aug I sept 2024

It's a hot espresso summer! As we take time off from good labor, we invite you to celebrate a few legendary session musicians in a historic studio.

Meet their director, who tells their enchanting story. Experience the creative process of a master music influencer who combines art and technology to engage and delight his viewers. This producer's new release, like his name, may become America's favorite topping. A metaverse meets a major label. We have people and event news and awesome gear for your playpen. We remain grateful to you, our valued creators, contributors and supporters. Grab an espresso and enjoy this month's serving!

The Village Hosts Screening of Immediate Family

A Documentary Directed by Denny Tedesco

Above The Immediate Family performed on Tuesday, August 20, at the Village Studios in West Los Angeles.

Photo by Chris Schmitt

Immediate Family, the film, tracks the rise and collaborations of a group of legendary session musicians -- Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel and Waddy Wachtel. It chronicles their illustrious partnerships and formidable record of hit-making songs. Directed by Denny Tedesco (The Wrecking Crew), the film follows the second wave of the studio musicians in the 70-80s, and reveals the machinery behind the booming era of the singer-songwriter.

On August 20, the Village Studios in West Los Angeles hosted the screening for the Immediate Family. All the five members of the band were in attendance, including Steve Postell.

Since its release, Immediate Family has already received numerous accolades and 18 awards from various film festivals around the country, including Audience Awards at the Woodstock Film Festival, and the 2023 Hollywood Music In Media Award (HMMA).

The evening began in the Village’s auditorium where attendees viewed a screening of the film. David Wild, American Film/TV writer and critic, offered a few thoughts on the film, and introduced the multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Jimmy Jam, who moderated a lively question-and-answer segment with Tedesco, Kortchmar, Wachtel, Postell, Kunkel and Sklar.

The party moved to Village's Moroccan Room, where the band took the stage and performed 3 songs from the film to an enthusiastic crowd. Somebody’s Baby (written by Jackson Browne and Danny Kortchmar), Don Henley’s Dirty Laundry (written by Don Henley and Danny Kortchmar) and Warren Zevon’s Werewolves of London (written by Zevon, LeRoy Marinell and Waddy Wachtel).

The event was attended by top artists, and leading audio professionals in the music industry, including Jackson Browne, Oscar-winning songwriter Diane Warren, artist Judith Owens, Jefferson Starship’s Jude Gold, Elton John keyboardist Kim Bullard, keyboardist/producer CJ Vanston, session bassist Bob Glaub, former Dire Straits guitarist Hal Lindes, producer/engineers Niko Bolas, Dave Reitzas, Mike Clink, Ross Hogarth, Greg Penny, Steve Lindsey and Steve Genewick, legendary studio managers Paula Salvatore and Candace Stewart, Guitar Center Music Foundation Chairman of the Board David Helfant, former Epic Records president Ron Alexenburg, Get Together Foundation’s Kevin Wachs, the Village’s Jeff Greenberg and Tina Morris, to name a few. Also in attendance were several of the film’s producers, including Greg Richling, Jack Piatt, Jonathan Sheldon, and executive producer Caroline Hoste. All enjoyed beverages and hors d’oeuvres while discussing the music film, which received rave reviews and accolades from the attendees. The evening’s sponsors included Comisario Tequila, Pepsi and Reyka Vodka.

“The Village was the perfect frame for the masterpiece of seeing and hearing my liner notes come to life. It was a blessing to share the stage and for a night be adopted into the ImmediateFamily. This film is proof that music is the divine art, and we all need a little more heaven on earth.”

Immediate Family is released on Magnolia Pictures on December 15 and available now on VOD platforms and streaming exclusively on Hulu.

The Immediat Family Official

Immediate Family Documentary official

Below L-R: Jimmy Jam (moderator), Denny Tedesco (film director) and the Immediate Family band: Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel and Steve Postell at Village Studios, Los Angeles. Photo by Chris Schmitt

studioexpresso met up with the film director Denny Tedesco in August to learn about the making of his film, Immediate Family.

Denny talks about happy accidents, music licensing challenges, importance of relationships, tips on creative financing, and more... Enjoy!

Denny Tedesco tells the story of the legendary musicians -- Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel and Steve Postell --behind the scenes. Together they created the soundtrack of our lives, and defined music of a generation.

The film, Immediate Family, beautifully weaves together the foundations of their enduring friendship, formed on the road and in studios, told with intimate interviews, charming animation segments, and a catchy soundtrack of over 80 songs on most popular playlists. There are specials appearances by rock’s most iconic voices including Carole King, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, Keith Richards, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett, Phil Collins and more. There are insightful interviews with Peter Asher, Lou Adler, to name a few.

