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Le Studio

Address	Morin-Heights, Quebec, Canada
Construction
Opened	1972
Closed	2003
Demolished	2020

Le Studio (later renamed Studio Morin Heights) was a residential recording studio in the Laurentian Mountains near the town of Morin-Heights, Quebec, Canada. Built in 1972 by recording engineer and producer André Perry, along with his wife Yaël Brandeis and Nick Blagona, the studio was seen as one of the top recording venues in North America during its existence, renowned for its retreat-like location and state-of-the-art equipment. Numerous notable Canadian and international artists recorded and stayed at Le Studio, including Rush (most notably), The Police, David Bowie, the Bee Gees, Cat Stevens, April Wine, Nazareth, Queensrÿche, and Celine Dion. Perry described the facility as "like the United Nations. I had people from London, New York, Quebec, all over the world."

Originally having used a Trident A Range recording console, Le Studio then became one of the earliest studios to install a Solid State Logic SSL 4000B mixing console and RADAR digital recording equipment. Perry sold the studio to new owners in 1988, and it remained active for fifteen years before its closure in 2003, after which it was neglected and fell into disrepair. On 11 August 2017, the building was partially destroyed by "a suspicious" fire. What remained of the complex was demolished in 2020, and in 2021, the entire property was cleared and put up for sale for $850,000.

History

André Perry gained fame as a recording engineer working for John Lennon, and in the early 1970s was looking to expand his studio, built in a downtown Montreal church. He moved to the remote town of Morin-Heights, where he owned a lake, and built his studio there, with his wife Yaël Brandeis. The idea was to give recording artists a venue where they could record and live in a creative atmosphere, near the Laurentian Mountains. The Bee Gees, who recorded portions of Children of the World (1976) at Le Studio, stayed for five months. Initially it included a guesthouse about a half-hour's drive away, but it was accidentally burned down by Roy Thomas Baker and Ian Hunter, according to studio designer and engineer Nick Blagona. A new house across the lake was later acquired and expanded.

By the early 1980s, Le Studio gained a reputation as a premier recording venue after Rush, The Police, David Bowie, and April Wine recorded albums there. The studio was particularly associated with Rush, even being called their own "Abbey Road"; the band made seven studio albums there between 1979 and 1993 during "the peak and the end" of the Terry Brown era, the albums being Permanent Waves (1980), Moving Pictures {1981), Signals (1982), Grace Under Pressure (1984), Presto (1989), Roll the Bones (1991), and Counterparts (1993).

In December 1980, Le Studio had installed a state-of-the-art computerized Solid State Logic SL 4000 B Master Studio System and expanded to 48-track (created from syncing two 24-track tape machines using video interlock). Other upgrades to the studio included the expansion into video work, with the addition of video post-production and editing facilities. By August 1981, the studio had acquired a JVC BP-90 digital 2-track processor at the choice of André Perry, producer Terry Brown, and then-Le Studio staff engineers Paul Northfield and Nick Blagona. It was supposedly first used on a double live LP that The Police were mixing at Le Studio that same month, although the André Perry website cites their album Syncronicity (1983) as being the one.

In 1986, Le Studio issued stock on the Montreal Exchange looking to acquire funding for building a second studio, with audio and video capabilities in Washington, D.C. 1.1 million shares valued at $3.50 were sold. Perry and Brandeis retained majority interests. They spent $500,000 on a Quantel Mirage digital video effects unit, hoping to install more equipment to allow the recording of sound effects and film music, as well as a Synclavier room.

In 1988, Perry and Brandeis sold the studio, and Perry retired in the early 1990s. The studio, by then called Studio Morin Heights, was acquired in 1993 by L'Equipe Spectra, an entertainment company best known for the Montreal International Jazz Festival which also had a number of local artists on record. Rush and other bands continued to do their tracking there. The new owners also built an expansion to the builidng, called the "Far Side", which featured a digital RADAR audio recorder and video production suite, as well as an expanded recreational and living space which allowed local bands with modest budgets to benefit from the amenities.

