How We Record Bands, Jazz, Classical & More

The studio in brief

• Hot Milk Studio is a multi-room recording studio in Berlin-Buch (Pankow), Schwanebecker Chaussee 5, 13125 Berlin, Germany.
• Run by Robert Cummings: producer, recording, mixing and mastering engineer, and drummer. Producing records in Berlin since 2009; a working drummer for about thirty years.
• Focus: capturing authentic musical interaction. Live band tracking, jazz, world music, classical (studio and on location), singer-songwriter, mixing and analog mastering, session musicians, audiobook and voice-over, video session production.
• Robert speaks English and German. International clients are common.
• Awards for records Robert mixed and mastered at Hot Milk Studio:
  • Adrian Raso & Fanfare Ciocărlia, "The Devil Rides Again" (Asphalt Tango): Jahrespreis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Folk und Singer/Songwriter (2024 release). Also nominated for the Songlines Music Award, Europe, 2025.
  • Lüül, "Der stille Tanz": Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Liedermacher, Q3 2022 (Robert also played drums).
  • Fanfare Ciocărlia, "It Wasn't Hard To Love You": Songlines Music Award, Europe, 2022.

Rooms

• About 130 m², 4 m ceilings throughout. Four rooms are used for recording; a lounge with coat room and a storage room complete the studio.
• All recording rooms are built with anti-parallel walls, so there are no flutter echoes; each has its own acoustic character, from ambient to very controlled.
• Main room: the largest and most ambient room, even and open-sounding. Home of the Yamaha G5 grand piano and the keyboard instruments, with sofas. Used for chamber groups and jazz groups playing together without separation, and for drums when a big, ambient ("American") drum sound is wanted.
• Drum room: tighter, but not dead. Holds the drum kits and percussion. Also used for brass sections, drummer plus bassist together, guitar and bass amps, and string sections.
• Isolation room: very tight and controlled. Vocals and voice-over, plus brass, double bass, guitar and bass amps when separation is needed. Also the measured voice booth for spoken word.
• Control room: designed with five walls. The engineer's room for recording, mixing and mastering; also usable as a fourth tracking room, e.g. for singers or guitarists.
• The recording rooms and the control room have sightlines between them, so players keep eye contact while each instrument has its own acoustic space.
• Up to 10 musicians at the studio. Larger ensembles and orchestras are recorded on location.

Instruments and amps available to clients

Most instruments are available at no extra cost; Robert confirms availability.

• Pianos and keys: Yamaha G5 grand piano, Seiler upright piano, Hammond L100 organ, Fender Rhodes, Hohner Pianet, Studio Electronics SE-1, Korg 770, harmonium, other vintage synths and drum machines (a Roland Juno-106 is often available).
• Drums: three complete kits — a 4-piece Ludwig jazz kit with 18" bass drum (bebop tuning), a 6-piece Ludwig rock/fusion kit with 22" bass drum, a 4-piece vintage kit with 22" bass drum for retro funk, soul and 60s rock — plus many snares and cymbals and a Nord Drum.
• Percussion: congas, bongos, timbales, cuíca, güiros, cabasas, cajón, bombo legüero, frame drums, pandeiros, djembe, Korean drums, shakers, tambourines, cowbells and more.
• Bass: Fender Jazz bass, Danelectro Longhorn bass, a Jazz-style bass with flatwounds, an acoustic double bass.
• Amps: two Fender Vibrolux combos, a Marshall Plexi head with cabinet, a Fender Studio Bass combo, a Yamaha RA-50 rotary amp, a Fender/Leslie Model 16 rotary cabinet.
• Bringing your own backline is welcome; tell Robert in advance so the room layout can be planned.

