nov I dec 2017
studioexpresso eZine
Since 2000 
  
 
Recording Industry Gathering hosted by Jane Scobie (standing) Event Planning
at Urban Press, October 2017  
  



This month we connect the dots and gather with studio people.  We listen to a new album taking a second look at things. We know you've been listening to a lot of music 'for your consideration.' We visit a songbird recording and a producer who just took home an Emmy! Watch how technology takes steam, two major labels fight for health care and a new label aims to amuse. Every day is Christmas when you are creating. Meet all-girl band from Texas, a Hammond artist in Monrovia and two singer songwriters coming to NOHO later this month and more...

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 2018!
ATCs Singing at NightBird
All About That Bass: Trans Audio Group & Studioexpresso @ NAMM: Sat Jan 27, 3-4pm
Aranita's Second Sight Featuring Brent Fischer Orchestra
Hammond Hang: Sat Dec 2, 1-3pm
 
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Studio Spotlights
Producer Profiles
eZine archive
 


 


NightBird Singing
ATC with Subwoofer Pros For Unparalleled Creativity  

The creative vibe at NightBird buzzes and hums at all hours of the day and night, and when the talent needs to recharge, they can swim, dine, drink, or check in at the spa upstairs. Half a block off the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood and tucked into the basement complex of the luxurious Sunset Marquis Hotel, NightBird Recording Studios leverages its prime location and hotel-provided amenities with state-of-the-art gear and a staff.  Here A-list engineers know how to squeeze every last drop of sonic gold from the house gear.  It's a match made in music-industry heaven and has led to NightBird's incredible client list that includes: Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Damian Marley, Joe Bonamassa, Kayne West, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Lionel Richie, Roger Waters, Skrillex, Sting.
"We cater to all types of clients and artists, and focus on two things: customer service and a very knowledgeable staff," said Angelo Caputo, studio manager at NightBird. "By working with the Sunset Marquis Hotel, we are able to provide our clients with unparalleled customer service. Whatever a client needs, we can generally find a way to accommodate them. Aside from that, we have some of the best engineers and assistant engineers in the business: they all know the intricacies of the rooms and are very good at making sure our clients get the best sounds possible. A great assistant engineer can make or break a session, and it helps immensely to know we have a crew that we, and the artists, can trust."
Although Caputo refuses to name names, he can recall sessions where clients spent the first part of their session "watching the latest BBC nature documentary on the big screen" or who went MIA, only to be found later in the hotel's Bar1200. "But that's what it takes to get the best takes sometimes: a distraction from 'work' that inspires creativity and positive energy.  We want everyone to feel comfortable and ready to create."
In addition to a well-appointed Pro Tools HD system with Avid HD I/O and gobs of analog outboard gear with names like API, Avalon, Chandler, Drawmer, Manley, and Neve, NightBird's Studio B is now the beneficiary of ATC SCM150ASL Pro mains. "Our old mains were great for thousands of sessions since we built Studio B in 2003," said Caputo. "In my experience, the larger 'main' monitors in bigger studios used to be all about volume and impressing the clients or A&R, but the engineers and artists generally wanted to work with smaller monitors more suited to their tastes. In the last few years, however, we began to notice a shift in what monitors engineers, producers, and artists wanted in the room. With the sounds that have been coming out in the last five years or so and looking into the future, our previous mains simply weren't able to handle both the volume and - with increasing regularity - fidelity required to be both a great modern main monitor and a great modern mixing monitor."
He continues, "We wanted to get something that would excite our clients (and us!) and handle some more modern music styles and workflows as well. A mix and mastering engineer colleague of mine, Manuel Jimenez (Arimaka), recommended we take a look at ATC, after telling me how much he liked his ATC 25's. I spoke with Ron Cheney at RSPE to set up a demo of the 150's, and were really impressed with how well they worked in our particular room and how many checkboxes they ticked for our needs. I was impressed with how well the sound and overall imaging stayed consistent across the line. This made it an easy decision, and we went with the largest ATC model that would work well in the room."
NightBird paired the new ATC mains with two Subwoofer Pros 18-inch subwoofers, which are manufactured and distributed in alliance with ATC's U.S. distributor, TransAudio Group. "Zach Winterfeld at TransAudio Group recommended the Subwoofer Pros," Caputo said. "We demoed them with the ATCs and the system sounded great - and I trust Zach's recommendation." Since their installation, the new ATC/Subwoofer Pro system has been used by Patti Austin, Jesse J, The Band Perry, Noah Cyrus, LL Cool J, Diane Warren, Chris Lane, Playboi Carti, Mike Will, Skrillex, Usher, and Murda Beatz. "The ATC's are able to handle the volume without an issue," Caputo said. "As an engineer, I appreciate the clarity at low volumes - in both the top end and the bottom end - in particular when paired with the Subwoofer Pros subs. These monitors do not need to be pushed hard to get the detail we're looking for, so it makes it much easier for an engineer to track and mix at various volumes for longer periods of time without getting fatigued."
Caputo concluded, "I've been at NightBird for just over seven years now, so I can't speak for the early days of the studio, but what I can say for sure is that the Sunset Marquis Hotel just above us was a big attraction for a lot of the musicians and artists in the early days. The location and proximity of the hotel certainly played a role in NightBird's early successes, as well as the talent that (founder, and resident composer & producer) Jed Leiber attracted to the studio and hotel. The days of booking three months to track a record have been replaced with shorter sessions with a lot more artists throughout the year. Since then it's been about keeping up with the trends in the industry and providing a place for new, old, and up-and-coming artists to be creative and make great records. It's also not about reels and maintaining tape machines anymore. We have a fast, reliable, and secure network, with backup and archive systems in place that assure our clients that their data is safe and secure. We are always coming up with ways to improve the studio, whether it's getting a new pair of ATC monitors in one room or getting a new killer custom microphone to upgrading our Wi-Fi and cellular systems or getting great coffee from Italy (seriously, coffee is important!)."
 
