Noise in the Attic Studio
Noise In The Attic (NITA) began in 2002 as a humble attic project studio—hence the name, which was both a nod to its original location and a playful homage to Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith. Drawing on years of hands-on experience and two years of formal study in Music Production and Engineering at Berklee, Rob designed and built the first version of the studio himself.
NITA Version 1 featured a small control room and live space, acoustically treated by hand, with a DIY vocal booth and a modest but high-quality collection of used gear—including a Pro Tools rig, select outboard preamps, and a handful of excellent mics. Rumor has it the walls may have been filled with sand for soundproofing—but Rob will neither confirm nor deny. After two years, NITA relocated when the family moved from Stoneham to a beautiful spot just 100 yards from the ocean in Scituate, MA.
NITA Version 2 took things to a whole new level. Working with studio designer Paul Stewart, Rob transformed a detached garage and upstairs apartment into a world-class facility. The upstairs control room and downstairs “room within a room” live space became the heart of the studio for the next 15 years. The live room featured non-parallel walls, a faux wood floor, and a ceiling made of suspended 703 fiberglass panels that doubled as a massive bass trap.
By the time NITA Version 5 rolled around, the studio had evolved into a boutique production space with top-tier gear—almost all of it used or refurbished, but nothing short of world-class. With a strong analog front end feeding into Pro Tools, the gear list included names like Neve, API, Apogee, Focusrite, Pendulum, Manley, and a mic locker stocked with Neumann, RCA, Lawson, Flea, Royer, and more.
From 2004 to 2019, NITA was home to countless memorable sessions. Clients earned Boston Music Awards and New England Music Awards. The studio became known not only for its high-end sound but also for its laid-back, welcoming vibe. Recording days often turned into family-style dinners at the main house, followed by drinks on the deck and ocean-view sunsets from the control room or the cozy back-bedroom overlooking the marsh.
Many of Boston’s top session players became regulars at NITA, including Mike Levesque, Jeff Calder, Kevin Barry, Dinty Child, Tom Appleman, Dean Johnston, Garret Savluk, Lennie Peterson, and Justin Beech. And no story of NITA would be complete without a heartfelt shoutout to apprentice-turned-engineer David DeLuca, whose tireless efforts helped shape the studio’s legacy.