Piano: A 2004 7’ Steinway ‘Model B’ Grand Piano:

About: Sound Pure’s Piano is an instrument of outstanding quality and maintenance. This breathtaking instrument of unusual caliber was also hand-autographed with Henry Steinway’s personal seal of approval shortly prior to his death. The instrument is of concert-piano caliber, and is maintained with that level of consistency in tone and regulation across its entire action. Food or drink is not permitted on or near the instrument, as the piano is irreplaceable. Objects shall not be placed on the instrument itself, particularly when the lid is closed, even if the piano is not in use.

Cost to use: NO CHARGE. The piano is available for use at NO CHARGE, to clients utilizing the Sound Pure A-Rooms. Overall general maintenance of the piano’s action such as regulation and voicing is a part of our regular maintenance, and as such is also covered at no charge to users of the Sound Pure A-Rooms. Tuning is not paid for by the studio, and is the financial responsibility of the artist.

Cost of Tuning, etc: Sound Pure uses the services of gifted piano technician Anthony Pascone of Pascali piano for the exclusive maintenance and tuning of the instrument. Be request, Mr. Pascone is available for pre-session tuning of the instrument (recommended any time the piano is utilized), at a base minimum rate of $135, which typically includes a comprehensive tuning, and some minor adjustments/tweaks to the action that he sees fit. Mr. Pascone is also available throughout piano-intensive sessions for return visit tunings, and can also be retained “on call” or “permanently” during a session, which is priced on a case-by-case basis, depending on the artist’s specific time demands of Mr. Pascone. All piano work shall be pre-paid directly to Sound Pure studios, and is non-refundable. Artists are not permitted to manipulate anything inside the instrument themselves, or to hire their own technicians, without specific permission of a resident engineer from Sound Pure studios.

Tuning Recommendations: For certain sessions tuning will not be demanded by the artists, and therefore there will be no charge whatsoever for the use of the instrument. While Sound Pure recommends tuning for each session involving the instrument, the piano is maintained in a climate and humidity controlled environment, as is a very stable instrument. As such, certain non-critical use of the piano may not demand tuning. However, for several reasons, a tuning is advisable, even when the piano appears to be mostly in tune: Despite being in relative tune with itself, due to pressure and humidity swings that are outside the control of our humidity systems, the piano can slip uniformly up or down in pitch, which can make tune-locking other instruments (in particular digital instruments) to the acoustic piano a real challenge. This can also present interesting challenges with any overdubs of the piano itself at a later date and certainly any overdubs involving other instruments that they themselves require tuning (acoustic instrument of any kind including guitars, bass, violin/viola/cello). Depending on the ultimate prominence of the piano to the session, and the overall budget of the session, this can certainly suggest additional tuning throughout long sessions, or even simple mutli-day sessions can make sense. It is a small price to pay for utilizing an $80,000 instrument that is elite even within its elite class of concert-grand pianos, and tuning might make the extra difference in your recording which is why we recommend it!

Organ: Hammond B3 with Leslie Speaker

About the Organ: Sound Pure has acquired an immaculate original Hammond B organ with Leslie 47 speaker, including pedalboard. All aspects of both the Hammond and Leslie are functioning perfectly. This is a real Hammond B, and not one of the other similar (but not exact) models manufactured by Hammond, nor a retrofit, copy, or replica. The Sound Pure Hammond is indeed a genuine, legendary Hammond B3.

Operating the Organ: Hammond Organs do require specific operating procedures. Artists without regular experience with early Hammond Organs should not attempt to start the organ on their own, nor should they use it in any way in which they are not completely familiar. Food or drink is not permitted on or near the organ, as this particular Hammond B3 is irreplaceable. Objects of any kind shall not be placed on the instrument itself, even when the lid is closed, even if the Organ is not in use. The instrument carries an unusually high value due to both its functioning and cosmetic condition, and we aim to keep it looking this way for many years to come.

