New York, NY (December 23, 2025)—At Combine, we evaluate severe pro-audio gear, however when the chance got here alongside to evaluate a recording studio—particularly a toy recording studio that’s a part of essentially the most over-the-top brick-building set we’ve ever seen—we couldn’t say no.

The studio is a key a part of Lumibricks’ Report Retailer brick-building set, and all the equipment is one thing to behold. Channeling retro vibes from the daybreak of hip-hop, it’s like a fever dream of the final word city vinyl store: three tales of eye-popping design, music-based entrepreneurship and extra, nestled someplace within the boroughs of New York Metropolis (the 718 space code on the signal provides it away).

INSIDE GROOVE

The three-story constructing encompasses a vinyl store on the primary ground, recording studio on the second, and membership and lounge on the third degree. Every ground options an unbelievable quantity of element, and Lumibricks makes essentially the most of it by permitting the constructing to separate in half, opening on a hinge to allow you to to discover the inside up-close. Furthermore, the flooring in every room utterly slide out, permitting you to look at them from each angle or re-arrange their contents as you see match earlier than sliding them again in and shutting the constructing once more.

The designers clearly know music tradition and have a humorousness about it, too. As an example, the money register within the retailer reads “$150” on the display screen, and there’s an ATM machine exterior, as a result of an excellent vinyl retailer will make you go broke. Outdoors the constructing, there’s graffiti on the partitions, however hidden contained in the studio below the steps, there’s a janitor’s closet with cleansing supplies and recyclables—the requisite pizza field and empty beer bottle. Intelligent touches like that basically assist deliver the set to life.

Bringing all that element to mild are…lights! The set cleverly integrates LEDs and tiny (if considerably fragile) wiring that you just snake all through the partitions to mild up rooms, signage, a TV set and extra. Having the ability to peer by the home windows and doorways to see what’s occurring inside provides a novel degree of depth and verisimilitude to the set.

A RACE AGAINST TIME

When Lumibricks despatched me the Report Retailer set for evaluate, the corporate had just one request: Good or dangerous, they actually wished the evaluate on-line by December 22. That was tremendous…however then the set landed on my doorstep December 20.

May I actually construct it in two days whereas additionally juggling end-of-year work stuff, Christmas purchasing and all the remainder?

I figured it wouldn’t be an issue—after which I opened the field.

The set is made up of 1,980 items (an acceptable quantity, given the early hip-hop vibes) and they’re separated into 38 baggies. Guiding you thru all these items are three large, full-color manuals. Additionally included is a tiny screwdriver for opening and shutting the lighting powerpack (it takes AA batteries), a pair of tweezers, the lighting equipment, a service card and a particular device for prying bricks aside while you mistakenly put the incorrect two collectively. I used it lots.

Brick-building consultants will discover one thing lacking from that contents listing. I haven’t constructed a brick equipment since I used to be a child, however again then, the bummer a part of each construct was the dreaded Sheet of Stickers—the graphics that needed to go on to particular bricks so as to add element on a construct. Inevitably I’d tear a number of stickers by chance whereas peeling them off the sheet, after which I’d stick them on crookedly. It was the worst a part of the expertise.

Fortunately, there’s none of that nonsense right here—Lumibricks has coated the Report Retailer set with a lot of detailed graphics however they’re all silkscreened on. No stickers in sight!

OFF WE GO

I dove into making the set, sure I might get it accomplished in two days regardless of every little thing else occurring. However earlier than I did something, the directions had me check the lighting system first, and that takes about 20 minutes. Whereas it makes for an underwhelming begin, it is also essential—you don’t need to construct the entire thing, combine the lights after which uncover that they don’t work.

After an hour, I’d made a lot of the first ground…and by that, I imply the ground of the primary ground. This was going to take some time, so I enlisted the assistance of our resident third-year structure scholar, dwelling from faculty on winter break. With out batting an eye fixed, she grabbed the third handbook and went to work constructing the third degree.

Good factor she chipped in—between the time we each spent on it, we estimate it’s a 13-15-hour construct for one particular person. The set isn’t particularly tough, however it does require focus and we’d strongly suggest a piece space the place issues may be left for an prolonged time period, undisturbed by cats, young children and the like.

There have been a number of random further items in each bag, together with the bag that the set’s little folks got here in. This proved helpful once we unintentionally broke one’s arm however have been capable of exchange it with out difficulty.

The manuals have been very clear, and the colours have been normally spot-on, serving to to determine bricks as wanted. In a intelligent contact, there have been occasional 1:1 diagrams exhibiting the size of, say, a 6-space piece, in order that you can maintain a bit proper subsequent to it and make sure you have been utilizing the correct-sized brick.

THE RECORDING STUDIO

Whereas constructing the document store on the primary ground was enjoyable, and my daughter had a blast constructing the third-floor lounge/membership, the spotlight for me—and the entire motive Combine was reviewing the set—was the recording studio on the second ground.

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This was one other space the place the main points made the constructing expertise much more enjoyable. The area is split right into a management room and stay room, and it provides misinform the truth that the studio is predicated within the present day, regardless of the retro really feel of the general set.

The management room options a pc, monitor with DAW software program on the display screen, a mouse, espresso mug and a studio chair full with round footrest beneath it. Most significantly, it has a ‘Recording Studio In Use’ signal over the door, which sadly doesn’t mild up. The management room additionally options art work and albums on the partitions, and glass doorways to the surface balcony.

On the opposite facet of the glass is the stay room, full with a synth workstation that features a keyboard, drum machine, mounted microphone and a guitar mic in a shock mount (cleverly reusing what will need to have been a steering wheel piece in one other set, purely by flipping it backwards).

There’s additionally a reel-to-reel recorder for individuals who desire analog (extra reused steering wheels), a console (sure, it’s not within the management room), a speaker, loads of notes on the bulletin board, and the aforementioned janitor’s closet as properly.

In brief, your real-life recording studio could also be acoustically sound and really, you already know, document, however this factor in all probability appears cooler.

WE BUILT THIS CITY ON ROCK AND ROLL

As talked about earlier than, this can be a 13-15-hour construct, and music followers won’t be disenchanted after they lastly attain the tip. Should you drew a Venn Diagram of audio engineers and brick-building followers, there’d in all probability be an enormous overlap, and this set will simply fulfill each teams.

Lumibricks’ Report Retailer set is cleverly designed and by no means irritating to construct. The bricks are stable, the manuals are very clear, and the graphics are colourful and well-applied. The top consequence in spite of everything these hours is a set that appears precisely like what you see on the field, no Photoshop or AI trickery concerned. Whether or not you’re a longtime grownup brick-building hobbyist or not (I’m not), you’ll have a good time placing this factor collectively—and little doubt, it’ll look superior in your studio afterwards.