Capitol Chambers - Official Thread with Will Shanks from UA!

[Matt Hepworth]

Will, welcome! And thanks for doing a Q&A with us for Capitol Chambers! Always amazing to have your expertise here!

Everyone: please post anything Capitol Chambers related here!

 

[Matt Hepworth]

Now live!

 

[rjjuly]

Wow, this looks very good - will be a great boon to those trying to emulate sonics from the 1950-60’s, but I’m sure it will sound good for all sorts of things. Not sure I can afford to demo it...
- Richard

 

[Will Shanks]

Hi everyone! I am very proud of this project, a lot of time and care went into the sonics and behavior. Working with Steve Genewick and the rest of the staff at Capitol was a fantastic experience. I'm ready for your questions as they arise. [MENTION=501]Richard[/MENTION], I can assure you Capitol's chambers are not just for retro-type work--these chambers are in massive demand to this day, it took a long time just to schedule a window for us to do our work in them!

 

[rjjuly]

Yes Will, no doubt - great sound is timeless.
Is there much difference in terms of the modelling techniques between these new chambers and the Ocean Way rooms?
- Richard

 

[CodyV]

Wow the Capitol Chambers video sounds reaaaally good. Downloading 9.9 now. Excited to test it out

 

[Matt Hepworth]

Image fixed.

 

[OrangeCrush]

Wow, how privileged to have access to these legendary spaces.

How important was Don Was @ Capitol in getting permission to model the chambers ?

Did you find any of Frank's hats down there ?

 

[rjjuly]

Quick first impression - very good indeed. Lovely imaging - lush and limpid. Love the mics and pre emulation. It’s going to feel like a long wait until I can round up the shekels for this...
- Richard

 

[OrangeCrush]

How is core usage, scary ?

Quick first impression - very good indeed. Lovely imaging - lush and limpid. Love the mics and pre emulation. It’s going to feel like a long wait until I can round up the shekels for this...
- Richard

 

[Quint]

Same latency as Ocean Way?

 

[rjjuly]

How is core usage, scary ?

Oh yeah.. Friday the 13th scary. Looks like about 88% at 96 KHz. But, hell, that’s what I bought all them cores for... I’ll say one thing - at first blush, it doesn’t feel like that that DSP is being wasted.
- Richard

 

[Quint]

Hi everyone! I am very proud of this project, a lot of time and care went into the sonics and behavior. Working with Steve Genewick and the rest of the staff at Capitol was a fantastic experience. I'm ready for your questions as they arise. [MENTION=501]Richard[/MENTION], I can assure you Capitol's chambers are not just for retro-type work--these chambers are in massive demand to this day, it took a long time just to schedule a window for us to do our work in them!

What are some examples of these recordings that have utilized the Capitol Chambers in the last five years or so?

 

[rjjuly]

Same latency as Ocean Way?

Feels like it. Same architecture, should be similar.
Man, the variable mic positioning kicks ass. The early reflections take me right back to Buddy Holly and Elvis.
UA, you have nailed it. Again. Goddammit. (a comment from my wallet)
-Richard

 

[OrangeCrush]

What are some examples of these recordings that have utilized the Capitol Chambers in the last five years or so?

[video=youtube;J3PoJDTYj9w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3PoJDTYj9w[/video]

 

[Will Shanks]

Yes, same latency as Ocean Way.

 

[shimel]

Hi Will and thanks for this very good news
I was waiting for it since Ocean Way
Does Capitol use the same technologies as OWS ?

 

[Will Shanks]

Yes Will, no doubt - great sound is timeless.
Is there much difference in terms of the modelling techniques between these new chambers and the Ocean Way rooms?
- Richard

Very similar actually, although the plugin engine was redesigned and the "Position" parameter ("Distance" on OWS) re-voiced, both to accommodate the much longer decay times. Sounds trivial as a one sentence explanation, but this was major surgery.

 

[DanButsu]

I’m in a sessions and jonesing to check out the promo vid. If I’m not mistaken, Capital has 8 chambers? Did you guys capture all of them? Is that even possible?

 

[rjjuly]

I’m in a sessions and jonesing to check out the promo vid. If I’m not mistaken, Capital has 8 chambers? Did you guys capture all of them?

Nope, ‘just’ four of them.
- Richard