Royal Blue Studios: Bed-Stuy's Hidden Treasure

Who would have known? Right off of Fulton Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, nestled in the basement of Restoration Plaza is a state-of-the-art recording studio.

But the non-assuming recording powerhouse is no newbie to the industry nor the area: Royal Blue Studio is filled with a history that dates back more than 40 years.

Upon entering the studio, at first glance, the entrance leaves a lot to be desired. What you expect is a small, underfunded, community recording studio with modest and maybe out-of-date equipment.

But walk completely inside, and you see platinum records lining the walls, leading down to an orchestra-sized recording room with all the bells and whistles anyone could ask for.

The studio was built in the 70s, around the time Restoration was founded, and it was originally designed by CBS studios. Since then, the studio has taken on a storied life of its own, playing host to musicians from all over New York City.

“This studio is one-of-a-kind. It’s a very vintage studio; they just don't make them like this anymore,” said Bruce Spears, a recording artist from the group The Puppet Heads. “This neighborhood has a lot of musical history as well. A lot of artists have come [through] here over the years.”

“This is the real deal here” said Junior Gary Charles, an engineering intern at Royal Blue.

Music greats such as jazz legends George Benson, Dave Brubeck and Stanley Banks (longtime Bassist for George Benson) have recorded at Royal Blue and have given the studio their personal endorsements.

Today, Royal Blue is touted as a community recording facility where neighborhood residents and groups can record at an affordable price. The Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation now is moving to expand the studios services to the community, preparing the studio to soon become an accredited recording engineering school. 

Director of Engineering Robert Honablue, who has 45 years of engineering experience under his belt, says what is so unique about Royal Blue is that unlike other recording studios, Royal Blue focuses primarily on the traditional technique of analog recording rather than the newer digital recording process that many studios have turned to.

Analog recording is a process in which sound is recorded on magnetic tape or a vinyl disc, unlike digital where sound is recorded as a series of digital one's and zero's, which Honablue, as well as other artists and engineers feel offers inferior sound quality.

Royal Blue features three separate rooms that offer distinct services within the recording process:

The main recording room is large enough to fit a 10-20 piece orchestra inside and sits right above the A and C train. But Honablue insists that the recording room is completely isolated from the noise.

Just across from the recording room is the main control room, which features a 48-channel mixing console, as well as various analog tape recorders and effects boards. The last room, which is also the smallest, is where all of the final mixing and mastering is done.

“The studio itself produces a real nice sound that you can’t find anywhere else,” said Al Husband, a local musician and leader of the band, The Baritone Saxophones.

“The studio has a very old and retro feel to it, which I love, especially for a classical musician,” said Ina Alexandroff, a classical music pianist and composer. “Robert is one of the best engineers; he has a great ear for music and a great vision.”

Honablue has mastered some the most popular albums of all time including: Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin II, Santana's Abraxas, and Miles Davis' Bitches Brew. Honablue was also the first African-American engineer at CBS studios in the late 60s.

Twelve-year-old Emmanuel Lyons, a local rapper and musician who goes by the stage name ‘Slate’ says he loves coming to the Royal Blue Studio because it is welcoming to kids: "I like having a studio here, because it gives kids the opportunity to come here and sing, play, and do whatever."

Royal Blue Studios is open Monday through Sunday, but by appointment only. If you’re interested in recording at Royal Blue or visiting, you can contact them at 718-398-2290.