Publication: Modern Drummer
Author: Dawson, Michael
Date published: June 1, 2010
When I pull up to the front gate of longtime New York City session drummer/producer/programmer Sammy Merendino's beautiful four-story 1892 townhouse. which is nestled in a surprisingly quiet and low-key section of West Harlem, I can't help but wonder if I'm at the right address. Could there actually be a drum studio in there? One of Merendino's neighbors-who is tending to some flowers when I climb out of my car-must notice my confused look, as she shouts down from her stoop, "You here for Sammy? This is the place."
Once inside. I'm struck by how classy the house looks and feels. Everything from the rich hardwood flooring to the soft natural lighting to the vintage decor seems to pay homage to the home's high-society nineteenth-century origins. Well, everything except the four-piece Sonor drumkit. the paper-thin prototype Paiste cymbals, and the dozen or so microphones occupying what was originally a formal sitting room for houseguests.
I ask Sammy-who's spent the past nine years playing and recording with pop icon Cyndi Lauper and has a track record that includes everyone from R&B legends Cameo (Word Up!) to songwriting greats Hall & Oates (Ooh Yeah!) and Billy Joel (Storm Front) to guitar god Pat Metheny (Secret Story)-if he had always intended to turn a portion of his home into a studio. "Yeah, that was part of the beauty of it," he says. "I've had studios my whole life. And I had a studio downtown on 13th Street for a while. But I decided I wanted to have something set up at home, because I could see the trend of having to work this way. So when my wife and I found this house, I knew I wanted to have a studio here.
"It's morphea over the years," the drummer continues. "Originally the studio was in one of the downstairs rooms, which is the control room now. But I wanted the drums to sound a little bigger. Luckily my wife is cool and was like, 'Why don't you put your drums in there?' So now I have the front room set up as my live room."
Because his drums and his control room are separated by a flight of stairs, Merendino keeps his basic setup consistent in order to streamline the recording process. "When I track by myself. I'll record a little bit and then run downstairs to listen to it," he explains. "Then I'll tweak things. I also have a remote setup with a keyboard and a monitor that I use to control Pro Tools from behind my drumset. That way I can just go upstairs and play. I leave the mics set, so I don't have to change things each time."
In addition to being hired to play drums or program beats on different tracks, Sammy also uses BeatsMeNYC for production work. "I produce a lot, and I end up playing drums on most of those projects, unless the band has a good drummer," he says. "Or sometimes I'll hire someone else if I want a different sound." Merendino took an interest in production as a way to diversify his career and to get more involved in the creative side of record making. "When I would go in to do sessions, I'd bring in some new sounds that would have a lot to do with the overall sound of the album. I wanted to have a little more control so I could explore more of my own ideas. I also wanted to do things outside of being a drummer."
So, does having a studio play a role in landing production gigs? "Yeah, it's hard to produce without one now." Merendino says. "I ended up working with Cyndi because I had a studio. She called a friend of mine to record a track for a Rugrats movie. But he was busy, so he told her to call me. So Cyndi came in, and we hit it off right away. Later that night, she asked me to play on her new record. After we finished the Rugrats thing, she called me to play a Girls With Guitars show in California. After I did that, she asked me to do a two-week tour. All of this came from having the studio. It's like an instant network."
In closing, I ask Sammy to give us a quick list of three things drummers need to get a studio up and running. "I'm a huge Pro Tools fan," he says. "You're basically getting a studio in a box for almost nothing. So I'd say buy a Pro Tools Digi 003, because it has mic pre's built into it. Then get the best mics you can afford, even if they're just Shure SM57s. And make sure you have some good-sounding drums. Then just start recording. Once you get going, you'll find it's like creating your own destiny, where you're making opportunities happen. A lot of people sit back and wait for the phone to ring. But when you have your own studio, you have to hustle to get work, which I think is very important these days. It keeps you hungry."
Author: Dawson, Michael
Date published: June 1, 2010
When I pull up to the front gate of longtime New York City session drummer/producer/programmer Sammy Merendino's beautiful four-story 1892 townhouse. which is nestled in a surprisingly quiet and low-key section of West Harlem, I can't help but wonder if I'm at the right address. Could there actually be a drum studio in there? One of Merendino's neighbors-who is tending to some flowers when I climb out of my car-must notice my confused look, as she shouts down from her stoop, "You here for Sammy? This is the place."
Once inside. I'm struck by how classy the house looks and feels. Everything from the rich hardwood flooring to the soft natural lighting to the vintage decor seems to pay homage to the home's high-society nineteenth-century origins. Well, everything except the four-piece Sonor drumkit. the paper-thin prototype Paiste cymbals, and the dozen or so microphones occupying what was originally a formal sitting room for houseguests.
I ask Sammy-who's spent the past nine years playing and recording with pop icon Cyndi Lauper and has a track record that includes everyone from R&B legends Cameo (Word Up!) to songwriting greats Hall & Oates (Ooh Yeah!) and Billy Joel (Storm Front) to guitar god Pat Metheny (Secret Story)-if he had always intended to turn a portion of his home into a studio. "Yeah, that was part of the beauty of it," he says. "I've had studios my whole life. And I had a studio downtown on 13th Street for a while. But I decided I wanted to have something set up at home, because I could see the trend of having to work this way. So when my wife and I found this house, I knew I wanted to have a studio here.
"It's morphea over the years," the drummer continues. "Originally the studio was in one of the downstairs rooms, which is the control room now. But I wanted the drums to sound a little bigger. Luckily my wife is cool and was like, 'Why don't you put your drums in there?' So now I have the front room set up as my live room."
Because his drums and his control room are separated by a flight of stairs, Merendino keeps his basic setup consistent in order to streamline the recording process. "When I track by myself. I'll record a little bit and then run downstairs to listen to it," he explains. "Then I'll tweak things. I also have a remote setup with a keyboard and a monitor that I use to control Pro Tools from behind my drumset. That way I can just go upstairs and play. I leave the mics set, so I don't have to change things each time."
In addition to being hired to play drums or program beats on different tracks, Sammy also uses BeatsMeNYC for production work. "I produce a lot, and I end up playing drums on most of those projects, unless the band has a good drummer," he says. "Or sometimes I'll hire someone else if I want a different sound." Merendino took an interest in production as a way to diversify his career and to get more involved in the creative side of record making. "When I would go in to do sessions, I'd bring in some new sounds that would have a lot to do with the overall sound of the album. I wanted to have a little more control so I could explore more of my own ideas. I also wanted to do things outside of being a drummer."
So, does having a studio play a role in landing production gigs? "Yeah, it's hard to produce without one now." Merendino says. "I ended up working with Cyndi because I had a studio. She called a friend of mine to record a track for a Rugrats movie. But he was busy, so he told her to call me. So Cyndi came in, and we hit it off right away. Later that night, she asked me to play on her new record. After we finished the Rugrats thing, she called me to play a Girls With Guitars show in California. After I did that, she asked me to do a two-week tour. All of this came from having the studio. It's like an instant network."
In closing, I ask Sammy to give us a quick list of three things drummers need to get a studio up and running. "I'm a huge Pro Tools fan," he says. "You're basically getting a studio in a box for almost nothing. So I'd say buy a Pro Tools Digi 003, because it has mic pre's built into it. Then get the best mics you can afford, even if they're just Shure SM57s. And make sure you have some good-sounding drums. Then just start recording. Once you get going, you'll find it's like creating your own destiny, where you're making opportunities happen. A lot of people sit back and wait for the phone to ring. But when you have your own studio, you have to hustle to get work, which I think is very important these days. It keeps you hungry."