‘TABALET EAST-WEST’ STUDIOS: THE RETURN OF A VALENCIAN RECORDING LEGEND!

After 23 years in the United States, Grammy-winning recording engineer and musician Alfonso Ródenas is bringing his international experience back to Alboraya, where a new chapter is beginning for one of Valencia’s historic recording studios. In the agricultural landscape of Alboraya, just beyond the northern edge of Valencia, a new chapter is being written in the history of one of the region’s most important recording studios. Tabalet East-West is the new incarnation of Tabalet Estudis, the pioneering recording facility founded in 1977 by Valencian singer-songwriter Lluís Miquel and his business partner Nacho Carreras. For decades, the original studios played a significant role in the development of modern Valencian music, as well as the region’s advertising, film and dubbing industries.

The studios closed in 2012, following a crisis in the audiovisual sector associated with the collapse of Canal 9, the former Valencian regional television broadcaster. Now, Tabalet East-West is reviving that legacy with a renewed vision, combining the character of the original location with contemporary recording technology and an approach designed to accommodate both established professionals and new musical projects.

For Alfonso Ródenas, the project represents a return to familiar territory. Having worked at the original Tabalet studios for 12 years before moving to Los Angeles in 2003, he brings decades of experience as a musician and recording engineer to the renewed facility.

His career in the United States included work with Mexican musical supergroup Los Tigres del Norte, as well as the formation of his own band, The Blue Dolphins, alongside British singer-songwriter Victoria C. Scott.

We spoke to Alfonso about Tabalet’s remarkable history, the newly developed facilities in Alboraya and his impressions of Valencia’s music scene after more than two decades abroad.

24/7 Valencia: Can you tell us about the history of Tabalet EastWest?

Alfonso Ródenas: Tabalet East-West is the new incarnation of the acclaimed Tabalet Estudis. The project aims to revive the original studio’s legacy while bringing a fresh vision and a new sense of direction for the future.

The original facility was founded in 1977 by singer-songwriter Lluís Miquel, working alongside Nacho Carreras, a young Catalan businessman at the time. Together, they envisioned a world-class recording studio in the agricultural landscape north of Valencia.

They acquired an old, late-19th-century alquería — a traditional Valencian farmhouse — and transformed it into a high-end recording facility. It soon established itself as one of the leading studios in the country.

For almost 40 years, Tabalet enjoyed considerable success across the music, advertising and dubbing industries. However, it closed its doors in 2012 following the crisis triggered by the collapse of Canal 9, which contributed to the breakdown of Valencia’s film-dubbing industry.

Tabalet East-West is much more than a recording studio. Its history makes it an important cultural landmark and a repository of some of the most significant recordings in modern Valencian popular music. Many of the leading artists, bands and orchestras of that era passed through its doors to record their work.

24/7 Valencia: What is your musical background and professional experience?

I started playing in bands as a teenager. One of the most notable was Vitamin Vil, with whom we made quite a noise in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

My career at Tabalet began after we won a local rock competition. As part of the prize, we were given the opportunity to record a two-song single at the studio. That experience led to me joining the team.

I spent 12 years at Tabalet, working in various technical roles. During my final six years there, from 1997 to 2003, I was chief engineer. In 2003, I moved to Los Angeles, California, where I continued working as both an engineer and a musician.

My work in the United States included projects with the Mexican supergroup Los Tigres del Norte, for which I became a six-time Grammy Award-winning engineer. I also co-founded the band The Blue Dolphins with British singer-songwriter Victoria C. Scott.

Those years gave me invaluable experience of working in the international music industry, and I am now looking forward to bringing that knowledge back to Valencia.

24/7 Valencia: Tell us about the studio: its location, facilities, equipment and philosophy.

Tabalet East-West is a four-room recording complex set amid the farmland surrounding Alboraya, approximately five minutes from the beach and 15 minutes from central Valencia.

The facility has three independent rooms, each with its own isolation booth and equipment, alongside the main Studio A, which features a spacious 120-square-metre live room and a beautifully designed control room.

All the rooms are interconnected, allowing them to be used flexibly as additional isolation booths or control spaces. Studio B also has full access to the main live room.

We are continuing to develop the equipment, although Studios A and B are already fully operational. They share an excellent collection of microphone preamps and microphones, providing a strong foundation for a wide range of recording projects.

At present, we are not planning to install large-format mixing consoles. We may consider a dedicated console in the future if the needs of the studio justify it. For now, our philosophy is based on using top-quality microphone preamps and microphones, with mixing and processing carried out entirely in the computer, or in the box, as we say in the industry.

What really sets Tabalet East-West apart is the quality and character of its rooms, together with its beautiful rural surroundings. Combined with my 35 years of experience in the music industry, these qualities provide a strong foundation for successful recording projects.

I am also particularly interested in making the facilities available to other engineers and producers. The aim is to create a place where professionals can bring their own expertise and ideas, take advantage of the rooms and equipment, and produce work to the highest possible standard.

24/7 Valencia: Having lived in Los Angeles, how do you find Valencia’s music scene today?

The answer is pretty obvious! But let’s focus on the great emerging music scene, the talent of younger musicians and the wealth of experience among the more established generation.

Valencia is a city of music. After 23 years abroad, it is wonderful to see how much the scene has grown, both in musical quality and in the number of venues and clubs where people can play.

The scene feels much richer now, with so much talent and such an exciting range of musical activity. I cannot wait to share my experience here and, at the same time, learn from the musicians and creative people who are already making it such an exciting and enjoyable place to be.

For me, that exchange of experience is one of the most appealing aspects of returning to Valencia. There is a great deal to contribute, but equally a great deal to discover.

A new chapter for a Valencian institution

With its history, distinctive surroundings and renewed facilities, Tabalet East-West has the opportunity to reconnect Valencia’s musical heritage with the next generation of recording artists and producers.

For Alfonso Ródenas, the project is also a chance to bring together two worlds: the studio where he developed his technical career and the international music industry in which he subsequently built his reputation.

As Valencia’s music scene continues to evolve, the return of a historic recording address offers a reminder that the city’s musical identity is shaped not only by its performers and venues, but also by the studios where its sounds are captured, refined and preserved.