Go West is a professional music recording facility located in Richmond, VA and owned and operated by audio engineer Mitch Clem. Founded on a DIY-style approach, the nearly 1000-sqft studio was built mostly by Mitch himself (and friends) in his backyard between 2021 and 2022 with the goal to provide a comfortable and premier creative space that prioritizes accessibility to musicians of all budgets. Go West features a spacious live room, control room, one dedicated isolation booth, and a lounge area (/reverb chamber) with excellent visibility between all rooms. There are 20 channels of audio I/O and an assortment of high quality recording instruments and equipment (listed below).

GEAR LIST

Control Room

  • Mac Mini (M2) with Logic Pro

  • Antelope Audio AD/DA conversion and preamps

  • Phoenix Audio Ascent Two preamp / DRS-1R pre

  • CAPI VP28 mic pre (x2)

  • Hairball Lola mic pre (x2)

  • Modded Shure M67 4-channel mic pre

  • FMR Audio RNC Compressor (x2)

  • Focal Shape 65 monitors + 10" subwoofer

  • Waves, Soundtoys, Klanghelm, Aberrant DSP, Valhalla plugins & more

Microphones

  • AKG D112

  • Audix i5

  • Beyerdynamic M201 / MC930 pair

  • Cascade Fat Head

  • Electro-Voice RE20 / 635A

  • Lauten Audio FC-357

  • Miktek PM9 (x2)

  • MXL R40

  • Peavey PVM 520TN

  • Royer R-10 pair

  • sE Electronics 4400a pair / V7 / V Beat

  • Sennheiser e602 / e604 / e609 / e614 pair

  • Shure SM7B / SM57 / SM58 (x2) / WL93

  • DIY Telephone Mic

Drums & Percussion

  • Sonor Force 3003 kit (22", 16", 13", 12")

  • Vintage 26"x14" Pearl Kick Drum

  • Vintage Japanese 13" tom

  • Gretsch Hammered Steel 14"x6.5" snare

  • DW Collector's Series 14"x5.5" maple snare

  • Ludwig 14"x5" Acrolite snare

  • Vintage Slingerland 14"x6.5" chrome snare

  • Zildjian K Dark 17" crash

  • Sabian AAX 14" hi hats

  • Istanbul Agop 21" Jazz ride

  • Meinl Byzance Brilliant Pure Metal 24" ride

  • Paiste 602 18" crash

  • Dream Dark Matter Energy 20" ride

  • Dream Bliss 14" hi hats

  • various percussion instruments

Guitars & Basses

  • Fender Telecaster

  • Fender Stratocaster

  • PRS Starla X

  • 1981 Washburn Raven

  • D'Angelico Premier DC

  • Epiphone Les Paul Jr

  • Larrivee L-02 acoustic

  • 70's Ventura V7 OM acoustic

  • Taylor Baby acoustic

  • Franciscan 3/4 classical guitar

  • 1979 Washburn Vulture bass

  • 90's Squier Pro Tone 5 String bass

  • 70's Harmony mandolin

Amplifiers

  • Fender 65' Deluxe Reverb Reissue

  • Fender Twin Reverb Reissue

  • Fender Hot Rod Deville 2x12

  • 1971 Univox U-1221

  • 80's Laney Pro Tube AOR 50 (JCM800 mod)

  • 1985 Laney Pro Tube AOR 30

  • Peavey Bravo 1x12

  • Peavey TKO 80

  • Bogen Challenger CHB 20A

  • Hiwatt Custom 20 solid state

  • Ampeg SVT-450

  • Ampeg Classic 4x10 cab / 90's V-4 4x12 cab

  • Custom Warren 2x12 cab / Oversized 2x12 cab

  • DIY Oversized 1x12 cab

Keys, Synths & Pedals

  • 1983 Yamaha U1 upright piano

  • Korg Minilogue

  • Yamaha Reface CP

  • Casio MT-100

  • Barber Gain Changer / Small Fry

  • Line6 DL4 mkII

  • EHX Memory Boy / Pitch Fork

  • Walrus SLO reverb

  • Red Panda Particle

  • Proco Rat2

  • Catalinbread SFT

  • ZVEX Mastotron fuzz

  • Boss MA-1

  • Orange Two-Stroke EQ

  • & many more!