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Archer Avenue Studio is the newest state-of-the-art facility owned and operated by producer and mixer Kenny McWilliams in Columbia, South Carolina. Designed by Wes Lachot and his team, Archer Avenue represents the continuation of a working relationship that began more than a decade ago and has had a profound impact on Kenny’s development as a producer and mixer.
In 2012, Wes designed Kenny’s first control room. Kenny quickly discovered that the room did more than simply sound great—it fundamentally changed the way he worked. The accuracy and translation of the room allowed him to hear deeper into recordings, make better production decisions, and ultimately become a more effective producer and mixer. When it came time to build a completely new facility, there was very little question about who Kenny wanted to design it. “I loved the first room Wes designed for me, and I felt like working in that room greatly enhanced my ability as a producer and mixer,” Kenny says. “When it was time to build something new, Wes and his team were the obvious choice.”
The goal with the new facility was not to reinvent what was already working, but to create an environment that would allow Kenny to work more efficiently and spend more time focused on the creative process. “The old space was already serving my clients very well,” Kenny explains. “What I really wanted with the new facility was more space, professional acoustic design optimized specifically for recording, and much better isolation between the live room and the isolation booths. Those improvements would allow sessions to move more smoothly and efficiently. Instead of spending time working around the limitations of the room, we could spend more time focused on the creative side of producing and mixing.”
That philosophy became a major part of the design of Archer Avenue. The goal was not simply to build a larger studio, but to create a space where the technical aspects of recording could become more transparent, allowing Kenny and his clients to stay focused on the music.
The result is a two-studio facility designed to provide an exceptional environment for recording, producing, mixing, and developing music. Studio A features a large control room, live room, and two isolation booths. It is ideally sized for tracking a full band while providing excellent isolation, but is equally comfortable for songwriting, overdubs, and developing detailed and complex productions. The studio features Dynaudio M3A main monitors powered by Bryston power amplifiers and crossover, with Lynx Aurora(n) and Dangerous conversion, Dangerous summing, and an extensive collection of high end outboard equipment and microphones.
Studio Z provides a smaller, highly comfortable and versatile recording environment. Equipped with Neumann KH 310 monitors and subwoofer, UAD conversion, Shadow Hills summing and monitor control, and high-end Neve, GML, and Shadow Hills preamps, Studio Z is designed for overdubs, mixing, voiceover work, and smaller full band sessions.
The acoustic treatment for both studios was designed by Wes Lachot Design Group, fabricated by Brett Acoustics, and implemented, built, and installed by Kenny and his team.Together, the two studios provide Archer Avenue with the flexibility to accommodate everything from intimate overdub and mixing sessions to full-band tracking and complex productions.
Kenny McWilliams has spent more than 20 years building a career around working closely with artists who are willing to dig deeply into the recording and production process. A multi-instrumentalist himself, his production and mixing experience spans nearly every genre of music. He began his career performing in several successful bands before discovering that his true passion was producing and mixing records. He transitioned into full-time studio work early in his career and has continued to build his craft ever since.
Rather than relocating to one of the country’s traditional recording centers, Kenny chose to remain in South Carolina and build his career there. What began as a regional client base in the Southeast has grown into work with artists and projects from across the country. Archer Avenue Studio is also part of a larger creative vision. Kenny purchased the building in an up-and-coming area of downtown Columbia with guitar pedal designer and builder Philippe Herndon, owner of Caroline Guitar Company. The existing building required extensive work, but both owners saw an opportunity to create a unique creative environment that could serve Columbia and the broader music community.
The two companies now share the building, creating a natural synergy between recording, production, instrument design, and the musicians and artists who use both spaces. The larger facility gives both companies the room to pursue their creative goals while creating an environment where artists, producers, engineers, and instrument builders can work alongside one another.
A large collection of exceptional instruments, amplifiers, effects, microphones, and other recording equipment is available throughout the facility, giving clients access to a wide range of sounds and tools without sacrificing the focus and accuracy of the studio environment. Both studios at Archer Avenue were designed by Wes Lachot and Aaron Kelly of Wes Lachot Design Group, wired by Thom Canova of Canova Audio, with acoustic treatments fabricated by Tony Brett of Brett Acoustics.
For Kenny, Archer Avenue represents more than simply a new studio. It is the culmination of more than two decades of work as a musician, producer, and mixer—and the next step in a design partnership with Wes Lachot that began with one control room in 2012 and ultimately led to the creation of an entirely new facility.
