A CHOICE MIXING EXPERIENCE: GERMANO STUDIOS HAS
LAVRYGOLD CONVERTERS AT THE READY

NEW YORK: The cobblestone streets of NYC’s fashionable NoHo neighborhood are just outside, and then the vibrant original art of Keith Haring hits you before you even enter the elevator to Germano Studios. Upstairs, it’s no surprise that a highly sophisticated tracking/mixing experience awaits.  

The presence of Lavry Gold AD122-96MKIII conversion systems from Lavry Engineering in both world-class rooms shows how serious founder Troy Germano is about uncompromised audio. Germano’s contributions to recording started in 1981, when he joined his father, Ed Germano, at NYC’s legendary Hit Factory. As Executive Vice President there, Germano oversaw expansion to London and Miami, and became heavily involved in acoustics and studio architecture. The latest credits of his firm, Studio Design Group, include the TEC Award-winning Red Bull North America, and the extremely accurate rooms of Germano Studios.

Now with his attention focused purely on two rooms -- instead of the Hit Factory spread ranging from NYC to Miami and London that he previously oversaw – the result is a welcome addition to global music scene. “We’re filling a niche that disappeared after I left the Hit Factory and Sony Studios closed,” Germano explains. “This is very high-end recording, dealing with all genres of music: R&B, hip hop, rock – everything. That was missing. It turns out there were people around the country that were looking for this, and we’ve taken off faster than I expected.”

After personally designing the studios and honing their acoustics, Germano stays on top of their sound by constantly evaluating outboard gear and plug-ins. Hardware and software that gets used stays. Items that clients don’t need, don’t stay long.

“I consistently update the rooms – we make sure that any gear that’s here is supposed to be here, and we know when to change things,” says Germano. “The criterion of any manufacturer I buy from is quality: I have a lot of faith in Lavry Engineering, Chandler, AMS Neve, and that make’s a difference. When I critically listen, I try and select gear that will be preferred by many engineers, producers and mixers, and give them options -- something they’re not going to find in a typical commercial or personal studio.
  
“When it comes to conversion, the thought process in selecting Lavry Engineering is that it’s one of the top few converters out there. The Lavry Gold is a really special unit, especially when it comes to A/D conversion.”
 
Featuring a -127dB dynamic range, 0.00005% total harmonic distortion + noise, built-in αβC αcoustic βit Correction® noise shaping, and more, the Lavry Engineering AD122-96MKIII provides Germano Studios’ clients with extreme accuracy and the full frequency response that they require for true 24-bit digital audio. Additional key features include selectable digital soft-knee limiter, +3 or +6dB gain, precision reference meter bridge, fully programmable digital test tones for system alignment, AES and word clock external synchronization 40-51kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, DC removal, absolute polarity inversion, and multi-converter synchronization.

Knowing that his clients want choices at every stage of their music productions, Troy Germano is confident that he’s giving them far more than they expect with Lavry Gold conversion at their fingertips for every session. “People appreciate having alternatives when they’re mixing back into Pro Tools,” he says. “Choice changes the curve, and you definitely want choices when you’re mixing a hit record – you don’t necessarily want to go through the same converters for the mix that you used to make the recording. 

“People that choose to use a third-party converter when they’re mixing in Pro Tools frequently decide on the Lavry AD122-96MKIII. It’s not an inexpensive addition to the rooms, but my clients and my in-house staff all love the results they get going through the conversion of Lavry Engineering.”  
 
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About Lavry Engineering:
Lavry Engineering, located in Poulsbo, Washington, was founded by digital audio expert Dan Lavry in 1993. The company specializes in products for professional audio, broadcast, audiophile and surround markets designed to satisfy the growing demand for hi-res digital audio performance. Lavry Engineering’s Gold, Black and Blue product lines offer a range of systems accommodating a wide range of budgets and applications. For more information, please visit www.lavryengineering.com.
All referenced product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
About Germano Studios:
For more information, please visit www.germanostudios.com.