Surrey Sound Studios

Surrey Sound Studios was a recording studio at 70 Kingston Road in Leatherhead, Surrey. It was founded by engineer & producer Nigel Gray (1947-2016), who worked part-time as a doctor.

The Police recorded and mixed their first two albums at Surrey Sound (Outlandos D'Amour and Reggatta De Blanc), which helped the studio (and Nigel) gain considerable recognition in the music world. Stewart Copeland also worked on his Klark Kent records there.

The studio itself was previously a disused village hall, which Nigel rented and set up as a 4-track facility in 1975 alongside brother Chris. It functioned as a demoing studio and a rehearsal space for bands. In late 1976, the studio expanded to 16-track with an Ampex MM1000 and an Alice desk, becoming a more semi-professional facility. But it wasn't until around June 1978 that the studio had a major upgrade to 24-track, with high-end MCI equipment. 1984 saw further upgrades, with a new Harrison MR-4 and Otari tape machines.

In 1987, Nigel Gray had sold Surrey Sound to a new owner and retired from the music production scene.

Equipment (early 1978)

 * Alice 20-input/16-output desk
 * Audio & Design (Recording) compressors/limiters/expanders/noise gates/ADT
 * Dbx compressors
 * EMT stereo plate
 * Ampex AG440 2- and 4-track
 * Ampex MM-1000 16-track
 * Master Room reverb
 * Tannoy Reds
 * Broadwood grand piano

Source:

Microphones

 * AKG
 * Beyerdynamic
 * Neumann
 * Shure - not listed in adverts

Outboard gear

 * AMS DMX 15-80 programmable digital delay
 * AMS DM 2.20 Tape Phase Simulator phaser/flanger
 * Audio & Design (Recording) Ltd. Compex compressor/limiter/expander
 * Audio & Design (Recording) Ltd. SCAMP rack modules:
 * S01 Compressor/Limiter
 * F300 Expander Noise Gate(s)
 * S24 ADT flanger(s)
 * S100 Dual Gates(?)
 * dbx 162 stereo compressor
 * dbx 216 24-channel noise reduction
 * Dolby A noise reduction
 * Eventide H910 Harmonizer
 * EMT 140 stereo reverb plate
 * Rebis RA402 parametric equaliser

Tape machines

 * Revox A77 Mk. III (x2)
 * MCI JH-24 2" 24-track with Autolocator
 * Ampex AG440B 2/4-track mastering machine
 * Nakamichi 2-head cassette deck

Misc. studio equipment

 * MCI JH-400B 28-input mixing console /w automation
 * Electrovoice Sentry III monitors or Tannoy Reds monitors in Lockwood cabinets
 * Broadwood Grand Piano