SE: Loved your new Doc on The Immediate Family. It just has one big problem: Too many hit songs! How did you handle music clearances for the film's Soundtrack?

DT: The greatest thing about Music Docs and the worst thing about Music Docs is the clearing of the music. My first film, The Wrecking Crew, had 110 songs in it, and my latest, Immediate Family, has 85 songs in it. My goal in both these films is to have music that at least one of the players is connected to. So, in the end, even background music will have one of the players connected to it. I'm not opposed to scoring, but it's a tribute to the players.

When you're making the film, you need to always have it in the back of your mind as a filmmaker; there is a possibility you might not get permission to use these songs. It's a horrible reality. Even if you have a budget.

But I credit my music supervisor, Mason Cooper, and the labels, publishers, and artists. Everyone knew the importance of this project. We weren't allowed to use only two songs out of 85 cues. One, I totally agree with. When an editor puts a song in, sometimes we fall in love with the scene and don't realize we played the song for 2 minutes. (Way too long for the publisher of that song and understandable). But that forced us to replace it with something else that fits. And my producer Jonathan suggested So Far Away by Carole King. That was the greatest suggestion. It fit better than our original song. When you see and hear it, you can't imagine it not being in there. And Carole and the label were cool with it.

Another song was tied to a scene where Danny Kortchmar had a solo on a Linda Ronstadt tune. Linda and Producer Lou Adler discuss the guys and how much they bring to the music. The label signed off, and the leading publisher of 65% of the song signed off, but the minor publisher of 35% wanted a 3000-dollar bump with everyone on MFN (most favored nations) that would have increased the budget by $240,000. So that was impossible. I was so disappointed. So, we had to remove the song. Instead, I found a cool CSN song that created a different vibe with the footage of Danny, Leland, and Russ playing in slow motion.

SE: According to Ent. Weekly, The Wrecking Crew is among Amazon Prime's 22 best docs in 2024. What's has been the greatest reward or award of your life and career?

DT: Someone sent that to me the other day, and I was blown away. The Wrecking Crew was started in 1996 when my father and guitarist, Tommy Tedesco, was diagnosed with Terminal Cancer. We finally had a cut in 2008 and entered the film festival. Sellout crowds, a dozen awards, and excellent reviews, but we couldn't find a buyer due to the licensing for the music, and stock footage was paid off. I had to raise over $500,000. So, I had to hit the road trying to build an audience and share the story. I found ways of raising money in the craziest ways. One of the ways was to create a dedication chapter on the DVD and have folks dedicate a song for $1000.00. On the credits, you'll see Be My Baby dedicated by……." But there was one song, "Gary Lewis's Everybody Loves a Clown that I thought could never be picked. So, I called a Clown school and found a sponsor for that song. That was a great moment.

But the greatest reward was knowing we never gave up. I know family and friends must have thought I was crazy. Remember, I have been working on this since 1996, so in 2013, someone would ask,

'What are you up to?' And I would say Wrecking Crew. They had to think I was nuts. But I knew we could find a home if I could pay off the licensing.

The other greatest reward was seeing the audience moved by the film. I hadn't realized what we created would have such an impact on audiences. I have seen that film hundreds of times worldwide, and audiences are moved not just by the music but also by the characters and their personal stories. I would love to say we knew what we were doing, but sometimes things happened by accident. The other reward is knowing new audiences are finding the film for the first time.

SE: Your three (3) tips for new Doc makers?

DT: 1] If you find a story you want to tell, find the heart of the story. You want to know how an audience can relate to it on a different level. For my films, I want to see how these musicians tick. What their dreams and insecurities are.

2] Don't just talk about it. Many of my subjects are in their later years and might not be around by the time you get a budget. So be prepared to go out and shoot interviews. Even if it's an iPhone to start with. My biggest regret in my first film was not interviewing and recording my father before he passed. By the time I got to him, he was too weak. A cassette recording with Voice only could save you. I was hung up on the look and wanted to shoot his interview in film, which slowed me down. I always feel the message is more important than the image.

3] Get SOUND! If you can't find a sound person to help you, invest in a sound recorder that you can use.

4] Don't piss off people along the way. It's a long road ahead, and you might have to return to the scene of your crime!

SE: . What can you say about entering Docs in Festival circuits and which promotion efforts have worked best (ie, Panels, Socials, etc)?

