Producer Andrew Spence is classically trained and has worked in various mediums of jazz, EDM, and Film.  "I think chords are amazing, just one variation can put us in a blues, rock or jazz feel," says Spence who is always open to  'new harmonic concepts.'  Spence's scores have graced indie to top A- and B-List films to include: music production and soundscapes for Sam Raimi's, 'Drag Me To Hell', Priest (co-production with Christopher Young),  music producer and musician for the Johnny Depp film, 'The Rum Diary', to the massive 'stylistic' orchestral score for the internationally released 'The Millennium Bug' - to name a few.

Andrew's favorite studio gear includes: Summit Audio EQP 200B Tube Equalizer, Peluso P-49 Tube Mic and UAD Apollo interface.  

Remember this name. Ladina Spence is one of Andrew's recent productions and a good example of successful artist development. When asked to describe the process, Andrew simply says: "Believe  in your talent. It all has to start with great music. And never give up as the break you have been working so hard for is just around the corner! "

Read more here   

According to John McBride If he only had one day to live, he'd spend it in the studio tracking!  It's this tremendous power of music that has inspired McBride and his team at Blackbird studios in Nashville. "...by the end of the day you've got a song, and that song could change the world. What could be better than that?" 
McBride loves helping people make great music. "The studio should inspire the artist to his or her creative peak, and I've worked hard to make Blackbird a place where absolutely nothing stands in the way of the artist's very best work," says McBride who has been - and continues to be - wife, Martina's FOH engineer since long before she released her first album (The Time Has Come, 1992). Incidentally, the name of the studio honors McBride's favorite band, who recorded 'Blackbird' in 1968 at Abbey Road Studios. Citing the life-changing impact of the Beatles on a boy growing up in Wichita, Kansas, McBride now owns over 15,000 pieces of Beatles-related vinyl!
Of Blackbird's seven big control rooms, six use ATC   SCM300ASL or ATC SCM150ASL soffit-mounted loudspeakers either in stereo or surround-sound configurations. Moreover, Blackbird keeps a healthy stock of ATC SCM20ASL and ATC SCM50ASL nearfield monitors that clients can request in any room. 

"It's a visceral, emotional experience for me and for the client, but it's also extremely accurate and revealing. I always know that when I get something sounding right on the ATCs, it's going to sound right everywhere else,"  says the studio owner McBride.

Other ATC Owners: George Massenburg, Bruce Swedien, Rafa Sardina, 

For the latest info on ATCs  contact  Brad Lunde at TransAudio Group 702-365-5155    

 

Plug Me In


Craig Bauer recently mixed a track for the POP/EDM artist, Svrcina. He shares some of his mixing and production techniques via Plugin Alliance article here. See if you can hear his use of  high pass filters on the vocals and in the bridge listen to the various filter effects on the lead vocal delays. 
 
California's Plugin Alliance offers pro audio industry-leading plugins from acclaimed developers such as Brainworx, SPL and elysia with customer-friendly prices, licensing procedures and financing options.
This month ENGL's renowned E765 and E646 Victor Smolski amps are now available in native formats for the first time, and the bundle also includes the precision Brainworx bx_tuner plugin.  ENGL's high-gain tube amps have shaped the tone of a who's who in metal and hard rock guitar for the last decade, and that's showcased brilliantly with legendary shredder Victor Smolski's signature E646 VS plugin. By contrast, the vintage-minded E765 plugin runs the gamut from warm cleans to classic rock crunch. Both plugins are available separately for $149 MSRP each. However, combined with the bx_tuner, the ENGL Amp Bundle can dial in any guitar color on the rock and roll palette for $229 MSRP, a total discount of 28%.

 
Even better, ENGL Amp Bundle puts priceless signal paths and years of recording experience a mouse click away with an Auto mode that can step through each amp's 64 expert Recording Chains while you play. Brainworx founder and CEO Dirk Ulrich, a rock producer for 15 years for the likes of Dream Theater, Toto and Roadrunner Records, crafted the Recording Chains at the lavish Brainworx Studio, capturing three ENGL cabinets with up to nine high-end vintage and modern microphones through a rare Neve VXS72 console and high-end outboard EQs from Millennia, SPL and elysia. 
"ENGL amps have long been a favorite of mine for both stage and studio," Ulrich said. "I really dug deep to capture the tones used on so many of the recordings I love." View it here

The roster of elite engineers and producers joining the PlugIn Alliance network is growing rapidly. GRAMMY Award winning mixing engineer, Craig Bauer, Khaliq Glover (Michael Jackson, Prince, Justin Timberlake) and Rafa Sardina  (Calle 13, Placido Domingo, Lady Gaga) among them. Watch the PlugIn Alliance interview at After Hours Studio...here     

