Nestled among West Grace Street storefronts sits a nondescript building marked with little more than the number nine on its facade. Once a 7,500 square foot shop stocked full of washers and dryers, the 1930s digs now boast new tenants touting state-of-the-art production studios and is home to a creative interchange for freelance graphic designers, mixers, editors, videographers and photographers.
[l to r]: Jody Boyd & Marna Bales (Red Amp Audio), Chris Williams (Mad Box Post), Melanie Cox & Macy Kaczmarek (Spang TV), Andrew Uvarov (Red Amp Audio).
With sleek multi-purpose rooms and top-of-the-line recording equipment, 9WG Studios is receiving accolades nationwide.
9WG Studios, launched in October 2009, gave the historic spot a million-dollar facelift and is attracting industry attention for its audio recording suites, two-story tracking room and editing services.
Bringing cutting-edge aesthetics to RVA, the facility was designed by studio bau:ton and nonzero\architecture's principal, Swiss-born Peter Grueneisen. With sleek multi-purpose rooms and top-of-the-line recording equipment, 9WG Studios is receiving accolades nationwide. The revamp was recently featured as the "Class of 2010" cover story in Mix, a leading professional audio and music production publication.
Perhaps more impressive than the building and studio gadgetry, is the collection of talent that 9WG has attracted. Marna Bales, Jody Boyd, and Melanie Cox are the owners of the facility, which warehouses three distinct businesses-Spang TV (production company), Mad Box Post (filmmakers/video editing), and Red Amp Audio (music composition, recording, audio post and mixing services).
By working together under one roof, the creative collective at 9WG offers an environment in which a client can have access to a one-stop shop of diverse independent contractors.
As co-owner of Red Amp Audio, Bales explains, "I've always loved being in a studio. I can remember being in a studio for the first time in high school and I was enamored with it." Bales says that having her own facility, "is a dream that I never thought was obtainable."
Since launching their endeavor, Bales and Boyd have worked with everyone from big brands, such as Wal-Mart and Genworth, to local standouts, like as LaDifference and Virginia Farm Bureau. "For the level of what we do, we have to have the best equipment and environment out there," notes Bales.
"We operate as a full production facility," adds Boyd, who is also a popular local musician. "Very few around Richmond can do start-to-finish like this. Our three companies operate independently, but by partnering, we can also offer the whole ball of wax."