DT: All of the above. Unless you are a huge name, many of our independent films would only have a chance with festivals. Festivals allow us as filmmakers to build an audience. Try to be present at these festivals if you can afford it. When your film is screening, greet the audience and introduce yourself before and after the film. Audiences go to these festivals for a different experience. So, meeting the filmmaker goes a long way.

If you win awards, that will help your marketing. Don't worry if you don't get into Sundance or TIFF. Yes, it would be great, but you need people to see and talk about your film. You are there to prove your movie's worth and build an audience. If you have a documentary, find outtakes that are not in the film that might have some interest for folks who have seen the movie. Use those outtakes to build an audience on Facebook, TicTok, Instagram, and your website (Create a website).

SE: That was an effective use of anime characters to represent band member and venues and to cut in-between-talking heads. Who and what was behind its creation?

DT: I wanted to bring humor and avoid talking heads; animation could help there. Another director, Ali Selim, told me about two brothers, Lewie and Noah Kloster. I would give them ideas of what I wanted, and they took it to the next level. My three directions were: 1] make it simple like 'Peanuts' characters;

2] multi-medium—animate scene around little sets they built; and 3] find humor in it.

SE: What's your overall process when you start a project?

DT: I write an outline and try to research the hell out of it. In my first film, I knew the beginning, middle, and end. When we pitched the last film to the guys in the band, they said yes. The next day, I was told Carole King could be interviewed in three weeks. That was a scramble because I only had an overall project idea.

Sometimes, one interview can change the course of the film. You might have great ideas and interviews, but sometimes, you must let them go in the edit. You have to cut your babies. My rule of thumb is, 'If it didn't involve the players, ' it probably needed to go.

SE: Wrecking Crew lists Jerry Moss and Herb Alpert among exec producers. Who are some of the exec producers for Immediate Family, released on Magnolia Pix?

DT: It was my first time working with my producers, Greg Richling, Jack Piatt, and Jonathan Sheldon. All three are filmmakers and musicians. Greg was the ex-bass player of the Wall Flowers, so they were big fans of the Wrecking Crew. We were working on another project that fell through, and then their friend and band publicist, Lisa Roy, suggested the idea of a documentary on these guys. That was it. I jumped quickly on that idea.

I've known two of my executive producers for years. Brian McCafferty and I went to high school together. He helped me with the first film but came onto this without hesitation. My other EP, Cliff Burstein, was also an EP on Wrecking Crew. I can't thank them enough for their support.

SE: What's your hope for the IF Doc? How do you think it's connecting to the next generation of musicians in the studios today?

DT: Musicians are a special group of artists. It doesn't matter whether they're in the studio or play in a bar band. They all start playing music at a young age because they love to make music. It’s not about making money. And they all have dreams.

But you don't have to be a musician to get something out of these films.

It's about building relationships. Friendships are really important. Don't always be comfortable. Challenge yourself. Listen to music you might not enjoy, but find something that you like about it.

Knowledge is king! What is useless now might save you on a job in the future.

Above L-R: Jimmy Jam (Q&A moderator), Steve Postell, Waddy Wachtel, Denny Tedesco, Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, Leland Sklar and David Wild (who introduced the Q&A segment). Photo by Chris Schmitt

Producers are artists too and in-between projects, they make time to release their own album. Meet 34-year-old West Coast Hip Hop DJ, songwriter, rapper and award-winning producer

from Los Angeles, California, Mustard. He dropped his studio album, Faith of A Mustard Seed on Friday, July 26. It' a deeply personal collection of ten songs that say urban, gospel, summer, party, sensual, featuring samplings and guest artists.

A decade ago, Mustard released 10 Summers followed by Cold Summer via Roc Nation & Republic Records. He has since nabbed collaborations with Jennifer Lopez, T-Pain, Trey Songz, and more.

When Mustard produced one of the biggest singles of the year Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar, it raised both his profile and the expectation for his 4th album, Faith of A Mustard Seed on 10 Summers Records (BMG)

The album begins with an uplifting intro featuring Kirk Franklin followed by collaborations with Lil Y Lil Yachty, BlueBucksClan, 42 Dugg, Vince Staples, ScHoolbo Q, Quavo and Rob49.

Travis Scott appears on the lead single Parking Lot , Ella Mai vocals are on 1 Bad Decision. Young Thug & Lil Durk are featured on Ghetto.

