HippoSonic Recording Studio

Live recording and rental room in the former Little Mountain Sound space

Upcoming shows

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Plan your visit

Address

201 W 7th Ave, Vancouver, BCGet directions

Website and social

Access

Age policy

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Wheelchair access

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Washrooms

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Transit

A short walk from Broadway-City Hall and Olympic Village SkyTrain stations.

Seating

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Not checked means we have not confirmed that detail with the room.

The Little Mountain Address

Founded in 1989 by Robert Darch, HippoSonic moved in January 2017 into the former Little Mountain Sound Studios at 201 West 7th Avenue. Through the 1980s and 90s, hard rock records by Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and AC/DC, plus parts of Metallica's catalogue, were tracked at that address. Little Mountain Sound had opened there in 1972 as a partnership between Western Broadcasting, the operator of CKNW radio, and Griffiths, Gibson Productions, and it was the longtime base of producers Bruce Fairbairn and Bob Rock before it closed in April 1993.

The Big Room

HippoSonic is built around a large live room: Studio A has a 22-foot ceiling and is anchored by a Solid State Logic 4048G+ console, built in 1995, with custom "Black" E-series EQs. The room also keeps a working Studer A-800 Mk3 tape machine, so sessions can still track to analogue tape. Acts to record at HippoSonic include Tom Cochrane, Bif Naked, Skinny Puppy, Mother Mother, Swollen Members, Wu-Tang Clan, and Rammstein.

2025 Highlight: "Redemption"

In 2025, the studio hosted the recording of Rick Hughes' album Redemption. Produced by John Webster, the project brought together members of Ozzy Osbourne's 1982 touring band, guitarist Brad Gillis with the Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge rhythm section.

Photography and room details

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Small studio venue. Contact directly for photo policies.

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Venue information

Capacity
~75 (Live Show Rental)
Audio
SSL 4048G+ Console / Studer A-800 Mk3 Tape Machine
Owner
Robert Darch

Visual Tech

Integrated Video Capture Infrastructure

Do you run HippoSonic Recording Studio?

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Quockerwodger Coverage

First covered February 2025

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