We recently caught up with Troy Germano, owner of Germano Studios | The Hit Factory in New York City.
Troy has been in the recording business since 1975, and many of the biggest names in entertainment have recorded at the studios he oversees, from John Lennon and The Rolling Stones to Luciano Pavarotti, Sinatra, Peter Gabriel, and many, many other household names.
Not long ago, Troy added some Austrian Audio microphones to his studios’ microphone selection and encouraged his engineers to give them a try: the OC818 large-diaphragm condenser and the CC8 small-diaphragm condenser. Check out the video to hear Troy discuss how the mic tests have been going, and to learn more about the history of Germano Studios, some of the challenges and successes they’ve faced over the years, and some recent high-profile projects.
The Austrian Audio microphones are impressive at first sight, Troy says, even before they’re plugged in. “The machining of the microphones is impeccable,” he says. “And the presentation, the way they’re packed in the case—to me that makes a big difference. We pride ourselves on our microphone collection, and we’re always enhancing that collection.” The packaging and build quality alone let clients know that Austrian Audio is a company that takes microphones “extremely seriously,” he says.
Troy’s engineers have been using the OC818s quite a bit. “They’re using them on drums, acoustic guitars, and some vocals.” Two OC818s were recently used to close-mike rack toms and floor toms on a recording session for blues-rock guitarist/singer/songwriter Joe Bonamassa. “They loved the way they sounded,” he says.
One of the engineers was so impressed with the OC818 sound that he purchased a pair for his own personal use. “He’s very proud of them,” Troy says. “So far, [the OC818s] are off to a great start here. I see them as being a big plus for our studios.”
Troy says they’ve not had an opportunity to put the brand-new CC8 small-diaphragm mics through their paces yet, but when they do we’ll check back in and let you know how they’re going over at Germano Studios | The Hit Factory.
