We’re Celebrating Our 9 Year Anniversary!

9 Year Anniversary Specials

Book an 8 hour session any weekend now through August and get a 9th hour free! Or Use Coupon Code NINEYEARS to get 9% off any rehearsal you schedule online through July 4th!

Today marks our ninth year serving the Chicago Music Scene with top notch recordings, stellar masters, affordable and comfortable rehearsal spaces, and hundreds of thousands of feet of transferred analog tapes!

Through the years we have been through quite a few changes.

Mixing consoles are the heart and soul of the classic recording studio. When we first opened our doors we had a homely Mackie 24 8 Buss mixing console. This was the console du jour for many recording studios around the world in the 1990’s into the early 2000’s. In search of higher fidelity, we purchased a vintage Tascam M-Series mixer (see photo) from another studio on Chicago’s South Side a few months after opening our doors. It was a smooth sounding console, but it had some quirks. Namely, it was very used and sometimes needed a little extra love (from a some toothpicks) to keep many of the buttons engaged. It wasn’t long after we settled in with the board that we had the infamous Mystery Street Fire, and it was left charred and damaged by excessive smoke. However, out of the ashes, we were able to once again bring a sonic overhaul for our clients, new and old. When it came time to rebuild, the first thing we did was upgrade our entire signal path in the control room.

Inevitably we added the Rupert Neve and Graham Langley designed Amek Big 44 console with Super True Automation. We upgraded our analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters so that we could record well beyond CD quality to ensure that your digital recordings could stand the test of time. We also made a major upgrade to a new Pro Tools HD system so we could offer faster and more powerful processing, editing, and recording.

Since then we have added just about every lusted after high end mic preamp to our collection. Neve? Check. API? Check. Manley? Check. Empirical Labs? Check. Universal Audio? Che… Well… you get the point!

People often ask if the gear makes a record great. The answer is no. Your performance and our ears really make a recording a record.

So why the upgrades you ask? While it is entirely possible for our well trained engineers to create a fantastic record with a few cheap mics and an off-the-shelf recording device from the local big box store, it just makes things more difficult. When you have the right person using the right tools it expedites the process needed to get a great sounding track. Think of it this way: Sure you could use the serrated blade on a Swiss Army Knife to cut through a 2×4, but why not use a circular saw?

Furthermore, using high end recording equipment is simply inspiring for an audio engineer. It is like that moment you first played your dream guitar with your favorite amp and effects pedals. Having practically unlimited combinations of gear to choose from helps our engineers to develop a sound that is specific for you. Every musician is unique and we strive to capture the personality of your band through your recording.

Everything we do here at Mystery Street is done so we continue to support Chicago’s music scene by offering world class recording and rehearsal spaces for the professional musician and even the most novice. Recording at Mystery Street means you’ll have the opportunity to hear yourself through some of the greatest gear on the planet and have creative and efficient engineers to produce your sound.

It has been nine incredible years and we look forward to what the future as in store!

Do you have any memorable stories from Mystery Street that you’d like to share with us? If so, we’d love to hear them!