Pray for Me ends Faith of a Mustard Seed with DJ Mustard himself giving a jab at a10- minutes rap.

songs like A Song for My Mom by Ty$ and Mines by Future hint somewhat of an autobiographical tails.

The album title was inspired by the late Nipsey Hussle, who suggested the name while they recorded songs for his previous LP Perfect 10. Listen to Faith of A Mustard Seed .

"You only need one song to make your career. One song can change your life forever. But, that comes with repetition, with doing it over and over again."

--Mustard

Song of the summer goes to singer and actress Sabrina Carpenter with Espresso released on Island Records. She grew the buzz when Espresso was released back in April. Sabrina, 25, set the expectation low by posting: "Just wanted to put out a little song before Coachella".  Espresso topped the Global 200 with 80.9 million streams and 8,000 sold worldwide July 12-18. Carpenter wrote the song along with Amy Allen,Steph Jones, and Julian Bunetta, and the latter handled production. During her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Aug. 22, she released her new album Short n’ Sweet. In June 2024, Carpenter announced she was partnering with the nonprofit PLUS1 on her Short n' Sweet Tour to create the Sabrina Carpenter Fund, dedicated to supporting the "well-being of people and animals", focusing on "mental health, animal welfare, and support for the LGBTQ+ community." It was also announced that her espresso-flavored ice cream collaboration with Van Leeuwen would have fifty percent of its profits benefit the Ali Forney Center, the largest nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated to helping homeless LGBTQ+ youth.

Now raise your espresso cups to Sabrina Please Please Pleases...or scoop me up an espresso flavored ice scream. Her song, espresso is in this month's studioexpresso video spotlight.

East West's legendary Studio One (Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Rolling Stones) is booked for variety of sessions from single voice to 70-piece symphonic orchestra. Brent Fischer Orchestra recorded in one with a 56-piece ensemble.

Spanning over 61,000 cubic feet with a vibrant sound, the iconic studio comes complete with a spacious isolation booth and a beautiful Bechstein D-280 Concert Grand Piano. The control room features an 80-channel Neve 8078 Console, the largest in the world (originally commissioned for Michael Jackson's best-selling album, Thriller).

Each room at East West is equipped with a DB Technologies db4496 A/D-D/A Converter and ATC SCM25 Pro Mk2 house monitors along with NS10/ProAc speakers and are set up with Pro tools HD.

Right: Grammy-winner producers Brent Fischer and Dave Reitzas in studio one control room during a VIP event hosted by Source Connect

photos: by the C

Housed in 1920s Medinah Temple, the historic landmark studios, for almost six decades, The Village has recorded hundreds of legendary Grammy Award-winning albums and Academy Award-winning movie soundtracks. One of the studio's Grammy-winning, staff engineers, Alex Williams, used ATC 25s on the Jon Batiste We Are sessions, as well as the award-winning Odessa sessions. He also worked with Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Regina Spektor, Perry Farrell and many more. Noted Williams, “The quality of ATC’s design and construction is apparent upon opening the box. From recording to mixing, the ATCs perform flawlessly on rock, pop, hip-hop, jazz, or orchestral. I know what I’m hearing is what I’m getting. I’m thrilled that The Village is outfitting three studios with the new ATC SCM25A Pro Mk2s.”

“Choosing ATC SCM25A Pro Mk2s for Village's main studios is an incredible validation of this product’s excellence,” says Brad Lunde, president and founder of TransAudio Group.

Top Left: Jeff Greenberg, owner and CEO with Snoop Dogg at The Village

Starstruck Entertainment, the parent company of Starstruck Studios was founded in 1988 by Narvel Blackstock. Located on Music Row, Starstruck Studios is considered one of the top iconic Nashville recording facilities, and recently chose an ATC 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos configuration and paired it with their SSL System TS-500 console for their Dolby Atmos room.

"ATC 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos system is cited as the speaker system of choice for the growing number of multichannel immersive sound studios.

Manufactured and designed in the UK to the highest engineering standards, it was only natural ATC could develop this solid niche," says Brad Lunde of Trans Audio Group.

Invest in Good Speaker Stands. Why? While looks can be deceiving, you must have seen concrete blocks and other DIY configurations used in some project studios. Speaker stands may not be on top of your purchasing list, but this 19-minute video by Colt Capperrune @ColtCapperrune may change your mind. $20 block stands are compared with professional stands ranging from $140 Gators to $1,200 Sound Anchor stands. Can you guess which one performs the best? check it out here Adjust-ability is also important for Speakers. For optimum sound quality the speaker’s acoustical axis should be at approximately ear level for the most consistent and best sound.

