Just eight miles west of downtown Nashville in the neighborhood of Bellevue, Covered Bridge Recording is proving that world-class recording studios aren’t defined by age or location; they’re defined by vision.
Opened less than a year ago by studio manager and engineer Grace Ritter and her partners, the rapidly growing 3000-square-foot facility was designed from the ground up around immersive audio, anchored by a meticulously engineered Genelec 9.1.4 Smart Active Monitoring (SAM) system that serves as the heart of the studio’s Dolby Atmos® production environment. The versatility of the studio includes the capability for podcast recording, audio book recording and mixing, video and photo shoots, preliminary film/TV scoring or editing, tracking, band practices, music release parties, writers’ retreats and more.
Originally home to a small mastering studio, the property has been completely transformed into a comprehensive recording complex featuring a large-format control room, multiple isolation booths, dedicated live room, piano room, synth room, producer lounge, podcast & mix suite, outdoor performance venue and an immersive control room capable of handling everything from full album production and stereo mixing to Dolby Atmos music, audiobook and post-production projects.
Additionally, there is a full kitchen, living room, outdoor recreation area, pickleball, basketball, pool, darts, an outdoor stage and tour bus or trailer parking behind a secure fence. For Ritter, whose introduction to immersive audio began while interning at Nashville’s famed Blackbird Studio before becoming Dolby Atmos-certified through the MixHer program, building an immersive-capable studio wasn’t an upgrade, it was the foundation of the entire project.
“From day one, we designed Covered Bridge Recording around immersive audio,” said Ritter – Owner, Studio Manager and Audio Engineer at Covered Bridge Recording. “We worked closely with Dolby, Vintage King and Genelec to ensure every aspect of the room met Dolby Atmos specifications. We wanted a studio where artists and engineers could walk in and immediately begin working at the highest professional level, whether they’re recording a band, mixing a record or creating immersive content.” At the center of Studio A is an API 2448 recording console feeding a carefully designed Genelec 9.1.4 Smart Active Monitoring system that delivers the accuracy and consistency required for immersive production.
The system includes Genelec 8361A Smart Active Monitors as the left and right mains and 8351B monitors handling the center channel, surrounds and overhead channels, along with dual 7380A Smart Active subwoofers operating as a clustered low-frequency system. The monitoring environment is managed through Genelec’s 9320A SAM Reference Controller, allowing engineers to instantly switch between immersive monitoring, stereo console playback, and digital stereo workflows. Paul Stewart, Genelec Inc.
For more information, visit genelec.com.
