Guitarist TIMO TOLKKI (SYMFONIA, ex-STRATOVARIUS) has opened a new mixing / mastering studio, named Studiotolkki, in Helsinki, Finland.

A description reads as follows:

Due to the rapidly declining record sales the commercial recording studios are going through a big change. Many bands and artists cannot simply afford to record and mix in conventional recording studios anymore due to the budget cuts of the record companies.

It is only logical that studios are changing with the change that is taking place in the music industry. But are they?

When we started researching the subject of weather to mix like we have always done or find alternative ways to do it or at least find out what it is out there. The results were mind blowing.

We did a test, where we spent just quick 30 minutes for a song that is on a record that one of Timo's previous band Symfonia released. It is a classic example where they went to a recording studio that had the industry standard analogue desk SSL 4000 and mixed the album with that. Timo just happened to find the sessions and we decided to have some fun and made a test where we just very quickly mixed a version inside Pro Tools. When we compared the results we were stunned. The version we did inside Pro Tools was better. How was this possible?

It is possible because the leap that the digital technology has done in the last 10 years has been huge. Especially in the converters and plugins. We meticulously researched and tested different methods, equipment and means to build a mixing room that would not have a big analogue desk.

Our research led to a renown Producer/Mixer Mike Shipley, who just recently had gone away from the SSL mixing environment to a so called hybrid system. Since all of us love the sound Mike and Mutt Lange crafts, we found out the equipment they were using and tested that ourselves. We found out that it is possible to make the sound even better than with big analogue consoles. They have their disadvantages. They break down, have to be maintained regularily, they are rather clumsy, the lack of recalling the mixes. We could not find a single reason to continue mixing with SSL or any other big analogue desk. We know that for example in Timo's case, this is a big departure from the way he is used to work. His production credits speak for itself and are totaling over 6 million sold copies.

Instead we thought it is better to invest to a great sounding mixing room, the best digital converters (modified Digidesign 192), the best plugins and using an analogue Folcrom stemming system build a hybrid system that contains the best from analogue and digital world including the mind blowing Cranesong Flamingo and HEDD converter. STUDIO TOLKKI was born. We are bunch of audio freaks with the help of few investors that created this studio for your mixes and mastering. We guarantee that the work done here is world class, the prices competitive and the mixes recallable for quick changes you want to make.

More information can be found at the studio's official website at this location. Check them out on Facebook here.