Stebbing Studios

{{Short description|Recording studio in Auckland, New Zealand}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox venue | name = Stebbing Recording Studios | nickname = Stebbing Recording Centre | image = 20230303 124123 Stebbing Studios.jpg | image_caption = | address = | location = | coordinates = | type = | event = | built = | opened = 1970 | renovated = | expanded = | closed = | demolished = | owner = Stebbing family | construction_cost = | former_names = | seating_type = | seating_capacity = | website = https://www.stebbing.co.nz }}

'''Stebbing Studios''' is a recording studio in Auckland, New Zealand. Artists who have recorded at the studio over the years include Ray Columbus & The Invaders, Split Enz, Gary Havoc & The Hurricanes, Th' Dudes, The Human Instinct, and Waves.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The Stebbing Legacy - Article {{!}} AudioCulture |url=https://www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/the-stebbing-legacy |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=www.audioculture.co.nz |language=en |archive-date=2022-11-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108034957/https://www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/the-stebbing-legacy |url-status=live }}</ref>

The studio was founded by Eldred Stebbing, who also founded pioneer New Zealand music label Zodiac Records. Stebbing originally set up a recording studio in the basement of his family home in the Auckland suburb of Avondale in 1946.<ref name=":0" /> He later built the Stebbing Recording Centre in 1970 on Jervois Road, where it is still in operation today.<ref>''New Zealand Herald'', Tuesday Dec 8, 2009 [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10614056 Kiwi music pioneer Stebbing dies - By Scott Kara] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911123500/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10614056 |date=2016-09-11 }}</ref> The studio is well known for its importance to New Zealand music history, and is considered iconic.<ref>''Auckland City Harbour News'', 19/04/2013 [http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/auckland-city-harbour-news/8566468/Waves-of-vinyl-roll-in-from-the-70s Waves of vinyl roll in from the 70s - Danielle Street] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918164042/http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/auckland-city-harbour-news/8566468/Waves-of-vinyl-roll-in-from-the-70s |date=2016-09-18 }}</ref><ref>Concrete Playground [http://concreteplayground.com/auckland/arts-entertainment/music/the-bluffers-guide-to-recording-a-song/ The Bluffer’s Guide to Recording a Song, Stebbing Recording Centre] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008152406/http://concreteplayground.com/auckland/arts-entertainment/music/the-bluffers-guide-to-recording-a-song/ |date=2016-10-08 }}</ref><ref>''Waikato Times'', 30/05/2013 [http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/8733706/Cambridge-teens-song-goes-national Cambridge teen's song goes national - Johnathan Carson]</ref>

== History ==

===1970s=== In 1970, the Stebbing Recording Centre was constructed on Jervois Road. At the time, Stebbing was the first studio in New Zealand to feature eight track recording technology.<ref name="digital1.natlib.govt.nz">National Library of New Zealand [http://digital1.natlib.govt.nz/support/discover/m2essay.htm The history of recording in New Zealand, 6. New Recording Technologies, the 1960s and 1970s] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525173003/http://digital1.natlib.govt.nz/support/discover/m2essay.htm |date=2010-05-25 }}</ref>

During 1974-1975, New Zealand singer-songwriter John Hanlon recorded at Stebbing.<ref>National Library of Australia [http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/28114155?selectedversion=NBD24827798 The very best of John Hanlon (sound recording) / John Hanlon] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822142349/http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/28114155?selectedversion=NBD24827798 |date=2016-08-22 }}</ref> In December 1974, Dragon recorded their ''Scented Gardens for the Blind'' album at the studio.<ref>National Library of New Zealand [http://natlib.govt.nz/records/21451376?search%5Bpath%5D=items&search%5Btext%5D=%22Stebbing+Studios%22 Scented gardens for the blind (sound recording) / Dragon]</ref> Also during 1974-1975, The Human Instinct recorded tracks for their ''Peg Leg'' album. The master tapes from the original sessions went missing inside the Stebbing archives, and were later rediscovered in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Long lost Peg Leg album from Human Instinct released |url=https://www.wordworx.co.nz/Peg%20Leg%20release.htm |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=www.wordworx.co.nz |archive-date=2023-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125053057/http://wordworx.co.nz/Peg%20Leg%20release.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Australian Jazz musician Don Burrows recorded his album ''The Tasman Connection'' at Stebbing, which was released on the Cherry Pie label in 1976.<ref>''The Sun Herald'', December 12, 1976 [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19761212&id=RIVWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yeYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2708,3589590&hl=ko Page 134 Records, One the Birdsville Track By Gil Wahlquist]</ref>