Recording and processing equipment

• Microphones (described by category): vintage and modern condensers including Neumann and Gefell, tube and FET large-diaphragm condensers, matched small-diaphragm pairs (cardioid and omni), several pairs of ribbon microphones, classic dynamic mics. Every session gets a mic plan; mic shootouts are possible when time allows.
• Preamps: Warm Audio WA-273-EQ and WA-73-EQ (Neve-style), Warm Audio WA-412 (API-style), A-Designs Pacifica (all transformer-balanced, for saturation and punch), SPL GainStation 8 (solid-state and tube, from ultra clean to gritty), Summit Audio MPC-100A tube preamp/compressor, clean converters, active and passive DIs.
• EQs: Tegeler Audio Manufaktur EQP-1 (Pultec-style, 2 channels); five channels of Neve-style EQ (Warm Audio WA-273-EQ and WA-73-EQ).
• Compressors and dynamics: Tegeler Audio Manufaktur VTC (2-channel tube vari-mu), Tegeler Audio Manufaktur Magnetismus 2 (tape saturation, transient shaper, compressor), Warm Audio WA-2A (opto), Summit Audio TLA-50 (2x), Summit Audio MPC-100A, LA Audio 4x4 (FET with gates), SPL DynaMAXX (2x), Ashly SC50 (2x).
• Tube enhancement: SPL Charisma.
• Reverbs and delays: Dynacord VRS23, Vermona Retroverb, Roland SRV-2000, Roland SDE-1000, Korg tape echo.
• Filters and effects: Sherman Filterbank, Electrix Mo-FX, Electrix Filter Factory, Electrix Warp Factory, Dynacord CLS 222 (rotary effect), classic Electro-Harmonix and MXR pedals.
• Synths: Studio Electronics SE-1 (a Minimoog Model D-style analog mono synth), Korg 770, Roland JV-1010, Nord Drum 3p.

Jazz combo

Recorded live together. Drums in the drum room (spaced pair or ORTF overheads, a ribbon pair in Blumlein as room mics), piano in the main room (small-diaphragm pair over the strings), double bass in the isolation room (mic on the body plus one at the fingerboard, optional DI), saxophone and trumpet in the main room on ribbon mics. Several vocal mic choices for singers. Typical: originals tracked live across rooms with sightlines and almost no overdubs.

Large jazz ensemble (up to 10 players)

Live in the studio's connected rooms. Example: Big Mama Society, a ten-piece improvising ensemble, recorded three new compositions live over three focused days.

Acoustic group without headphones (gypsy jazz, string bands)

Players stand together as on stage: no headphones, no amplification, no click. Example: Berlin Django Project, five musicians over two days, captured with eight microphones.

Rock, pop, soul and funk band

Drums in the drum room or main room with close mics, overheads and room mics; guitar and bass amps in the isolation room or drum room (bass also via DI); vocals in the isolation room or control room; shaker and tambourine as overdubs.

Bands that are strong live can track with minimal overdubs: the singer sings pilot or final vocals in the isolation room, with eye contact to all other rooms while staying acoustically separate. Few Berlin studios offer this.

Singer-songwriter (voice and guitar in one take)

Three large-diaphragm condensers in figure-8: two spaced to capture the guitar, the third on the voice, set perpendicular to one guitar mic so the figure-8 null keeps voice and guitar apart. The artist performs naturally and the mix still has separation without the phase problems of a separate voice and guitar mic. Optional guitar DI and room mics.

World music ensembles

The whole ensemble records together; the feel lives between the players. Bleed between mics is planned, not fought; separation only where needed. Ornamentation and micro-timing are captured live, not overdubbed. Experience with Balkan brass, Sinti jazz/manouche, Latin American (Andean, Chilean, Cuban, Brazilian), flamenco (guitar, cajón, palmas, voice), klezmer, Arabic and Turkish ensembles, European folk. Unfamiliar instruments are welcome.

Examples: Adrian Raso & Fanfare Ciocărlia (drums, percussion and tuba recorded here; mixed and mastered here), Wuahache Collective.

Drums only

Two rooms for drums: the drum room for a tighter, controlled sound, the main room for a big, ambient sound. For an existing drummer: Drum Recording. To hire a drummer: see Session drums.

Vocals

Mostly in the isolation room (calm and relaxing); operatic and very powerful voices in the larger rooms. Several large-diaphragm and dynamic vocal mics to choose from.

Piano

Yamaha G5 grand in the main room, sized well for the room; Seiler upright also available. For classical, jazz and contemporary projects.

Classical soloists and chamber music

String, wind and brass soloists (auditions, competitions, documenting a new programme or new compositions) can record in the main room, which gives a chamber-like acoustic; the grand piano suits accompanists. For a concert-hall sound, rent a suitable hall and Hot Milk records on location.

