Village Squire, 1979-12, Page 34Tom W aschkowski, partner in Maxim Canada Recording Studio; Bob Doble, audio engineer at the
studio; and Gary Hintz, the other partner In Maxim, pose in their master recording studio. --Photo by
Elaine Townshend.
Maxim Music comes
to Carlingford
BY ELAINE TOWNSHEND
After 12 to 15 years working as road
musicians for various rock bands, Tom
Waschkowski, 32 and Gary Hintz, 27, both
Kitchener natives, are making a dream
come true - owning and operating a
recording stuido. Maxim Canada Record-.
ing Studio, a sixteen -track recording
facility, officially opened on August 28,
1979 in Carlingford - a tiny hamlet
approximately 15 kilometres southwest of
Stratford.
1 he studio nas some unique aspects, but
each was chosen for a practical purpose.
The location, for example, is away from
Toronto, which is considered recording
capital in this part of Canada. Tom and
Gary realized they could not purchase
property in Toronto because of the high
overhead and would have been forced to
lease facilities at phenomenally high
monthly rates. For their clients, overnight
accommodations and even parking expens-
es would have been high.
By locating in a rural setting, Tom and
32 Village Squire, December 1979
Gary were able to cutdown their overhead -
a saving they plan to share with their
clients. "We hope to be able to give some
breaks to other artists that we did not get
as far as recording time and costs are
concerned," explains Gary.
Maxim Studio rates are a little more than
half an average Toronto rate. For example,
an average Toronto rate for a forty -hour
session ranges from 5100 to 5180 per hour.
Maxim charges 540 an hour for a 40 -hour
booking, and 560 an hour is their basic
rate for shorter sessions. An artist can save
2,500 to 53.000 for a 40 -hour session, well
worth a 100 mile drive. Maxim offers
overnight accommodation, a kitchenette
and a lounge to offset travel time.
Gary and Tom chose the rural Stratford
area because it is near a cultural centre but
away from noisy industry. Competition in
Central and Western Ontario is less than in
Toronto but is keen enough to keep it
healthy. Three other full scale studios
operate in this part of rural Ontario - Mercy
Brothers' Studio in Elmira; Waxworks at
St. Jacobs; and Springfield in Springfield,
Ontario. which is approximately 30 miles
southeast of London.
Both Tom and Gary left Kitchener in
recent years to live in small towns - Tom in
Arva and Gary in Fordwich. They enjoy the
easy-going pace of life in small towns, and
they feel the same relaxed atmosphere in
Carlingford will be a bonus to Maxim
clients. The studio retains a homy, relaxed
atmosphere that is conducive to creativity.
Tom and Gary maintain they cut corners
on the overhead at Maxim but not on the
recording quality. They bought top -of -the
line equipment for the master studio,
which is designed to give 'trud' sound. No
expense was spared in the purchase of
quality material used in the renovation of
the building.
The structure is another interesting
aspect of the studio. It was a
turn -of -the -century brick Presbyterian
Church. For the past few years. a family
used the lower floor as a home. Turning the
structure into a top quality recording studio
without destroying the original charm of
the old country church was a challenge
Gary and Tom met head on. They did most
of the work themselves but had some help
from friends. First all the interior walls
were removed; then construction began. It
took most of the summer to complete the
control room and recording studio - the
most important parts.
Gary has a background in drafting and
design, which carne in handy. "The design
of the control room and recording studio