Voyager Sound

Announcing Voyager Sound! We’re thrilled to share that as of today, Second Take Sound is entering its next chapter under new ownership and a new name: Voyager Sound. New owners Ben Hoffstein and Jon Seale bring deep experience across NYC’s music, creative, and business worlds, and are excited to launch this next phase of the studio’s history, maintaining a home for the NYC music community’s most exciting recording projects for years to come. Everything you love about the studio will remain. The team of audio engineers you’ve worked with will continue to run sessions, and STS founder Reed Turchi will stay involved in an advisory capacity, ensuring a seamless transition and continuity of the values and standards the space was built on. We’re excited to keep investing in its future. Follow along for updates and join us for the Voyager launch party this summer! Onwards and upwards, Reed Turchi, Ben Hoffstein, and Jon Seale

Two years, two Grammy’s, six Grammy nominations, and an amazing team. I love this song, but lemme tell ya, no back up plan about this — just big dreams and swinging for the fences. I am so proud of all the work that went into making the studio such a high-quality, all-cylinders operation, and so grateful to everyone who made magic here. When I started at GSI (thank you, @onlyruin !) I knew the studio was an amazing facility, and also knew that coming out of COVID, etc, it was going to take a lot of love and work to make it shine and make it buzz with clients and outside engineers. And we did it, baby! Damn we made a lot of great music and made it one of the finest studios in NYC! And we did it TOTALLY INDEPENDENT, and always putting artists first. Yeah, often I was so stressed out I didn’t sleep for weeks, but my heart — and the studio’s heart — was always in the right place, and you know what? Thanks to that, we always ended up attracting the right people. Studios! What insane places. The magic is in the people. The place allows the people to gather. Oh yeah, and someone has to take out the bathroom trash and pay rent. A lot of soul has gone into making this place what it is. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Peace out on the second take era. It’s time to dream big, then dream bigger — “And together, they touched the sky …”

Very fitting for the last official Second Take Sound session to be with some longtime buds and collaborators, @billythemusical and @leemcalilly (who I’ve known since my Memphis and Nashville daze !) Also, I’ve been getting about a million questions (understandably!) about the studio transition, so, if you missed Monday’s post, here’s a recap: -as of May 1, Second Take Sound will become Voyager Sound, operated by @hoffstein and @sonofcloud -YES, I (Reed) will still be engineering and producing at the studio -YES, the studio will remain fully operational and commercially available for booking -YES, the console and piano and other gear you love will still be at the studio -YES, other staff and engineers will remain at the studio as well -YES, this is a great step for the studio to continue its independent, artist-centric ethic and continue to serve its existing clients, and grow to be a home to more clients! Don’t be shy to hit me up if you have questions, but also, truly, know that this is the beginning of a great new chapter. Onwards and upwards — Reed

Well, it’s been a spring of big announcements, so here’s another one for ya —  Effective May 1, 2026, Second Take Sound will be changing hands, and will become VOYAGER SOUND, under the  leadership of Jon Seale @sonofcloud and Ben Hoffstein @hoffstein . Owning and operating Second Take Sound over the last two years has been one stunner of a journey — something like a white-knuckled-roller-coaster-keep-‘er-on-the-tracks-no-matter-what-holy-moly experience. What I have enjoyed most, and what I am most grateful for, is all of the relationships that were made at and around the studio, and, from those relationships, the music that was made.  In two years we picked up 6 Grammy Nominations and 2 Grammy Wins, which is kind of an absurd Grammy-to-months-in-operation ratio, if you think about it — but is a real sign of the kind of quality and teamwork that has taken place in the studio space.  Jon and Ben and I have been in conversation over the last few months, and I truly believe this is a best case scenario — their intention is to continue to run the studio at the highest possible level, retain our excellent staff of engineers, and continue to grow and expand everything that Second Take Sound has built. The people, and the gear (the steinway! The api! Etc etc!) will all still be there waiting for your next session. And, I’ll still be there too, producing and engineering, and also aiding in the transition over the next few months to make sure it is all as smooth as possible.  What’s next for me, you may ask? Well, as many of you know, my first book of poems will be published this November, AND, I’ve just signed on to an independent record label with more announcements about releases soon, so, your boy will be out there poem-ing and music-ing as ever, and then some. (Continued in comments)

Full house = fun house

Spent the last few days with the great Brazilian guitarist and composer #ToninhoHorta @toninhohorta and the amazing American jazz pianist #DavidKikoski @kayemode recording a beautiful guitar/piano duo album at #SecondTakeSound @secondtakesound studio in Chelsea Manhattan (in the same building where my studio is) using their API board and some Neumann, AKG and Coles microphones and with @quentin.andrianasitera assisting the sessions. Here’s some assorted scenes from the last few days in the studio with these awesome cats…

It’s a pleasure to have @marcurselli behind the boards for a few days! Making the ever-so-long commute from our excellent neighbor studio @audioconfidential (a whole three floors!) Assisted by @quentin.andrianasitera

Please give a warm, and slightly overdue, welcome to @quentin.andrianasitera , who we are so glad to introduce as a Staff Engineer here at @secondtakesound ! We started working with Quentin in December, and he proved to be an incredibly diligent, welcoming, and professional member of the studio. Also, he says he hates taking photos, so now we are begging his forgiveness for posting these! Cheers, and glad to have you here! Merci beaucoup! 🥂 Bio: Quentin Andrianasitera is a recording engineer originally from Paris, France, now based in New York City. Before relocating to the U.S., he worked as an in-house engineer and head assistant at Les Studios Saint-Germain, contributing to a wide range of international recording projects across pop, film scoring, and contemporary music. Over the course of his career, Quentin has contributed to Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated projects and has also served as personal engineer to producer Andrew Wells. His work includes sessions and recordings involving artists and composers such as Alexandre Desplat, The Rolling Stones, Selena Gomez, Michael Kiwanuka, RAYE, Olivia Dean, Girl in Red, Daniele Luppi, Polo & Pan, Myles Smith, and Kids Return, as well as major international productions including Emilia Pérez, Gran Turismo, and the legendary French rock opera Starmania.

Full console, full house!! A big day in the studio with an all-hands-on-deck session: drums, piano, bass, guitar, multiple vocalists, re arranging the room and the songs and keeping it rolling! Special shout out to @quentin.andrianasitera for incredible engineering assistance and ProTools operations, and @annalou_smith for additional assistance and photos. With such a great team, even the biggest sessions are a pleasure , not a pain!

Back in December, right before I flew to Argentina, we went into Second Take Sound in Manhattan to record a few new songs with @corey.rawls , @declanoconnellmusic and @ddonthekeys . The crazy thing is… we didn’t rehearse them.
We just got together in the studio, played them a couple of times, and boom, that was the take. Yesterday I spent the day back at the studio mixing the songs with my buddy @reedturchi , who also engineered and recorded the sessions. There’s something cool about hearing songs come together in the mix, textures, groove and tones suddenly locking in and making the whole thing feel alive. More soon 🤘🏼

Finishing up a cool project with @musicbysoria back in the house!

Monday mic day… including some very intriguing new thangz?! 🧐