aug I sept  2017
studioexpresso eZine
Since 2000 
  
 

Night of Gothic at Village Studios with Tyminski

Southern Gothic came to a village in LA as moon shadow was sweeping across the nation at 2000 mph. LA is celebrating rebirth of two studios while NY is gearing up for AES where studioexpresso producers will offer educational opportunities.    We discover new talent in LA , listen to a NY transplant, now a beloved mixer and meet a respected producer turned A&R.  Two scholarships get launched. Photographs capture historic events and you can still view the exhibit  +  join us for the Hammond Hang in Monrovia and more wine tasting in Burbank coming in September.   

Thanks for our 2 4,000 + readers and community of studios, composers, arrangers who create music that lives and moves.  Congrats to all of you who have renewed and enjoying work, industry networking and more.. Renew today. Thank you!
  
In This Issue
Renew Today...for 2017!
Studio Revivals: Sound City + Sphere Studios
Southern Gothic At The Village
Rich Costey Mixes w ATCs
Hear The Regrettes, Sheila E, Starcrawler
Meet A&R I WB
Hammond Hang: Sept 9, 1pm
 
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Studio Spotlights
Producer Profiles
eZine since 2000 to 24,000+ subscribers


Join us this evening for great music!
(see calendar section)

 


Celebrating Studio Revivals in Los Angeles 
Sound City +  Sphere Studios

Sound City where Metalica, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Nirvana, Neil Young and slew of artists recorded is back!  Under the same name, the remodeled rooms now offer the growing home and project studio market a unique service. "Audio Hunt" is the groundbreaking platform that allows users to quickly and easily upload their tracks for professional audio treatment at a very modest rate. Additional services will include: reamping, track processing, editing, mixing, and mastering.  Sandy Skeeter is the
president of Sound City, Inc.
"All mixing utilizes two legendary Helios "Type 69" consoles for both equalization and summing, as well as our three EMT 140 plate reverbs and echo chamber. Re-amping tracks through the legendary studio A live room or our collection of vintage guitar and bass amplifiers is also available," says booking manager and engineer, Dave Anderson who can be reached via phone (818) 473-5569 or email: david@soundcitystudios.com.
Watch the trailer for the movie on the history of Sound City here

 
Francesco Cameli, award- winning engineer producer (KORN, Flyleaf, Ed Sheeran) has officially opened a brand new iteration of his renowned facility Sphere Studios in Los Angeles, California.
For the last 13 years Sphere Studios London attracted high profile clients such as Adele, Muse, Duran Duran and Queen. 
Sphere LA is located in North Hollywood in a building that was originally home to Royaltone Studios and subsequently Linda Perry's private Kung Fu Gardens. Here you'll find a tracking room with a large live area, a sizeable drum booth and vocal booth with a private lounge. There are three guitar closets just to store the impressive collection of Sphere's instruments. The studio features a lovingly restored vintage Neve 8078 console in A, while Studio B (a mix room that also has two booths and two guitar closets) is equipped with an SSL 4072 G+ console.
 

Meet Drawmer's New Baby: MPA-90

Ivor Drawmer and his handpicked team of engineers unveiled the new Drawmer MPA-90 two-channel class D power amplifier. Its small dual monoblock design, with tabletop or rack mountable footprint, houses guts capable of delivering 90W per channel (into 4 Ohms) or 180W bridged - all with no annoying fan. Like Drawmer's MC2.1 Monitor Controller, the new MPA-90 treats audio signals with integrity: its output is lusciously transparent, revealing the beauty (and the faults!) of whatever is run through it. Also, like all Drawmer's products, the MPA-90 is built in England to last a lifetime, priced fairly at $695.

"The new Drawmer MPA-90 is the perfect partner to small passive loudspeakers like the Auratone® 5Cs or other small passives" says Brad Lunde, founder and president of TransAudio Group, Drawmer's longtime US distributor.
"Many Class D amps out there are just raw Class D modules, but the MPA-90 has a Drawmer designed and built custom front end to improve its sound. The MPA-90 sounds excellent and with the bridging feature, provides a future upgrade path. The MPA-90 is really the perfect complement to the Drawmer MC1.1 or MC2.1 Preamplifiers in matching housing, but it works great with any preamp."
Switching the Drawmer MPA-90 from stereo to mono bridged is easily accomplished with the flick of a switch and use of the mono loudspeaker jack. Its inputs are either balanced XLR or unbalanced phono to cover the two universes of gear, pro versus semi-pro/consumer that may feed it. It features thermal, overload, and power-up/power-down protection and front-panel standby, fault, and clip indicator LEDs. Its rugged steel chassis and brushed aluminum cover speaks to the Drawmer MPA-90's design integrity and longevity.
The MPA-90 is now available for shipping.  PRICE: $695.00 MAP


BETTERMAKER C502V 500 SERIES
  
Trans Audio Group Introduces the Boutique Analog Compressor 
 
TransAudio Group, Bettermaker's U.S. distributor, introduced the path breaking Bettermaker C502V at the AES's 139th Convention earlier this year in New York City. Like the rest of Bettermaker's catalog - which in just a few short years has earned numerous TEC, Resolution, and Prosound award nominations and wins, the C502V combines a boutique analog signal path (newsworthy in its own right) with intuitive, musical controls and complete parameter recall and automation from a linked DAW-based plug-in - high-end analog sound paired with a superior digital workflow. The C502V is the first compressor from Bettermaker, although with three distinct VCA flavors in one 500-series chassis, it could just as easily be described as the first three compressors from Bettermaker! Stereo, dual mono, or M/S modes, as well as USB or analog side-chain with adjustable high-pass filtering and "look ahead" functionality expand the C502V's universe of possibilities.




