History
First opened in 1998 and now in its purpose built new premises opened October 2005 Manor Park Studio has been designed to allow clients to work in absolute comfort with all the facilities they need to produce excellent results. It creates a stimulating atmosphere for creativity and provides the equipment and environment to capture this.
Situated in the relaxing rural surroundings of Moneyglass, Northern Ireland, Manor Park is the main base for Producer/Owner Neal Calderwood but is also used by other engineers and producers. His studio has been meticulously designed and built to meet the exacting need of musicians and producers such as himself whose main objective is to get the best results possible.
With over 2000 square feet fully residential recording studio, a large main live room, 5.5 m x 8m large control room 5m x 8m, vocal booth, 7 live rooms in total most with visual communication through large windows and not to mention a very modern decor, Manor Park is considered to be one of Northern Ireland’s most prestigious recording studios.
Studio
Equipment
Recording
Digital Audio Workstation
RME Hammerfall 44 channel recording
Universal Audio UAD-1 cards (3 of) running 1176, LA2A, Pultec etc
Nuendo recording, sequencing and mixing
Most available software Plugins and VST instruments
Midisport 4×4 Midinterface
HHb Circle5 Monitors
40 Channel 8 Bus Desk
Yamaha Keyboard
Preamps
Valve and solid state by Focusrite
TLAudio
Behringer
Mics
Dynamic and condenser
Valve and solid state by Groove Tubes
Beyerdynamic
Rode
Se Electronics
ADK
Sontronics
Shure
AudioTechnica
Octava
Tandy
Behringer
Guitar Preamps
Line 6 Pod XT
Johnson J-Station
Marshall JMP-1 preamp
Behringer Bass V-Amp
Effects
Outboard effects by Lexicon, Yamaha and Rocktron
Backline
Various Marshall Valve Heads (60′s 70′s and 80′s)
Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo Head
Hiwatt 4×12
Marshall 4×12
Peavey 4×12
Bass Cab 4×10
Bass Cab 1×15
Gallien Kruger Backline 600 Bass Head
PRS Custom 24 guitar
Line 6 Variax Guitar
Line 6 Variax Bass
Musicman Stingray Bass
Fender Strat
Musicman Stingray II guitar
Washburn Guitar
Ibanez Artist
Pearl Reference Series drum kit
Zilidjian K Hats 14″
Zilidjian A Custom Projection Crash 19″
Zilidjian K Crash/Ride 20″
Sabian AAX Ride 20″
Sabain Studio Crash 17″
Guitar Pedals
ElectroHamonix Small Stone Phaser
Electric Mistress Flanger
Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe
Ibanez Tube Sreamer
Wampler Plexi Drive
Wampler Plextortion
Keeley Modded DS1
Blackstar HT1
Pro Co Rat
Boss Turbo Distortion, EQ, Delay
Jim Dunlop Wah
Morley Wah
Digitec Whammy II
Digitec Bad Monkey Tube Overdrive
Award SessionMaster
Statistics
Studio Dimensions
Control room 7.5m x 5m
Main Live Room 7.5m x 5.5m
Vocal Booth 3m x 2.5m
Live Room ‘C’
Live Room ‘D’
Live Room ‘E’
Live Room ‘F’
Live Room ‘G’
A two-story complex with over 2000 square feet fully residential recording studio. Large main live room, 5.5 m x 8m Large Control room 5m x 8m, Vocal booth,7 live roomsin total most with visual communication through large windows.
“A highly developed patching system allows any live room to be linked to any other by speaker, microphone, headphone or guitar lead. This allows the performers to be located in any of the 7 live rooms and be linked to any other room or to the control room. In practice this would mean that a guitarist, for example, could be in the main live room with the drummer while tracking drums but their amp could be in any of the other rooms being totally isolated. Both drum and guitar sounds would not be in any way compromised by sound leakage from one to the other. The guitarist could even have his amplifier head in the room with him and only the speaker isolated in the other room since all rooms have speaker connection also. This could be the case for any other members of the band. In this case monitoring would be done using headphones. Another possible scenario would be the guitarist in the control room with his amplifier head connected to several speaker cabinets located in any of the 7 live areas allowing for the different tonal variation of each room to be captured simultaneously.”
