NITÖN LAB
Laboratorio di Sperimentazione Sonora Nitön is not just a recording studio, it is a place for free creation, a place for experimentation and research where musicians’ ideas are turned into sound.
Working at Nitön Lab means using a top notch equipped space fully at the disposal of the musician’s creativity without pressure, without hurry, dedicating the maximum care to the research of the right sound for the piece.
We conceived this space to make records the way the great classics of the past were made, i.e. starting with pre-production and ending with mastering in a process that is a natural flow towards the realization of the sound work.
We offer not only our tools and our space but above all our experience and know how to anyone who needs a productive figure, an advice or a critical listening.
THE WORKSHOP
The Workshop is divided into 5 parts:
The large main recording room
10,5×4,5×6 mt suitable to host a whole band both for its size and for its acoustic characteristics. The sound is surprisingly detailed and dynamic for a room of this size, the low frequencies are very controlled and the high ones very soft and diffused.
The “Caligari Room”
Above the recording control room, is so called because, just like in Robert Wiene’s masterpiece, the walls are all deliberately irregular in order to displace modal resonances and have a sound that is very reminiscent of the rooms of classic records from the 70s. This room and the main room are connected by a window that allows the musicians to communicate visually.
The booth
It is designed for recording vocals but it’s large enough to accommodate a double bass player and his instrument and generally isolate a musician from the rest of the band. It sounds very clean but with warm and diffused early reflections.
The recording control room
It is located below the Calligari Room and looks directly onto the main room. The acoustic design of this room has given it a very balanced sound, ideal for listening faithfully to what has being recorded. The heart of this control room is the 32-channel conversion system of the highest quality and the wide choice of high-end analogue preamplifiers. If required, it can be used as an additional recording room.
The mixing room
Separated from the rest of the Lab by a corridor allows mixes to take place in an acoustically well controlled environment. The heart of the mixing room are: the rare Harrison Alive 24 analogue console, the vast choice of analogue outboards, the custom Rasch Audio listening system and the original Hardware version (one of a kind) of Cobalt tube Comp and Eq that inspired Acustica Audio Cobalt plugins.
EQUIPMENT
DIGITAL
- LYNX – Aurora 32 in /out
- APOGEE – Symphony I/O 32 IN/OUT
- ANTELOPE – Amari
- UNIVERSAL AUDIO – UAD 2 SOLO + UAD 2 OPTO
- MAC – PRO – 64Gb Ram – Intel Xenon – Mixing
- MAC – PRO – 32 GB Ram – Intel i9 – Recording
- LOTS OF PLUGINS by Acustica Audio, Plugin Alliance, UAD, Waves, Flux, Soundtoys, Eventide, Kush Audio, PSP, Valhalla etc.
- DAW – Reaper, Logic
ANALOG
- HARRISON – 24 Live – 24 CH fully restored and perfectly working (Mixing Control Room)
- STUDER – 192 – 12 Ch fully restored and perfectly working (Recording Control Room)
