One of the oldest recording studios in the UK just got a new centrepiece. Grosvenor Road Recording Studios in Birmingham has installed a Neve Genesys Black console, and for senior engineer Tony Biggz, it is the only desk that made sense for a room with this much history.
A Studio Built on History
Grosvenor Road is the second oldest recording studio in the UK, behind only Abbey Road. Built in 1945, its live room retains all of its original acoustic features, and the space sounds exactly as you would hope: phenomenal. Over the decades it has hosted Jimmy Cliff, Cliff Richard, Ozzy Osbourne, and a considerable body of film and TV work, including recordings for the Gerry Anderson productions that give the studio’s second room its nickname, the Thunderbird Suite.
In 2001, Black Voices acquired the building and transformed it into something more than a commercial studio. It is now a community space as much as a professional facility, the recipient of a Blue Plaque and a King’s Award, and firmly committed to championing Black British music and opening doors for those who might not otherwise find their way into a room like this.
“We’re definitely here for Black British music. We want to help the people who are marginalised, who don’t get the opportunity to work in a space like this.”
Engineer Tony Biggz outside Grosvenor Road Studios
The Engineer Behind the Desk
Tony Biggz came to engineering by way of the stage. He began as a drum and bass MC, working with Prodigy, Chase and Status, Pendulum and Ronnie Size, before transitioning into audio engineering and then into teaching. A lecturing role at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Birmingham eventually led him to Grosvenor Road, where he now works as a senior engineer and is the driving force behind the studio’s recent upgrade.
Why the Genesys Black
The previous SSL console had run its course. With a room as significant as Grosvenor Road looking to the future, the question of what came next was not taken lightly.
For Biggz, the answer was straightforward. Neve and Grosvenor Road share the same DNA: deep roots, a proven legacy, and a commitment to moving forward without leaving what made them great behind.
“Neve has a very rich history within the music industry of creating gear that stands the test of time but also really sounds good. I find that pretty impressive. Neve has been that one company that’s just kept their quality consistent all the way through.”
A visit to the Neve factory in Burnley confirmed it. Seeing the consoles built and soldered by hand was, for Biggz, exactly the kind of craft that belongs in a studio with Grosvenor Road’s heritage.
The Genesys Black won out for a specific reason: it offered the full analogue signal path of a classic large-format console alongside a digital layer that allows the studio to work fluidly in modern environments.
“It gave us the best of both worlds. It gave us a full-format analogue console, but then it’s got that digital layer that allows us to work in modern environments. It’s a real smooth integration between analogue console and DAW, and it allows us to work really, really quick.”
The studio went for 24 channels, all with the 88R EQ built in, with the option to add compressors down the line as the room grows. For a studio thinking in decades rather than years, that scalability matters.
The Neve Genesys Black in Control Room One
How They Use It
Grosvenor Road has built two templates into the console workflow, one for Logic and one for Pro Tools, with a matching desk template that sets everything up for tracking from the moment a session begins. The result is a room that is ready quickly and consistently, regardless of which engineer is behind the desk.
“No matter what we do on the desk, no matter who we record, they can always come back at a later date and we can pick up from where we left off within a matter of seconds.”
That recall capability also means individual engineers can save their own templates and return to them without disrupting anyone else’s workflow. For a busy studio serving a wide range of clients and engineers, that flexibility is significant.
The EQ workflow gets particular praise. Engineers can dial in tone directly on the hardware or via the plugin, keeping the session moving without breaking creative flow.
“I think the setup is very intuitive. You’ve got your dedicated monitor section, your dedicated DAW control in the centre, and the ability to use the whole thing to control the DAW.”
The 1073 Sound
Ask Biggz about the preamps and he does not hesitate.
“The 1073s are a cheat code. They just record anything all round perfectly. I feel like I can just go to my live room, swing the mic around, throw it in the room and turn up the pre and get a sound.”
The overall character of the console, he says, is something you feel as much as hear. “The Neve sound to me is like sitting in front of the fire with a warm blanket. It’s cosy and warm.”
That warmth has a practical effect on the way recordings come together. “In terms of recording a band, it sounds like a record. It feels like you’re recording a mix as opposed to just recording a bunch of separate stems. They already sound gelled together.”
Tony Biggz at the controls of the Neve Genesys Black
The Commercial Upside
Beyond the sound, the Genesys Black has had an immediate effect on how the studio attracts new business.
“We have new clients walking in the building all the time, and as soon as we lift the veil of the Neve Genesys Black console, we have a sale. The console sells itself in terms of us getting work and moving forward in the future.”
For a studio that carries the weight of nearly eighty years of music history, the Neve Genesys Black is not just a new piece of equipment. It is the next chapter.