Sound Anchor adjustable monitor stands allow you to adjust the position of the monitors (height, angle and tilt) so you can place the monitors where they need to be for the highest quality sound.

Sound Anchors and Redmount products are designed and manufactured in Palm Bay, Florida U.S.A. using American parts and skilled American labor. click here for Sound Anchor dealers in USA

ATC models:

SCM25As

SCM45As,

SCM50ASLs

SCM100ASLs

"ATC monitors are something you have to experience. Lets just say that you can hear details you’ve never heard before, leading you to faster, more accurate decisions in your creative process," says Brad Lunde, President of Trans Audio Group

ABOUT TRANSAUDIO GROUP

TransAudio Group, founded by industry veteran Brad Lunde, has quickly become the premier U.S. importer/distributor and/or U.S. 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.

ATC SCM 25a pro mk2 has been upgraded with ATC’s hand made proprietary SH25-76S Dual Suspension Tweeter, extending the high-frequency response with a reduction in distortion. " Like the original SCM25A, the new upgraded Mk2 is a compact 3-way high-performance active studio monitor loudspeaker, based around the hand made proprietary ATC 3”/75mm soft mid-dome driver and 6.5”/164mm bass driver loaded in a 25-litre vented cabinet," adds Brad Lunde, President of Trans Audio Group. The monitor’s combination of exceptional mid-range clarity, high-output, extended bass response and modest size make it ideal for nearfield monitoring across a wide range of critical applications. ATC of England is the insider’s studio monitor, demanded by the very top level of the music recording community. ATC designs and manufactures nearly all their proprietary components, drivers, and electronics in-house to the absolute highest quality standards. The best of the best rely on ATC monitoring as their main solution for tracking, mixing and mastering. Models range from $5,000 to $50,000 per pair and all share a very similar sound. For larger rooms and midfield, applications check out the SEM45 with dual 6.5-inch drivers and the fantastic SEM150 with a 15-inch woofer and 350 Watts of power. Choose the size that works for your space. More info here

TransAudio Group, U.S. distributer of the finest professional recording equipment in the world, is pleased to announce the new ATC SCS70 Pro, a compact, ultra-high performance subwoofer using ATC’s first, in-house-designed and built sub driver.

Designed by Billy Woodman and his team of engineers, this new 12-inch sub driver delivers the kind of honest and detailed low-frequency information that professionals have come to expect from ATC.  “Subwoofers can be a source of distortion, making the mixing or mastering process a guessing game. Now an ATC system, complete with the one or two SCS70 subs, can deliver full bandwidth audio for any genre, enabling superior translation on any system it gets played on, from ear buds to home hi-fi to clubs and everything in-between. Other subwoofers rely on EQ and poorly implemented ports, transmission lines or passive radiators to boost low end and make their subs sound impressive," says Brad Lunde

USA List Price: $5,490.00 USA MAP: $4,990.00

by Janice Lee

Brian Eno is extraordinary.

His work with artists such as Roxy Music, David Bowie, Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson, and Coldplay has influenced, and continues to influence, legions of artists across generations. To merely document Eno’s life and work would be a monumental undertaking on its own.

Enter Director Gary Hustwit (Helvetica, Moog, Rams, Wilco-I Am Trying To Break Your Heart) and Anamorph, a media software that allows the documentary Eno to be unique every time it is shown. Using this generative technology allows Hustwit to reveal the layers of Eno's creativity, as each screening pulls from the thousands of hours of footage to offer a distinct 90-minute slice of the story. Each film screening is book-ended with the same intro and ending.

The new ENO film is the world’s first generative cinematic documentary and, like a musical performance that’s different every night, ENO creates a unique viewing experience for each audience. Since the film’s premier at Sundance in January 2024, the film and Hustwit have traversed the globe, to share this creative and technological vision. Sign up here for screening updates.

“What if…” These are the two words ENO employs to open the creative conversation while also fuel the creative process throughout his decades of projects. He brings this exploratory element into the room, and has worked with artists who want to be a part of this journey. It’s a balance of control and surrender – when it is needed and when it is not.

ENO approaches his own artistic work similarly - whether it’s Music for Airports (Ambient before Ambient became a coined term), his vocal work with his choral groups, art and sound installations, the list goes on. Eno remains curious, and seems to enjoy and respect the space and mystery of when art is created, presented and experienced by others.

