The Janka-Industries recording studio has organically grown through the years with a combination of creativity and Janka’s passion for all machines. The studio wasn’t created with a master business plan, but instead grew organically as a place for creativity and audiophile excellence. In the studio, the most important thing for Janka is that the technical side is never overshadowing the music itself, rather, it should support and inspire and not be a hindrance. Notwithstanding the fact that the music is of the upmost importance, Janka-Industries also has a wealth of the best studio gear, from vintage mics and compressors to beautiful backline equipment. It is also possible to record, mix and master enterly analog (AAA). It is also possible to record in high res digital 384kHz or DSD256.
RECORDINGPHILOSOPHY
When I’m recording, I capture the sound so that it already sounds almost as good as it will sound after mixing. This means that my mixing process can be more about subtleties, allowing me to get all the intricacies of the end product perfect. I find that the best way to record is to have all the musicians in one room, this improves not only the musical relationship between the musicians, but also it enables the recording to have a homogeneous room sound, like all the great classic recordings have. I only use separate rooms when absolutely necessary, for example when very loud instruments are playing with very quiet instruments. Or if the room is too small….
When I’m mixing, I believe there needs to be an element of three-dimensionality to the sound, not just the two stereo channels, but importantly what is behind and what is in front. In my experience, this approach makes the tracks more exciting to listen to and also makes them have a longer life for the listener. I am always amazed how much this also applies to electronic music, that when you approach mixing it like you would a live band, you are able to bring a new life to the music.
The benefit of this 3 dimensional approach can only be maintained if during the mastering this approach is kept in mind. My mastering chain, meaning the order of the audio processing, is something which I have developed and changed through the years, refining the process through various pieces of self-built equipment. Now, I have the ability to really understand the desired sound of a recording and to produce just that , leaving the weaknesses in the background.
Overall my approach must of course chime with the artist’s vision and be adaptable to the artist’s wishes. It’s important to be able to mould the music perfectly to fit the artist’s character, so that the music we create together fits their vision. Because of that, I think it’s always important to work directly with the artist on all of the stages of the recording. This approach is undervalued at the moment. My thoughts are, what use is the best equipment if the artist is not satisfied because the engineer doesn’t understand their artistic vision?