Playhouse Studio is a hybrid music-recording studio owned and operated by multi-instrumentalist/producer/engineer Snappy Homefry. Snappy earned his name when another musician noticed how quickly he picked up the guitar. After graduating from The Harris Institute for the Arts, Snappy began working with an established recording studio. It was here that he first honed his skills and worked with some great Canadian talent, including virtuoso guitarist Kevin Bright and soul singer Jackie Richardson. Snappy acquired his first piece of recording equipment in 2004 and since then, the studio has developed into a sophisticated workspace for serious audiophiles.
What makes Playhouse Studio unique is its design as a hybrid studio that uses both old and new techniques and equipment. Snappy takes the best of both and marries them. For example, he may use vintage microphones and amps to give his recordings a distinct sound, while using current editing software. While it’s common for producers to rely on computerized recording — an approach referred to in the business as ‘in the box’ — Playhouse Studio uses an analog summing-amp, which allows the music to retain a warm analog sound.
“My palette has been refined and now I’m able to hear the subtleties,” Snappy says of the analog amp. “I can’t live without it now.”