For more information on   ATC Monitors contact  Brad Lunde 702-365-5155 or visit   www.transaudiogroup.com  
    
  
 

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 
  
 

Clark Germain Scores An Emmy for Mozart In The Jungle 
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series and Animation 
 
With over four decades of music production experience (Sting, Chick CoreaCounting Crows) Clark Germain  took home an Emmy last month in September for his mixing contributions in the Amazon original TV series, Mozart In The Jungle. This year's nominees in the coveted category of sound mixing for a comedy or drama series and Animation were: Master of None: T he Dinner Party; Modern Family: Basketball; Silicon Valley: Intellectual Property, VEEP: Omaha. And the winner of 2017 Sound mixing went to Mozart in The Jungle: Now I will Sing.  
According to Germain, what makes TV productions different is that you never know what may come your way. Take the last season of Mozart in the Jungle. Germain worked with rock bands, small chamber ensembles, a string quartet and a duet with  the legendary Placido Domingo and Ana María Martínez (currently receiving raves for her LA Opera performance in Carmen). "Every day is a new adventure. You don't have a lot of time to perfect things or prepare. We spent one day building a cue entirely out of sounds you would hear in a harbor. It's always fun to try new things," says Clark Germain.  
Love, money, ambition and beautiful music intertwine in Mozart in the Jungle, a half hour comedic drama for Amazon that looks at finding yourself and finding love while conquering the music world in New York City.  

The Grammy-award winning Germain accepting his Emmy for Mozart In The Jungle
with with Janet Gegan and Andrew D'Addario (above)  (watch it at
Emmy 
 
