By Kylee Swenson | Thu, 01 Oct 2009
STUDIO NAME: Opera Music
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA
KEY CREW: Mark Hoppus/Travis Barker (owners); Chris Holmes, James Ingram, Kevin Bivona (engineers)
LATEST PROJECTS: blink-182, Eminem, Motion City Soundtrack, Lil’ Wayne, New Found Glory, +44, Rick Ross, Swizz Beatz
COMPUTER, DAW, RECORDING HARDWARE: (2) Apple G5 dual 2.7 GHz computers running Pro Tools 8, with two Digidesign 192s and Sync I/O
MORE SOFTWARE: Ableton Live, Apple Logic, FXpansion BFD, Propellerhead Reason. Plug-ins and synths by Antares, Arturia, Line 6, McDSP, Native Instruments, Serato, URS, Waves
CONSOLE: Neve 8014 16-channel console
SAMPLERS, DRUM MACHINES: Akai MPC3000 and MPC4000, E-mu SP-1200, Roland TR-909
SYNTHS: Access Virus, Analogue Systems RS8000 modular synth, circuit bent Casio SK-1, Clavia Nord Lead 2X, Korg Oasys and Triton, Moog Lil Phatty and Minimoog Voyager
GUITARS, BASSES: Fender Bass VI six-string bass, Electric XII 12-string guitar, Esquire, Jazzmaster, Precision Bass, Mark Hoppus Signature Bass, Telecaster, and Tele Jr.; Gibson Les Paul and SG; Gretsch 6122 Country Gentleman
AMPS: Ampeg B-15, SVT Classic, and SVT-810; Bogner 412ST and Uberschall; Fender Princeton; Leslie 122; Marshall JTM45; Silvertone 1485; Vox AC30
DRUM KITS: A few OCDP kits, Roland V-Drums TD-20 electric kit, vintage Slingerland Radio King kit
MICS: AKG C 451; (6) Audix CX-111, (3) D1, (3) D2, (3) D3, (3) D4, (2) OM7, and (2) SCX1; (2) Beyerdynamic M 160; Blue Bottle and Kiwi; (2) DPA 4011; (2) Microtech Gefell UMT-70; Neumann KM 100 and U 87; (2) Royer R-121; (4) Sennheiser MD 421; (8) Shure SM57; (2) Telefunken U-47
PREAMPS: (2) Chandler TG2, (2) Grace m801, (2) Neve 1081, (2) Requisite PAL
EQ: API 550a and 550b, GML 8200, Manley Stereo Pultec EQ, Moog Parametric EQ
COMPRESSORS: (2) Chandler LTD-2, (2) Empirical Labs EL8-X Distressor, Fairman Tube Master, Smart Research C2, Tube-Tech LCA, (3) Universal Audio 1176 and 6176
EFFECTS: BBE 422 Sonic Maximizer, Sherman Filterbank 2x2 POWER CONDITIONING: (2) APC Smart-UPS, (2) Equi=Tech Balanced Power System
MONITORS: Furman HDS-16/HRM-16 cue system, Genelec 8240As, Tannoy SGM-10Bs

NOTES: Bass player Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker (blink-182 and +44) bought the studio in 2005 to start working on various projects. “When we bought it, one room was built out, and the second room was still being framed,” Hoppus says. “We rewired the building, installed the board, patch bay, and outboard gear, and finished construction on Studio B. It took a few months, but has been used nearly every day since.”

After five albums, blink-182 took a hiatus, but bass player Hoppus wanted to keep writing and recording. While starting his band +44 as a side project was a calculated effort, Hoppus stumbled into producing by chance. “We [blink- 182] took a band called Motion City Soundtrack on tour with us a few years ago,” Hoppus says. “On the tour, I talked with them at great length about music and recording. They were getting ready to go into the studio to start their next record, and at the end of the tour, they asked if I would produce it. I immediately said yes, never having produced anything, and not having heard a single demo of their new music.”

Over the years, Hoppus has recorded in his fair share of big, expensive studios, but Opera Music takes the pressure off of the ticking clock. And having two studios within Opera Music means that there’s no fighting over who gets to use the space when. “The two-studio configuration works great,” Hoppus says. “Having our own studio allows Travis and me to work at our own pace, on whatever we choose.” From recording with his own bands to producing other artists, Hoppus has broadened his experience in the studio. “I think the most important lesson I’ve learned in the studio is to be open to all ideas, and always trust your gut,” he says. “I want to continue working with bands that I like and help them define their sound and focus their ideas. It is an honor to be asked to be part of a band’s creating process. Watching a song evolve from an idea to a full song is a beautiful experience.”