SERVICES
RECORDING
Highest quality audio recordings made with premium studio gear in a beautiful, acoustically tuned live room that inspires musicians to create their best art
MIXING
INTERNET BROADCAST
High fidelity, 3 dimensional, radio-ready mixes that allow your music to stand out in a crowded and competitive market
Come in and use the studio as a place to perform live and broadcast a virtual concert over the internet
VOICE OVER
Our Sennheiser MKH416 is set up in our isolated, dead quiet, vocal booth and ready for your voice over session. And our Source-Connect and ipDTL apps can transmit your recording to a remote studio.
EDUCATION
The studio facilities are available to institutional and educational programs aimed at advancing knowledge of recording and audio engineering
At Black Sheep Recording Studios, It's all about having a Great Experience.
OUR WORK
ABOUT US
Make the studio disappear. That’s the lesson from Steve Addabbo, grammy awarded studio owner and chief engineer at Shelter Island Sound.
What does that mean? From the perspective of the artist, the studio space, technology, and engineering process should never be in the way, or constrain the artist in any way.
In other words, a great recording studio eliminates barriers to artist creativity and provides an environment where musicians flourish and are inspired to create their best work. And that means producing recordings that are not only brilliant in their performance, but also sonically exceptional.
At Black Sheep Recording Studios, that’s what we do.
Located just south of New Paltz NY (Exit 18 on The New York State Thruway), Black Sheep Recording Studios offers premium audio recording and mixing services in a beautiful location at the foot of the Shawangunk Ridge, at the western border of the Great Appalachian Valley.
It's all about the experience.
Artists dedicated to their craft can take advantage of a spacious, acoustically tuned live room, premium studio gear, and an intimate, yet professional studio environment. In addition, as a Black Sheep client, you get a studio owner and recording engineer who will be as excited and as dedicated to your success as you are.
GEAR
Microphones
1 Wunder CM7 S Tube (M7 Capsule)
1 sE Electronics RNT Premium Tube
1 Neumann KM56c Tube (1970)
1 Chandler Limited TG (Abbey Road)
2 Schoeps CMC6 (Wide Stereo Pair)
1 Scheops CMC6 (Cardioid)
2 Gefell M300 (Stereo Pair)
2 Warm Audio WA 87
2 Coles 4038 Ribbon (Matched Pair)
2 Royer R10 Ribbon (Matched Pair)
1 Beyer M160 Ribbon
1 AKG D112
4 Audix D2
4 Audix D4
2 Shure SM58
1 Shure Beta 58A
Keys
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Yamaha C7 Conservatory Grand Piano (D Model -1982) - Polished Ebony
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Hammond B3 Organ (1974) w/Leslie Model 122
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M-Audio Keystation 49 Midi Controller
Bass Amplifiers
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Ampeg PF-115HE 1x15" 450-Watt Portaflex Bass Cabinet with Horn
Preamps
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Leslie 122 Combo Preamp
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Multiple UA Classic PreAmp Plugins
Stereo Mix Bus
SSL XLogic G Series Bus Compressor
Dynamics
1 SSL XLogic G Series Bus Compressor
1 Warm Audio Stereo Bus Compressor
1 Elysia mpressor 500 Compressor
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UAD-2 Classic Compressor Plugins
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Premium plugins from FabFilter, Waves, iZotope
Guitars & Bass
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Fender Stratocaster (Silver) HSH Pau Ferro Fingerboard & Humbuckers
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Fender Stratocaster (Cream) w/Rosewood Fingerboard (Mexico)
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Fender American Performer Precision Bass w/Rosewood Fingerboard
Guitar Amplifiers
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Marshall 1936 150-watt 2x12" Extension Cabinet
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EVH 5150 III EL34 50-watt 2x12" Cabinet
DIs
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3 Rupert Neve Designs RNDI-S Stereo Active Transformer Direct Box
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1 Rupert Neve Designs RNDI
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Integrated DIs in the Neve and API Microphone Preamps
System & Power
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ProTools Studio 2024.6
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HOFA Mastering and DDP Production Software
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27” iMac, 3.6GHz 8-core Intel Core i9, 64 GB memory, macOS Sonoma
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Studio Internet Bandwidth 600/35
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Avid S1 EUCON control surfaces (linked) with tablet meter bridge, providing 32 automated digital faders
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Heritage Audio RAM 2000 Monitor Controller
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Drawmer CNC2 Monitor Controller
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Source-Connect v3.9 for Remote Voice Over to and from another studio
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ipDTL Web Application for Remote Voice Over to and from another studio
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CyberPower 1000 VA / 700 W, Line Interactive, Pure Sine Wave UPS
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Furman Professional SS-6B Surge protectors and line filters
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Clean AC Power with isolated grounding throughout the studio
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Variable AC Power Transformers controlling all studio lighting
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Logitech C920 Pro HD Webcam