We asked Germain for any tips for mixing in film or TV formats. 
"My feeling is to try to always make it sound as hi-fi as possible. You want to thrill the guy who just spent a bundle on his home entertainment system!
Whenever possible, Germain stays out of the way of the dialogue (both sonically and positionally) to avoid turning down the whole cue and make room for the dialogue. Since most film and TV shows request delivery in stems, "I prefer to deliver the mix as I am listening to it along with the stems. This allows the post mixer to go with my mix until a need for stems arises. The most important thing I do is check with the post mixer for his preferred delivery format. I will mix to his format and make sure I stay within the loudness parameters so my mixes won't need to be transferred," adds Germain.
Clark emphasizes importance of good communications and having good relations with music producers and supervisors.  "Throughout the season my primarily interaction was with the executive music producer, Suzie Katayama." Clark greatly enjoyed working with supervisors Frankie and Mandy of Whirly Girl Music. " They did a great job of keeping me aware of what I needed to deliver and when. Occasionally one of the producers would Skype in for a session. The two post mixers, Andy D'Addario and Gary Gegan, did a wonderful job of mixing all the elements together. I would definitely not have this award without them!  In TV there are tremendous amounts of emails with MANY people  cc'd. Between those and the massive amounts of texts flying back and forth it's almost a full time job staying on top of them," says Germain.
We asked Clark to take us to  Village studios where majority of the orchestral recording was done for Mozart In The Jungle.   
Throughout the season of Mozart, Germain and his team recorded many different groupings of musicians -- chamber groups with harpsichord, rock bands, and even few students playing their instruments in the park. "We also recorded a jazz trio with flute and accordion! Katayama always puts together the best musicians LA has to offer and Village's Moroccan room is really a wonderful sounding room for the ensembles we were recording," adds Germain.  The production also had Studio A so when Germain needed isolation, he would bring the musicians from next door.  "I got in good shape running up and down the stairs to check mic positioning and other needs!  I would then take everything back to my studio, WonderWorld, to mix," says Germain who  lists John Williams, and Jeff Beal (House of Cards) among composers he would enjoy working with in the future. "T he theme song Beal did for House of Cards is phenomenal," says Germain.
Having spent the first half of the '90s mixing film scores for Michel Colombier, Disney, Nicholas Pike and others, working on Mozart has reignited Clark's passion for scoring work. He is now looking forward to expanding his work in this arena.
 
 
 
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
   



Sunday Nov 26, 11am -2pm

The Federal, NoHo 

5303 Lankershim Blvd, NOHO
Feat   Jules Shear (Be With You) and Dead Rock West  "Boundless Fearless Love" 
RSVP here  


studioexpresso & Trans Audio Group Present
All About That Bass! 
 
feat... Leland Sklar (James Taylor, Phil Collins), Rhonda Smith (Prince, Jeff Beck),
Brent Fischer (Clare Fischer, D'Angelo), Rafa Sardina ( Lady Gaga, Beyonce) and more...(confirming special guests now)!

Sat Jan 27, 3-4pm
(prior to TEC Awards) 
Anaheim, CA 
 
please visit for updates: Studioexpresso Events
 
You know I'm all about that bass!
The title of this session may be inspired by Meghan Trainor song, but our star studded panelists will explore the sound of bass on albums and the role of session players in the studio. How they make some of the most loved albums of our time stand out with a unique and catchy sound that's more than just the bass line!

   
 

    
 
    


TECH Kinects 2017

The October sold out Chicago tech event for youth is brainchild of hip-hop artist and actor, Lonnie Rashid Lynn, better known as, Common.
Presented by his Common Ground Foundation, the non-profit
hosts this Youth Business and Leadership Conference which narrates the inspiring journeys of champions, while documenting a blueprint for success. 
 
This year's signature event borrowed the acronym S.T.E.A.M. not only explored careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Mathematics but also aims to discover careers in Sports, Travel, Entertainment Advertising & Marketing. Themed Tech Kinects, this year's one-day forum took place on Friday, October 27, 2017 - and assemble more than 300 high school students at Google's Chicago headquarters, located at 320 N. Morgan.  
CGF is committed t o building future leaders equipped to ignite change in their classrooms, communities, and the world.   
  Common won the 2015 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and the 2015 Academy Award for Best Original Song, for his song "Glory" from the 2014 film Selma, in which he co-starred as Civil Rights Movement leader James Bevel. Common's acting career also includes starring significant roles in the films Smokin' Aces, Street Kings, American Gangster, Wanted, Terminator Salvation, Date Night, Just Wright, Happy Feet Two, New Year's Eve and Run All Night
 




Amuse 
The first mobile record label Run by Will.i.am

Will.i.am with Amuse co-founder and CEO Diego Farias
Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am announced on Sept. 6 he's joining Swedish tech company Amuse.

