Stebbing_Studios

Stebbing Studios

Stebbing Studios

Recording studio in Auckland, New Zealand

Stebbing Studios is a recording studio in Auckland, New Zealand. Artists who have recorded at the studio over the years include Ray Columbus & The Invaders, Split Enz, Gary Havoc & The Hurricanes, Th' Dudes, The Human Instinct, and Waves.[1]

Quick Facts Owner, Opened ...

The studio was founded by Eldred Stebbing, who also founded pioneer New Zealand music label Zodiac Records. Stebbing originally set up a recording studio in the basement of his family home in the Auckland suburb of Avondale in 1946.[1] He later built the Stebbing Recording Centre in 1970 on Jervois Road, where it is still in operation today.[2] The studio is well known for its importance to New Zealand music history, and is considered iconic.[3][4][5]

History

1970s

In 1970, the Stebbing Recording Centre was constructed on Jervois Road. At the time, Stebbing was the first studio in New Zealand to feature eight track recording technology.[6]

During 1974-1975, New Zealand singer-songwriter John Hanlon recorded at Stebbing.[7] In December 1974, Dragon recorded their Scented Gardens for the Blind album at the studio.[8] Also during 1974-1975, The Human Instinct recorded tracks for their Peg Leg album. The master tapes from the original sessions went missing inside the Stebbing archives, and were later rediscovered in 2001.[9] Australian Jazz musician Don Burrows recorded his album The Tasman Connection at Stebbing, which was released on the Cherry Pie label in 1976.[10]

1980s

By 1981, Stebbing Studios was one of four New Zealand recording studios to feature twenty four track recording facilities.[6]

1990s

In 1999, the studio entered into a CD production venture with Hargon International. Stebbing later bought Hargon out and invested $10 million in a new CD/DVD manufacturing plant that opened the same year in Ponsonby, close to the original recording studios.[11] The plant became the largest CD/DVD replication facility in New Zealand, producing 60,000 units a day at its peak.[12]

2000s

By the 2000s, the main studio had been expanded to accommodate up to sixty musicians.[13]

Eldred Stebbing died in 2009, aged 88.[14]

2020s

In 2023, Stebbing announced their expansion into producing vinyl LPs, based out of the same manufacturing facility as their CD/DVD plant.[12] The plant was originally scheduled to open in March 2023, but the arrival of the record press was delayed by the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods.[15] The plant opened in August 2023, with the ability to manufacture 900 records a day.

Recorded artists

Partial list

Remastering, duplication, etc.

  • The Yardmen - Bricks And Mortar - (2010) (duplication)[21]
  • Ray Woolf - Ray Woolf - The Sixties Collection - 2012 (remastering)[22]

References

  1. [1]
    "The Stebbing Legacy - Article | AudioCulture". www.audioculture.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  2. [2]
    New Zealand Herald, Tuesday Dec 8, 2009 Kiwi music pioneer Stebbing dies - By Scott Kara Archived 2016-09-11 at the Wayback Machine
  3. [3]
    Auckland City Harbour News, 19/04/2013 Waves of vinyl roll in from the 70s - Danielle Street Archived 2016-09-18 at the Wayback Machine
  4. [4]
    Concrete Playground The Bluffer’s Guide to Recording a Song, Stebbing Recording Centre Archived 2016-10-08 at the Wayback Machine
  5. [5]
    Waikato Times, 30/05/2013 Cambridge teen's song goes national - Johnathan Carson
  6. [6]
    National Library of New Zealand The history of recording in New Zealand, 6. New Recording Technologies, the 1960s and 1970s Archived 2010-05-25 at the Wayback Machine
  7. [7]
    National Library of Australia The very best of John Hanlon (sound recording) / John Hanlon Archived 2016-08-22 at the Wayback Machine
  8. [8]
    National Library of New Zealand Scented gardens for the blind (sound recording) / Dragon
  9. [9]
    "Long lost Peg Leg album from Human Instinct released". www.wordworx.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2023-01-25. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  10. [10]
    The Sun Herald, December 12, 1976 Page 134 Records, One the Birdsville Track By Gil Wahlquist
  11. [11]
    "NZ wants bigger CD slice - Technology News". NZ Herald. 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  12. [12]
    "Feature - Pressing Vinyl The Stebbing Way". NZ Musician. Archived from the original on 2023-02-11. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  13. [13]
    Billboard, November 30, 2002 Page 44, New Zealand
  14. [14]
    New Zealand Herald, Tuesday Dec 8, 2009 Kiwi music pioneer Stebbing dies - By Scott Kara Archived 2016-09-11 at the Wayback Machine
  15. [15]
    Williams, Andrew (2023-06-18). "'Overwhelming' demand from artists for new vinyl record press". Stuff. Archived from the original on 2023-06-29. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  16. [16]
    New Zealand Herald, Apr 13, 2013 70s band Waves set to gain new generation of fans- By Scott Kara Archived 2016-09-11 at the Wayback Machine
  17. [17]
    WorldCat Gary Havoc & the Hurricanes
  18. [18]
    Discogs Gary Havoc & The Hurricanes – Havoc! Archived 2016-10-26 at the Wayback Machine
  19. [19]
    National Library of New Zealand 2003, 1961, English, Sound, Recorded music edition: The very best of Bill & Boyd (sound recording). Archived 2016-08-22 at the Wayback Machine
  20. [20]
    North Shore Times, 20/03/2014 Navy band breaks its 32-year silence - Simon Maude Archived 2016-09-19 at the Wayback Machine
  21. [21]
    The Southland Times, 21/08/2010 Simon says
  22. [22]
    New Zealand Herald, Saturday Aug 25, 2012 When Ray Woolf ran wild, By Scott Kara Archived 2016-09-11 at the Wayback Machine

36°50′42.64″S 174°44′23.55″E
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