loldude333
New member
Hey mods, i'm not sure where to post this, so kopitiam seemed as good a place as any, although it might be good to have a Review-Studios section hahaha.
Anyway, i was at Liveamp yesterday for a jam, so here are my thoughts:
Location: Call me blind, but i had trouble finding the door to the studio. Despite having an iPhone in hand with its wonderful GPS navigational system, i still could not locate the door nor the Liveamp sign that was supposed to be there. It didn't help that the door numbers were rather small. Nevertheless, i did eventually find it after about 7mins of walking up and down the row.
Rating: 5/10
Staff: As i entered the office, i was greeted by a lovely lady who was polite and helpful, she showed my friends and i around the studio and always wore a smile. At the end of my jam, i had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Roland, he was a smily chap who welcomed me and made me feel right at home. He answered all my questions courteously and cheerfully and was more than happy to discuss music.
Rating: 8.5/10
Ambience/Decor: As i entered the studio, the first thing that struck me was the sense of classiness and yet a sense of homeliness. The decor was tasteful and well appointed, with a red fur carpet laid in front of a set of designer leather sofas in an L-shaped configuration. Next to the sofas was a drinks bar stocked with bottled water and soft drinks. The Liveamp name, slogan and website were on the back wall illuminated by a spotlight. The Auralex foam boards lent a touch of modern zest to the soft peach colour of the walls and the floor (a light, sandy shade of parquet or a similar wood). The lighting was bright enough without being overpowering, and it shone in the right places, ensuring that i did not have to squint or resort to using my iPhone screen to adjust the mixer, the amps or in the case of my drummer, the drumset. The stools were arranged neatly against the side of the studio, ensuring they did not get in the way. The air-conditioner temperature was just right, no fluctuations in the duration of our 2 hour jam. All in all a very conducive place to jam in, you'll feel right at home there. Couldn't find anything wrong.
Rating: 9/10
Equipment quality: Everything was new, hence the condition was of course pristine. What i was looking for was whether the equipment was of good quality and not some new but piece of crap thing that broke down easily. Suffice to say, i was not disappointed.
-Drums: An 6pc drumset with a ride, 3 crashes and a hi-hat. The crashes and ride sounded nice and round with good sustain, the toms had good resonance and were properly tuned. However, the snare drum was too trebly and sharp for my taste, it was too piercing for my band to take, so we disengaged the snare and left it at that. Also, the kickdrum sounded very empty, due to lack of sufficient padding inside it. The hi-hat was thin and did not sustain well. All this was feedback from my drummer, i'm not a drummer so my knowledge is very limited. However, the problems are pretty easily rectifiable, according to him. Correct me if i’m wrong.
Rating: 6.5/10
-Amps: 1x Marshall MA100H head 1x Marshall AVT150H head and cabs for guitars, 1 Marshall combo (didn’t get the model, sorry!) for bass. Nothing much to say, i guess the brand speaks for itself. Personally liked the AVT150H very much, it sounded good in the studio.
Rating: 8/10
-In-house instruments: Did not try the bass or the acoustic guitar, however the 2 guitars provided (Epiphone Les Paul Standard and Ibanez ART120) were in very good condition and well setup (something not always done in other studios). Loved the sound of the ART120 with the AVT150H. The myriad of straps available was also a huge plus for musicians who forget their straps.
Rating: 7.5/10
PA, microphones: Wharfdale Pro 8-channel mixer and speakers, not sure about the rack amplifier but there was only 1. 2x Shure SM57 microphones. Vocals were clear and crisp, playing with the EQ yielded good results (i’m not a soundman so my knowledge of sound engineering is rather limited, hence i don’t really know how to describe a ‘good’ sound). My acoustic guitar sounded well balanced plugged in, again the responsive EQ was a plus when mixing the sound. Speakers sounded spunky and bright, but lacked some depth, bass response wasn’t very good across the board. Also, the use of Shure SM57s was a little strange to me, as i know them as instrument mics. However, this did not affect the quality of the vocals.
Rating: 7/10
Keyboard: This was a letdown, as there was only 1 keyboard within the studio. Although this one sounded good and had quite a few bells and whistles, my keyboardist felt constrained by the 61 keys, a full 88 key set would have been more to his liking. Some bands have 1 synth and 1 keyboard, hence investing in another, full 88 key set might be a good idea.
Rating: 6/10
Overall equipment rating: 7/10
Sound: It was easy to get a well balanced sound within the studio thanks to the foam pads and the arrangement of the amps and speakers. Standing in all areas of the studio each instrument and the vocals were clear and the sound was uniform throughout. However, my drummer did complain about not being able to hear the bass well enough, this could be easily rectified by elevating the bass amp to the level of the stage. I also felt that the speakers could be lowered by about 30cm so that the sound is clearer on the floor.
Rating: 7.5/10
Arrangement of equipment: The amps and drumset were conveniently located, it was easy to access them and tweak them. However, seeing as there is enough space on the floor, the keyboard could be moved down.
Rating: 8/10
Others: The provision of operating instructions for each of the amps would be good for beginners, i felt it was a good idea. More guitar and music stands could be provided though.
Overall: I liked the studio very much, the blend of the decor, equipment, layout, sound and all impressed me. The reasonable rates plus the membership and extension of the non-peak hours to 8pm to accommodate students was a very customer-oriented move, one that is sure to win many fans. In conclusion, i have to say that for the price, Liveamp is probably one of the best studios i’ve ever jammed in before. Hopefully this remains true in the many years to come!
Overall rating: 8/10
Comparable studios (+/- 1 points):
Backbeats (7.5/10)
Hope i’ve covered most of the areas jammers look out for. Would appreciate if more people would step forward to add to my points, i am only a guitarist, hence the opinions on the sound, drums, PA, keys and bass may be a little skewed. Thanks all, cheers!
