Sound studio coming to museum

A team of studio designers say they will be building a “cutting edge recording studio” in Clovis using vintage analog recording equipment combined with modern digital technology.

The five men were on hand Monday for a press conference concerning the figurative groundbreaking in the Norman and Vi Petty Rock ‘n’ Roll Museum in the Clovis-Curry County Chamber of Commerce building on Grand Avenue.

Sam Berkow along with Aaron Willis, recording engineer Mark Salamone, producer/composer Lance Bendiksen and local electrical engineer Jay Fisher told of the plans for the project, which will be called “The Clovis Sound Studio.”

“This vintage equipment has something very special about it. It sounded more pure back in the day. We hope to capture that sound here,” Salamone said.

There was much talk among the panelists about the importance of acoustics in building the facility and getting it “just right.”

“Today is the kickoff day. We hope to be done by the first of August,” Bendiksen said.

Funding for the project comes from $400,000 in capital outlay money from the state Legislature put in for approval by former area lawmaker Randal Crowder.

“People will come to Clovis to make a record here, not just a recording,” Salamone said.