The studio was shut down in March 2003 by Spectra. The 233-acre (0.94 km) site was listed for sale in July 2007, with an asking price of Can$2.45 million. The property remained for sale until 2009, when the land was purchased with the intent to convert the area to a retreat and spa, but this never eventuated. The complex remained unoccupied and gradually deteriorated, and was broken into and vandalized many times. A US $2.4 million kickstarter campaign was begun in 2015 to rebuild Le Studio, but only $4,000 was pledged.

On 11 August 2017, the building was partially destroyed by a fire in a suspected case of arson. The residential area of the studio was completely destroyed, while the original recording area still stood but was severely damaged. Geddy Lee of Rush told the CBC, "it was truly a part of the great Canadian landscape... and literally a home away from home for us. It will always have a special place in our hearts." In October 2020, the remaining parts of the building were demolished, and the now empty site was cleared and put on the market in 2021.

Other notable music artists to have recorded at Le Studio include Asia, Barenaked Ladies, Bryan Adams, Cat Stevens, Chicago, Keith Richards, Kim Mitchell, Nazareth, Queensrÿche, Rainbow, Sarah McLachlan, and Sting. In January 1992, Celine Dion recorded "With This Tear", a song written by Prince and produced by Walter Afanasieff for her self-titled album Celine Dion.

Some of Le Studio's engineering staff over the years included Nick Blagona, Paul Northfield, Ed Stasium, William Le Gallee Mann, Claude Demers, Leanne Unger, Frank Opolko, Glen Robinson, Robert DiGioia, Paul Milner, Simon Pressey, Jacques Deveau, and George Pelekoudis.

The studio and grounds are featured in the music videos of the recording sessions of the Rush songs "Tom Sawyer", "Limelight", and "Vital Signs", as well as in April Wine's music video for "I Like to Rock". Also, an episode of the show Popular Mechanics for Kids was taped there, with actress Elisha Cuthbert demonstrating recording and mixing techniques.

Albums and songs recorded at Le Studio

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Console history

Source

• 1974-1980 Trident A Range, the first of its kind, now in use at New Monkey Studio in Van Nuys, California
• 1980-1985 SSL 4000B, Serial No. 11, in use at Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta since 1993
• 1985-2008 SSL 4000G sold off in parts

Le Studio Mobile

First built in 1979, Le Studio Mobile provided recording services for live music and special events. The first truck included a 12-input mixing console and 4-track recording. By 2010, a pair of trucks provided 8 mixing consoles on-board provided a total of 144 microphone inputs and 244 tracks of simultaneous recording permanently installed in a 7.5 foot (2.3 m) wide 5-ton truck. It was used to record such live albums as Rush's Exit... Stage Left, The Indspire Awards, Hockey Night in Canada and the Montreal International Jazz Festival. The company covered the Juno Awards for more than 23 years, adding a second truck in 2008.

The final large event handled by Le Studio was the Opening, Closing, and Medal Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Through the years Le Studio Mobile evolved with the industry, focusing first on live recorded albums, then audio for DVD productions before moving more into producing audio for live productions while live music productions for HD television brought new business to Le Studio Mobile around 2010, the remote recording business continued to shrink.

As of 2018, Le Studio Mobile had ceased operation. In 2020, the recording area was demolished, and in 2021, the area was cleared and put up for sale for $850,000.