- API – 3124
- API – 2500 Compressor
- NEVE – 8816
- NEVE – 8803
- GML – 8302
- MIDAS – XL48
- CADAC – 2x – G268 D
- ALTEC LANSING – 1589 B
- CUSTOM MADE Tube Preamps 4x
- CUSTOM MADE Tube Compressor
- CUSTOM MADE Tube Compressor
- KLARK TEKINIK – 2x DN27 MKI
- REVOX A77 fully restored and perfectly working
- MANLEY – Vari Mu – Stereo Lim COMP
- DBX – 165A
- ORBAN – 424A
- SPL – Transient Designer Mod 9842
- CHANDLER – 2x Germ 500
- ELYSIA – Karakter 500
- MOOG – 2x Ladder Filter 500
- SHADOW HILLS – Dual Van Der Graph
- IGS – Stereo Compressor
MONITORS
- RASCH AUDIO R3 custom made
- ARAGON 8008 Power Amplifier
- PMC TB-1
- STEG – Power Amplifier
- YAMAHA – MSP7
- Sound Sculpture MC624 Monitor Controller
MONITORING SYS & HEADPHONES
- HEAR – Hear Back | HUB
- BEYERDYNAMIC – DT250
- BEYERDYNAMIC- DT 770
- SENNHEISER – HD 280 Pro
- SONY – MDR 7509 HD
- SONY – MDR 7506
- AKG – K240 Studio
- AKG – K271 MK II
- AKG – 141MkI and MKII
- GRADO – SR60
- T BONE – HD 880
- EXTREME ISOLATION – EX 25
EFFECTS
LEXICON – PCM70
LEXICON – PCM 80 x2
LEXICON – PCM 91
DYNACORD – VRS23 x2
KORG – GR 1 Spring Reverb
ROLAND – SRV 2000
EVENTIDE – Instant Flanger
YAMAHA – SPX 80
MICROPHONES
- AEA – R88
- NEUMANN – U47 Tube
- NEUMANN – U47 Fet
- NEUMANN – U87 x3
- NEUMANN – U87ai
- NEUMANN – KM84i x2 (all Neumann are vintage)
- SCHOEPS – MSTC 64
- SCHOEPS – BLM 03 + CCM5 x2
- SCHOEPS – CCM 4 x2
- SCHOEPS – CMC 5 -U x2
- SCHOEPS – CMC 6 -U x4
- SCHOEPS – MK 40 x2
- SCHOEPS – MK 4 x2
- SCHOEPS – MK21 x4
- SCHOEPS – MK21H x4
- SCHOEPS – MK2 x1
- SENNHEISER – MD 421N x4
- SENNHEISER – MD 441U x 4
- SENNHEISER – MD 21 x3
- SENNHEISER – MD 521
- AKG – D12 VR
- AKG – D12
- AKG – D222 x3
- AKG – D224
- AKG – 414EB x2
- AKG – 414BTL II x2
- BEYERDYNAMICS – M69 n vintage x2
- BEYERDYNAMICS – M160 x2
- ELECTROVOICE – RE20 vintage x2
- REVOX – M3500 x2
- OKTAVA – MK319
- BUMMBLEBEE – RM5 Ribbon Microphone Custom x3
- T – BONE – 2x RM700
- PLACID AUDIO – Copperphone
- MAROON AUDIO- Tube Microphone
- Plus various vintage unknown and hand made lo fi microphone
D.I. BOX & REAMPS
- BSS AUDIO – AR 133 x4
- AVENSON AUDIO – DI
- RADIAL – REAMP
- TECH 21 – sans amp paradriver DI
PEDALS
- TC ELECTRONICS – 2x Polytune TUNER
- TC ELECTRONICS – Vintage Delay (Digital) DELAY
- JACQUES – tube blower
- MORLEY – 2x Tripler
- MORLEY – Fuzz Gold Wha WHA
- VOODOO LABS – Pedal Power 2 plus
- VOODOO LABS – Tremolo TREMOLO
- CHASE BLISS AUDIO – Blooper LOPPER
- DEVI EVER – Hyperion FUZZ
- DEVI EVER – Bark Boost (limited Edition) BOOST
- DEVI EVER – OK (Limited Edition) GATE FUZZ
- DEVI EVER – Year of the Rat FUZZ DRIVE
- DEVI EVER – Destructo Noctavia (DN) OCTA FUZZ
- DEVI EVER – 33 (One Knob Limited Edition) GATE FUZZ
- DEVI EVER – 05 (One Knob Limited Edition) BOOST
- DEVI EVER – Torn Speaker (“Knobs Mod) FUZZ
- DEVI EVER – Torn Speaker Plus FUZZ
- DEVI EVER – Karaoke Party (KP) FUZZ DRIVE
- DEVI EVER – Spectacular ND (NeverDrive Limited Edition) FUZZ/OCTA
- DEVI EVER – CLONE Soda Meiser/Vintage Fuzz Master FUZZ/OCTA
- DEVI EVER- TSUNA MEISER SM/VFM CLONE MOD FUZZ/OCTA
- DEVI EVER – CLONE Disater Fuzz FUZZ
- DEVI EVER – CLONE KP+EB FUZZ DRIVE
- T PEDALS – T- Fuzz FUZZ
- T PEDALS – Daytona FUZZ/OCTA