 
Trans Audio Group 


Rich Costey Mixes
Translate Honestly with ATCs    
 
Rich Costey (Audioslave,  Foo Fighters, Foster the People) is the Grammy Award-winning producer and mix engineer behind a massive discography of consequential indie/alternative albums spanning the last several decades. Partial credits include:
Biffy Clyro, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Mastodon, Mew, Muse, My Chemical Romance, Rage Against the Machine, Santigold, and The Mars Volta. 
Costey's career began with the legendary Phillip Glass at his Looking Glass Studios, but really took off when producer Rick Ruben recognized his talents. While striving to meet Ruben's exacting expectations, Costey first recognized how well ATC monitors allowed him to build mixes that translated. He used ATCs for years before moving to New York City, where strange currents pulled him away from ATCs. After returning to Los Angeles two years ago Costey learned that ATC had recently added to its already impressive line with a model that would take care of his needs. Costey has been mixing on the ATC SCM45ASL Pro's ever since. "It's like returning home," he said.
Costey's sublime mixing on Fiona Apple's platinum album When the Pawn... (right) attracted the attention of Ruben in 1999, who then hired Costey to mix Audioslave's self-titled debut (right) in 2002. "Rick wasn't coming into the studio," Costey recalled. "Instead, I brought mixes to his home, and he listened back on his library's hi-fi. He always listened at extreme volumes, and my mixes never sounded the same as they did in the studio. It was frustrating, so I hunted around for monitors that would allow me to predict the mixes on Rick's system. Nothing worked until I tried the ATC SCM20PSL passive near-fields.
 
I could listen to those at normal mixing volumes and still hear the details that Rick was going to hear on his system." Costey later upgraded to the ATC SCM20ASL Pro active monitors and turned out a body of work that includes, Muse's Absolution, Franz Ferdinand's You Could Have It So Much Better, Weezer's Make Believe, and Foo Fighters' Pretender. (Again, among so, so many others.)

"I feel like everybody has different ears, and different monitors work for different people," Costey said. "Monitor choice is deeply personal. As far as I'm concerned, I want something that is highly critical of the source material and something that translates reliably. The worst feeling is getting a good mix in the studio and hearing it fall apart in the car! Also, some monitors are more 'fun' than others, and I've never thought of ATC's as particularly 'fun.' But that's not why I use them. I use ATCs because they allow me to reliably work without having to second-guess my choices or go back to fix mistakes. ATCs make me more successful."
That said, things got complicated for Costey when he relocated to New York City. "None of the studios I worked at had decent mains, and the 20s by themselves didn't give me enough low end to work with," he said. Through quirks of availability and friendships, Costey journeyed for many years from one monitor manufacturer to the next, never fully satisfied with what he was hearing. When he moved back to Los Angeles two years ago, Costey learned that the ATC line had grown to include mid-field loudspeakers that could give him the fidelity and bass response that he needed. "The ATC SCM45ASL Pros are really the perfect monitor," he said. "The crossover is super smooth from top to bottom, and my mixes always translate perfectly."
Costey recently completed the new Haim album (right) using his ATC SCM45ASL Pros. "It was a really interesting process because the band and the producer really reflected on the songs as the mixes developed," he said. "Then they'd record new ideas and bring them in for additional mixing. The content changed while I mixed it! It was challenging, but also a ton of fun." Costey also appreciates that his ATCs can really "crank" when needed without really affecting the sound of the mix. "That's useful when I'm wearing my producer hat and want to really inspire the band," he said. "The ATCs really hang together and present an honest picture at any volume."

For more information on  ATCs   contact  Brad Lunde 702-365-5155 or visit 
ATC SCM25As in stock today at your favorite Pro Audio Dealer. Follow the link:


Starcrawler Master Plan    
Starcrawler At Lurssen Mastering Sporting ATC speakers
 
Starcrawler was formed a year ago when lead vocalist Arrow de Wilde (right)
first met guitarist Henri Cash at their Echo Park high school. Call her the female Ozzy meets Ziggy Stardust.  What she says about feminism? "It's about equality between the two (genders) not comparing the two (genders)...like when they say girl bands, boy bands, we're all just BANDS," de Wilde says. Starcrawler has become a rising LA band reinvigorating rock 'n' roll. This month they were in the studio at Lurssen Mastering putting finishing touches on their new album, due out this fall, recorded over the past few months with Ryan Adams in his Sunset Sound adjacent Pax AM studio in Hollywood. Tracks are mixed by Charlie Stavish. Their single "Ants" with B side "Used to Know" is now out on Rough Trade Records worldwide. Starcrawler will be in UK end of August for the End of the Road and Electric Fields Festivals.    
 
AES Focus: Leslie Ann Jones   
lajones
Renowned Recording Engineer and Producer Leslie Ann Jones of Skywalker Sound to Deliver Heyser Memorial Lecture at the upcoming AES New York Convention.  
"Almost any superlatives applied to Jones and her decades of work would be understatement," said Francis Rumsey, AES Technical Council Chair. "Her lecture, fittingly titled, "Paying Attention," promises to take attendees on a fascinating, educational and inspirational retrospective of the sessions leading to her vast discography and filmography, including those moments when focussing on the right detail have both sustained and enriched her storied career."
The Heyser Memorial lecture will take place on the opening evening of the convention - October 18, from 6:00pm - 7:30pm
The Audio Engineering Society has unveiled a preliminary calendar of events for the upcoming 143rd AES International Convention, taking place October 18 to 21, 2017, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.  


Francesco Cameili
 

Now based at the newly opened Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, award-winning engineer Francesco Cameli (KORN, Flyleaf, Ed Sheeran) with Niko Bolas and Lukather(above) works with a wide range of artists including Shinedown, Toto, Animals As Leaders, Flyleaf,  Krewella, Nine Inch Nails, Queen, Duran Duran among others. He has won 2 Tech awards for his work with Adele as well as the soundtrack for the the James Bond Film "Skyfall", as well as multiple Gold and Platinum awards.
Francesco started playing music at the age of 4 and later attended The Musicians Institute in London and Berklee College of music in Boston where he studied Electric Bass. Originally based out of Sphere Studios in London, he honed and perfected his craft over a period of 13 years under the watchful eye of such audio masters as Glyn Johns, Chris Kimsey and Nick Davis.