Neal Calderwood
Accommodation
Living Room
Pool Table
Sky Digital Television
Playstation 2 (with over 30 games)
DVD player
VHS player
CD/Hi-Fi
Kitchen
Microwave Oven/Oven/Grill
Fridge Freezer
Dishwasher
General Cooking Facilities
Misc
Bedroom suitable for up to 6 people
Shower Room & WC
Mastering
Mastering takes a project to a whole new level. It adds that final unmistakable edge that brings out the best in the material. It allows the impact and life in the music to be enhanced.
It ensures the volume level and spectral balance (bass, mids, treble) on the CD will compare well with (other) major label product, especially on radio. The sound will be consistent on different playback systems and will translate well to online formats such as MP3.
Manor Park has the creative insight to help you deliver the most from your recordings.
Clients
A
A Little Bitter, A Plastic Rose, AlterEgo, Amaranth, Ana Mae, Angel Fall, The Answer, Asylum, Aqua Spaniels, The Audiables
B
Balefull Creed, The Beat Poets, Bete Noires, Black Ball Fighter, Black Bear Saloon, Black Freeway, Black Jacks, Black Swan Fallacy, Boathouse, Boy Turns Hero, The Burnt Reynolds
C
Andy Cairns of Therapy?, Cascarino, Catch 23, Cava, The Citizens, Civilian, Colly Strings, Colour System Failure, Crash Casanova, Crooked Little Town, Crown Lake, Cuckoo Rass
D
Darling, The Dangerfields, David Paul and the People, Dawn, Dead FM, The Deaf Club, Deal Again, Desert Hearts, Different Senses, Dirty Stevie, Downhill, The Dreggs, Driving By Night, The Dukes, Dutch Schultz
E
East Island City, Ed Zealous, Eddie’s Funeral, Ego, El Hombre Jokes, Emerald Armada, Emily, Emily Cuprate, Endorphin, Exit, Eyes See Blind, Eyes of Vegas
F
Fallout, Falon, Farago, The Fast Emperors, Fighting With Wire, Fingersmith, The Fire Bobbies, Fisto, Fixation, Fixed Penalty, Forgetting June, Fractured, Future Chaser
G
General Fiasco, Gladeolas, The Good Fight, Gunrunner
H
Headfunk, The Hellfire Club, ,Heroes Before The Fall, Hexxed, Heyday, High Output, Hijacked Empire, The Hostage Party, Hoax, HotStop, Hovercraft Pirates, Home Star Runner, The Humbleweeds, Hunger’s Mother
I
Icon On Fire, I Fight Crime, I Made This, Illicit, Immunise, Inch High, Indigo Fury, Indy Artworx, Interrogate, Involution, Invinyl, In Elegance
J
Jackalfeud, The John Ford, Jodie Has A Hitlist, Johnny Vans, Juliet’s Rescue
K
Neil Kerr, The Key of Atlas, Kickstart The Season, Kid Dynamo, Killin’ Theory, Knievel Genius, Kyle
L
Last Orders, Little Nightmare, Left Side Brain, The Le Scenes, Librium, Liddsville, The Lingus, Little Nightmare, Lotion, Lucky 8
M
Mantic, The Mascara Story, The Maximals, Midnight Transmission, Million Dollar Reload, Mireau, Mr Lightweight, Mojo Fury
N
Nice N Sleezy, Niyah Sky, No Grace Given, The Novas
O
On/Off, One Shot The King, Organised Confusion
P
P45, Pando Kopanda, Parachutes Over Paris, Parhelia, Patio Sounds, Paul Connell, Paul Shevlin, Pay*ola, PetroChemical Accelerator, Pigs and Pearls, Play The Thief, Pocket Promise
R
Rams Pocket Radio, Jamie Lenman of Reuben, RedEye, The Red Admirals, Red Light Inferno, Red Sirus, The Replays, Rescue The Astronauts, Revile, The Rivals, Rupture Dogs
S
Scuba Dice, 7SW, Shoot The Preacher, Short Lived Joy, The Shower Scene, Silent Front, Silhouette, Silo, Sister Marko, Slave Zero, Soldiers Can’t Dance, Soundstone, Stay OK, The Station, Steer Clear, Stillpoint, Storyboard, Struck, Supercast, SuperFiction, Superfreaks, Superskin, Swanee River, Sweet Taste, Swurve
T
The Lingus, Theta, This Year’s Black, Throat, The Tides, Tonic Slaggs, Traffic, Tracer AMC, Twisted Rose, Twister
U
Unquiet Nights, Underline, Until This Day, The Upgrades,
W
We Collide, We The People, Window Seats, The Wonderful Toys
Y
Yakuza
Z
Zombie Cops, The Zoo, Zulu
Press
A Plastic Rose “Camera.Shutter.Life” Album
Kerrang Review “Stunning”
Million Dollar Reload “A Sinner’s Saint” Album
SleazeRoxx.com
http://www.sleazeroxx.com/bands/milliondollarreload/asinnerssaint.shtml
“…Commercial appeal, a phrase that I usually despise, is written all over A Sinner’s Saint — not because the band has sold out in any way, but due to their heavy, honest and authentic sound.
