User:DavidSangerKildare/sandbox

Decibel Studios was an independent recording studio founded in Stoke Newington, London in 1973 by David Sanger Kildare and Martyn Halsey. Originally a 4 track demo studio and rehearsal room, it was very quickly upgraded to a professional 16 track with new partners Xanadu (Barrie, Claire and Don Morrisson, Chris Button and Wayne Anderson) replacing Martyn Halsey. Decibel eventually changed ownership in 1980 and was managed by Graeme Holdaway who later founded the Beat Factory with Marijke Bergkamp in Euston Road (Central London)

4 track studio: Stoke Newington (London) (1973-1974)
Decibel's 4 track studio and rehearsal rooms opened in 1973 equipped with a Decca mixing console and 4 track Ampex recording equipment bought from Tin Pan Alley Studios in Denmark Street credited to have been used on The Rolling Stones "Let It bleed" album. Monitoring with Turner amplification and JBL speakers. Located on the ground floor of 11 Stamford Hill, Stoke Newington, Decibel's clients included Ian Drury and Chas Jankel (Kilburn and the High Roads), Sam Apple Pie, The Seekers, and Sally Oldfield amongst others and very soon became popular with the local reggae community including ASWAD,Black Slate, Dennis Alcapone, Dennis Brown, Delroy Wilson, Honeyboy and Judge Dread.

8/16 track studio: (1975-1977)
A professional upgrade to 16 track Ampex, convertible to 8 track, 2 track Ampex for mix-downs and a specially designed Allen & Heath 24 channel mixer, along with vari-speed Revoxes, EMT plate, Audio & Design F760X-RS 'Compex' Limiter and Eventide clock works phaser. Monitoring with Crown Amplification driving Tannoy Mansfields. Decibel's client's included The Sex Pistols, Wings, ELO and Marc Bolan who recorded 4 tracks for "Dandy in the Underworld" including his last single "I Love to Boogie".

24 track studio: (1978-1980)
Equipment included a 3M M79 24 track recorder, Allen & Heath Sycon A Quadrophonic Inline mixing console custom-designed to Decibel's specification and MIDI programming suite.