Beyoncé 's Formation Scholarship + Aid To Houston   
Beyoncé during The 59th GRAMMY Awards.
Christopher Polk | Getty Images
Houston-born singer Beyoncé said, "My heart goes out to my hometown...I am working closely with my team at BeyGOOD as well as my pastor [Rudy Rasmus at St. John's in downtown Houston] to implement a plan to help those affected (by the storm)." The singer's BeyGOOD organization was established in 2013 to deliver philanthropic aid to places in need around the world; the foundation has previously provided suitable drinking water to places like Flint, Michigan and Burundi in Eastern Africa.
Additionally, Beyoncé launched the Formation Scholarship program in April to mark the one-year anniversary of her Peabody Award-winning album " Lemonade."
The scholarship provides $25,000 to four female students studying creative arts, music, literature or African-American studies.
Congrats to 2017 winnersSadiya Ramos (studying with Alonzo King's Lines Ballet in San Francisco). Avery Youngsblood (graduate of Stanford University with a dual degree in Linguistics and Comparative Studies, now at the Parsons School of Design and a design intern for Major League Baseball).
Singer songwriter Maya Rogers 
found music therapy to be a key to her recovery post her traumatic brain injury in 2013, now persues graduate degree from Howard University.  Bria Paige is a Junior at Spelman College studying English with a focus on black feminist thought. Congrats winners! 
Each is a star student with a GPA at or above 3.5, and the group possesses a wide range of passions, from music therapy to graphic design. They embody the "bold, creative, conscious and confident" characteristics that the scholarship was established to reward.
Each student submitted an essay about how "Lemonade" inspired their academic and professional pursuits. Winners were then selected by a committee from each of the four participating schools, Berklee College of Music, Howard University, Parsons School of Design and Spelman College.
 


Csaba Petocz Master Class Scholarship
  

 
Audio-Technica, the Recording, Radio and Film Connection (RRFC), and Clyne Media, Inc., have established the Csaba Petocz Master Class Scholarship, an annual audio education event created to honor the legacy of the late beloved producer/Engineer .
Five scholarship winners were selected to attend a two-day advanced audio workshop conducted by long-time friend and colleague of Csaba, GRAMMY® Award-winning producer/engineer Joe Chiccarelli, at the legendary studios of Sunset Sound in Hollywood, CA on August 19 and 20. 
For more information on Csaba Petocz Master Class Audio Scholarship, please visit www.recordingconnection.com  
    
 
Drawmer To Address "Project-" and "Home-" Studio installations 

CMC2 stands for  Compact Monitor Controller. 
"The CMC2 uses the same transparent audio circuitry that Ivor Drawmer and his engineering team developed for the hugely popular MC2.1 and MC3.1 monitor controllers," notes Brad Lunde, founder and president, TransAudio Group.  
Some of those features include balanced stereo inputs, a 3.5mm unbalanced stereo aux input with independent volume control, mix check facilities such as phase reverse, summed mono and dim, and capabilities to support two sets of stereo monitors, a subwoofer and volume-independent headphones.
Drawmer CMC2 Specifications.
"Its sound-or lack of sound-is exactly what smaller studios so often lack and why they so often fail to produce recordings that successfully translate to other systems. Of course, smaller studios are often on a tight budget, and some of the advanced features of the MC2.1 and MC3.1 are unnecessary for their needs. The new Drawmer CMC2 fits its niche perfectly, giving small studio owners big studio sound at a price they can afford," adds Lunde.  And, here's some of those features:
  • Ultra low noise design provides transparency
  • Source switches are active in any combination, including two on 1/4-inch balanced jacks and one 3.5mm front-panel aux for smart devices and other products
  • Time relay protection on all speaker outputs to prevent power up/down issues
  • The CMC2 features a large volume knob that incorporates a paralleled custom quad pot for smooth channel matching
  • Mix checking options that include dim, phase reverse and mono, and an easily accessible mute switch
  • A Kensington security slot (sometimes called a K-Slot)
 
Vintage Reborn
Telefunken Diamond Series 
 

Most will agree. There's nothing like the sound of a classic vintage mic!
The studio standards : C12, 251, and U47 are on the wish list of every engineer.
Now with Telefunken Diamond series the vintage sound is reborn.  Of course,
the best way to compare mics is by hearing them. So, TransAudio Group and Telefunken are organizing dealer showroom shootouts.  Dealers who participate can use their choice of support gear and any comparable vintage microphone models they'd like to put up against the new Telefunken Elektroakustik C12, ELA M 251 and U47 mics.
  "Genuine shootouts are the only way we can think of to sidestep the hype that's out there about mics and get to what actually matters: Sound Quality," says Brad Lunde of Trans Audio Group.
Sweetwater recently held shootouts between the vintage AKG C12 and the new Telefunken C12 (click to listen); between the vintage Telefunken ELA M 251 and the new Telefunken ELA M 251 (click to listen); and between the vintage Neumann U47 and the new Telefunken U47 (click to listen). 
Interested dealers should contact TransAudio Group directly at 702-365-5155. 
 


Trans Audio Group's Brad Lunde talks about ATC inventor Billy Woodman (left) during # GearFest 2017 Listen to the interview with Sweetwater's Lynn Fuston about ATC monitoring systems  here 
 




A Whole Lotta Mastering System 
Bettermaker Mastering Limiter Shipping Now! 