ATC SCM20PSL Passive 2 Way Monitors in studio G, Brooklyn where Puss N Boots perform "Don't Know What It Means 

1973 WINS RESOLUTION AWARD  

Ivor Drawmer, veteran designer and manufacturer of boutique high-end audio processors, has earned a 2014 Resolution Award for the new Drawmer 1973 three-band stereo FET compressor. The Drawmer 1973 benefits from Ivor's deep, thirty-plus years of experience building best-in-class signal processors and is unique in its combination of three critical attributes: its controls are remarkably easy to use, its price is low, and its sound is, of course, beautifully musical. "The Drawmer 1973 multiband compressor is the kind of tool that mix and mastering engineers will find so useful they'll wonder how they ever got by without it," said Brad Lunde, president of TransAudio Group, Drawmer's U.S. distributor.  

 

    

Face An A&R 
Warner/Chappell Music (WCM), the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group,  announced the promotion of Katie Vinten to Vice President, A&R. She previously served as Director, A&R. Based at the company's Los Angeles headquarters, Vinten will continue to scout, sign and develop new and established songwriting talent. She will continue to report to WCM President, North America, Jon Platt.

"... I love the process of taking talented songwriters to the next level by providing a level of service and commitment they simply will not find elsewhere.  Warner/Chappell is an incredible environment where we aim to cultivate a songwriter's career at every level, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it," said Vinten.

Atlantic Records named Shawn Barron to VP, Urban A&R back in November 2014. Barron is based in the company's Burbank office. He started at Atlantic Records five years ago as Urban A&R Manager. During his time he has signed and worked with such artists as Diggy Simmons and Ty Dolla $ign, whose most recent Beach House EP has spawned two gold singles "Paranoid" and "Or Nah". Barron has also helped out on releases from Lupe Fiasco, Wiz Khalifa, B.o.B. and Trey Songz among others. Next up is Ty Dolla $ign's debut album which will be out early next year along with music from Barron's new signing, singer/songwriter PJ, who will release an EP in '15 as well. 

l-r: Producer Jeff Weber, Sydney Alston, Claris Sayadian-Dodge, Bobby Borg, Kyle Garcia, Danny Warren

On The Fortune List  

Remember the '07 remix "I Get Money: Forbes 1-2-3 Billion Dollar" by Sean "Diddy" Combs, Jay Z and 50 Cent? Now less than a decade later, according to Fortune magazine, rappers are closing in on ten-figure wealth.  Combs is the leader of the pack with an estimated fortune of $700 million.  His new venture Revolt TV, the music-focused, multi-platform channel of which he's the majority owner.   Dr. Dre ranks second with $550 million, and Jay Z, in third place with an estimated $520 million. Dre's Beats controls an astounding two-thirds of the premium headphone market, with annual sales reportedly in excess of $1 billion. Jay Z's fortune continues to grow with nine-figure deals ($204 million Rocawear sale in 2007 and his $150 million pact with Live Nation in 2008). More recently his Roc Nation record label and management firm added a sports agency (with deals like Robinson Cano's $240 million monster agreement) and Tidal is rising.   Bryan "Birdman" Williams with a net worth of over $300 million  with brother Ronald "Slim" Williams cofounded Cash Money Records two decades ago --roster includes Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne. Birdman has also diversified with Cash Money Content, GT Vodka and the YMCMB clothing line  

Pre-screening at United Recording are (L-R) CJ Vanston, Ross Hogarth, film director Denny Tedesco, Steve Genewick, Suzie Katayama, Dave Pell, studio manager Robin Goodchild, Jack Joseph Puig, and Clark Germain.    Photo by David Goggin.

Letterman Says GoodBye And Thank You! 

David Letterman's final show played like the Fanfare for the Common Man.
He gracefully thanked his crew, musicians, his fans and his wife and son. As the saying goes: Show me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are? 

US President Gerald Ford opened the show, informing the viewers, "Our long national nightmare is over."

They were then echoed by George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and President Obama.

"Letterman is retiring," Obama added, before Letterman appeared next to him: "You're just kidding, right?" he asked.

RIP King of Blues I  BB King
September 16, 1925 - May 14, 2015 

Robert Redford whose grandson is a member of the class of 2015 at Colby College's 194th commencement delivered the keynote address. 
"Focus on two words: hope and collaboration,"  said the iconic independent filmmaker who founded the Sundance Film Festival.  

Help fans find you easily and contact us to update your studioexpresso profiles with social networking links (sample: Kenny Aronoff).
Simply send an email to claris@studioexpresso.com  or call 818.990.3031 and tell us your artist story and say "I want to RENEW!"

Until next month, express yourself!
Music lives and moves.