Slightly Above Average
Slightly above average studios
Mobile Recording, Mixing and Shedding Space
Built on wheels and powered by an electric battery, this off-grid, mobile studio is designed combining professional recording studio sound-design, with tiny house construction strategies, and environmentally-conscious building strategies.
Currently parked at the wonderful Moonflower Collective on the outskirts of Nelson, BC, this studio is a plug-and-play system, ideal for mixing, recording, or simply your new favourite place to shed.
Gear List:
Universal Audio Apollo x4
Yamaha HS5 Speakers
Yamaha HS8S Sub (coming soon)
Yamaha Headphones
XLR and 1/4” cables
88 Key Semi-Weighted Keyboard
3 Octave Midi keyboard
Fretless Electric Bass
Various Percussive Instruments
(Shaker, Tambourine, Guiro, Drumsticks and Drum Pad)
LG Curved Computer Monitor
HDMI Cable
Apple USB-C Multiport Adapter
USB Bluetooth Mouse
Bluetooth Macbook Computer Keyboard
*Note that using the UA interface will require downloading UA software
**There is currently no wifi available, there is service to hotspot or depending on your DAW of choice, you are encouraged to embrace the offline space.
Interior Dimensions:
Floor: 7.5’(W) x 14’(L)
Ceilings: 9.5’ -> 7.5 (sloped)
The Build:
If you have any questions or interest in drawings or plans for the studio, feel free to contact here!
A little about me and this project:
The upright bass is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful instruments on the planet (fact). It is also one of the most frustrating instruments to record yourself. It’s meticulously crafted, reverberant body takes up far too much space, cannot easily be set down, and its 10-foot long sound waves are so often choked inside a small space. As a self-recording upright bassist, I was quite frustrated with my setup.
Furthermore, when I was finishing my first full length album, I found it surprisingly challenging to access a sound-controlled space where I could listen to these mixes. I longed to work from anywhere but my bedroom, however, trying to devote a separate space in the house meant committing myself to the home I was currently living in, which was not a permanent situation.
Slightly Above Average Studios is my solution to all of these things. I wanted to create as perfectly a treated room as I could make with a great vibe that inspired me, and whoever else was working there, to be present and create. I wanted to be able to share it, and take it with me wherever life’s adventures may go, and I wanted to build it as environmentally-friendly as possible.
My hope is this versatile space will be a tool for many of us to use, throughout our various musical pursuits. Whether you are recording, editing, mixing acoustic or electronic music, podcasts, wish to record live video or just practice your instrument, may you let this space inspire you.
For rates and dates please, including weekly or monthly access, please use the Contact Page or email jillianmckennamusic@gmail.com
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
(Photo by Louis Bockner)