At Manchester’s Astar Studios, producer Andy Ross, has carefully hand-picked all the equipment he feels is needed to create the best possible sound, together with our stunning live room acoustics designed specifically to capture the true quality of all instruments at source. 

Astar houses a fantastic selection of microphones and with Europe’s biggest hire company just over the road from the studio, we are able to grab pretty much any microphone if we do not already have it.

With a series of Neve Plugins that produce results of unrivalled quality, the perfect listening environment and the best headphone mixes you will ever get, Astar Studios is a great place to make your defining record.

Astar Studios houses the best instruments/amps which are all free to use. From our Yamaha Maple Absolute Drumkit, Vox, Marshall and Ashdown amps to a host of beautiful guitars, keys and much more. This equipment has been used by some of Europe’s finest musicians all who can be seen on our testimonial page. 

See below just some of our equipment and why not watch a video of Andy himself talking about the studio here in this video link. 

Standard Equipment List

Backline – stunning choice of Yamaha C3 to C7 Acoustic Grand Pianos for hire by arrangement

Free use of in-house Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute Drum Kit / Zildjian Cymbals. World class collection of guitars inc Gibson Les Paul Classic Goldtop, US Fender Deluxe Strat Plus & 1957 Strat in Aztec Gold, Guild Dreadnought, Takemine 12 String, Yamaha APX 10D, Ramirez II Classical, Yamaha TRB Bass. Yamaha CVP-303 Clavinova, Yamaha S09 Synthesizer. Marshall Anniversary Guitar Amp Stack, Vox AC30, Yamaha DG130H Head. Ashdown Bass Rig. Congas + Percussion. Host of guitar effects pedals.

Console:
TASCAM DM-4800 console: 

• 64 channel mix platform 
• 48 Channels + 16 returns 
• 24 busses 
• 12 Aux Sends 
• 24 microphone pre amps 
• 4-band EQ, compression and gating on each channel • Compression for each aux, buss and main output • Two built-in effects processors, each able to run 

TC Reverb programs
• On-board automation
• Sampling frequency: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96kHz, 

Resolution: 24-bit
• MU1000 Meter Bridge
• Custom Argosy 90 Series Console

• Range of the best NEVE Pre-amps including – NEVE 1073 DPD

Compressors – Drawmer 1968 Mercenary, SSL G Master Bus & Focusrite to name a few.

Monitoring 

Dynaudio AIR 15 Nearfield Monitors Dynaudio BM6A MKII Nearfield Monitors, Dynaudio Core 59 

Computer/Plugins

Apple Mac Pro Dual 3 GHZ (Quad – Core) 32 GB RAM . Apple Cinema Display LogicTM 

Extensive UAD Host plugins inc Complete Waves Arts Bundle, Sonnox Oxford Dynamics, EQ and Limiter, Melodyne, Autotune, Drumagog, Lexicon Reverbs, Spitfire Strings, Korg Gadget – pretty much everything and anything!!!!

We use Logic at as our main recording software.

Midi – MOTU Midi Express

Mic List – Specialist microphones can be hired upon request, just say the word. In the studio we mainly use: 

Pair of NEUMANN U87 Ai 
Pair of AKG C414 XL11 
Pair of AKG C451B’s
4 SENNHEISER MD 421’s 
AKG D112
5 DPA 4099’s – brass/double bass
6 x SM7B – podcast
6 x SM58s and SM57s 
EARTHWORKS PM40 PIANO MIC
Neumann KM184 

These are just some of the great mics we house.

Added Acoustic Treatment

A large number of clear screens and baffles for specific sound or separation

At Astar we have carefully hand-picked all the equipment we feel is needed to create the best possible sound together with our stunning live room acoustics. With a fantastic selection of Microphones, Mic Pre-Amps, Analogue Outboard, Studio Monitors, Plugins & Misc Software, Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), FX Pedals/DIu2019s, Headphones & Headphone Mix Systems, Guitars, Keys, Guitar/Bass Amps, Drums and Percussion Astar has it all.