
Delmark’s historical Riverside Studio features analog and digital solutions for all your recording, mixing and mastering needs. An excellent selection of vintage microphones, analog tape recorders, outboard gear and a ProTools HD system offer many avenues of sound reproduction including 5.1 Surround Sound. Blues, Jazz, Reggae, African, Rock, Soul, R&B, Cajun, Zydeco, Metal, Country, Folk, Latin, Classical – all styles of musical creativity have flowed through our equipment.
Among other historical pieces, Riverside Studio has the Hammond B3 organ, outboard gear as well a vintage tape machine that belonged to the mythological Chess Records. Located on Chicago’s north side, Riverside Studio is the home of Delmark Records, Chicago’s premiere label for jazz and blues.
You can see Riverside Studio in this short video of several Delmark recording sessions:

EQUIPMENT
Recorders: Protools Ultimate HD recording system Sony MCI 2″ 24 track analog Scully 1″ 8 track analog Ampex 1/2″ 4 track analog (or 3 track!) Ampex ATR-100 1/4″ 2 track analog Scully 280 1/4″ 2 track analog (or mono) Sony PCM 800 Hi8 24 track digital Sony PCM 2700 2 track DAT Panasonic SRV 3700 2 track DAT Mixing console: Neotek Elite Control Room Monitors: Event 20/20 Urei 813C Polk Monitor Series 4.5 Auratone 5C Sound Cubes Paradigm Seismic 10 subwoofer Microphones: Neumann U87, U47FET, KM86, KM84 Telefunken U47 RCA 44BX, 44B, 77DX, 77D (all ribbon microphones) Shure Sm57, Sm58, USX58 wireless, Sm81, Sm7, Sm91, Beta 52 Electro Voice Re20 AKG 451EB, D112 Sennheiser 421 Beyer M380, M88 Outboard Gear: Teletronix LA2A Leveling Amplifier Urei 1176LN Limiting Amplifer (quantity 3) Mackie Onyx 800R (32 channels) Hardy M-1 microphone preamplifier, 4 channels Pultec EQH-2 Equalizer (quantity 2 – reworked with new/old stock) Reverbs, Delays, Processors EMT Plate Reverb Eventide 3000 Ultra Harmonizer Lexicon 200, PCM 70, PCM 42, PrimeTime Yamaha SPX 900, SPX 90, Rev 7 Instruments: Steinway B 7′ piano Hammond B3 with Leslie speaker (redone, including DIs) Ludwig drum set Guitar amps – Fender Vibrolux, Music Man 210, Magnatone M10 Fender Bassman head/Peavey cabinet, Amped head/cabinet |
HOURLY RATE $150 including engineer.
Discount rates are available for special packages.
MATERIALS
Quantegy 2″ 499 tape $250/reel
Quantegy 1″ 499 or 456 tape $125/reel
Quantegy 1/4″ 499 tape $25/reel
(1/2 hour per reel at 15 ips, 1/4 hour at 30 ips. Sold in full reels only)
CDs $2 each
DVDs $ 5 each (data backup)
Payment by cash or credit card is due at the end of each session. A deposit will be required to hold dates. The amount of the deposit is based on the overall scope of the project. The minimum deposit is $200. The deposit is applicable towards your final studio invoice.
24 hour notice required for cancellations or postponements. Failure will result in loss of deposit.
Artists who have recorded at Riverside Studio

Blues
Little Milton Campbell
Syl Johnson
Lurrie Bell
Big Time Sarah
Jimmy Burns
Tail Dragger
Eddy Clearwater
Dave Specter
Byther Smith
Johnny B. Moore
Robert Ward
Willie Kent
Billy Branch
Jimmy Dawkins
Mavis Staples
Mark Hummel
Kim Wilson
Jazz

Pharoah Sanders
Archie Shepp
David Murray
Franz Jackson
Freddie Hubbard
Brother Jack McDuff
Chris Foreman
Curtis Fuller
Malachi Thompson
Kahil El’Zabar
Ernest Dawkins
Rob Mazurek
Eric Alexander
Chicago Underground
Von Freeman
Ken Vandermark
Zane Massey
Roy Campbell
Cecil Payne
Billy Bang
Bobby Broom
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Hamiet Bluiett
Oliver Lake
Roscoe Mitchell
Lester Bowie
Joseph Jarman
Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre
Other:
Lace 11 (punk)
Kwami (reggae)
Cast Aside (metal)
Gospel Supremes (gospel)
Dan Boadi (African)
Aswah Gregory (reggae)
Reginald R. Robinson (ragtime)
Ntozake Shange (poetry)
Cajun Jedi (cajun)
Big String Band (old timey)
Frank Morey (no category available)
Other labels who have recorded or mixed at Riverside Studio
Dancing Cat (Windham Hill)
Silkheart
Nessa
Evidence
Earwig
Jazzology
Tone Cool
Crosscut
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