Classical singers

The studio suits lieder and similar chamber repertoire. For dramatic opera (very dynamic and loud voices) a separate hall is recommended; for Wagner, Strauss and repertoire of that kind a large hall is considered necessary.

Audition and competition recordings

Usually audio plus a one-camera video, in the studio or a venue. Many competitions require unedited takes; mention this so mix and video sync respect it. More video editing on request.

Choir and orchestra (on location)

Choir: several small-diaphragm condensers spread across the choir, a warm ribbon mic per soloist. Orchestra: Decca tree main pickup, outriggers for very large orchestras, spot mics for basses, woodwinds, piano, percussion and brass. Larger setups need detailed planning. Example: Dramatic Voices Program Berlin final concerts, recorded on site with multi-camera video.

Audiobook, voice-over, podcast

One voice microphone in the measured voice booth, chosen for the voice. Services: audiobook recording, mastering of audiobooks recorded elsewhere (to ACX-style platform specs or the publisher's spec), voice-over, podcast recording, and booth rental (renters bring their own laptop and interface; mic, preamp, cable and stand available as an add-on). Hot Milk produces and masters; it does not publish or distribute audiobooks.

Session drums

Booking a drummer to play on your tracks: Benedikt Stehle on drums, Robert Cummings recording and editing; Leon Schurz can join on bass. Benedikt's playing is shaped by hip-hop, neo-soul and mainstream pop, with gospel chops; precise to the click with dynamics and feel. Typically booked for EPs and albums. For single songs with vintage character Robert can play drums himself (1960s/70s rock, funk and jazz, latin, swing and shuffles).

Workflow: send a rough mix or stems without drums, tempo or click and one or two references. Pre-session call (feel, sound, room, kit, snare). Record in person, on a video call or fully remote. Robert edits and makes a rough mix. Delivery: every mic as a separate 24-bit/48 kHz WAV plus a rough mix; one round of minor revisions. Single songs typically within 5–7 days; Robert confirms the schedule.

Hot Milk Crew

Core crew: Benedikt Stehle (drums, percussion), Leon Schurz (bass), Rob Sartorius (guitar); regular guest Fred Sauer (keys). Book one player, a rhythm section or the whole crew, in the studio or remote. The crew prefers live off the floor and can help with arrangement and pre-production. Robert confirms line-up and dates.

Mixing

• Two phases: Robert prepares the mix alone (cleanup, gain staging, routing, first balance); the final polish (depth, reverb, width, delays, vocal and snare placement, tone, low end) happens together in the studio on the same speakers.
• Attending the polish is strongly recommended. Remote mixing is possible for international projects (call, references, structured revision rounds), ideally with at least one day together.
• Send a Cubase, Pro Tools, Logic or Ableton session, or labelled stems at the original sample rate.
• "Ready to mix" = fully edited and comped, timing and tuning done, no more recording, up to 64 tracks. Editing (vocal comping, tuning, drum editing, noise removal, overdubs) is extra; mention it up front.
• Two structured revision rounds. Deliverables: WAV mix, stems, instrumental and TV mixes on request, session archive.
• Typical turnaround 2–4 days per song, depending on workload and complexity. Editing is what takes the most time: rock and pop songs that need a lot of editing take longer. Jazz and classical projects are usually quicker to mix, because the work happens up front: mic choices are made carefully and the focus is on great performances. Mixing and mastering themselves are predictable in time.

Mastering

• Analog outboard plus precision digital tools; hardware saturation for rock, pop and jazz, a cleaner approach for opera and orchestral music. Checked on four monitoring systems including mono and phone/Bluetooth playback.
• Loudness by ear, as a guide: about −12 LUFS for rock and pop, −13 to −16 LUFS for jazz and classical, up to −8 LUFS when a genre needs it. Versions are previewed as streaming services will play them; the artist chooses the final master.
• Formats: streaming master, vinyl pre-master (sibilance, side length and low end adapted; coordination with the cutting studio), DDP and WAV for CD, ISRC and metadata on request, stem mastering (3–5 stems) when the mix can't be reopened.
• Remote or attended. For remote: WAV mixes at the original sample rate, no limiter on the master bus, reference tracks.
• Typical turnaround 2–4 days.