It's true. The way we produce music has changed, the way people listen to music has changed.   Amuse  claims they have rethought distribution and artist discovery to better fit the mobile consumer who likes things free.  How is this artist friendly then you ask? Artists get licensing deals when they're signed. Let the music do the talking. It's simply a matter of whether your music takes off.
How will Amuse make money since they'll pay for some projects? "If we discover artists we believe in, we will offer them a record deal that includes marketing, financing, promotion and playlist pitching," says the Amuse website. 
How is this different from traditional label, you ask?  Amuse splits the profits 50/50 with the artists.  Only time can tell how many artists will sign on and if the consumer experience with the app hits though the roof. Amuse has been live since March and reports 15,000 artists using the app on iOS and Android devices, with eight acts so far signed to the label.
Partners include: Spotify, YouTube, ITunes, Napster, Pandora, Amazon, Tidal .




METAlliance Following AES Packs Power Station 

L-R: Ed Cherney, recording artist Kat Edmonson, Elliot Scheiner and Frank Filipetti.
Photo by David Goggin. 


The METAlliance Academy wrapped up a busy weekend of recording in NYC at Power Station Berklee NYC following the AES Convention. METAlliance founders Chuck Ainlay, Ed Cherney, Frank Filipetti, George Massenburg, Elliot Scheiner, and Al Schmitt worked with gifted singer/songwriter Kat Edmonson, top jazz vocal group the New York Voices, and punk-pop New Jersey band The Nectars.






RADD + Uber Help DUI Awareness
 
Hosted by Sky Renee, this month RADD® is partnering with Uber and emerging music acts for a College DUI Awareness campaign to promote responsible driving and road safety. Their message is "Have Fun, Plan Ahead" with an Uber, designated driver, ride share or alternate form of transportation.   
Attendees can use uberPOOL promo code RADDLA for two free uberPOOL trips, up to $10 each, to and from the HiHat and only valid on Sept 28, 2017
Trips must begin or end at the Hi Hat, while supplies last (300 rides).      
RADD® has previously partnered with KROQ's Weenie Roast; Malibu Guitar Festival, Jam In The Van (Outside Lands, Coachella) and LA Crawl in Downtown LA.   The RADD® College DUI Awareness campaign is currently on 45 college campuses backed by a grant from the California Office Of Traffic Safety.
  



 

Connecting The Dots
Yayoi Kusama at The Broad  

Mental health is in the news again with recent terrors in Texas, New York and Las Vegas. 
But one woman has taken mental health to a different direction with a lifelong focus on:  Love, Beauty, Peace.  
Long known for her obsessive, dot-covered art, the 88-year old avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrored room installation is the hottest tix in town at the Broad running through January 1, 2018.  Consider this. Kusama has a history of neurosis and has lived as a voluntary resident at a mental hospital a block away from her exhibit for about four decades.  
The Infinity Mirroed room is made of wood, metal, glass mirrors, plastic, acrylic panel, rubber, LED lighting system, and acrylic balls. She calls it "Souls of Millions of Light Years Away." Each room allows the visitor to enter a new and exhilarating visual experience. "I wanted to examine the single dot that's my life," says Yayoi.
In 1968 Kusama wrote a letter titled "Open Letter to My Hero Richard Nixon" about the Vietnam War, where she wrote, "Let's forget ourselves dearest Richard and become one with the Absolute, all together." Unfortunately the president refused the offer, and the war carried on. "Our earth is like one little polka dot, among millions of other celestial bodies, one orb full of hatred and strife amid the peaceful, silent spheres. Let's you and I change all that and make this world a new Garden of Eden.... You can't eradicate violence by using more violence,' continued her letter to Nixon.
Iin '93 Kusama collaborated with Peter Gabriel in video for song, LoveTown (soundtrack to the film 'Philadelphia'). 
Kusama's works have opened at numerous museums and galleries around the world, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Walker Art Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. 

"In every way, I want to pour my love into humanity, and for a wonderful society without war," she says  Watch Infinity Mirrors on CBS This Morning
   
 
From one dot to another...I think we can all agree: music makes this world a better place. 
Holidays are upon us.
Grateful for your talents, feedback and support.   Keep creating and inspiring.   We will be back in 2018. 

Until January,   Music lives and moves!

