PARTNERS
The label’s resources include Heather Court Studios, a 24-track analog recording studio, as well as an affiliation with Better Looking Records who is distributed by East West /ADA, and is part of Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group.
Better Looking Records started five years ago when two good friends decided to release a few vinyl and EP titles. It soon became an obsession. BLR has released indie classics with a broad range of sounds... everything from indie-pop-shoegaze to emo-post-punk to psych-americana-folk-rock. Call it what you will, Better Looking Records has focused on releasing great music from exciting artists.
Heather Court Studios
HCS is a 24 track analog studio with a control room, live (drum) room and isolation booths, to allow for live recordings with the benefit of sound separation between the instruments. HCS offers a warm analog sound, with especially great drum sounds. Multitrack recordings can be converted to Pro Tools for mixing (elsewhere) if desired.
Gear includes:
Microphones
- Neumann M149 tube (vocals, acoustic instruments)
- Neumann U87 condenser (2) (drum overheads, other acoustic instruments)
- AKG 414 condenser (2) (room mics for drums)
- AKG D12 (kick drum)
- Sennheiser 441 (drums - hi hat)
- Sennheiser 421 (2) (drums - low toms, bass amp)
- EV RE20, Shure SM7 (vintage), Shure 57s (many)
Mic Pres
- Focusrite Red 6 (with EQ, vocals, guitars)
- Focusrite Red 1 (3) (quad pres – 12 channels for drums)
- John Hardy M1 quad
Compressors
- Summit Tube Leveling Amp (vocals, guitars)
- Manley Stereo Variable MU (tube) Limiter / Compressor (overall mix)
- DBX Compressors (4)
Outboard / Other
- Lexicon PCM 70, LXP 15, LX P1, LXP5
- Yamaha Rev 7
- Alesis microverb 3
- Ashley SC-33 noise gates
- Line 6 Guitar and Bass Pods
- Fender Stratocaster Guitar and Fender Jazz and Musicmaster Bass Guitars
- Korg M1 Synthesizer
- Mason & Hamlin Baby Grand Piano hooked up to studio
Backline Gear
- Yamaha Cusom Oak Drum Kit with Maple Snare and Zildjian Custom K Dark Cymbals
- Ampeg SVT Bass Tube Amp Half Stack (SVT-3 Pro 450W Head and SVT-410 HLF 500W Bass Cabinet)
- Marshall JCM 800 Vintage 50W Guitar Tube Amp Head and Marshall 1960 AV 280W Vintage Cabinet
- Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 40W Combo Guitar Tube Amp
- Fender Super 60 Combo Guitar Tube Amp
- Ampeg VT120 Combo Guitar Tube Amp
- Yamaha B100-112III Combo Solid State 100W Bass Amp
Multitrack Recorder
- Tascam ATR 80, 2”, 24 track, Analog, 30IPS
Console
- Tascam M600, 32 Channel
Two track
- Alesis Masterlink 9600, Tascam DA30, Tascam CDRW2000
Speakers / Control room amps
- JBL 4410, Yamaha NS10, Tannoy
- Yamaha 2300, 2700, Carver PM100