The Town House

Townhouse Studios (also known as The Town House) was a recording studio located on Goldhawk Road, London which was once owned by Virgin. It was opened in the late 1970s, but permanently closed in 2008.

Peter Gabriel had recorded part of his self-titled third solo album (referred to Melt) at this studio during mid-late 1979, regarded as one of his most creatively successful efforts. Studio 2 at The Town House was the birthplace of what became the "gated reverb" effect, as heard on the drum pattern for Peter Gabriel's "Intruder" played by Phil Collins. Accounts vary as to how the sound came about, but it can be agreed that the sound resulted from a heavily compressed "reverse talkback" microphone (specifically an STC 4021 Ball & Biscuit) connected to the SSL 4000B console and treated an built-in noise gate. Phil would become a regular client at The Town House throughout the 1980s, following his experience of the Peter Gabriel session.