Bernhard Schnellmann [Gracchus]Metal from the vault

The 3-piece Swiss metal band Gracchus recently fulfilled their dream of a new and bigger studio.

It was important that the specific needs of the band members are met and to enable a digital exchange for smooth collaboration between the musicians. Also in use: the ADAM Audio A77H midfield monitor.

Bernhard Schnellmann, the band’s guitarist and singer, already has a long musical journey behind him, which began as a child with the piano and violin. After studying at the “Musician’s Institute” in Los Angeles, he launched the band “Gracchus” and his career as a musician. In the course of recording his first EP, which was created in collaboration with sound engineer Andri Urfer, Schnellmann endeavored to learn as much as possible about the processes in the studio. His aim was to invest in his own hardware in order to have the greatest possible flexibility and to be able to make independent recordings.

The band recently moved into their new studio, which is located in a former Credit Suisse bank vault and is therefore aptly named “The Vault”. With several rooms, the studio offers a wealth of possibilities for recording everything from drums to guitar and vocals. The big advantage compared to the previous studio is that several people can be in the control room simultaneously. This means that several guitarists can play at the same time and record analog or in-the-box.

In “The Vault”, the boundaries between rehearsal room and recording studio are blurred: “As we are currently focusing on our output and not playing live much, our Vault is more of a studio with quickly accessible live capabilities,” says Bernhard Schnellmann. The studio offers several workstations and even sofa beds. For the band, this means that the studio is an all-round workspace for a wide variety of tasks: “While our drummer Allan is editing the drums, I can work independently on lyric videos, social media content and other things.”

As guitarist Jeff lives in New Jersey, USA, the band has developed its own workflow: “We often start with an idea from one band member and then develop it further together in countless online calls until we all see the song the way it should be,” describes Bernhard Schnellmann.

Gracchus has also arrived in the digital age in other respects. On their Instagram channel, they produce the video series “questionable metal”, which explores the boundaries of the genre. The aim of the videos is for the band to soften the general public’s aversion to metal. “Especially when you see touring pop musicians resorting to pretty heavy guitars and drum beats live, the rejection (of metal) in the popular media landscape is astonishing.”

When setting up the control room, it was particularly important to the band that there was now room for several people in front of the mix desk. This also influenced the choice of studio monitors, which had to offer the widest possible sweet spot and at the same time be analytical enough to produce proper mix reviews. This meant that only one speaker model came into question for the band: “The A77Hs were the only real choice for us, as they fulfill all our needs with their crystal-clear highs, wide physical sweet spot and calibration option. They are also a joy to listen to music on, which is a quality feature for our work that should not be neglected. […] And on top of that, they look great. Also important.”

The band has been working with ADAM Audio loudspeakers for some time now, starting with a pair of T7Vs. As the studio space expanded, a Sub10 MK2 subwoofer was added, which was switched on or off depending on the production or mixing phase. “When we moved into our disused bank vault, we knew we had to upgrade our monitor situation. So we now have our T7V set by our video editing station and the A77H in our control room.”

Band photos by Aline Pulfer