Chicago Recording Company

Chicago Recording Company
Name	Chicago Recording Company
Type	Private
Founded	1975
Founder	Jeff and Kathy Hutt (original founders)
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Industry	Audio recording
Products	Music recording, mixing, mastering, post-production

Chicago Recording Company

Chicago Recording Company is a commercial audio recording facility established in 1975 and based in Chicago, Illinois. The studio has served a diverse roster of artists, composers, advertisers, and film producers, drawing clients from Nashville, Tennessee, Los Angeles, California, New York City, and international centers such as London and Tokyo. Over decades the company evolved alongside technological shifts from analog tape to digital audio workstations used by practitioners linked to Grammy Awards winners and major label executives from Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group.

History

The studio's origins trace to independent entrepreneurs in the mid-1970s who sought to create a recording hub in proximity to the cultural spheres of Lincoln Park, Chicago and the Loop (Chicago). During the 1980s and 1990s the facility expanded amid demand from artists affiliated with labels like Atlantic Records and Capitol Records. Collaborations with producers connected to Quincy Jones and engineers who worked with artists tied to Motown and Verve Records reinforced the company's reputation. The studio adapted through the arrival of digital technologies pioneered by firms such as Avid Technology and equipment by Neve Electronics and SSL (Solid State Logic). As the 21st century proceeded, partnerships with film production teams for projects linked to Chicago (film) and television studios servicing networks like NBC and FOX Broadcasting Company further diversified the client base.

Facilities and Locations

Located in downtown Chicago, the complex houses multiple rooms designed for tracking, mixing, and mastering, accommodating ensembles from solo vocalists associated with Island Records to orchestras used in motion picture scoring for companies like Disney and Warner Bros. Pictures. Rooms are equipped with consoles from manufacturers such as Neve Electronics and Solid State Logic and monitoring systems by Genelec and PMC (company). The building's proximity to transportation hubs like O'Hare International Airport and Union Station (Chicago) has made it accessible to touring acts from Madison, Wisconsin and international artists arriving via Heathrow Airport. Satellite suites and isolation booths allow simultaneous sessions for clients including producers who have worked with Dr. Dre and arrangers linked to Hans Zimmer.

Services and Specializations

The company provides services in music production, mixing, mastering, sound design, voiceover recording, and post-production for film and advertising. It offers audio-for-picture services integrating workflows compatible with software from Avid Technology and plugins by Waves Audio and iZotope. Advertising clients connected to agencies such as Wieden+Kennedy and Ogilvy have engaged the studio for campaigns featuring voice talent from Chicago and national spokespeople from The Tonight Show alumni. The facility supports live room tracking for ensembles associated with RCA Records and remote recording capabilities for live broadcasts on networks like CBS and streaming platforms tied to Netflix.

Notable Recordings and Artists

Sessions have included projects for mainstream artists affiliated with Atlantic Records, Elektra Records, and Columbia Records, as well as soundtracks associated with films produced by Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. Artists who have recorded at the studio include performers linked to Chicago (band), but also solo acts signed to Island Records and independent musicians connected to labels like Sub Pop and Matador Records. The facility has hosted producers and engineers who have collaborated with Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, and artists represented by Def Jam Recordings. Television and film scoring clients include composers who have worked on projects for HBO and Showtime, while commercial voiceover work has featured talent from agencies connected to The Second City improvisational theatre.

Awards and Recognition

The studio and its staff have been associated with projects that received accolades from institutions such as the Grammy Awards and the Emmy Awards. Engineers and producers who have worked at the facility have been credited on recordings nominated by the Recording Academy and on scores that received recognition from the Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE). Industry publications including Billboard (magazine) and Mix (magazine) have profiled the company for its contribution to the recording landscape in Chicago and the broader Midwest region.

Business and Ownership

Over its history the company underwent ownership and management changes reflecting the consolidation trends seen among media companies like Live Nation and label groups such as Universal Music Group. Leadership has included executives with backgrounds in studio management and commercial audio who liaised with agencies such as BBDO and corporate clients like McDonald's for sonic branding. The business model emphasizes service diversification, providing solutions for artists signed to boutique labels as well as large-scale audiovisual projects commissioned by studios like Lionsgate and broadcasters like ABC.

Category:Recording studios in the United States Category:Companies based in Chicago