Welcome to Thermal Studios
Welcome to Thermal Studios, a private recording and production facility located near the Philadelphia area. The studio is owned and operated by engineer/producer Stephen McKnight, a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. This facility has a great mix of modern and vintage recording equipment, guitars, amps, keyboards and a great house drum kit. There is an all wood live room, guitars/amp room, vocal booth, lounge and control room- all wired for discrete or live recording.
The studio features an all analog path SSL console, with DAW control, flying faders and total recall. In addition to the 24 onboard SSL Super Analogue mic pres and G/E series eqs, there are also 24 Neve modules, and 22 API modules, giving the client the ultimate choice for front end preamps.
76 total channels in all, of the best vintage and modern mic pres.
All of this analog gear is converted by the Antelope Orion HD 32 interface, giving the user 64 in/out at up to 192k/32 bit. The DAW is Avid Pro Tools Ultimate running on a Mac Pro with all SSD drives.
Great gear and a great recording space are extremely important, but having a producer who listens and understands the artist is where the magic truly lives. Stephen prides himself on that more than anything else, so make contact and let's get to making great sounding music!
OUTBOARD GEAR
Mixing Console: Solid State Logic AWS 924 Delta |
Recorder: Pro Tools HDX Ultimate w/ Mac Pro 6 core 32gig ram- SSD drives |
Conversion: Antelope Orion HD 32 (64 channels in/out at 192k)
Ferrofish Pulse 16 CV - 64 channels via MADI at up to 192k
RME Digiface - mastering grade converters for mastering
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Monitor Speakers: Dynaudio BM6a, Yamaha NS 10 |
Aviom system- 3 mixers |
Neve RNHP 1 headphone amp |
Sennheiser HD650 |
Sony MDR 7509 (6) |
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SSL Super Analogue (24) |
Neve 1073 (24) |
API 512 C (22) |
Tree Audio Branch II |
MAAG PreQ 4 |
Helios type 69 |
Avalon 737sp |
Focusrite ISA 430 |
Joe Meek VC-2 (original- all tube path) |
SSL G series 4000 Master Buss |
SSL LMC |
SSL 4000 (2) |
AS1178 Stereo FET Compressor |
AudioScape Engineering 260vu |
Summit Audio TLA100A Tube Compressor |
AS BA-6A Tube Compressor |
UA 1176 LN |
DBX 165A |
Tube Tech CL1B |
Teletronix LA-2A |
Gates Sta-Level |
Tree Audio Branch II |
Empirical Labs Distressor |
Shadow Hills Optograph |
Focusrite 430 |
Avalon 737 |
Joe Meek VC-2 |
SSL G/E series (24) |
Neve 1073 (12) |
API 550 B (11) |
MAAG PreQ 4 |
Helios type 69 |
Pultec EQP tube equalizer |
Avalon 737sp |
Focusrite ISA 430 |
Tree Audio Branch II |
Eventide H9000 with Pro Tools expansion card - 32 in/out |
TC Electronics M3000
TC Electronics D2 |
Roland Space Echo RE-201 |
UA Thunderbolt Octo DSP (Oceanway, 1176 LN, LA2A, Neve 88R channel strip, Neve 33609, EMT 140, Fairchild, Ampeg SVT Pro, ADA tap delay) |
Sony C800G Tube Condenser |
Neumann M149 Tube Condenser |
Royer 121 ribbon (2) |
Neumann U67 |
Neumann U47 FET |
Neumann U87 |
Neumann KM184 (2) |
Neumann KMS 105 |
United Audio U47 FET |
Sennheiser 965 |
Shure SM7 B (w/cloudlifter) |
Rode NT-2 (2) vintage |
Cascade Fathead II ribbon (2) |
AKG C12vr |
AKG D12vr |
AKG 421 (4) |
AKG 391b |
AKG C3000 (2) |
AKG D1000e (vintage) |
EV RE-16 dynamic (2) |
Heil PR22 |
Shure Beta 52 |
Shure Beta 58 (2) |
Shure Beta 57 (2) |
Shure SM 57 (6) |
Telefunken M80 |
Granelli 5790 |
Audix D6 |
Audix D4 |
Audix D2 (2) |
Audix i5 | | |
Neve RNDI |
Countryman type 85(2) |
Radial J48 (2) |
UA Thunderbolt Octo DSP (Oceanway, 1176 LN, LA2A, Neve 88R channel strip, Neve 33609, EMT 140, Fairchild, Ampeg SVT Pro, ADA tap delay) |
Waves Horizon Bundle (all plugins) |
Softube bundle |
Kontakt Ultimate 13 |
Ivory II |
Steven Slate - all plugins |
Stylus RMX |
Trillian |
Addictive Drums 2 |