TransAudio Group, U.S. distributor of high-end professional audio recording equipment, is shipping the Bettermaker Mastering Limiter.  
BML combines a pure analog signal path with a USB connection that allows it to be controlled, recalled, automated, and A/B'd from its associated plug-in (The USB connection and plug-in only control the functionality of the hardware unit, no audio passes through the USB connection or plug-in). This unit is comprised of two separate level control circuits, an infinity to 1 limiter followed by a clipper. Both are fixed threshold circuits, with the limiter threshold approximately 3dB lower than the clipper. A user adjustable ratio controls the amount of work done by the limiter versus clipper, achieved through adjustment of the limiter attack time. Additionally, this unit features variable odd- and even-harmonic coloration, locally stored user presets, and responsive, comprehensive metering that frees up your computer screen for other workflow tasks.
   
"You cannot look at the Bettermaker Mastering Limiter as just one tool," explains Brad Lunde, founder and president of TransAudio Group. "It is a whole mastering system that replaces more than a few plug-ins and analog devices: limiter, clipper, saturator, M/S matrix, and a very sophisticated metering device. Its bright touchscreen display is pleasant to look at and frees up the computer screen. "Bettermaker's plug-in control is great. Not only can users recall and automate settings, but they can easily A/B settings from the plug-in to make smart decisions. You can also store and save presets right from the front panel or within Pro Tools or other DAW's," says Lunde. "The 'color' section is our original design; we did not model it on anything that is currently on the market," said Marek Walaszek, CEO at Addicted To Music group and the lead designer of the Bet-termaker products. "The idea is to give the user the ability to add odd harmonics, even harmonics, or both to the signal. The harmonics target a user specified area of the audio spectrum, which al-lows you to, for example, add even harmonics to the highs to give them a more smooth sound and odd harmonics to the lows to give them more bite. The color section mimics a wide-Q equalizer and users can apply equalization techniques when using this capability; after finding the target area us-ers adjust the amount to color to apply. Also, the color is not a mix of saturated signal and dry signal; the harmonic content becomes part of the original dry signal."
The metering page includes input, output, and reduction meters, a VU meter, RMS metering, LUFS (Short Term, Integral, Momentary, Loudness Range, View in Time) with TruePeak metering, K-metering, a FFT analyzer, a goniometer, a correlation meter, and three points of measurement: the plug-in, the physical input of the limiter, and the physical output of the limiter. An additional page allows users to customize their metering to fit their workflow.
U.S. PRICING: $3495.00 List * $2995.00 M
     
 

ATC monitors were at NAMM earlier in January where TransAudio Group showcased the popular near- and mid-field ATC SCM25A and SCM45A monitors, as well the new passive ATC SCM12 monitor and the ATC P1 PRO stand-alone amplifier.  You can hear ATCs at some of the world's best studios: East West, the Village, and Blackbird Studios.
TransAudio Group's Subwoofer Pros Studio Subs complemented the ATC SCM25As. TransAudio Group introduces the newest  and smallest member of the ATC family: the SCM12 Pro. Using the very same "all in-house built" components as its larger siblings, the SCM12 Pro delivers ATC's famous super-detailed "ATC midrange", solid imaging, and ideal balance that have made ATC the gold standard for working professionals across all music genres and audio industries. In a twist, TransAudio Group will combine the SCM12 Pro with ATC's all new P1 Pro 150W/channel rackmount amplifier in a bundle that breaks previous price barriers for ATC. The SCM12/P1 Pro monitor/amp package will carry a bundle MAP price of US $4350. If purchased separately, the SCM12 Pro is $1,990/pair MAP, and the P1 Pro amp is $3,490 MAP.

Additionally TransAudio created a new "free-to-the-dealer" display option.  The four-sided display makes it easy to showcase recording studio accessories, such as Accusound cable, Sabra-Som shock mounts, and Pauly and Hakan pop filters. "This display makes it much easier for the dealer to present and sell higher performance accessories. WE will service the display making it easy for the dealer to add plus revenue," said Lunde.
 
For more information on  ATCs  
contact  Brad Lunde at www.transaudiogroup.com  or call  702-365-5155.
ATC SCM25As in stock today at your favorite Pro Audio Dealer. Follow the link:

Trans Audio Group at NAMM 2017, Anaheim unveiling the new Drawmer MC3.1 and the newest and smallest member of the ATC family: the SCM12 Pro, among other cool studio toys. 
 
Alex Jacobsen of Auratone  Auratone 5C Sound Cubes 
The TEC-nominated Auratone Super Sound Cube reference monitor is a legend in the recording, broadcasting, and motion picture industries for its unfailing ability to represent mixes as they will so often appear in the "real world" - on small-format, zero-crossover loudspeakers.     
 
For more information on Aurotones visit  www.transaudiogroup.com  or call  Brad Lunde at 702-365-5155.   
 

Bettermaker, the Poland-based maker of high-end analog equalizers with plug-in control and recall, earned two nominations: one for the Bettermaker EQ502P 500 series module and one for the
Bettermaker EQ232P MKII rack-mount.

 
Drawmer's 1978 Tone Shaping Compressor, which incorporates different analog character circuitry and variable saturation, and Tube-Tech HLT 2A, which pairs high and low shelving with an innovative "tilt" midrange filter, earned nominations as well. Finally, ATC earned a nomination for the ATC SCM45A, three-way compact near-field monitor with unparalleled midrange fidelity. The winners will be determined by online voting via Mix, Pro Sound News, Pro Audio Review, and Electronic Musician and via professional audio and sound production organizations. 


