Bill Schwartz of North Wales recording studio Catapult Sound describes what a recording studio is simply as "a place where you're gonna move air."
Conveniently, the studio shares the same space on Center Street where he and business partner Jason Murray operate their web development business, Catapultweb.
The Catapult thing comes from a song they recorded with their band, Winston's Dog, which also features Community Housing Services social worker Jon Robins on vocals.
In a recent session at Catapult, Murray is laying down some important guitar riffs to the Winston's Dog song "Hairless." The song got airplay on WSTW's "Hometown Heroes" radio show, but the band feels the song needs to be freshened up and re-tracked.
The song is a swaggering, to-the-point rocker that will be on the band's to-be-named next CD.
Besides Murray and Schwartz, bassist Pete Mazzaccaro is present at the session.
Murray is playing a worn Fender Stratocaster plugged into an intimidating assortment of effects pedals and a reconstruction of a 1958 Fender Twin amp. He opts not to wear headphones while tracking his part, and does his first run-through sitting on the control room couch.
Proceeding takes are done in the control room rather than the Catapult live room. "This way I know they're not in here secretly making fun of me," Murray says.
Having their own studio allows the band to be meticulous in their recording approach. Take four finds Murray hitting his stride. Take five has to stop because of a guitar switch mishap, which is finally remedied by electrical tape.
Taking a break from the song, Schwartz calls up songs recorded by other local artists on the control rooms 42-inch monitor. There's rapper Trel Mack, sensitive rockers Spells and Curses, and singer/songwriter John McKeever, who lately has expanded his repertoire to include sketch comedy with the Bird Text Comedy Show.
"We're always here. Bands are always here," Schwartz said.
