Elevating studio sound for DJ and music producer, Rhett Hill

Rhett Hill sets uncompromising standards when it comes to audio quality — something you’d expect from a seasoned music producer, DJ, and co-owner of Do It Anyway Records (D.I.A).

The label consistently secures top and high-ranking positions on Traxsource, reflecting a deep commitment to musical integrity and sound. Producing under the alias Thorgan Wolff, his work embodies that same attention to detail — where every element, from production through to playback, is held to the highest possible standard.

This dedication to great music led Rhett to develop the multi-purpose studio he refers to as an “alternate man cave” for himself. The space will also serve as a place for specially invited DJs from D.I.A to play, film and stream music sets.

But, as Rhett discovered thanks to Gillman Audio, there’s always potential to improve on great sound quality. It all began with a shared interest in rotary mixers, and a chat in a repurposed wine cellar, as Rhett explains:

“A while ago, I built a studio in Chester and I’m really happy with it. Because it’s located in the basement of a Georgian building where the old wine cellar used to be, it has a lovely domed brick ceiling and the acoustics are fantastic. Phil kindly brought in a mixer he had repaired for me and had a look at the studio at the same time. We were chatting and he said he could see potential to improve the sound significantly.”

This casual catch-up was the start of a consultative process in which Phil brought a range of equipment to the studio and A/B tested it over two separate sessions. It gave Rhett the opportunity to hear the differences between components and make informed decisions based on what he was experiencing in the space.

Because Rhett’s studio features a wide range of high-quality equipment, the two were able to test several options, including a Union Audio four valve -channel mixer, a Pioneer Euphonia, an E&S DJR 400 (serviced and optimised by Gillman Audio), and two Condesa mixers. While all of them sound excellent in their own right, each one brings something different to the music. Once the main system was dialled in, they were able to carry out the comparisons in a controlled and meaningful way. 

“Phil knew what he was doing and he was many more steps ahead of me because it’s his specialist area,” Rhett adds. “He wanted to A/B test different mixers and cables, from connectors to power to speakers. While it sounded great before, the step up in the audio quality was really noticeable. That’s why I decided to go ahead with the rewire.” 

But there was one specific moment that confirmed Rhett’s decision to upgrade:

“We used a particular song as a target track for comparison while we were A/B testing with different bits of kit. At one point, we said to each other ‘Can you hear a bird singing?’. The system was great before, but now we were suddenly hearing stuff in the song that had previously been clouded out by distance! It was on that basis that I said to go for it.”

The two settled on the Union Audio / Master Sounds valve mixer, as it delivered the sound they were ultimately looking for in the space. Decision made, but with the studio very close to his heart, Rhett wanted to be there for the install without having to take time out from his packed work schedule.

“Phil said, ‘I appreciate you’re a busy guy and I can come up and do the install at the weekend.’ That made a big difference to me because I could be there during the week, but wouldn’t have been truly present due to being on the phone or dealing with emails. A weekend install meant I could be part of the process.”

This flexibility, along with a clear scope of works, meant the full rewire and reconfiguration into a four-point sound system was delivered on time and on budget over the course of just one day. Gillman Audio supplied power conditioning, speaker cabling and interconnects, and handled the full system setup design and optimisation.

Rhett highlights a mix of expertise and collaboration for making the whole experience a positive one:

“Phil’s a really nice guy and really knowledgeable. He has his ideas and vision, but he wasn’t in any way trying to sell anything. I didn’t feel like I had to go down a certain route. It really was about going step by step, hearing the differences and potential improvements the various options offered, seeing how I felt and then going on to the next stage. I really enjoyed the process.” 

Finding the perfect match between systems and studio space meant there were some surprises along the way:

“We configured the system so that now there are speakers in each corner, rather than two rear speakers. It gives it a really clever sound because having stereo on the diagonal creates a warm spot. So every time you walk round the room, you get stereo-imaging. I’m very happy with the results. It sounded great before, but now it’s even better. It’s pretty special.” 

Rhett is so delighted with the difference that Gillman Audio has made, he’s planning on making the most of Phil’s expertise for his next project: 

“I’m building a second studio, which will be developed from the ground up. I’ll be bringing Phil in to wire it up.”

Asked what he would say to other DJs and record producers with a high-end set-up they already love, Rhett has this advice: 

“Just let Phil A/B test your existing equipment with some of his power and routing ideas. I think a lot of people could benefit from a serious upgrade to their sound quality. Sure, they know they need to upgrade and get better cables after buying and putting together really high quality equipment - and that’s great - but I think one of the most overlooked things is power: not just learning how to get pure power into these expensive bits of audio kit, but also powering them individually. The difference it made for my studio was massive!”

For Rhett, the consultation process with Gillman Audio has proven that there’s always scope to step up audio quality and discover hidden depths to even your best loved and most played tracks – hidden birdsong and all.

“I’m always willing to acknowledge when something can sound better. The final configuration wasn’t what I had in mind before the consultation process, but it sounded the best. Now DJing in the studio is an absolute joy.”