"All of these nominations go to inventor-owned companies, the kind of companies where innovation is king. We're proud to have these exciting new products recognized with TEC Award nominations," said Brad Lunde, founder and president of TransAudio Group. It's easy to imagine that there's nothing new under the sun in the world of pro audio, or that anything new is a gimmick, but that's simply not the case. The sound quality of Bettermaker's equalizers would have earned TEC nominations by itself, but the fact that their fully-analog circuitry can be recalled and automated via a plug-in interface has obvious advantages in a modern workflow. The Drawmer 1978 and the Tube-Tech HLT 2A prove that traditional compressor and equalizer topologies are not the only way to inspire fantastic mixes. Taking a different tack, ATC's SCM45A gives engineers a beefier three-way ATC nearfield with fidelity that ensures mixes will translate outside of the studio. Obviously, we encourage folks to cast their votes for these innovative tools!" adds Lunde.
  
For more information on  Auratones, Bettermaker EQ232P MKII , Drawmer's 1978 Tone Shaping Compressor, Tube-Tech HLT 2A  and   ATC SCM45A  For the latest info on Tube-Tech contact  Brad Lunde at www.transaudiogroup.com   or call  702-365-5155.


Trans Audio Group  
tag crew
l-r: Richard, Todd, Janis and Brad at Trans Audio Group    
 
 
For the latest info contact   
TransAudio Group, founded by industry  veteran Brad Lunde, has quickly become the premier US importer/distributor and/or US sales and marketing representative for high-end audio. Success hinges on TransAudio providing dealers and end users with a higher standard of product expertise and support far beyond the norm. TAG product line includes A-Designs (USA),  ATC Loudspeakers (UK),
Questions- pricing, availability and dealer locations please email sales@transaudiogroup.com
   


 
Summertime Wine Tasting
Summertime Wine Tasting @ Urban Press   
 

& Networking
 
Late Sept (TBD)

URBAN PRESS WINERY     
316 N San Fernando Blvd, Burbank, CA 91502  
 
RSVP to Jane Scobie   
View photos from previous wine tastings events here 
 

Hammond Hang 
Hammond Hang hosted by Emiko in August featured
Robby Robinson. 
 
RSVP for September 9:  claris@studioexpresso.com 
 
 
    
 
    


 
A&R WB

In 2017, Mike Elizondo (Dr Dre, Regina Spektor, Twenty One Pilots) worked with Muse, producing their single Dig Down.
A musician, songwriter, and Grammy-nominated producer, Mike Elizondo is a triple threat. He is known for his 11-year collaboration with hip-hop producer Dr. Dre, as well as for co-writing Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady," Carrie Underwood's No. 1 single "Cowboy Casanova," and 50 Cent's smash "In Da Club," which he also co-produced. Over the course of his career, Elizondo has played on records by, written songs for, or produced albums for artists across musical genres, including Avenged Sevenfold, Fiona Apple, Maroon 5, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Rob Thomas, Eric Clapton, Natasha Bedingfield, Switchfoot, Pink, Eve, Ry Cooder, Snoop Dogg, and Rilo Kiley, among many others. Now he brings his many talents, including an impeccable ear, to his position as Staff Producer and Senior VP of A&R for Warner Bros. Records.




Investment Strategy: Song Royalties 

Investing in music royalty can be a risky business. Lured by the potential for higher rates of return, some investors are now buying the rights to musicians' future earnings. Music royalties are generated when songs are performed, played in a restaurant or in a film or streamed through a service like Spotify. Royalty rights often last for 70 years after the death of the artist.
According to a Wall Street article in early August one such investor, David Goldberg (above) purchased "Elmo's Song" through an auction site, Royalty Exchange
(a Denver based site launched in 2011). 
The 36-year-old Goldberg, who owns the shoe brand of former basketball player Patrick Ewing, paid $580,000 to purchase the rights to future earnings for a group of "Sesame Street' songs, including "Elmo's Song." So far he has earned $16,000 which he says meets his expectation.
Last month, Royalty Exchange auctioned the performance revenue to the Black Eyed Peas' "Just can't Get Enough" for $17,200.  The song generated almost $17,000 through performances in the second quarter of 2011, but after a steady decline, it made just $259 in the final quarter of 2016. 
Private-equity-like funds focused on music royalties have raised close to $1billion to purchase future revenue rights since 2013. Boston-based consulting firm Cambridge Associates and Round Hill Music Royalty Partners, a private-equity firm focused on acquiring music copyrights, are both in this niche space. Los Angeles financier David Pulman first gave life to music-royalty investing 20 years ago when he packaged David Bowie's back catalog into an asset-backed bond and sold it to Prudential Financial Inc. Mr Bowie raised $55million in the deal, and the bonds paid interest of 7.9% annually for 10 years.
Footnote: ASCAP distirbtued $918 million last year, a 5.6%increase over the previous year. BMI distributed $931 million for the same period, up 6%.  
 

  
Freedom Now Through Photographs At Fahey Klein Gallery
Exhibit Extended Through Sept 2nd
Fahey/Klein Gallery, 148 N. La Brea Ave,  Los Angeles, CA 90036


Steve Schapiro's "Freedom Now" exhibition has recently been extended now through September 2nd. The show features Schapiro's Civil Rights photographs taken from 1963 - 1968, including his travels with James Baldwin and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the South while on assignment for LIFE Magazine . In the wake of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, Steve Schapiro was on hand to capture the aftermath of this tragic event. In the following edition of The Picture | The Story , Schapiro recounts his experience while photographing Dr. King's motel room.
Steve Schapiro
Martin Luther King Jr.'s Motel Room Hours After He Was Shot, Memphis, Tennessee, 1968
"I photographed King's briefcase which held books he had written (one with my Selma March photograph on its cover) and a newspaper called Soul Force...The television was on. A commentator was talking about King on the TV with King's ghostly image behind him.
I made a wide shot  
of the table with King's briefcase and dirty shirts on it, and on the wall, the TV set with King's image. 'The man' had left the room, his human form forever lost - but his incidental material belongings, and more than that, the spirit of his image, remained."
----Steve Schapiro

Sheila E At The Conga Room, LA August 31, 2017 
 
Bigotry and violence may have masqueraded as "freedom of speech" this month.  Just like facts have masqueraded as "alternative facts" in the recent months.  Indeed ALL sides have a right to peaceful non-violent assembly but when there's violence, "all sides" are NOT
the  same.

