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.