, LIttle AlterBoy
FabFilter - Saturn
Oekound - Soothe2