Anyway, i was at Liveamp yesterday for a jam, so here are my thoughts:
Location: Call me blind, but i had trouble finding the door to the studio. Despite having an iPhone in hand with its wonderful GPS navigational system, i still could not locate the door nor the Liveamp sign that was supposed to be there. It didn't help that the door numbers were rather small. Nevertheless, i did eventually find it after about 7mins of walking up and down the row.
Rating: 5/10
Staff: As i entered the office, i was greeted by a lovely lady who was polite and helpful, she showed my friends and i around the studio and always wore a smile. At the end of my jam, i had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Roland, he was a smily chap who welcomed me and made me feel right at home. He answered all my questions courteously and cheerfully and was more than happy to discuss music.
Rating: 8.5/10
Ambience/Decor: As i entered the studio, the first thing that struck me was the sense of classiness and yet a sense of homeliness. The decor was tasteful and well appointed, with a red fur carpet laid in front of a set of designer leather sofas in an L-shaped configuration. Next to the sofas was a drinks bar stocked with bottled water and soft drinks. The Liveamp name, slogan and website were on the back wall illuminated by a spotlight. The Auralex foam boards lent a touch of modern zest to the soft peach colour of the walls and the floor (a light, sandy shade of parquet or a similar wood). The lighting was bright enough without being overpowering, and it shone in the right places, ensuring that i did not have to squint or resort to using my iPhone screen to adjust the mixer, the amps or in the case of my drummer, the drumset. The stools were arranged neatly against the side of the studio, ensuring they did not get in the way. The air-conditioner temperature was just right, no fluctuations in the duration of our 2 hour jam. All in all a very conducive place to jam in, you'll feel right at home there. Couldn't find anything wrong.
Rating: 9/10
Equipment quality: Everything was new, hence the condition was of course pristine. What i was looking for was whether the equipment was of good quality and not some new but piece of crap thing that broke down easily. Suffice to say, i was not disappointed.
-Drums: An 6pc drumset with a ride, 3 crashes and a hi-hat. The crashes and ride sounded nice and round with good sustain, the toms had good resonance and were properly tuned. However, the snare drum was too trebly and sharp for my taste, it was too piercing for my band to take, so we disengaged the snare and left it at that. Also, the kickdrum sounded very empty, due to lack of sufficient padding inside it. The hi-hat was thin and did not sustain well. All this was feedback from my drummer, i'm not a drummer so my knowledge is very limited. However, the problems are pretty easily rectifiable, according to him. Correct me if i’m wrong.
Rating: 6.5/10
-Amps: 1x Marshall MA100H head 1x Marshall AVT150H head and cabs for guitars, 1 Marshall combo (didn’t get the model, sorry!) for bass. Nothing much to say, i guess the brand speaks for itself. Personally liked the AVT150H very much, it sounded good in the studio.
Rating: 8/10
-In-house instruments: Did not try the bass or the acoustic guitar, however the 2 guitars provided (Epiphone Les Paul Standard and Ibanez ART120) were in very good condition and well setup (something not always done in other studios). Loved the sound of the ART120 with the AVT150H. The myriad of straps available was also a huge plus for musicians who forget their straps.
Rating: 7.5/10
PA, microphones: Wharfdale Pro 8-channel mixer and speakers, not sure about the rack amplifier but there was only 1. 2x Shure SM57 microphones. Vocals were clear and crisp, playing with the EQ yielded good results (i’m not a soundman so my knowledge of sound engineering is rather limited, hence i don’t really know how to describe a ‘good’ sound). My acoustic guitar sounded well balanced plugged in, again the responsive EQ was a plus when mixing the sound. Speakers sounded spunky and bright, but lacked some depth, bass response wasn’t very good across the board. Also, the use of Shure SM57s was a little strange to me, as i know them as instrument mics. However, this did not affect the quality of the vocals.
Rating: 7/10
Keyboard: This was a letdown, as there was only 1 keyboard within the studio. Although this one sounded good and had quite a few bells and whistles, my keyboardist felt constrained by the 61 keys, a full 88 key set would have been more to his liking. Some bands have 1 synth and 1 keyboard, hence investing in another, full 88 key set might be a good idea.
Rating: 6/10
Overall equipment rating: 7/10
Sound: It was easy to get a well balanced sound within the studio thanks to the foam pads and the arrangement of the amps and speakers. Standing in all areas of the studio each instrument and the vocals were clear and the sound was uniform throughout. However, my drummer did complain about not being able to hear the bass well enough, this could be easily rectified by elevating the bass amp to the level of the stage. I also felt that the speakers could be lowered by about 30cm so that the sound is clearer on the floor.
Rating: 7.5/10
Arrangement of equipment: The amps and drumset were conveniently located, it was easy to access them and tweak them. However, seeing as there is enough space on the floor, the keyboard could be moved down.
Rating: 8/10
Others: The provision of operating instructions for each of the amps would be good for beginners, i felt it was a good idea. More guitar and music stands could be provided though.
Overall: I liked the studio very much, the blend of the decor, equipment, layout, sound and all impressed me. The reasonable rates plus the membership and extension of the non-peak hours to 8pm to accommodate students was a very customer-oriented move, one that is sure to win many fans. In conclusion, i have to say that for the price, Liveamp is probably one of the best studios i’ve ever jammed in before. Hopefully this remains true in the many years to come!
Overall rating: 8/10
Comparable studios (+/- 1 points):
Backbeats (7.5/10)
Hope i’ve covered most of the areas jammers look out for. Would appreciate if more people would step forward to add to my points, i am only a guitarist, hence the opinions on the sound, drums, PA, keys and bass may be a little skewed. Thanks all, cheers!
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