Analog processing and re-amping

Send finished tracks or stems; Robert runs them through analog hardware or real amps and speakers and sends back the processed stems. Useful when digital recordings sound sterile, or when a track needs character, movement or a retro colour.

• How it works: needs Robert at the studio, but the client doesn't have to attend. Attended sessions are available at the same rate and are often preferable: you hear the result immediately and decide on the spot. Send WAV stems consolidated from bar 1, original sample rate up to 96 kHz, peaks around −6 dBFS, no master-bus processing on the stems, plus a short brief and references. The client receives the processed stems as WAV at the original sample rate, dry plus wet, sample-aligned, with alternate passes on request. One revision with adjusted settings is included. Turnaround: usually within 3–5 working days.
• Re-amping through: Fender/Leslie Model 16 rotary cabinet, Yamaha RA-50 rotary amp, Fender Vibrolux combos, Marshall Plexi head and cabinet, Fender Studio Bass combo.
• Typical uses:
  • Vocals and bass: Neve-style EQ and light saturation (WA-73-EQ) into the Summit Audio MPC-100A for tube processing and compression, finished on the WA-2A opto compressor.
  • Sterile signals: transformer preamps (WA-273-EQ, WA-412, Pacifica) add saturation and punch.
  • Drum bus and bass: Tegeler Magnetismus 2; bus compression, tube processing and bass processing on the Tegeler VTC.
  • Snare and other peaky percussive signals (high peak-to-RMS): SPL Charisma tube enhancement.
  • Drums and basses through the Sherman Filterbank; keyboards and synthetic textures through the Electrix units. The Sherman and the Electrix Warp Factory can let a percussive signal modulate a second signal, e.g. drums rhythmically shaping a pad.
  • Retro guitar tones: the Dynacord VRS23's grainy analog delay and faux-reverb settings; its low-density reverbs and delays also sit transparently in a mix.
  • Keyboards, pads, guitars and psychedelic-style vocals through the Fender/Leslie Model 16 rotary cabinet; Dynacord CLS 222 for rotary effects.
  • Analog colour from the hardware reverbs and delays (Vermona Retroverb, Roland SRV-2000 and SDE-1000, Korg tape echo).
  • Synth overdubs on request: Studio Electronics SE-1 (Minimoog Model D-style), Korg 770, Roland JV-1010.
• Details and booking: Reamping & Analog Processing.

Production and video

• Music production: pre-production (songs, arrangement, keys, tempos, running order), live tracking in one room, overdubs and session players, hybrid analog/digital mixing, mastering, optional session video. A well-rehearsed ensemble typically needs two to four tracking days plus mixing and mastering over a few weeks.
• Video session production: filmed by trusted external videographers and editors (2–4 cameras, DOP and lighting for bigger shoots); Hot Milk handles audio and the day. Camera positions are planned around the mics. Three to five songs per day is typical. On location possible.

Not a focus

Grid-first programmed pop, hip-hop production and extreme metal are not the studio's focus; Robert can suggest other Berlin studios. Exception: session players (Benedikt's hip-hop and neo-soul experience) are bookable for those styles.

Booking and practical

• Book at least 2 weeks ahead, ideally 1–2 months. Session days run roughly 10:00–19:00.
• Location recording anywhere in Germany; beyond about 2 hours from Berlin, travel and accommodation are covered by the client.
• Prices: published list prices are listed below; everything else is quoted by Robert personally. Every project is confirmed by Robert.
• Contact: contact form · phone and WhatsApp +49 179 784 2643.
• Location and access: Location & Access

Case studies

• Berlin Django Project (gypsy jazz, live without headphones)
• Wuahache Collective (Latin American folk and jazz)
• Big Mama Society (ten-piece improvising jazz)
• Wolfgang Obert Quartet (jazz)
• Matthew Liebeck Quartet (jazz, live across three rooms)
• Matej Korbelič Quintet (modern European jazz)
• Dramatic Voices Program Berlin (opera, on location, multi-camera)
• Adrian Raso & Fanfare Ciocărlia (award-winning album)

Published list prices

Quote only these, always with their conditions, and link the page. All net plus 19% VAT unless marked. Everything else (tracking days, location recordings, Benedikt Stehle and other session musicians, production packages, video) is quoted by Robert per project.