Million Dollar Reload’s sound may have ties to the mighty AC/DC, but calling them a copycat would be completely unfair as there is way more here than the standard three-chord attack. Instead it feels as if these guys are doing their best to make bands like AC/DC completely irrelevant — and judging by A Sinner’s Saint it might just be possible. This disc has an unbridled energy that more established acts haven’t been able to capture in decades. If there has to be a poster child for ‘the face of hard rock’ there is no one more worthy at this point in time than Million Dollar Reload. This disc is a strong — a very strong — contender for album of the year!”
Classic Rock Magazine 8/10
Million $ Reload – A Sinner’s Saint (Frontiers)
Genre: Hard Rock
One glance at the spangly cover of A Sinner’s Saint and you’d be forgiven for believing the music beneath the artwork belonged to the Hollywood hills or a Stockholm strip bar.
Neither a retro Sunset Strip hair band nor a modern Scandinavian sleaze rock troupe, the magnificent Million $ Reload are a proud Irish collective dealing in anthemic 80s-style rock n roll with bite – and you’d better believe it.
Think The Answer with an edge or Lizzy with Axl Rose on lead vocals and you’re starting to get a taste for one of the most exciting new acts around. One blast of A Sinner’s Saint and it’s little wonder Frontiers snapped up M$R without a second thought.
The bombastic Bullets In The Sky is the first hint that this is a rather special record and Can’t Tie Me Down’s mix of Skid Row-esque swagger and Ulster steel is a sure-fire winning formula.
It’s possible M$R had been listening to too much Black Stone Cherry and Shinedown when they penned the made-for-radio power ballad Broken but that’s no bad thing. This is an album that wears its influences loud and proud.
Looking for the next blues-fired British rock n roll band to blow you away? You’ve found them. SR
RUSHONROCK RATED: 9/10 Sin It To Win It
Silhouette “Can’t Keep Up” Single and featured on TV advert for Northern Ireland Tourist Board
Gigape
Silhouettes new single release, ‘Can’t Keep Up’ can be heard all over the country at the moment after being chosen as the tune for the 2012 Discover Northern Ireland Television advert which is currently being shown nationwide. ‘Can’t Keep Up’ shows an edgy side to Silhouette, confident in their craft and executing it beautifully. With fans such as Snow Patrols, Gary Lightbody, its no wonder 2012 is set to be the year of Silhouette. You can also catch Shauna Tohill performing with Snow Patrol during their European Tour in February / March.
Release date: 24/02/2012
Format: Digital Download
Tracks: 1
Track List:
1. Can’t Keep Up
In the darkness of the Silhouette, perhaps we can find whatever it is we are looking for?
Shauna Tohill knows this, and her choice of Silhouette as her alias is very telling. Joy, light, God, tears…unlike her namesake, the palette she paints from is varied, but abstract enough for us all to find meaning in.
After playing in various outfits over the last few years, Shauna exploded onto the Northern Irish music scene with her distinctive voice
and songwriting style. Ignoring genre or preconceptions, her piano led brand of dark pop instantly won a wealth of fans in her native country, bringing a fresh voice to an increasingly talented pool of musicians.