- T PEDALS – Over Boost BOOST
- T PEDALS – BM1 – Big Muff Clone MOD (anno 2005) FUZZ
- CATALIN BREAD – Semaphore (prima serie) TREMOLO
- RED PANDA – Raster v2 DELAY
- FLAMMA – FS -02 REVERB
- MOOG – MFS Ring 01 RING MOD
- MOOG – Moogerfooger Ring Mod RING MOD
- PIGTRONIX – Ring Master RING MOD
- PIGTRONIX – Philosopher’s Tone COMPRESSOR
- MXR – Distortion + (vintage 70’s) DISTORTION
- U.V.A. Research – Ikea Delay triplo DELAY
- LUIX – FY-2 (Clone FZ2 BOSS) FUZZ
- FRIDGE BUZZ ELECTRONICS – Land of the rising fuzz (Shin Ei Fuzz Clone) FUZZ
- IBANEZ – Classic Metal CM5 DISTORTION
- IBANEZ – CM5 – Chorus CHORUS
- IBANEZ – PM-7 PHASE MODULATOR
- DANELECTRO – Daddy – O OVERDRIVE
- VOX – Valvetone OVERDRIVE
- VOX – Distortion Booster DISTORTION
- VOX- V847 WHA
- FACELESS FX – Fuzzless Face (Fuzz Face Clone) FUZZ
- FULLTONE – 70 FUZZ
- FULLTONE – Ultimate Octave FUZZ/OCTA
- FULLTONE – Clyde Wha WHA
- FULLTONE – Tremolo TREMOLO
- MAD HATTER – Rat and the long tale (RAT Clone) MK I DISTORTION
- SKIN PIMP – Skin Bender MKIII (Tone bender MKIII Clone) FUZZ
- SMALL SOUND/BIG SOUND – Polygrace (Rarissimo) FUZZ
- TECH 21 – XXL DISTORTION
- SEPPUKKU – Repeater (Tremolo onda quadra) TREMOLO
- BOSS – Turbo Overdrive OVERDRIVE
- BOSS – DS-1 DISTORTION
- PENNY PEDALS – Paper Airplane Fuzz FUZZ
- EVERMAN – Octave X (Octave Up) OCTAVER
- GUYATONE – TZ-2 DISTORTION
- MENATONE – O’ Ring FUZZ/RING MOD
- DUNLOP – Cry Baby Standard WHA
- DUNLOP – Cry Baby Jimi Hendrix WHA
- ENDANGERED AUDIO RESEARCH – AD 4096 (analog Delay) DELAY
- ARION – Stereo Delay (analog Delay) DELAY
- FARFISA – Sferasound Pedale LESLIE
- LUIX – Deluxe Buffer (Fet Buffer) BUFFER
- MOODY SOUNDS – Mushroom Echo (analog Delay) DELAY
- U.V.A. Research – Low Rider (Pearl Octave CLONE) OCTAVER
- MALEKKO – Ekko 616 (analog Delay) DELAY
- MALEKKO – Ekko LO-FI (analog Delay Limited Edition) DELAY
- DOD Milkman – COMPRESSOR
- DEATH BY AUDIO – Robot FUZZ
- ALESIS – Bitrman – BIT CRUSHER
GUITARS / BASS AMPS & CABINETS
- MUSIC MAN – RP 115
- FENDER – Twin Reverb ‘65
- FENDER – Dual Showman 2×15″ Cabinet
- FENDER – Vibroverb
- FENDER – Vibrolux Custom
- FENDER – Champ 12
- FENDER – Blues Junior
- FENDER – Deluxe Hot Rod
- SUNN – Stagemaster
- DINO’ S – Custom Cabinet with 2 12″ vintage 30’s
- TRACE ELLIOTT – Speed Twin C50
- MARSHALL – JCM 2000 Head
- EKO – Viscount Reverb
- POLYTONE – Mini Brute III Guitar
- POLYTONE – Mini Brute II Bass Amp
- ELKA – Leslie Amp + Spring Reverb
INSTRUMENTS
- RHODES MK I (1978)
- FENDER RHODES MK IV (1985)
- FARFISA – Commander
- ELKA – Drawbar Organ
- KORG – MS 20 MK II custom
- YAMAHA – Vertical Piano
- TAMA – Starclassic Bubinga
- EKO – 200 (1964)
- EKO – Cobra Bass – (1971)
- EKO -Violin Bass
- IBANEZ – Hummingbird Acoustic (1972)
- GIBSON – J45
- GIBSON SG SPecial
- VARIOUS Modern and Vintage Guitars and Moog, Sequential Circuits, Korg, Doepfer Modular Synthesizers available on request
ABOUT US
Enrico (Mr. Henry) Mangione
Sound engineer (AES Member since 20 years), Producer (mainly for underground/alternative bands), Musician (guitar, voice, bass, synth, self made instruments), Radio Speaker (I ran three shows and was the artistic director for Radio Gwen) I work in this industry since 1997.
