Who is Behind the Mixing Desk at Beckview Studios?
Get to Know The Team!
Beckview Studios is one of North Yorkshire’s largest, one-stop recording studio, based in Scalby village, Scarborough. Our independent, state-of-the-art studios offer an impressive space for musicians, singers, songwriters, actors, authors, creatives, and performers.
Managed and co-owned by Chris and Kristina Jones, we bring with us over two decades of extensive experience in music production and recorded sound. Living on the Yorkshire Coast means we are also part of Scarborough’s vibrant music scene, which boasts a varied mix of genres, from classical to jazz, rock to pop, and everything in between.
Chris is Chief Engineer, Producer, and Owner
Chris is the chief resident engineer, mixer, and producer at our studios.He works collaboratively with musicians and artists, and brings his extensive technical knowledge of sound recording to every session. While his roots are in South Shields, Chris moved to Scarborough in 1999 to study Music Technology at the University of Hull, Scarborough Campus.Chris holds an MRes (Master in Research) in Electronic Composition, also awarded by the University of Hull.Chris is never happier than when he’s in our Control Room behind his Sony MCI JH-600 analogue console and custom sidecar, a true 1984 vintage gem.
Chris couples using analogue technology with the latest digital applications, meaning he’s created the perfect listening environment at our studios.
Find out more here: https://www.beckviewstudios.co.uk/recording-studio
Living the Dream
Chris has always had a passion and talent for recording and production.Following university, he worked as a live sound engineer where he had the privilege of engineering for an extensive range of bands including, Razor light, Biffy Clyro, Ginger Wild heart, Dogs die in hot cars, and others.Running a professional studio is a dream come true for Chris.A quirky fact is that every house Chris has lived in needed to accommodate all the studio equipment he accrued over the years.Our Scalby location is now the forever home for Chris and all the kit!
Teaching the Next Generation
Chris worked for a number of years as a technician, and teaching Music Production and Live Sound modules as part of the Creative Music Technology course at the University of Hull. More recently, Chris has seamlessly combined his work at the studio with teaching students as part of their Masters and Undergraduate degree courses in his role as a visiting Associate Lecturer at the University of York.
Whatever Chris does, he prides himself in getting the best possible recording for all clients.
Kristina is Studio Manger and co-owner of Beckview Studios
Kristina is our studio manager, handling bookings, marketing, and promotional work. Originally from Hertfordshire, Kristina has Italian blood in her veins.Kristina lived in America and Hong Kong before moving to Scarborough in 2003.She read Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Hull Scarborough Campus, where she met Chris.
Kristina holds a Master of Arts in Management, awarded by Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.
Natural Organiser
With a talent for organisation, Kristina worked in the arts and tourism sectors, undertaking marketing and events roles. Kristina worked for Scarborough Borough Council (now North Yorkshire Council) in their busy tourism department and at the town’s stunning entertainment venue the Scarborough Spa, a heritage building designed by Joseph Paxton.
Other venues which Kristina has worked for include the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Woodend Creative Workspace, and Scarborough Castle (curated by English Heritage). She also held an arts festival director role in the nearby resort of Filey.
Delivering the Best
With an impressive portfolio of skills, experience and talent, Kristina is passionate about using her expertise to deliver the highest quality services to our clients.Kristina understands that working closely with clients is the perfect way to get to grips with their vision, creating recordings everyone is proud of.
The Little Jones Clan!
We have been together for over 19 years, married for most of them, and have three young children, all aged 10 years and under! While family is one of the most powerful motivations for our ongoing success, we are also passionate about the Scarborough community.
We support the local cultural and creative life in the town, which often punches above its weight in terms of variety, quality and talent.
The Studios
Of course, a key team member is the studio itself!You can see the layout of our studios here - https://www.beckviewstudios.co.uk
It was designed by The Studio Wizard, Howard Turner, and constructed by local contractors, Hewitt’s Home Improvements. Our studio has its own fascinating history, built in 1937 as the Scalby Urban District Council offices. Interesting fact: the studio has a benchmark carved into one of the external bricks used by National Ordinance Survey in 1968.
There is ample free private parking on site, and we overlook the local tennis courts. For a virtual tour of our studio and to take a look at our recording kit click here.
A One-Stop Studio
During its conversion, we ensured there was excellent sound proofing, including a sound lock near the entrance. All windows are fully soundproof, each with 4 panes of glass for every window. Making the most of natural daylight, our studio is available for hire.
We undertake all types of recording and music production projects. From pre-production, to tracking, to mixing and mastering. Engineers and Producers are welcome to enquire for dry hire options.
The Live Room is beautifully designed and adaptable in terms of space.
A full band or a solo artist will feel comfortable in this room.We have a larger Isolation Booth used frequently for voiceover work or when tracking with a band.
Our Amp Room was originally the parish council’s safe with a hugely impressive, ornate door!
The Control Room is where the magic happens, built with acoustics in mind there are no parallel walls in this room.
The Green Room, which includes a stunning kitchen and communal space, includes original 1930s features such bevelled glass and high ceilings, with relaxing seating and audio/visual feed to the studio and control room. Tie lines from the main studio and control room means we can even record in the kitchen if you so wish! For a breath of fresh air, take a wander around our private garden.
Where possible we have retained the 1930s features so in one sense you feel you’re stepping into another world!
One of our unique selling points is that we can also offer self-catering accommodation to our clients if required. After all, who wouldn’t want to have a working holiday on the beautiful Yorkshire Coast!
Production Services
We can help with all audio production tasks and we support you every step of the way.Our dedicated team works in harmony with clients, from the moment you get in touch. From music production (both pre- and post, mixing and mastering), audio recording, and even providing session musicians we can help with it all.
Clients can book the studio for as little as half a day (four hours) for band tracking, and for only 2 hours for vocals and voiceovers.
Find out more about our production services: https://www.beckviewstudios.co.uk/production