===1980s=== By 1981, Stebbing Studios was one of four New Zealand recording studios to feature twenty four track recording facilities.<ref name="digital1.natlib.govt.nz"/>

===1990s=== In 1999, the studio entered into a CD production venture with Hargon International. Stebbing later bought Hargon out and invested $10 million in a new CD/DVD manufacturing plant that opened the same year in Ponsonby, close to the original recording studios.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-02 |title=NZ wants bigger CD slice - Technology News |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/nz-wants-bigger-cd-slice/SGUFZN6PXYGN3GNDRSNZSFREGM/ |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}}</ref> The plant became the largest CD/DVD replication facility in New Zealand, producing 60,000 units a day at its peak.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Feature - Pressing Vinyl The Stebbing Way |url=https://nzmusician.co.nz/features/pressing-vinyl-stebbing/ |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=NZ Musician |language=en |archive-date=2023-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211005200/https://nzmusician.co.nz/features/pressing-vinyl-stebbing/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===2000s=== By the 2000s, the main studio had been expanded to accommodate up to sixty musicians.<ref>''Billboard'', November 30, 2002 [https://books.google.com/books?id=Rg0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=Stebbing+Studios&pg=PA44 Page 44, New Zealand]</ref>

Eldred Stebbing died in 2009, aged 88.<ref>New Zealand Herald'', Tuesday Dec 8, 2009 [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10614056 Kiwi music pioneer Stebbing dies - By Scott Kara] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911123500/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10614056 |date=2016-09-11 }}''</ref>

=== 2020s === In 2023, Stebbing announced their expansion into producing vinyl LPs, based out of the same manufacturing facility as their CD/DVD plant.<ref name=":1" /> The plant was originally scheduled to open in March 2023, but the arrival of the record press was delayed by the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Andrew |date=2023-06-18 |title='Overwhelming' demand from artists for new vinyl record press |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/300907047/overwhelming-demand-from-artists-for-new-vinyl-record-press |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=2023-06-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629225039/https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/300907047/overwhelming-demand-from-artists-for-new-vinyl-record-press |url-status=live }}</ref> The plant opened in August 2023, with the ability to manufacture 900 records a day.

==Recorded artists== ===Partial list=== * Waves - ''Waves'' - 1975<ref>''New Zealand Herald'', Apr 13, 2013 [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10877180 70s band Waves set to gain new generation of fans- By Scott Kara] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911015547/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10877180 |date=2016-09-11 }}</ref> * Gary Havoc & The Hurricanes - ''Havoc!'' - 1979<ref>WorldCat [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/401287988 Gary Havoc & the Hurricanes]</ref><ref>Discogs [https://www.discogs.com/Gary-Havoc-The-Hurricanes-Havoc/release/6595787 Gary Havoc & The Hurricanes – Havoc!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026223229/https://www.discogs.com/Gary-Havoc-The-Hurricanes-Havoc/release/6595787 |date=2016-10-26 }}</ref> * Bill & Boyd - ''The Very Best of Bill & Boyd'' - 2003<ref>National Library of New Zealand [http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/28114147?q&versionId=33996591 2003, 1961, English, Sound, Recorded music edition: The very best of Bill & Boyd (sound recording).] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822173020/http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/28114147?q&versionId=33996591 |date=2016-08-22 }}</ref> * Royal New Zealand Navy Band - ''He Waita Moana'' (Ocean Songs) - 2014<ref>''North Shore Times'', 20/03/2014 [http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/9844449/Navy-band-breaks-its-32-year-silence Navy band breaks its 32-year silence - Simon Maude] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919140043/http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/9844449/Navy-band-breaks-its-32-year-silence |date=2016-09-19 }}</ref>

==Remastering, duplication, etc.== * The Yardmen - ''Bricks And Mortar'' - (2010) (duplication)<ref>''The Southland Times'', 21/08/2010 [http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/culture/arts/4042091/Simon-says Simon says ]</ref> * Ray Woolf - ''Ray Woolf - The Sixties Collection'' - 2012 (remastering)<ref>''New Zealand Herald'', Saturday Aug 25, 2012 [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10829246 When Ray Woolf ran wild, By Scott Kara] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911012526/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10829246 |date=2016-09-11 }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

Category:Recording studios in New Zealand Category:Recording studios in Auckland, New Zealand Category:1970 establishments in New Zealand