Abbey Road Studios Introduces The Big Nessie Digital Instrument for Music Producers

Abbey Road Studios officially introduced The Big Nessie, a unique instrument that marks the legendary studio's first collaboration with British fashion label Charles Jeffrey Loverboy.

The instrument offers a digital music device that can be downloaded for free by music producers of various skill levels.

This project is a new history for Abbey Road because it is the first sampled instrument that was developed entirely internally.

Using a 'curve bender' approach, the raw sounds captured are then processed through a variety of unique vintage equipment and acoustic spaces to produce a musical texture that has never existed before.

The sound material in this instrument was taken from two different locations, namely the Loverboy workshop at Somerset House and a live recording at the famous Abbey Road Studio Two.

The creative process involved Charles Jeffrey together with his music director, Tom Furse, as well as the Abbey Road technical team. The result is a sound library filled with distorted percussion textures, tonal fragments, and experimental rhythms wrapped in Jeffrey's signature graphics.

"There are many beautiful examples of how music and fashion have merged seamlessly over the years, but this feels like the first time that the creative world has come together to present a music production tool," said Mirek Stiles, Head of Audio Products Abbey Road Studios, quoted by NME, Tuesday, February 24.

Stiles added that this collaboration brings both parties out of their comfort zones to create a unique instrument for the global creative community.

Jeffrey's own collection, Prepared Piano, refers to John Cage's 1940s musical technique of modifying a piano with objects such as bolts and rubber to produce raw and unpredictable sounds. It is this spirit of experimentation that is poured into The Big Nessie.

Through this collaboration, Charles Jeffrey stated that Abbey Road Studios is not just a music icon, but a dream laboratory.

"Partnering with Abbey Road, a place that fosters innovation and creativity, feels right when I explore new dimensions in music and fashion. This project embodies the spirit of experimentation, combining the sound of our creative process with Abbey Road's iconic heritage," concluded Jeffrey.