Maintenance and Rental Cost: The Sound Pure Hammond B3 Organ is extremely well maintained and in very reliable operating condition with wonderful cosmetic condition inside and out. However, due to the age and quantity of moving parts on both the Hammond and the Leslie, both require regular and frequent maintenance. This maintenance is directly tied to the use of the instrument. Repairs needed during or after a recording session based on mere ordinary wear and tear, or the natural maintenance required with this kind of a vintage organ is not the responsibility of the artist. However, Sound Pure has a modest rental fee designed to cover such maintenance. The rental/use fee is only $60 per day. A multi-day discount is available to longer sessions (3+ days), please inquire with Sound Pure directly.

House Drums: Yamaha Maple Custom Kit with Zildjian K-Series Cymbals

About: For your convenience, Sound Pure has selected and made available for rent a high-end, multi-use drum kit that can be used with great versatility. The Yamaha Maple Custom that they have selected has excellent tone, and has a wide latitude of sonic possibilities depending on the way that it is miked, EQ’d, compressed, etc. The kit includes the following dimensional components: 22” Kick, 14” Snare, 10” and 12” Toms, and 14” Floor tom. Cymbals include a 17” Zildjian K Crash, a 22” Zildjian K Ride, and a 14” Zildjian Hi-Hat. The Cymbals are complex, mellow and not overly bright, making them a good choice for studio recording. Hardware is DW 5000.

Skins, Reskinning, and Cost: Sound Pure uses Remo Ambassador Coated Skins, and as a studio kit, recommends that each artist have Sound Pure reskin the heads prior to the artist’s session to ensure that they are ready for optimum studio-quality during the session. Reskinning is only $25, and is waived for a 3+ day rental of the drum kit in the studio. Daily rental of the drum kit is only $50 per day (far less than area rental houses charge daily, and we have no minimum number of days or setup fee for the kit)

Using Part of your kit, or Part of Ours: Sound Pure has no objection to an artist supplementing his cymbals, snare, drums, etc. to the Sound Pure kit, nor to an artist utilizing bits and pieces of the Sound Pure kit to supplement their kit. The cost to rent the kit does not change in this scenario, but if the use of the Sound Pure kit is so minimal that no rental should be charged, please discuss this with us first to guarantee a free rental of that (or those few) component(s), but in all likelihood this will not be a problem and will be granted. We ask that extreme caution be taken at all times to not mix the client hardware with the hardware owned by Sound Pure Studios.

Guitars, Bass, Pedals, Amps, etc. from the Sound Pure Guitar Boutique

The Sound Pure Guitar Boutique houses one of the finest collections of brand new hand-made guitars and amps available anywhere. These guitars and amps are available for sale to anyone interested, including studio artists, of course. The collection represents what Sound Pure believes is the best-of-the-best in hand-built instruments currently being created, and represents a worldwide search for the finest luthiers in the business. Some of the luthiers represented by Sound Pure make as few as 10 or 12 instruments per year, and range in prices from around $1,000 to $25,000. Because the overwhelming majority of instruments represented are brand new, they must be maintained in brand new condition, without any visible signs “showroom wear.” Obviously, for Studio use, this is easier to maintain with amps (and sometimes pedals) than it is with guitars. Certain instruments, however, do not have the same limitations, such as our extensive collection of Nash Guitars (relic instruments that perform, look, and feel like great vintage Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters).

Whether you wish to buy, rent, demo, etc., whatever your requirements may be in the area of guitars and amps, Sound Pure will make every effort to accommodate your specific needs. Please contact someone in the Sound Pure guitar department to discuss your particular needs and requirements prior to your recording session, and to discuss the costs, if any, that might be involved.

Other Equipment Available for Hire or Purchase

Sound Pure does have a number of other instruments in house that may be available, and also maintain a number of sources for rentals of various kinds, and can help run-down more obscure rentals as they may be needed for a session. Whether it is a local musician, rental house, or backline company, we will make an attempt to get you what you need at the best-priced source. The important thing to do is contact an engineer or Sound Pure staff member well before your session, if you know of an instrument requirement that you will not have with you, and is not mentioned directly above. It is imperative that no matter how simple you feel your request might be, you must not assume that we either a) have it available in house, or b) can accommodate it on a short notice. We must stress that the more careful the planning ahead of time that you will have everything you will need, the more smoothly your days of tracking will go. Additionally, in most cases, the more that you can bring that you know you will need, the less the session will cost.