References

1. Myers 95-96.
2. ^ Mobley, Max (2014). Rush FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Rock's Greatest Power Trio. Backbeat. pp. 259–62. ISBN 9781617136047.
3. ^ "Fire destroys legendary Le Studio where Bowie, The Police recorded". CBC News. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
4. ^ Verna, Paul (25 February 1995). "Studio Morin Heights Reaches Far: Quebec Facility Embraces Int'l, Local Acts". Billboard. p. 91. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
5. Kilkenny, Carmel (9 June 2015). "Le Studio, Morin Heights for sale after years of neglect". Radio Canada International. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
6. ^ Dwyer, Greg; Michaels, Bill (14 July 2021). "Iconic 'Le Studio' Where Rush, David Bowie, Chicago, Queensrÿche Recorded Demolished". 97X. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
7. ^ "Історія покинутої та забутої студії звукозапису «Bee Gees» 1970-х у лісі — «Le Studio» - ottawa-trend.com". 5 September 2022.
8. ^ Peacock, Ted (July 2011). "Interview with Nick Blagona". Journal on the Art of Record Production. 5. ISSN 1754-9892.
9. "Studio Track: Quebec Studio's Computerization" (PDF). Billboard. 20 December 1980. p. 78. Retrieved 10 April 2021 – via worldradiohistory.com.
10. "New York, N.Y." (PDF). Record World. 10 January 1981. p. 32. Retrieved 10 April 2021 – via worldradiohistory.com.
11. "Studio Update" (PDF). Recording Engineer/Producer. August 1981. p. 121. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
12. "Studio Track" (PDF). Billboard. 10 October 1981. p. 5 51. Retrieved 10 April 2021 – via worldradiohistory.com.
13. "1981-12 Musician - PoliceWiki". www.thepolicewiki.org.
14. LaPointe, Kirk (16 August 1986). "Le Studio Issues Stock on Montreal Exchange". Billboard. pp. 72–73. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
15. Sale brochure Archived 8 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine The property was still for sale as of November 2008
16. Kovac, Adam (14 August 2015). "Le Studio: Legendary Morin Heights recording spot in ruins". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
17. "Le Studio: Legendary Morin Heights recording spot in ruins". Montreal Gazette. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
18. Banerjee, Sidhartha (11 August 2017). "Morin Heights' legendary Le Studio the site of "suspicious" fire". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
19. "Remembering Le Studio - Rush React After Fire Destroys Studio". News.cygnus-x1.net. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
20. NeilPeart.net - News posting 26 April 2006
21. FilmRise (9 February 2014). "Popular Mechanics for Kids Season 1 Ep 22 "Music Production"". CTV. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
22. "Canada! Quebec Scene Reflects Rich Diversity". Billboard. 2 October 1976. pp. C8–9, 12, 20. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
23. Popoff 79-80.
24. Popoff 94.
25. Popoff 110-11.
26. Trynka 432.
27. LeStudio Channel (9 April 2014), LE STUDIO - TEMPLE OF SOUND - Episode One - 1080p, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 6 September 2018
28. "Studios". treesoundstudios.com. Archived from the original on 16 December 2006.
29. ^ "Le Studio Mobile". www.studiomobile.com. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
30. Music directory Canada (8th ed.). Toronto: Norris Whitney. 2001. ISBN 0969127286. OCLC 51375980.
31. "Le Studio Mobile, Le 30". Mix Magazine. September 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
32. Jones, Sarah (February 2010). "Remote Recording | Shifting Gears". Mix Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014.
33. "Le Studio Mobile". www.studiomobile.com. Retrieved 3 September 2018.

Bibliography

• Myers, Paul (2007). Barenaked Ladies: Public Stunts, Private Stories. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781416587361.
• Popoff, Martin (2004). Contents Under Pressure: 30 Years of Rush at Home and Away. ECW. p. 80. ISBN 9781550226782.
• Sharp, Keith (2014). Music Express: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Canada's Music Magazine. Dundurn. ISBN 9781459721951.
• Trynka, Paul (2011). David Bowie: Starman. Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316134248.

External links

• History of Le Studio on its founder's website

45°52′34″N 74°16′11″W / 45.876137°N 74.269848°W / 45.876137; -74.269848

• Recording studios in Canada
• Mass media companies established in 1974
• Rush (band)
• Buildings and structures in Laurentides
• Quebec music
• Companies disestablished in 2001
• 1974 establishments in Quebec
• 2001 disestablishments in Quebec
• Building and structure fires in Canada
• 21st-century fires in Canada
• 2010s fires in North America
• 2017 fires
• 2017 disasters in Canada
• Buildings and structures demolished in 2020
• Fires in Quebec