Drawing comparisons with the intense piano based songwriting of Tori Amos, as well as the quirky pop of Kate Bush, Silhouette’s music is adaptable to many different situations, just as capable of wounding you with a whisper as it is with stunning you by screaming. Lyrically playing about with pre-conceptions of what you think she is, her songs speak of nature, of purity, and of darkness. With sweeping arrangements that Lana Del Rey would sell her lips for, Silhouette can break your heart and then make you smile, frequently within the same song.
After high profile support slots with Snow Patrol, as well as appearing on guest vocals with the band, the music of Silhouette is poised to
transcend to a wider audience, an audience that is sure to be captivated by her epic muse. Ably surrounded by a revolving cast of musicians, fleshing out her music with cello, double bass, drums and guitar, a Silhouette performance can be as intense as a pinprick, or a euphoric celebration; for Silhouette, nothing is out of bounds.
Part holistic therapy, part wounding blow to the heart, the time is right for Silhouette. Listen, and see the meaning hidden in the darkness.
Million Dollar Reload “A Sinner’s Saint” Album
http://metalexcess.com
“It’s crazy how good these guys are. They should be out on tours with Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Guns ‘N Roses, KISS and Motley Crue.”
InTheory “Bloodloss EP”
Metal Hammer Demo Of the Month 2006
Now here’s something interesting: power metal without Pro Tools. Instead of plumbing really great raw galloping power metal through miles of sound cleaning software and rendering it soulless and gutless, Killin’ Theory have stuck to garage production – and it sounds sexy as fuck. Musically the band blends Funeral for a Friend vocal harmonies with Edguy galloping Slayer-like guitar hammering. This could well be the future; combining the best modern aspects of contemporary, new heavy metal. Killin’ Theory scratch so many itches, great roaring, lush and heart-felt clean vocals, powerful instrumental middle sections and some prodigious axe svengali in the band, tearing solos off his guitar like a bastard. And, the rare treat, the tunes are as catchy as fleas in Battersea Dogs’ Home and as hummable as a Fall Out Boy ringtone.
9/10
Involution “Truth Be Told EP”
Metal Hammer 2005
This distinctive sounding Belfast band produce convincing sounding metalcore that comes with a big side helping of Pearl Jam. As the demo wears on, the heaviosity is amped up and there are touches of A Perfect Circle here and Stone Temple Pilots there. This marrying of up to date metalcorisms with grungier vocals should stand them in good stead and even if ‘Truth Be Told’ isn’t the record that does it for them, it would be unwise to ignore this band.
7/10
Left Side Brain “Equal and Opposite”
Kerrang! no.1030 November 2004:
ANGLO-WELSH PUNKS OFFER STINGING FULL-LENGTH DEBUT
The kind of band that gives you a bit of hope for the UK underground scene, Left Side Brain play a low slung and deliciously metallic brand of post-punk that sounds like Ash on a Soundgarden bender. For much of this debut, the Bristol-based band get the combination of accessibility and off kilter menace just about right. The likes of ‘Clout’, ‘Uncomfortable’ and ‘Low Tide’ jut with angled melodies, simple but refreshingly heavy riffs, and enough emotional cadences to keep the overloaded emo boat from sinking. A band who have set out with no greater intent than to make riotous noise with tunes attached, Left Side Brain can consider this mission accomplished.