Addictive Keys |
Output |
Signal |
Exhale |
Friedman Brown Eye 100 Deluxe |
Victory Sheriff 25 |
BlackStar HT Club 50 |
1963 Silvertone 1484 |
1966 Fender Pro Reverb |
1965 Ampeg Portaflex SB-12 Combo |
2015 65 Amps Empire head |
1995 Vox AC-15 |
1965 Danelectro DM-25 |
1960 Supro Trojan |
2016 Splawn Street Rod Combo |
2015 Suhr Corso recording head |
2000 Marshall JCM 900 50 watt |
1987 Marshall JCM 800 50 watt head |
2018 Ampeg SVT 300 watt head with 8x10 cab |
Blackstar HT Studio 20 head and cabinet |
Vetta II combo |
Custom Ampersand 2x12 cabinet with Blue Alnico and Vintage 30 speakers |
SWR Working Man bass head |
1963 Silvertone 1484 eight tube 60 watt head with 2x12 cabinet |
SWR 4x10 bass cabinet |
Fender Rumble 500 |
2007 Egnater Renegade 65 combo |
Boss Katana 100 |
CUSTOM BUCKS COUNTY DRUMS |
10" 12" 16" 18" toms, 22" kick in waterfall Bubinga |
6.5”x14” Bubinga snare
6.5”x14” Chrome over brass |
Meinl Studio Set cymbals and hi hat |
TAMA STARCLASSIC |
10" 12" 14" toms, 22" kick |
Starclassic snare
J-Drums piccolo snare |
Paiste cymbals and hi hats |
Pearl Sensitone 5 1/2 X 14 snare |
Pearl Chad Smith signature 5x14 snare |
2011 Limited Edition Gold Buillion Gibson SG w/Graphtec Ghost System |
2021 Dean Zelinsky Private Label Dellateria |
2021 Fender Custom Shop Master Build Telecaster |
2021 G&L Doheny |
1978 Les Paul Custom |
1989 Custom Shop Stratocaster (neck through body) |
1974 Fender Jazz Bass |
2017 Music Man 5 string |
2020 Suhr Telecaster |
2019 Kauer Banshee Deluxe |
2001 Les Paul Custom Shop |
2020 Taylor TZ5 acoustic electric |
1973 Gibson SG standard w/Graphtech Ghost system |
2011 50th Anniversary Gibson SG w/Graphtech Ghost system |
1952 Nash Fender Tele Danny Gatton |
1977 Fender American Stratocaster |
1962 Fender Jaguar |
2015 DiPinto Mach IV w/Bigsby |
1998 G&L ASAT Special |
1989 Thermal Frankenstein Tele w/Graphtech Ghost system |
2024 Sire Marcus Miller Active Jazz Bass |
2000 Selva Custom bass |
2009 Fender Precision bass |
1999 Fender Jazz bass |
2006 Breedlove Atlas Acoustic |
1952 Vicente Tatay classical |
1990 Seagull 12 string |
Stephen McKnight is a Philadelphia area based singer/songwriter/producer who owns Thermal Studios, a state-of-the-art recording studio and production facility.
Stephen has made his living performing, recording and songwriting for many years, both in the USA and in Tokyo, Japan where he spent over seven years recording and performing. He recorded and or produced over 200 television commercials and eight CD releases while in Tokyo. Highlights include having two songs chart on the hot 100, singing the original "Zoom-Zoom" commercial for Mazda, (which got plenty of airplay in the US) and singing the US National Anthem in front of 65,000 people live and millions on ESPN internationally. Prior to going to Japan, Stephen had several albums released with Now, Kissing Nixon as well as under his own name.
Since building Thermal Studios in 2006, Stephen has recorded and produced numerous full length original albums with various artists. (Check out the audio samples tab!) He has also recorded commercials for Comcast/Xfinity, Versace, Toyota, Rent A Center, Charter Communications, AT&T, Nike and many others. Stephen also has a presence in original songs for various Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 games. Konami is a long time client, as well as Sony Games and most recently Capcom. The newest Resident Evil game (available March 2012) includes Stephen's original song "The Spaces In Between". Stephen has built a fantastic recording studio which has all the amenities of a commercial studio, but located within a private residence. Producing, mixing, and or recording your project is his passion- no project too big or small.
For more information please email
thermalproductions@yahoo.com or call (215) 359-6271.