Cian Hamilton adjusting the mic as Kaya Moody of Milk Thistle performs.png

SAY NO TO STERILE STUDIOS!

Say no to sterile studios

RECORDING, MIXING, & PRODUCTION FROM AN OFF-GRID LOG CABIN ON A CALIFORNIA CATTLE RANCH

RECORDING, MIXING, & PRODUCTION FROM AN OFF-GRID LOG CABIN ON A CALIFORNIA CATTLE RANCH

tell us about your project

MIDDLE RIDGE STUDIO IS A LOG CABIN RECORDING STUDIO ON CALIFORNIA’S CENTRAL COAST

The studio is designed for songwriters, musicians and producers to focus fully on their work, in an organic, distraction-free environment with great equipment. The space is run by me, Cian Hamilton a producer and engineer, I push for honest performances and mixes that make you feel something.

AVAILABLE FOR: PRODUCTION, MIXING, ENGINEERING, & STUDIO HIRE

Middle Ridge Studio brand in brown.
Middle Ridge Studio brand in brown.
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Work with Cian

MIXING, ENGINEERING, & PRODUCTION

HI I’M CIAN HAMILTON, A PRODUCER, MIXER BASED IN PARKFIELD, CALIFORNIA

When I work on a song, my instinct is to find what makes it impactful and make that the focal point. Sometimes that means peeling back layers, leaning into what makes it unique, sometimes building it up until it’s larger than life. I encourage real performance, and I mix to hit you in the chest.

Have a listen to some of my work and if you like what you hear, let’s make something together!

work with cian

MADE FOR WRITING, PRODUCING, MIXING & RETREATING

VIBEY RECORDS ARE MADE IN VIBEY ROOMS

Middle Ridge Studio brand in brown.
Milk Thistle performing live for a Middle Ridge Studio Session. Bass, acoustic guitar and vocals.

Middle Ridge Studio is a 20' x 30' room with a curated mix of vintage and modern equipment. Fully off-grid and solar powered and nestled in the hills of the 20,000-acre V6 Ranch, Middle Ridge Studio allows you to leave the day to day behind and immerse yourself in your music. Just three and a half hours from LA and San Francisco, far enough to focus.

Learn more about the space & gear

"'Lazy Beds' was a hard song to pin down… Finally, this year I took the song with me to the Middle Ridge Studio run by my friend Cian... I played it in one take on one guitar and it suddenly sounded finished – like it had been waiting for me in the middle of California all along."

- Shane Culloty, Winter Aid

Lets work together

Ruru Norbary performing for a live session at Middle Ridge Studio, with Cian Hamilton behind the monitors.

Whether you want to book the space for yourself, work with Cian on your next record, or want to have your song mixed by Cian, reach out and tell us about your project.

Middle Ridge Studio brand in brown.
A small wooden cabin with a metal roof, set in a rural area with trees and a grassy yard. The cabin has a porch with logs stacked underneath and a window on the front. A fire pit made of logs is visible in the yard, and trees with spring blossoms sur
A music production studio with wooden walls and ceiling, featuring a computer monitor displaying the Middle Ridge Studio logo, surrounded by speakers, a keyboard, a guitar, and audio equipment, with a window to the left letting in natural light.
Lucy Clearwater about to perform an acoustic set for the Middle Ridge Studio Sessions.
Ruru Norbury performing live for the Middle Ridge Studio Live Sessions. Microphones, acoustic guitar.
A musical room with a drum set in the foreground, a keyboard and an organ near the window, and sunlight coming through the open window illuminating the space.
A rustic wooden cabin with a sign that reads 'Middle Ridge Studio'. Two people are on the porch: one standing and holding a microphone, the other sitting and playing a guitar. There is a dog lying underneath the porch, and logs stacked nearby. The sc
A group of young adults sitting and socializing indoors in a rustic wooden room, with warm lighting and a guitar hanging on the wall.
An acoustic guitar with a black pickguard and sunburst finish hanging on a wood-paneled wall, with part of another guitar visible on the left side.
Close-up of two guitar effects pedals on a wooden surface, with knobs, switches, and labels for controls such as 'TAPE HEAD' and 'CHORUS'.
A band performing live in a rustic wooden indoor venue. The band includes a bassist, a guitarist who is singing into a microphone, and a keyboard player, with various instruments and microphones set up around them.
Dimly lit room with a wooden wall, a framed colorful painting, a green-shaded desk lamp, and a piano keyboard.
Close-up of audio equipment featuring a professional mixing console with multiple knobs, switches, and input/output connectors, including two large red knobs labeled '48V' for phantom power, and various sliders and buttons for adjusting sound levels
Kitchen scene with wooden logs on the wall, hanging pots, a colorful framed painting, a lamp, a sink with soap, coffee cups, and various kitchen items on the countertop.
Close-up of a vintage audio equipment panel with a Vu meter, knobs for REC VOLUME, VARI SPEED, and other controls, placed on a wooden surface.
A cozy rustic music room with wooden walls, ceiling, and floor. Several guitars hang on the wall, and a piano is against the wall. There is a drum set in the center of the room, a small table with chairs, and a window letting in natural light. Funky
A sound mixing console with numerous colored knobs and faders, and a Toff Audio Designs MIDI controller above the console, set up near a window with sunlight.
View through a window showing a dirt path with grass and trees in a rural area during daytime.
A musician wearing a hat and plaid shirt is playing an acoustic guitar and singing into a vintage-style microphone in a rustic setting with wood and stone walls. There are other guitars mounted on the wall.
An image showing a vintage solid state P.A. amplifier with several control knobs on the front panel, placed on top of a larger speaker cabinet. Behind the amplifier, there is a wall with multiple audio and power cords hanging on hooks. Natural light
A rustic log cabin with a metal roof and chimney, surrounded by trees and rocks, set against rolling hills and a clear sky at sunset.
An electric bass guitar with a sunburst finish hanging on a rustic wooden wall, with guitar effects pedals on the lower left corner.
A man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a denim jacket is sitting on a tree stump playing an acoustic guitar outdoors in front of a rustic wooden building with a sign that reads 'Middle Ridge Studio.' There are logs and stones in the foreground.
A man with curly hair, glasses, and a beard taking a selfie with a smartphone, partially obscuring his face. He is wearing a plaid shirt and standing in front of a background with wooden racks.
Two men working with computers in a rustic wooden room near a window, with natural sunlight and greenery outside.
A person holding a microphone in a dimly lit room with a wooden ceiling and guitars hanging in the background.
A woman with dark, curly hair playing an acoustic guitar during a casual gathering on a porch of a log cabin, with a person partly visible eating chips in the foreground.
A band performing in a rustic, wooden indoor setting with three musicians: a man playing a double bass, a man singing and playing an acoustic guitar, and another man sitting at a keyboard. Large speaker, microphones, and audio equipment are visible.
A rustic room with a stone fireplace, musical instruments including a keyboard, an electric guitar, and a Fender amplifier, and a wooden wall with a sign that reads 'Irish'.