True North Recording
with Ken Allardyce

The direction of astronomical true north is marked
in the skies by the north celestial pole.
Due to the precession of the Earth's axis, true north rotates in an arc with respect to the stars that takes approximately 25,000 years to complete.

Fortunately you don't have to wait that long to visit True North Recording located in Nairn (also known as Nairnshire), an ancient fishing port and market town around 16 miles (26 km) east of Inverness, Scotland.

Nairn has an expanse of sand beaches and is known as a world class golfing destination, with two 18 hole Championship golf courses. The town also hosts the Nairn International Jazz Festival each August, usually attracting world class musicians.

Mixer/engineer and prdoucer Ken Allardyce (Supertramp, Fleetwood Mac, Avril Lavign, Green Day) returned home to his native Scotland after thirty plus years in California.

One reason is that these days you don't really need to be, in what were once considered world music centers (LA, NY, London and Nashville) in order to work with major talent. Allardyce agrees that it has been a good move. "I get to enjoy my family and live and work surrounded by nature which I love," says Allardyce.

Allardyce converted the loft of his place in the Highlands into a studio. "While it is suitable for tracking and overdubs, for which I have a good assortment of mics and preamps, I have built it primarily for mixing," says Allardyce who finds the summing box route to complement his Pro Tools rig. "I opted at the chance of acquiring an old Quantum console modified and renovated by Steve Firlotte customized for me. This offers the ability to blend the old and the new using a combination of plug-ins and outboard gear in the analogue stage while mixing," says Allardyce who calls his studio, now his second home.

"It's a great space to work in and I'm very happy with the results I've been getting," says Allardyce.

Allardyce has numerous chart-topping popular recordings to his credit including: Green Day’s "Nimrod," and “Warning” cd's for Reprise, Weezer’s “Green Album” for Interscope, and the Goo Goo Doll's "Dizzy Up The Girl" and "Gutterflower" albums. He also produced and mixed Les Wampas, produced and mixed Madmoiselle K, produced Birdland for The Yardbirds, engineered and mixed legendary French chanteuse Sylvie Vartan's latest album, "Nouvelle Vague" and engineered tracks on Avril Lavigne's "The Best Damn Thing".

Contact: Ken Allardyce at studioexpresso