Thankfully, there has been a wide range of self- expressions in reaction to 
Charlottesville and it's this self-expression that will keep us in check. 
  
Sheila E is sending her message to America with her new video released this week. Sing (watch the new video) that funky National Anthem   Join her at the Conga Room in LA, Th August 31 for her Iconic Release Party.
Yes, we feel your pain
Tina Fey . It may feel like screaming into a cake, but it's freedom now . Just make that funky music and magnify the words of a mourning mom at her daughter's (Heather Heyer) memorial:
"They wanted to shut her up. They just magnified her."
 
 

Art Imitates Life at Gabba Gallery Street Art can bring a community together.  Some 70 artists put their work at Gabba Gallery in LA where art imitated music and its creators.  The style is somewhat reminiscent of murals that are being painted in Echo Park - bold, bright colors, graphic, light, dark and everything in between.  Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Lady Gaga, Dr Dre, and Dali all made cameo appearances on canvas.  The mood was festive and the VIP guests were served refreshments to celebrate the occasion.  Next exhibit on Sept 9 features four outstanding Los Angeles artists: Nicholas Bonamy, Patrick Haemmerlein, Morley, and Toshee. Curated by Jason Ostro.
The Gabba Gallery, 3126 Beverly Blvd. LA
 
 
 
       
  
As artists, your voices can reach millions. Take the extra step and make a difference. Be magnified. 
Here's a list compiled by the Houston Chronicle to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey.     
Until next month,    Music lives and moves!

Claris Sayadian-Dodge, Founder I Editor studioexpresso

Visit exotic studio destinations at  studioexpresso home page
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Simply send an email to c laris@studioexpresso.com or
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Tyminski
Southern Gothic
Mercury, UMG Nashville


14-time GRAMMY®-winner singer, songwriter Dan Tyminski ( Alison Krauss's Union Station band) will release his solo album on October 20, 2017 through Mercury Records Nashville. 
According to Tyminski, Southern Gothic  is about holding a mirror up to society. "It's taking a look at the world and not judging,"
the artist adds . It's 13 songs co-written with some of country's best and brightest talents. Many of the songs were inspired by what Tyminski describes as his perceptions of
"light and dark."
     
"I got to work with the cream of the crop, including producer Jesse Frasure (Thomas Rhett, Lauren Alaina) and leading songwriters Sarah Buxton ('Stupid Boy'), Josh Kear ('Need You Now'), Andrew Dorff ('Neon Light') and many others," says Dan Tyminski.  
 
L-R: UMGN President Cindy Mabe, singer-songwriter Tyminski, and KCSN radio host Jim Nelson.
Photo by Chris Schmitt Photography. © 2017.

     
Universal Music Group Nashville presented
an exclusive music experience to preview the album in a
standing-room-only
Village Studios, Los Angeles on Thursday, August 17, 2017.
"The breadth and types of music being covered on Southern Gothic cross so many genres, and UMG could not be more proud and supportive of Tyminski's latest work," welcomed UMG President Cindy Mabe, who then turned the microphone over to KCSN radio host Jim Nelson, for an up-close-and-personal Q&A with the  artist.
Indeed,
Southern Gothic offers a healthy doze of bluegrass, pop and country. Tyminski tackles subject matters that resonate with many of us living in the world today:  Good, Evil, Love, Hate, Dreams, nightmares, Light and Dark.    

VIP guests gathered on the studio floor surrounded by three large video screens (arranged in horseshoe formation).
The evening highlighted six tracks from the new album, beginning with a unique audio and video presentation in the converted one-time Masonic temple - the birthplace of classic records including Aja by Steely Dan, Tusk by Fleetwood Mac, Joe's Garage by Frank Zappa, and Planet Waves by Bob Dylan & The Band, to name a few.  
We listened through
glowing (in blue and red) blue tooth head sets. The studio vibe was mysterious --  dimmed lights, Spanish moss covered bibles on tables,  bridal gowns hanging on dead branches and candles, candles, candles, everywhere!  
 
First, blasted through head sets, we heard sound bites ( accompanying choppy video edits) from historic events: Speeches from world leaders,  NASA mission control, cartoon characters, TV personalities, commercials, all mixed together into a cultural Gumbo consumed by society. It's this cultural gumbo that may have inspired the "light and dark" that appears consistently throughout Southern Gothic.   No live performance. Instead, we watched music videos from selected songs to include: "Perfect Poison," "Devil in Downtown," "Haunted Heart," Hollow Hallelujah," "Numb," and "Bloodline."  
The origin of Southern Gothic can be traced in literature by writers like Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote
To Kill a Mockingbird or Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil comes to mind. The stories are often a mixed bag of mysterious, otherworldly, or merely eccentric events.   The often conflicted history of the American south brings imagery of poverty rates,  failing education systems, slavery and prejudice through the civil war and Jim Crow, but that's not the entire story.  The dark is contrasted with light:  Family,  God-loving folks, beautiful landscapes, sweet houses and churches, comfort food and of course, the Southern charm!
 
The Rutland, Vermont native is one of the premier vocalists in modern acoustic music. He taught himself how to play banjo by ear.
A 25-year member of Alison Krauss' Union Station, he is also the singing voice of George Clooney's character in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? for which he won two Grammy Awards including Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for the single "I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow" and Album of the Year for the soundtrack which sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
  

In Southern Gothic, Tyminski has crafted an American quilt of music that is a melding of genres expressing bold sentiments.
"I feel that the light and dark in this record are truly my journey, my personal journey in life," explains Tyminski. "I don't make quick decisions, because light and dark, in my opinion, can often look very similar."
Many Americans are taking a hard look at our society in the backdrop of the current political climate.  Tyminiski's Southern Gothic is timely. 