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TeleStream Wirecast One Video Streaming Software
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Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB Audio Interface
EQs
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Variety of UAD-2 Classic EQ Plugins
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Premium plugins from FabFilter, Waves, iZotope
Monitors
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Focal SM9 Active Monitors (Control Room)
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Bowers & Wilkins 802 D3 Studio Monitors (Control Room)
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Yamaha NS10 Monitors (Control Room)
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JBL EON15 Active Monitors (Live Room)
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Rack mounted 16 channel Behringer Powerplay P16-I Headphone Monitoring System with 13 independent mixers
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8 Pair BeyerDynamic DT 770 PRO 250 ohm Closed-back Studio Headphones
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4 Pair Status CB1 Closed-Back Headphones
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4 Pair Sony MDR-7506 Closed-Back Headphones
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2 Pair Direct Sound EX29 PLUS Isolation Headphones
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Bryston 4B Power Amplifier
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Yamaha Integrated Amplifier
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Nakamichi CA5 Control Amplifier
3 Sonifex CM-LUX1 Balanced to Unbalanced Audio Converters
1 Sonifex CM-ULX1 Unbalanced to Balanced Audio Converter
Drums & Percussion
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DW Clear Acrylic Design Series 6 Piece Drum Set (8,10,12,16,18,22,14x6.5)
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DW Collector's Series American Maple 5 Piece Drum Set (Amber Oil Finish) (10,12,16,22,14x6.5)
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Yamaha Stage Custom Birch 3pc Bop Drum Shell Pack - 18" Kick, Cranberry Red
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Slingerland Vintage Drum Set (13,14,16, 24, 14)
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Pearl Export Series 5 Piece Drum Set (Black) (12,13,16,22,14x5.5)
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DW Performance Series Snare Drum - 8 x 14 inch - Natural Lacquer
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DW Collector's Series Black Nickel Over Brass Snare Drum 6.5x14"
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DW Collector's Series Black Nickel Over Brass Snare Drum 6.5x14
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DW Performance Series Snare Drum - 8 x 14 inch - Natural Lacquer
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Pearl Vari-pitch Cannon Roto Toms 8" and 10"
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Roland RT-30K, RT-30HR, & RT-30H Acoustic Drum Triggers
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Roland TD-10 V-Drum MIDI Percussion Sound Module with TDW
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Large selection of Cymbals (Zildjian, Sabian, Meinl, Paiste, Pearl)
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Meinl Luis Conte 3 Piece Conga Set
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Meinl Luis Conte Artist Series Bongos
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Variety of Authentic Hand Percussion Instruments
GALLERY
The Studio
The Live Room is a quiet, spacious 30 x 40 (1200 sq ft), climate and humidity controlled, acoustically tuned tracking space, with a ceiling vaulted to a height of 15 ft.
The room is large enough to accommodate artists, instruments, and recording equipment without the cramped and cluttered feel of smaller tracking spaces. Oak hardwood floors are installed through out the studio, and 6 beautiful sky lights channel natural light into the room.
In addition, the recording space is equipped with 3 distinct and acoustically isolated rooms used to avoid tracking leakage from other parts of the studio. The space is designed so that everyone in the studio, whether in the live room, control room, or any of the isolation rooms, has line of sight to everyone else in the studio.
The control room is a dedicated, acoustically isolated 800 sq ft area with large double glass window visibility to the tracking rooms. The room is spacious and furnished to host musicians, engineers, producers, and support staff comfortably during the recording and production processes.
The room is thoroughly acoustically treated with bass traps, anti-reflection panels, and diffusers to create the most anechoic listening room possible for monitoring, mixing, and mastering recordings of highest possible quality. All critical components in the control room are redundant to enhance studio reliability.
Session Pics
Scenic New Paltz, NY (Home to Black Sheep Recording Studios)
TESTIMONIALS
When the hairs on your arms rise during a listening session, and you get a huge grin on your face, you know that (a) you're having a tremendous amount of fun, and (b) you're listening to a true reference-quality recording
I had a great experience recording my next album at Black Sheep Recording Studios. Enjoyed the location - right near my house. Enjoyed the clean, full of light and large studio setting with excellent equipment. Really enjoyed the Hammond B3 in the house!
It was fantastic to work with Jeffrey and he was always on time and gave 100 percent. I recorded 16 songs so was there for a few days.The musicians I hired where from all over so they stayed at the Hampton Inn , New Paltz. I would recommend this studio highly.
Rebecca Coupe Franks - Musician, Composer
Great resource, easy going, beautiful space!