Claris Sayadian-Dodge, Founder I Editor studioexpresso

Visit exotic studio destinations at  studioexpresso home page
Help fans find you easily and contact us to update your profile  with your social networking links (sample: Kenny Aronoff).
Simply send an email to c laris@studioexpresso.com or
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studioexpresso & TransAudio Group
@ NAMM 2018

All About That Bass
January 27, 3-4 pm

Speakers: Rafa Sardina, Brent Fischer,
Jessy Mason, Leland Sklar
Moderated by: Brad Lunde and Claris Sayadian-Dodge 
Visit here



 

 
Teddy Riley with John Legend at Songbird, LA











 
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
Drawm er's MC1.1

Monitor Preamp and the new 1978 Stereo FET Compressor.
And the Auratone Reference Monitors ever present at every studio!   



  

 


FYC
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album 60th Grammy Awards

This month saxaphonist and composer Aaron  Aranita dropped a new album titled " Segunda Vista I Second Sight" featuring The Brent Fischer Orchestra. 
Aranita has been making music in a dazzling array of contexts from Boston to Japan, to Hawaii. As a musician, he has accompanied icons, The Temptations,  Natalie Cole, Andy Williams to name a few.
On Segunda Vista, eight original instrumentals are penned by Aranita and produced by Brent Fischer who also directed the big band. "Aaron Aranita's style has many notable influences including the music of my father, Dr. Clare Fischer.  Both of us focus on creating a singular, personal sound.  We have the Fischer influence in common yet neither of us sounds alike.  Aranita has created his own aesthetic and it was my honor to bring his written music to life in Segunda Vista," says Brent Fischer who produced the sessions at NRG studio A, Los Angeles.
The Fischer Sketch is dedicated to  Clare Fischer.   "Fischer music represents the pinnacle of music composition and arranging. There are not many composers that can assimilate European classical tradition, Pan American, Jazz and contemporary music into a whole and unique vision like Fischer's," says Aranita who lists Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter among his musical giants. "These composers more or less reflect what state of art, Harmony and melodies are today," Aranita adds. 
Guitar, percussion and few other over dubs were added between LA and Hawaii.
"Working with Brent Fischer has been exceptionally rewarding.  Everything he does is at high standard and professional level," says Aranita who had "a fulfilling experience" to hear his scores played by The Fischer Orchestra. "Prior to the recordings, the music existed only on paper and in digital mock-ups," says Aranita who dedicates two songs to his late parents, 
Gregoria and Ralph Epifanio Aranita. Never Far From My Heart and  Epifanio (Epifany ) are touching tributes to family.  "They both passed away in 2014 but leave a wonderful legacy and memories."   
Aranita says the title track, Segunda Vista (Second Sight) is about taking a second look at things. " Here you can listen to the melody of the A section of the tune, and how it comes back after the bridge section B, and how the harmony changes beneath it, taking the tune to another direction . Sierra Leone was inspired by the horrific news of civil war in west Africa  "..this tune just came together, when I heard the sad news. Like in Lioness Mountain my music is really a plea for humanity," says Aranita.. 


Coracao Da Natureza means the Heart Of Nature.  Aranita is dedicating this one to Antonio Carlos Jobim. "He's one of my all-time favorite composers. He was a strong advocate for the protection of the Rain Forests of the Amazon," says Aranita. 
For Aranita each track on the album is unique in its own way, but if he had to pick a favorite, it would be Sea Dreams, the opening track. "Here I'm dreaming the wonderous nature of ocean and wishing it gives everyone who is listening a sense of serenity and calm." 
First Four bars in Bells sound like church bells. Perhaps calling the listener to find joy, serenity and renewal. Segunda Vista is mixed by Matt Brownlie and Brent Fischer and available at Amazon
 

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


December Hammond Hang Features

Hammond Artist
Alicia McKracken Morgan
 bio @ Hammond USA

 
Saturday Dec, 2, 1pm-4pm
at

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


Alicia Morgan's original songs are in the feature films "Beyond Desire" and Tom Arnold's "Barhopping." She was the singing voice for Caroline Rhea in the Disney movie "Mom's Got a Date With A Vampire".  Her blues band The Scorch Sisters, with Francesca Capasso and Kimberly Allison, is in the studio working on their CD.   
A long-time Hammond organ aficionado, she is the proud owner of a beautiful 1964 Hammond A-102 and a 1961 251 Leslie. She taught voice, keyboards and computer recording at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood from 2005-2010, and after teaching privately for a few years, is excited to launch Voice Mama Studios with internationally-acclaimed vocalist/voice coach extraordinaire Tita Farrar

RSVP for Dec 2 here  
Space is very limited
The Hammond Hang is open to all ages and we welcome all music lovers. See you there!!
 
