Pilot Recording Studio was founded in 1993 by producer and engineer Will Schillinger, originally located in New York City. During its early years, the studio built a reputation for musicality and sonic transparency, attracting major label artists, singer-songwriters, and jazz musicians seeking a warm, intimate recording environment. In 2007, Pilot Recording Studio relocated to a converted church in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, where it continues to operate as a private, full-service recording and mixing facility.
Across both locations, Pilot Recording Studio has maintained a strong commitment to high-quality tracking and mixing, from live basic sessions to complex multi-format productions. The studio has become especially known for its exceptional drum and guitar recordings, due in part to its refined room acoustics and a carefully curated collection of vintage microphones, amplifiers, and instruments. Sessions at Pilot have included film scoring, ADR, and full album productions, with engineers and producers returning for the studio’s detailed sound and analogue sensibility.
One of the most celebrated recordings to emerge from Pilot Recording Studio’s New York City era is Ann Hampton Callaway’s After Ours, recorded in 1994 and released in 1997. Engineered and mixed by Paul Wickliffe, the album showcases the studio’s core strengths: pristine acoustic imaging, nuanced mic placement, and an atmosphere that invites performances of rare intimacy. From bowed bass solos to breathy saxophone passages and exposed vocals, After Ours is a testament to what Pilot Recording Studio could capture at its best.