KKKK (4/5)
Metal Hammer no.134 Xmas 2004:
MORE TASTY WELSH SCREAMO
What is it with the Welsh and epic, tuneful emo? Whatever it is, we’re not complaining. This album builds skilfully on the foundations this four piece laid with their Surface Tension EP earlier this year. Now living in Bristol, Cymru boys G (guitars/vocals) and Ryan (drums) along with slightly newer Anglo members Oli (guitars/vocals) and Rich (bass/vocals) have turned in an assured and memorable debut which starts sounding like a contender for emo album of the year even after a few listens. Opener and EP track ‘Figures’ has the lush and intense feeling of Troublegum-era Therapy? But excellent production courtesy of Neal Calderwood (who coincidentally has worked with Andy Cairns too) boosts this to even more stratospheric levels. LSB’s signature sound is the judicious and sparing use of tight three part harmonies which, when unleashed, are full of plaintive yearning. Newer material like ‘Clout’ employs guitar riffs that are more angular than a cupboard full of set squares. Strangely enough the band are at their weakest when they are sounding closest to Funeral For A Friend and Lostprophets wearing their hearts on their sleeves on tracks like ‘Fallout’ (and they could do with losing the guitar solo). But to be honest, if this is the only criticism we can lay at their door (and it is), then this band could be the ones to burst through the cockpit door of the top twenty next year brandishing Stanley Knives. Mainly they are stamping down on the pedal and the more they do, the less they sound like their Pontypridd neighbours. ‘Uncomfortable’ comes on like The Wildhearts, Husker Du and Helmet all rammed into a blender and formed into a diabolically tasty but unhealthy rawk smoothie. And there’s a secret track which Led Zeps all the way to fuck and back. Superb.
8/10
Big Cheese November 2004:
You might have seen this band’s video for the excellent Fallout on Scuzz recently. It had samples from the old protect and survive films at the beginning? One of them was wearing a really bad shirt? Anyhoo, that’s irrelevant (although it was a bad shirt!), but if you caught the video you may well have found the song sticking in your head, I certainly did and I was glad when this arrived for me to review. All eleven songs by the Anglo/Welsh foursome sound instantly familiar without ever really ripping off anyone in particular. The storming intro ‘Figures’ is a beautifully structured smack in the face that forces you to listen, introducing you the tightly structured three vocal harmonies that haunt the rest of the record. The searing triple vocal attack backed by some ripping riffs, strike an almost perfect balance between vocals and the music. Just on the right side of commercial, these lads make some pretty darn good emotive anthems that will stick in your head for days. These are definitely ones to watch.
4/5
Left Side Brain “Action Potential”
Kerrang! no.1100 (March 25 2006):
BRISTOL QUARTET SHINE ON ALBUM TWO.
The functions of the human brain’s left hemisphere include logic, rationality and objectivity. One major factor scientists have clearly overlooked in this Bristol-based foursome’s case is the ability to harness the power of the riff. With a capital R. Fusing Helmet’s bludgeoning power to Kerbdog’s sense of driving melody, Left Side Brain deliver an impressively strong, no-nonsense follow-up to their 2004 debut ‘Equal And Opposite’.
From the one-two attack of ‘At Your Own Risk’ and ‘Exit Route’, to the controlled aggression of ‘Save Yourself’ – featuring guest vocals from Reuben’s Jamie Lenman – ‘Action Potential’ has hook-filled anthems in abundance. Left Side Brain prove themselves to be one of the brightest lights in British rock. Go to the light.
KKKK (4/5)
Rock Sound no.83 (April 2006):
While the Americans have always utilised cameo appearances by friends in high places to boost their appeal, our ever-modest Brit bands have preferred to make it on their own steam. Maybe it’s a sign of growing confidence in the significance of UK bands, but nonetheless LSB made a wise move in employing Reuben’s Jamie Lenman on ‘Save Yourself’, as he’s helped create an undisputed hard rock highlight on this, their second album. The Bristol-based band haven’t enjoyed the same success as Reuben so far, but it’s surely only a matter of time. Combining driving rock of the Helmet variety with the melodic sensibilities that made early Foo Fighters so great, their songs are a very worth addition to the Brit-rock arsenal.
8/10
From Classic Rock no.91 (April 2006):
A THINKING MAN’S MODERN ROCK BAND…
As the side of the brain concerned with organisation, thought and logic, it’s appropriate that Left Side Brain’s music resembles some kind of winning mathematical formula. Combining the taut, muscular riffs of Therapy?, the melodic suss of Foo Fighters, the brute force of Helmet and the emo edginess of Funeral For A Friend, these Bristol-based boys have fashioned an album that sounds both familiar and fresh. Building on the promise of their 2004 debut, Equal And Opposite, Action Potential reveals Left Side Brain to have not only a patent grasp of basic rock dynamics but also the ability to stretch out and flex their technical muscles – particularly on the closing nine-minute instrumental Gas Giant.
8/10