 
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Trans Audio Group booth at Summer NAMM
A Designs HAMMER 2, an easy-to-use amplifier for both main mixing and tracking.
Bettermaker's Award-Winning 502V 500 Series boutique analog compressor
Daking's Famous Line of Compressors and Mic Pre's
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Monitor Preamp and the new 1978 Stereo FET Compressor.
And the Auratone Reference Monitors ever present at every studio!   



"What's good about the SCM25A Pros is that they're more muscular; they've got more bass end, and you can control that... they manage to throw the sweet spot quite a long way into the room, so everyone can share it... but they have all that accuracy, so when you do sit yourself down in the sweet spot they're absolutely invaluable."
- Will Gregory
 

 



      
HAMMOND HANG
at
250 W Duarte Rd. Suite B Monrovia, CA 91016
 
The Sound . The S oul . The One 
  the Hammond SK2 organ
 


Hammond Hang

Dr Gayle Serdan
White Woman Black Music

watch Hammond in a Minute featuring
Dr. Gayle Serdan 


With noticeable nods to innovators like Dr. Lonnie Smith of the Jazz organ world and Tupac Shakur of the Hip-Hop world, White Woman Black Music is a perfect blend, an intergenerational and inter-genre conversation.

Saturday September 9, 1pm
 

featuring educator

Dr Gale Serdan
Church Keyboard Center
250 W Duarte Rd Suite B Monrovia, CA


RSVP here  
Space is very limited
The Hammond Hang is open to all ages and we welcome all music lovers. See you there!!

 

 l-r: Nelson Dodge, Hamond Hang host Emiko,
HAMFAM Gary Swan, Robby Robinson and Dr Gale Serdan at Chruch Keyboard Center

 
 
"The event is a chance to get 'up close and personal' with a different featured Hammond artist every month," says Emiko, Hammond's new social media liaison and the fab HamTV hostess. 
The interviews are streamed live on Facebook where you can take part in the Q&A following. The format includes a short performance by the guest artist, and networking with refreshments. 
 
  

  Hammond and Leslie products in Southern California contact
CKC
800.717.KEYS

Hammond gear, gig bags and more... 
Serving Pro Artists in the studio or on stage  
Call Nelson at 909-599-7899 to
schedule your visit and ask for     
 SK1-73 or SK-2  artist pricing available at  
Church Keyboard Center 
 
Tavis Smiley interview with 'The Ambassador of Soul" and Hammond artist Ellis Hall for PBS  Mr Hall performed two songs and spoke about the depth of his musical career
Watch it here
   
   
    
      




   

GRAMMY®  News 
The MusiCares Foundation®-an affiliated charity of the Recording Academy™-announced new elected leadership and Board members.
 
The MusiCares® Board elected former Vice Chair Michael McDonald, founder and CEO of artist management company Mick Management as Chair; Board member Kirdis Postelle, senior vice president, Warner Bros. Records, as Vice Chair; and Board member James Higa, executive director, Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, as Secretary/Treasurer. MusiCares' departing Chair Alexandra Patsavas, founder, Chop Shop Music Supervision, has been named Chair Emeritus.
Newly elected MusiCares Foundation Board members include Steve Boom, vice president, Amazon Music; Ambrosia Healy, executive vice president and head of media strategy and relations, Capitol Music Group; Jeff Jones, CEO, Apple Corps Ltd.; and Carianne Marshall, partner and head of creative licensing, SONGS Music Publishing.     "Our new members and elected leaders, along with our current members, are continuing this tradition of enlightened stewardship. They bring fresh ideas and commitment to their roles, which along with our tried and true programs and events, keep MusiCares strong and able to provide critical resources to members of the music community in crisis," 
said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares.   



KEY DATES

Eligibility Period: Oct. 1, 2016-Sept. 30, 2017 
First-Round Ballot Period: Oct. 16-29, 2017 
Nominations: Nov. 28, 2017 
Final-Round Ballot Period: Dec. 7-21, 2017 
60th Annual GRAMMY Awards: Jan. 28, 2018

 


RIP Sam Sheperd
1934 - 2017
 
In Sam Shepard's plays, the only undeniable truth is that of the mirage. From early pieces like "Chicago" (1965), written when he was in his early 20s and staged in the margins of Off Off Broadway, to late works like "Heartless" (2012), he presented a world in which nothing is fixed. Oscar-nominated actor, screenwriter, director and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sam Shepard wrote more than 55 plays (his last, "A Particle of Dread," had its premiere in 2014), acted in more than 50 films and had more than a dozen roles on television.  The younger Shepard grew up on his family's avocado farm in Duarte, Calif. Jobs in his youth included orange picker and sheep shearer. He briefly attended Mount San Antonio College, as an agriculture student, but dropped out to move to New York in 1962, having discovered jazz and the plays of Samuel Beckett. 
One of the most important and influential writers of his  generation, specialized in
capturing the darker sides of American family life, and redefining the west, Sheperd's work extended to the music world. He wrote songs with John Cale and Bob Dylan, notably " Brownsville Girl ," (four chords that cycle themselves with no bridge or chorus for 11 minutes) from Mr. Dylan's 1986 album "Knocked Out Loaded," and he played drums for a time in a group called the Holy Modal Rounders, who once opened for the progressive rock group Pink Floyd. (He also had a well-publicized relationship with the singer-songwriter Patti Smith.) Fellow actress Jessica Lange was his partner for nearly three decades. They had two children together.






