Tony’s studio was situated on a 42-acre rainforest property called ‘Hidden Forest’, on the Blackall Range in Queensland, Australia.
Hidden Forest backs onto Kondalilla Falls National Park. The recording and editing rooms were on the bottom floor of Tony and Jacqui’s home, which was set above the trees. It was the most peaceful, tranquil setting, and perfect for inspiring creativity.
Tony found it a most inspiring place to live and work. The studio rooms were built in such a way that the large glass windows and doors could be open most of the time — no soundproofing required when writing! — and Tony much preferred to be breathing the fresh mountain air as much as possible.
When it was time to record, the doors and windows closed and sealed very well, creating a silent studio environment.
The main production room, where all the recording and mastering was done, was approximately 8x6 metres. Not overly large, but ideal for the way Tony worked. A door led into a larger editing suite, housing the video and graphic systems. There was no separate recording booth; everything was done in the production room. If a project demanded more than this, Tony could utilise a major recording facility in the nearest city Brisbane, about a 90-minute drive south.
About Hidden Forest, Tony wrote:
Rainforest birdsongs fill the daytime…
… in winter, a magical mist floods the forest and surrounds the house.
At night, the sounds are amazing… owls echo across the gorge, crickets and frogs lull us to sleep every evening. Kangaroos regularly drop by near the balcony in the mornings, and dingoes sneak about some nights.
The forest is alive with beautiful creatures, birds of the most stunning colours… and, er, yes… several pythons call the backyard their home too.