Due to this unprecedented time in our lives, the music industry has been dismantled and shut down in a myriad of ways. From venues closing and tours being canceled, to recording sessions being rescheduled and album releases being pushed back, COVID19 has been ruthless to artists, touring crews, promoters, and future planning. Although there is no true end in sight quite yet, one sector of the music industry is absolutely thriving: Gear Sales. According to Rolling Stone, musical instrumentcompanies are “seeing an increase in acoustic guitar, synthesizer, keyboard, and pro audio orders…” Beginners and professionals alike have been diving into their isolation with a particular goal in mind; to learn and create. Could this spark a creative renaissance of sorts? Or are the majority of these people just passing the time? From purchasing budget guitars to biting the bullet on high-end boutique reproductions of vintage recording gear, creators are creating. That’s for sure.
Today, we are going to dive in and learn about one of these companies in particular: Chandler Limited.
Chandler is a high-end, boutique pro audio designer and builder that has their roots firmly planted in both vintage magic and modern innovation. Here’s a rundown of the company’s history from Chandler’s head of marketing, Adam Fiori:
“Chandler Limited was founded a little over 20 years ago by our Chief Designer, Wade Goeke. While Wade’s journey into audio electronics dates much earlier, the beginnings of Chandler Limited as a company began by him building gear out of a closet in a rented house while living and working in Los Angeles. The first units were the LTD-1 EQ/Preamp and LTD-2 Compressor, and as Wade sold his first units, word spread fast amongst the cognoscenti of the recording industry and the company was born. With potential being shown, it can’t be stressed enough how supportive and nurturing Wade’s parents were in helping him get Chandler Limited off the ground. It’s interesting to note, the next ‘guidepost moment’ in the Chandler Limited story—which came quickly— was the introduction of the first EMI / Abbey Road Studios unit, the TG1 Limiter. A TG1 Limiter made its way to the iconic Olympic Studios in the U.K. and into the hands of its well-known producer and engineer. At about this time, EMI had purchased Olympic Studios, and staff from Abbey Road Studios went to visit the newly acquired studio, while there, the team noticed the TG1 in the rack and Spike—the proud owner of his TG1—spoke highly of it to the team. The Abbey Road team were impressed, however, since EMI had long since stopped producing its own equipment, back in 1974—keep in mind, none of it was ever built for sale to the public— it was perplexing to see this new unit. This event became the catalyst for the Chandler Limited and EMI / Abbey Road Studios relationship, and the equipment Wade is designing and we are building has extended the legacy begun by EMI engineers dating back to the 1930s, to this day.”
Zodlounge utilizes some of Chandler’s amazing products daily. The most used item in our studio for capturing sounds is the Chandler Limited REDD Large-Diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone. Zod owner, musician, producer, mixer, and jack-of-all-trades Tom Michael has this to say about the REDD:
Q: You’ve been utilizing the Chandler REDD for going on two years now. What do you like so much about the mic, particularly on vocals?
Tom: I love how the low end punches and the top end isn’t harsh. It’s hard to achieve one without the other and the REDD does this. The built in preamp is also a great feature. I almost always run it straight to the compressor out of the mic. It sounds great on male or female vocals and you can really drive it to give it some edge.
Q: You don’t use this microphone only for vocals. What are some of your favorite applications for this mic?
Tom: My favorite use is as a mono room mic for drums. I set it in the middle of the room in omni mode and run that through the TubeTech CL1B Compressor. It adds a nice warm ambience to the drum mix. It’s also great on violin and cello. You need one great mic and I can think of no better than the REDD.
Q: Out of the numerous songs you’ve cut using the REDD, can you recommend one or two the reader should check out?
Tom: Check out “Bang” by TAELA for a female pop vocal.For a male pop vocal check out “Here and Now” by Buddy Wright (Releasing May 8th).For a more classic, intimate vocal listen to “Undertow” on the Zodlounge Spotify channel. A lot of great artists will be posted there with REDD all over those recordings.
Q: Have you used any of Chandler’s other gear (hardware or software)? If so, what stands out to you the most?
Tom: I am in love with the UA Chandler Zener Limiter plug-in! The Germanium preamp is one of my favorites.