 
Scoring The Screen: The Secret Language of Film Music
 
Scoring The ScreenThe Secret Language of Film Music, the new book by industry veteran, music man and educator Andy Hill opens a window into how film music is made. Indeed, the effective integration of music with picture serves to make music an indispensable ingredient of visual storytelling. We learn the subtle nuances of how a different phrasing in the same key, a shift in harmony, adding dissonance or timbre are all strategies used by renown composers, to masterfully weave musical elements into the picture to help us experience the story.
To quote orchestrator Conrad Pope (John Williams, Howard Shore, and Alexandre Desplat): If you have any interest in what music 'means' in film, get Scoring the Screen: The Secret Language of Film Music.
Hill writes to inspire and educate his readers.
He reveals how legendary film composers communicate ideas and emotions through soundtracks that are capable of instantaneously connecting to an audience

And Hill is the best person to write since he was right there in the thick of things as a member of the Disney music department, while the majority of the timeless scores in the book were actually being recorded. Landmark scores like Vertigo, To Kill a Mockingbird, Patton, Basic Instinct, The Untouchables, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Edward Scissorhands,  Alice In Wonderland or The Matrix.  
Scoring the Screen: The Secret Language of Film Music
 
 presents some of the finest composers to include: Elmer Bernstein, Danny Elfman, James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newman, Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone who have worked in film over the last eighty years offering genuine masterpieces of music to our culture.  
This is the first book since Roy M. Prendergast's 1977 benchmark, Film Music: A Neglected Art, to treat music for motion pictures as a composition style worthy of serious study. It's a perfect companion for both aspiring composers and music educators with a view from the inside of the actual process of scoring-to-picture. You can use the book as if you were "reverse scoring" the film. study the text and reductions right at your DAW, with a keyboard at hand and the film (with digital copy of the book) on your video display, just as if you were writing.  Best part: All of the score reductions created for this book have been indexed to scene timings derived from the downloadable versions of the feature films as available through online retailers, such as iTunes and Amazon

 
 
 

 
What it takes to survive a session with horns, winds and strings! From "Recording Unhinged" by Sylvia Massy. See if you can find Danny Elfman,   Al Schmitt, Hans Zimmer, Susan Rogers and Leslie Ann Jones
   











Kat Edmonson In Sessio n At Avatar
Educational Opportunity With The Guys: "Met Alliance" Founders

October 21, 22   
  
Kat Edmonson will record tracks for her new album 
with the METAlliance founders at Avatar Studios in NYC.

Jazz singer/songwriter Kat Edmonson will be tracking and mixing her new album with the METAlliance founding directors.
"In Session with The Guys," invites you to be part of the sessions on October 21 & 22 in NYC at famed Avatar Studios
Watch this clip from a previous METAlliance session at Avatar and register:

All About Jazz calls Kat Edmonson "equal parts Billie Holiday and Bjork." The genre-defying artist recently performed in Woody Allen's film set in the 1930s, "Café Society", and is highlighted on the official soundtrack performing her version of "Mountain Greenery." Edmonson's most recent record The Big Picture debuted at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart, and was recorded with Grammy-nominated producer Mitchell Froom in his Los Angeles studio. 

"She is an amazing singer and songwriter and a lot of fun in the studio. A total professional," says Grammy-winning engineer Al Schmitt, who mixed Edmonson's first album.  "We'll be recording tracks for her new album, so this is a unique chance to see a true artist making great music in the studio."
Edmonson added, "I'm thrilled to be working with the Guys again and I'm anticipating so many magical moments."

"The METAlliance offers a unique opportunity to experience living history while learning techniques with the legendary master craftsmen who founded the METAlliance. Every attendee will participate in four sessions, each designed to provide different experiences in the recording process and led by the founding members: Al Schmitt, Ed Cherney,  Elliot Scheiner, Chuck Ainlay, Frank Filipetti and George Massenburg.
Attendance for all four sessions, including lunch and giveaways: $1950.00
For more information and registration forms visit:  http://www.metalliance.com

Space is very limited.

 



            

GRAMMY® award-winning, multi-platitnum recording artist and songwriter Adele, has moved to SESAC Performing Rights for representation in the United States, it was announced today by John Josephson, chairman and CEO, SESAC Holdings, Inc., the only Music Rights Organization in the U.S. Adele, whose chart-topping singles include "Rolling in the Deep," "Someone Like You," "Set Fire to the Rain," "Rumour Has It," "Skyfall" and "Hello," is the music industry's top-selling artist of the decade. 
 





 

The Regrettes
Feel Your Feelings Fool!
 
Monthly Mimosa Music Series is presented by  producer and music supervisor Gary Calamar at The Federal.  August offering brought the band, The Regrettes to NOHO.  The songs are catchy and the performance was tight.
The outspoken front woman, Lydia Night assembled the band in 2015:  Genessa Gariano on guitar, Sage Nicole on bass and drummer Maxx Morando.  Lydia has a strong presence and attitude worthy of a rock star. The tunes have a nostalgic quality: punk meets Rockabilly.  Reminds me of early Chrissie Hynde (attitude) meets björk (innocent look).

The band members all  met at The School of Rock. The group signed with Warner Bros. in 2016, touring with acts including Sleigh Bells and Kate Nash and recorded their album shortly thereafter.
Many of the songs were recorded within days or weeks of their writing. Three of the album's songs were released as singles-"A Living Human Girl", "Hey Now", and "Hot"-all in 2016 ahead of the album's release.
The set at The Federal opened with "I don't like you." Listen to Seashore in the clever video  Both songs will bring the feminist in you!    
Night says that "it's about wanting to feel things and hiding that feeling-and feeling weird about feeling things. I think that's where so many people's insecurities stem from. It's our message and the message of this album."  Night also stated that she fell in love for the first time while recording the album, and that that experience played a role in some of the songs she subsequently wrote and performed.  

Next Mimosa Series in Sept













 

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