Stebbing Studios is a recording studio in Auckland, New Zealand. Artists who have recorded at the studio over the years include Ray Columbus & The Invaders, Split Enz, Gary Havoc & The Hurricanes, Th' Dudes, The Human Instinct, and Waves.
The studio was founded by Eldred Stebbing, who also founded pioneer New Zealand music label Zodiac Records. Stebbing originally set up a recording studio in the basement of his family home in the Auckland suburb of Avondale in 1946. He later built the Stebbing Recording Centre in 1970 on Jervois Road, where it is still in operation today.New Zealand Herald, Tuesday Dec 8, 2009 Kiwi music pioneer Stebbing dies - By Scott Kara The studio is well known for its importance to New Zealand music history, and is considered iconic.Auckland City Harbour News, 19/04/2013 Waves of vinyl roll in from the 70s - Danielle Street Concrete Playground The Bluffer’s Guide to Recording a Song, Stebbing Recording Centre Waikato Times, 30/05/2013 Cambridge teen's song goes national - Johnathan Carson
History
1970s In 1970, the Stebbing Recording Centre was constructed on Jervois Road. At the time, Stebbing was the first studio in New Zealand to feature eight track recording technology.National Library of New Zealand The history of recording in New Zealand, 6. New Recording Technologies, the 1960s and 1970s
During 1974-1975, New Zealand singer-songwriter John Hanlon recorded at Stebbing.National Library of Australia The very best of John Hanlon (sound recording) / John Hanlon In December 1974, Dragon recorded their Scented Gardens for the Blind album at the studio.National Library of New Zealand Scented gardens for the blind (sound recording) / Dragon Also during 1974-1975, The Human Instinct recorded tracks for their Peg Leg album. The master tapes from the original sessions went missing inside the Stebbing archives, and were later rediscovered in 2001. Australian Jazz musician Don Burrows recorded his album The Tasman Connection at Stebbing, which was released on the Cherry Pie label in 1976.The Sun Herald, December 12, 1976 Page 134 Records, One the Birdsville Track By Gil Wahlquist
1980s By 1981, Stebbing Studios was one of four New Zealand recording studios to feature twenty four track recording facilities.
1990s In 1999, the studio entered into a CD production venture with Hargon International. Stebbing later bought Hargon out and invested $10 million in a new CD/DVD manufacturing plant that opened the same year in Ponsonby, close to the original recording studios. The plant became the largest CD/DVD replication facility in New Zealand, producing 60,000 units a day at its peak.
2000s By the 2000s, the main studio had been expanded to accommodate up to sixty musicians.Billboard, November 30, 2002 Page 44, New Zealand
Eldred Stebbing died in 2009, aged 88.New Zealand Herald, Tuesday Dec 8, 2009 Kiwi music pioneer Stebbing dies - By Scott Kara
2020s In 2023, Stebbing announced their expansion into producing vinyl LPs, based out of the same manufacturing facility as their CD/DVD plant. The plant was originally scheduled to open in March 2023, but the arrival of the record press was delayed by the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods. The plant opened in August 2023, with the ability to manufacture 900 records a day.
Recorded artists Partial list Waves - Waves - 1975New Zealand Herald, Apr 13, 2013 70s band Waves set to gain new generation of fans- By Scott Kara Gary Havoc & The Hurricanes - Havoc! - 1979WorldCat Gary Havoc & the HurricanesDiscogs Gary Havoc & The Hurricanes – Havoc! Bill & Boyd - The Very Best of Bill & Boyd - 2003National Library of New Zealand 2003, 1961, English, Sound, Recorded music edition: The very best of Bill & Boyd (sound recording). Royal New Zealand Navy Band - He Waita Moana (Ocean Songs) - 2014North Shore Times, 20/03/2014 Navy band breaks its 32-year silence - Simon Maude
Remastering, duplication, etc. The Yardmen - Bricks And Mortar - (2010) (duplication)The Southland Times, 21/08/2010 Simon says Ray Woolf - Ray Woolf - The Sixties Collection - 2012 (remastering)New Zealand Herald, Saturday Aug 25, 2012 When Ray Woolf ran wild, By Scott Kara
References