"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     
artist pricing available only 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       
 
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

 
   
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
 


My Name Is Prince


First ever official exhibition dubbed My Name Is Prince , about iconic superstar Prince,  opened in O2 in London on October 27.  The exhibit gives fans the chance to get up close and personal with the music legend's life and work at this time-limited retrospective exhibition which will celebrate the legacy of one of pop music's most influential figures, Prince Rogers Nelson.  Sister Tika Nelson and arranger Brent Fischer were interviewed by BBC regarding the unreleased music of Prince. 
My Name Is Prince will showcase hundreds of never before seen artifacts direct from Paisley Park, Prince's famous Minnesota private estate. Visitors will get a unique insight into the life, creativity and vision of one of the most naturally gifted recording artists of all time. 

There is a park that is known 
4 the face it attracts 
Colorful people whose hair 
On 1 side is swept back 
The smile on their faces 
It speaks of profound inner peace 
Ask where they're going 
They'll tell U nowhere 
They've taken a lifetime lease 
On Paisley Park

- "Paisley Park" from the album Around the World in a Day



AES NY Wrap Up 

With the theme of Maximum Audio, AES New York brought a diverse array of special events and prominent industry names and technologies into the spotlight. In addition to the opening Diversity Town Hall meeting and Keynote Speech by Prof. Edgar Choueiri, the Heyser Lecture given by renowned, award-winning engineer and producer Leslie Ann Jones, and numerous other featured events. Jones spoke about archiving the music of Star Wars.
Over 200 technology presentations including 700 presenters and a half-dozen offsite Tech Tours, as well as 260-plus brands exhibiting the latest gear and services came to the AES Exhibition floor.
 
AES NY Convention research papers and E-briefs can be found online in the AES E-Library, and recordings of the convention presentations and proceedings will soon be online as part of the AES Live: Videos collection. The AES celebrates its 70th Anniversary as the Society returns to the Javits Center in New York for AES New York 2018, the 145th AES International Convention, taking place October 17 - 20, 2018, co-located once again with The NAB Show New York. Visit aes.org/events for AES event updates throughout the year.
Next up, the Audio Engineering Society returns to the west coast for the AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium, Live and Studio, to be held in NAMM's education campus, adjacent to the Anaheim Convention Center, during The 2018 NAMM Show, which runs January 25 - 28, 2018 ( aesatnamm.com)



Beatle, Paul McCartney and Sony/ATV Music Publishing have resolved a dispute over The Beatles' rights.
The former Beatles member sued the publishers earlier this year, claiming copyright ownership of multiples of the band's songs.
McCartney claimed that he is set to reacquire the tracks next year, but Sony had not confirmed the copyrights would be transferred without a legal dispute. The copyrights were previously held by Michael Jackson.
The Hollywood Reporter reported in June the two parties have now settled the matter and quotes McCartney's attorney Michael Jacobs as saying they had done so "by entering into a confidential settlement agreement and jointly request that the Court enter the enclosed proposed order dismissing the above-referenced action without prejudice". 

McCartney revealed that he is currently working on a brand new album with the Greg Kurstin (Adele, Beck, Sia), the producer behind Adele's 'Hello' and countless other records.
This new record would be the first solo album since 'New' back in 2013.   Kurstin has launched a publishing joint venture with Sony/ATV to sign songwriters, producers and musicians. He also produced the new Foo Fighter album, Concrete & Gold, recorded at East West, Los Angeles.

 
  
 
 
Everyday Is Christmas 
 
Everyday Is Christmas is being released through Atlantic and Sia's own record label , Monkey Puzzle, and via Inertia in Australia.  Recording sessions for the album took place over two weeks in May 2017 and left Sia and producer Greg Kurstin "laughing at the end of each day". In September, Kurstin said of working on the album with Sia: "I don't know how she comes up with song lyric and melody ideas so quickly. ... [S]he wrote these new Christmas stories. ... I'm still sort of new at this Christmas thing (being Jewish). ... "[It] took me back to when we used to get into jazz chord changes. There's some really fun uptempo Christmas jams, and then there's also some Sia ballads," says Kurstin. 
Sia has also written global smashes for today's biggest acts including Beyoncé, Kanye West, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and many more.  
In addition to working on the forthcoming Christmas album, Sia is currently in the process of directing her first feature film.  
Sia most recently wrapped up the North American leg of her headlining arena Nostalgic For The Present Tour which will continue this winter in stadiums across Australia and New Zealand.
 

