Stepping just a few feet from the hallway into the studio space at TRIAD Recording in Warren, there’s an undeniable change in the air.
It’s not just the energy of the studio’s decadeslong history in the Ocean State, or the famous names that it’s hosted in that time – from 1977 through around 2000, TRIAD, originally known as Normandy Sound, recorded with music groups such as Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, New Kids on the Block, The Dropkick Murphys and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
There’s also an audible shift in the sonic landscape of the recording space, which was designed to “deaden” sound – or, in other words, remove contrasting frequencies that muddle audio, explains Alex Enamorado, a producer and engineer at TRIAD.
On the other side of the glass, Enamorado sits surrounded by an array of switches, dials and displays. There, TRIAD engineers like Enamorado regularly adjust devices such as microphones and preamps, often drawing from their own musical backgrounds to weigh in on style and artistry.
“All of us engineers at the studio, at the core of our recording, we all understand what it takes to be an artist and performer,” Enamorado said, “because we’re all artists and performers ourselves.”
This expertise brings a steady stream of clients into the Warren recording studio, which could serve around 20-30 artists in a typical week and continues to produce Grammy-considered work. While musicians make up about 70% of the studio’s clientele, TRIAD also serves a growing clientele of podcasters and audiobook narrators.
Though buzzing with activity today, the studio closed in the early 2000s after decades of building a reputation as a leading New England recording studio, then under the ownership of audio producer and engineer Phil Greene.
Current owner and longtime music producer Toni Ricci reopened the studio in 2012, with Greene continuing to work on staff as an engineer, producer, studio designer and musician.
Among its range of services, TRIAD also offers educational initiatives. One of these programs, the TRIAD Recording Arts Certification, led Enamorado into his now decadelong career with the studio. The course, a 24-week training initiative, provides one-on-one instruction and hands-on experience in audio engineering and production.
Enamorado had previously completed a degree in biomedical engineering but said that he soon realized the industry didn’t feel like a good fit. So, he turned to his lifelong love of music and found that TRIAD was willing to train him in the skills that would facilitate a career shift.
Enamorado has seen about 30 students go through that course in his time with the studio and is currently preparing to pass on his knowledge as an instructor.
While some students may stay with the studio, as he did, Enamorado said that the training leaves graduates prepared for a range of opportunities in the recording industry.
“It’s a really good steppingstone,” Enamorado said. “Typically, what I’ve found is that a lot of people love engineering and recording, but maybe it’s not in a studio capacity,” and it could extend to areas such as live performance venues.
As high-quality, at-home recording equipment becomes more broadly available, the studio has adjusted to the resulting industrywide shifts in business by offering audio editing services to self-recording clients.
But the business’s core values continue to attract the bulk of its clients, Enamorado noted.
“Not only do people come to us for the technical efforts we provide but because we can relate,” he said. “A lot of them appreciate our feedback.”
OWNER: Tony Ricci
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Music, audiobook and podcast recording studio
LOCATION: 25 Market St., Warren
EMPLOYEES: Five
YEAR FOUNDED: 1977
ANNUAL REVENUE: WND