After working for many years for live music and events (i’ve been the Technical chief of the Italian Stock Exchange Congress Centre and the resident sound engineer for the mythical Twiggy Club in Varese), from 2017 to 2020 together with Luca Martegani I ran the wonderful La Sauna Studio in Varano Borghi, in 2021 the two of us opened a new studio called Laboratorio di Sperimentazione Sonora Nitön in Barasso.
I’m specialized (because I played these genres and know what the musicians want) in Singer/Songwriter, Folk, Alt/Indie Rock, Psychedelic Music, Post Rock, Experimental Music, Free Improv, Noise, Guitar Only Music, Blues.
In the last 7 years I studied by myself and also followed AES courses about sound designing and 3D/Spatial/Ambisonic/Atmos recording and mixing and I’m working with some new interesting brands who want to focus on 3D audio.
I worked with Hannah Silva, Winstons, Dakota Days, Gluts, ThereWill Be Blood, Rocca, Gambo, Sofsky, Keemosabe, Renzo Bossi. Daisy Dreams, Rocky Wood, Unsense, Roberto Pianca, L’Avversario, Adrian O’ Connell, Ropes of sand, Naylot, Aura, Underwoods, Francesca Naibo, Maddalena Ghezzi, Downlouders, Menimals, Lucha Libre, Mr. Henry.
Luca “Xelius” Martegani
Musician (piano, keyboards, synths), Producer, Sound Designer and analog studio equipment designer/ builder.
I started in 1988 as a freelance engineer for local studios. I always produced and played electronic and electroacoustic music (menzione d’onore Concorso Internazionale Luigi Russolo 1983)
I worked as musician and co-author in dance music (commercial, deep house, electro)
I developed my own analog equipment such as modular synthesizers, vacuum tube preamplifiers, equalizers, compressors, still in use in our Niton Lab. During the early 2000 I collaborated with Klee, a local label, recording contemporary and classical music with my mobile studio.
I developed, with the composer Pietro Pirelli, a system to pick up the sound of the stone for live performances with Pinuccio Sciola’s sonic stone sculptures. I offered my knowledge on several acoustical projects of recording rooms, listening rooms, music hall, rehearsal rooms, project studios and La Sauna studio. My live musical projects are: Xelius Project and Niton.
I worked with:
Pirelli Real Estate/Arcophon (recording engineer for the annual music collection), Missoni “L’arte e il colore” (Maga museum, London Textile Museum sonic installation), Pietro Pirelli, Pinuccio Sciola, Ruggero Marrani (live performance with Sculture Rumore).
Dance Music: Elgar (universal music) , Mephisto (Voices, Positive Pole, Notorius, Mystery of Love, The Beat of the Bee…), Don Carlos (Alone, Aqua, Mediterraneo, Byron Stingily, Michelle Weeks…)
Experimental, Contemporary, Pop, Rock: Hannah Silva, Francesca Naibo, Maddalena Ghezzi, Rocky Wood, Kayamama, Tibe, Andy (Bluvertigo), Unsense, Keemosabe, The Winstons, Plastik, Mind Drop, L’Avversario, Daisy Dream, Xelius Project, Niton, Luca Pedroni, Aura ..