Power Station New England Reborn
Historic Neve & SSL at Center of
Massive Renovation & Gear Acquisition


Power Station New England, founded in 1995 and located in picturesque Waterford, Connecticut, has commissioned an historic Neve 8068 MkII and an SSL 4064G+ console as part of a massive expansion set for a fall grand reopening. At the center of the 2017 rebirth is the main recording space with signature 35-foot dome, plus four isolation spaces and the historic control room A, which now features the vintage Neve. An entirely new Studio B mix room features the SSL.

Power Station New England is located within the Sonalysts, Inc. media complex, which houses five full production stages suitable for large scale concert rehearsal and multi-camera video production. Full crews, HD cameras and post-production are available onsite. The largest of five shooting stages is 15,000 sq. ft. with a 42' ceiling. Waterford is located in scenic Southeastern Connecticut, surrounded by water on three sides and intersected by two major interstate highways. Situated two hours from New York City and Boston, Waterford features a variety of accommodations and numerous fine restaurants. 
 
  

 Meet The Mrs 

You don't have to be a Mrs to appreciate THE Mrs. They are like four girl friends who get together and talk about life as mom, wife, sister and daughter. Their mission: Empower women across the country.
You can sum up their attitude like this: Even though it's fall, the sun is still shining... 
The show on November 1 at The Peppermint Club, West Hollywood featured some of the songs from their new album.  The
Austin-based, all female pop/rock band made their SXSW debut earlier this year to promote their new 11-track, self-produced and self-titled debut album and new single, "Blink Of An Eye," now available at all digital outlets.
"It's never too lat to do what you love," says Jenny Mason who plays bass. "studioexpresso is pleased that Mrs Mason will join Leland Sklar, Brent Fischer and Rafa Sardina NAMM panel: All About That Bass on January 27, 2018 in Anaheim," says Claris Sayadian Dodge who will be co-moderating the panel with Trans Audio Group's Brad Lunde.  
Larissa Ness plays keys and vox, Mandy Prater plays guitar and vox. Founder, entrepreneur, philanthropist, drummer Andra Leimandt also founded the non-profit  The Kindness Campaign on the belief that kindness is the key to changing the way children see themselves and how they relate to one another. She is a mother to two girls. In 2013, she was stunned and heartbroken to learn that a friend's 12-year-old daughter committed suicide after being bullied at school. Her goal is to give voice to a generation of young people who aspire to stop the cycle of bullying. All of the programs are centered around the core message of I AM ENOUGH. "We write songs to inspire the knowing in each woman that she's enough," says Andra.
They broke out onto the music scene with two Top 20 Hot AC singles titled "Enough" and "You Told Me" from their EP, Enough. The band has been featured on Good Morning America, Huffington Post, People, Cosmopolitan and Buzzfeed among other outlets.
The MRS are sexy, modern, liberated and unapologetic wives and mothers who rock!      
 

Warner and Universal
Fight For Birth Control


This week Universal and Warner Music Group have joined Planned Parenthood campaign #FightForBirthControl and assured their employees that they will continue to cover free contraception despite the Trump administration's recent moves to repeal the requirement. 
Both company's internal memos were sent out to employees from UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge who wrote that "UMG will continue to cover a wide range of preventative services ranging from contraception, mammograms and well-woman exams to immunizations, annual physical exams, screenings for various illnesses and much more," all required under the federal Affordable Care Act."
Warner Music Group's EVP human resources, Masha Osherova, emailed employees: "As we are going through 2018 Open Enrollment many of you have expressed concern over how the Trump Administration's executive order and Repeal & Replace proposals will impact WMG Benefits. I would like to assure you that WMG will still continue to cover all '10 Essential Benefits' such as pre-existing conditions, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, prescription drug coverage (including birth control), family planning and mental health services." 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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