Jessica Jones - Musician, Composer
As both a producer and an artist I would highly recommend recording at Black Sheep Recording Studios with the one and only Jeffrey Frey.
The studio is state of the art with an incredible microphone collection, great amps, three isolation booths for band sessions and a spacious live room full of natural sky light that inspires imagination and creativity.
Jeff is incredibly patient, knowledgable, and supportive with a presence that allows you to relax and be who you are in order to achieve your best recordings and mixes. He doesn't rest or quit until you're happy with your product.
The best feature of all? The sound! The signal chain at Black Sheep is absolutely delicious to your ears especially from the comfortable control room with its impressive set up of reference monitors. If it sounds like I'm bragging, you're right, I am. I love this place and it feels like home to me and my clients.
Thank you for doing us all a favor and turning your dream into a reality Jeff. I'll see you on the other side of the microphone.
Paulo Coelho - Musician, Composer, Author, Producer
Streaming Now
The final product surpasses my wildest expectations and hopes at the outset of this adventure. Thank both for your thoughtful steering, patience and encouragement. The sound is fantastic; I am so proud of the project and beyond grateful I stumbled across Black Sheep in my totally careless and un-researched stumble into this.
Kevin Muller - Composer
The studio is a beautiful peaceful space that allows the artist room to relax into their craft.
Jeff is so patient, positive, quick with a joke (if needed), and pays attention to details. I always feel he is going that extra mile on our projects. All in all, a great experience at Black Sheep.
Sarah Williams - Director of Choral Activities and Senior Lecturer of Music, Marist College
It is rare that you find someone who is as passionate about your work as you are.
I've had the honor and privilege of working with Jeffrey Frey for the past three years with my a cappella group, Time Check (from Marist College). Each year, the quality of our recordings has gotten better and better.
Jeff became a great supporter of what we do and pushed us to work harder as musicians. We have yet to finish our most recent CD, but Jeff has been so accommodating and just as eager to finish the record as we are.
The studio is an incredible space and one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. If you are looking to record, be sure to check out Black Sheep Recording Studios!
Thomas Vestuto - Singer, Social Media Director for Time Check at Marist College
I just want to give some words of praise for Jeff Frey, and his world class recording studio “Black Sheep Recording Studios.
Due to Covid-19, I ( T. Vala Trio ) had to use four studios to complete my CD/EP “ So Good Your Around”. In Jeff's studio, I recorded my vocal tracks, and guitar overdubs. His vocal room, as well as his microphone collection, is 1st Class.
Jeff is a top notch engineer. My vocal beds were completed ( 4 songs ) in less than 4 hours, and I was delighted with the results. We also dialed in the perfect guitar tone on his Vox AC30 for some killer guitar solos and overdubs.
I can “Highly Recommend “Black Sheep Recording Studios.
Thomas Vala - T. Vala Trio
I am an author and voice my audiobooks. My first at-home audiobook turned out an acceptable product, but the time it took me to record and edit made it a horrendous experience. It took me months and an exorbitant amount of hours.
I recorded my next book at Black Sheep Recording Studios and I would never go back to home recording again. Not only was the sound quality better, I knocked the book out in one day. After that, Jeff Frey handed me the finished product and had it uploaded to Audible in less than two weeks.
Besides that, the studio is new and beautiful and Jeff is a true professional who has new state-of-the-art equipment. I recorded my next book there as well. I highly recommend Black Sheep Recording Studios.
Mike De Lucia - Author
Before too much time passes, I just want to thank you for the outstanding work you did on recording the guitar part for my daughter in California. You made me feel very welcome and right at home; I knew I was in the right hands.
I look forward to working with you again.
Mark Reynolds - Musician / Guitar Player
Recording at @blacksheeprecording was a phenomenal experience.
Jeff is a level 89 alien wizard. And I left that place a changed man.
He has a depth of knowledge in his craft that can only come from years of hard work and diligent study. He’s the opposite of egotistical. Endlessly professional. And he clearly cares deeply about the work he’s doing.
He also doesn’t just push the buttons and set up the microphones. He goes above and beyond. He offers solutions to problems, checks in with you to see how you’re feeling about the music, points out tracking mistakes that need to be fixed, guides you through the process, and makes suggestions on the production.
I am extremely happy with the recordings we created and the experience I had.
The space is clean, airy, and beautiful. With skylights courtesy of the wise and powerful @paulocoelhomusic , who is also a 4th prestige Jedi master.
Thanks for the guidance, Paulo! You have not once steered me wrong.
I’m going to happily come back here every chance I can and I would encourage everyone else to check out the studio as well.
It’s really a special place.
Matt Holloran - Musician, Songwriter
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