Go see the film – watch legendary artists at work, hear their music, or learn about their creative process. Watch ENO pick up and read through or comment on one of his personal journals. Revisit his micro-cassette recordings, or just hang out with him in the garden, or whatever other surprises the Anamorph software adds to the mix. The experience promises to be engaging and inspiring.

Hustwit’s films put a magnifying glass on people, technology, and elements which are at once ubiquitous, yet not always on the marquee. Watch the 1-minute trailer here

A more in-depth article, including an interview with the director, was published in KTLA 's Music Section

GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer Babyface will receive the BMI Icon Award at the 2024 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, on Thursday, September 5th. This honor recognizes his impressive career, marked by a formidable catalog of hit songs that have transcended generations and connected with audiences around the globe. In addition, GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter SZA will be presented with the BMI Champion Award in honor of her dedication and efforts in fostering the next generation of music creators. Over her impressive career, SZA has received four GRAMMY Awards, a Golden Globe nomination, and an Academy Award nomination.

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds has contributed to over 800 million records sold and over 800 billion streams and has worked with the biggest names in music like Aretha Franklin, Janet Jackson, Kenny G, Lil Wayne, Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, and Barbra Streisand to name a few.

As the co-founder of the legendary LaFace Records, he's helped launch the careers of Toni Braxton, P!nk, TLC, Outkast, Usher and more.

He has also released three consecutive multi-platinum albums as a solo artist, including Tender Lover, For the Cool in You, and The Day, and in 2023, his most recent single, "As a matter of fact" reached #1 on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart, marking his first chart-topping single in 26 years.Throughout his illustrious career spanning nearly five decades, Babyface has received many accolades including multiple American Music, Soul Train, and NAACP Image awards, and secured his 13th GRAMMY win in 2024 for Best R&B Song for "Snooze" by SZA

BMI is celebrating over 80 years of service to songwriters, composers, and music publishers and represents the public performance rights in over 22.4 million musical works created and owned by more than 1.4 million songwriters.

Hosted by BMI President& CEO Mike O'Neill and Vice President, Creative, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton, the private event will return to Los Angeles, CA for the first time in nearly ten years to be held at Fairmont Century Plaza. "It will be a phenomenal night of music celebrating BMI’s award-winning songwriters, producers, and music publishers that we’re so fortunate to represent,” said BMI VP, Creative, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton.

studioexpresso and Trans Audio Group have featured many producers, and musicians over the past ten years of TEC Track's history at NAMM

Curt Bisquera (Sarah McLachlan, Elton John), Kenny Aronoff (Smashing Pumpkins, John Mellencamp, Sting), Greg Penny (Elton John, KD Lang), Rafa Sardina (Lady Gaga, John Legend), Niko Bolas (Neil Young, LeAnn Rimes), Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hedrix, Kiss), Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, Faith No More), Cheche Alara (Christina Aguilera), Kim Bullard (Elton John, Kelly Clarkson), Cristina Abaroa (Celine Dion, Enrique Iglasias), Brady Leffler (Hot Chelle Rae, Justin Beieber), Al Schmitt (Diana Krall, Paul McCartney), Alex Acuna (LA Phil, Beck), Teddy Campbell (American idol, The Tonight Show w Leno), Ellis Hall (Ray Charles, Tower of Power), Jacob Armen (Prince), Peter Asher (James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt), Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Melody Gardot), Manny Marroquin (Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys), Dave Schiffman (Adele, Limp Bizkit), Gregg Field (Sinatra, Pharell), Sylvia Massy (Tool, Johnny Cash), CJ Vanston (Toto, spinal Tap), Dame Gail Dorsey (David Bowie, Gwen Stefani), Jenny Mason (The Mrs), Neal Pogue (Outkast, Andre 3000), Leland Sklar (Phil Collins, James Taylor), Moogie Canazio (Sergio Mendes, Sarah Vaughan), Daniel Seeff (KJazz, Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz), James Torme, Zev Feldman of Resonance Records (Sarah Vaughan, Bill Evans, Nat King Cole), John Wooler of Mood Media (Flying Lotus, Elton John, Miles Davis), David Benoit, Matt Wong, Ryan Ulyate (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), Ian Charbonneau (Mana, Neil Young, Jake Owen) and Grammy^®-winning Brent Fischer (Usher, Elvis Costello, Symphonic Prince).

Marek Walaszek, inventor and founder of Bettermaker, enjoys a glowing reputation of creating award-winning, professional grade mixing and mastering hardware and software. The new Bettermaker Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer (VSPE) is the first Bettermaker product featuring original tube technology along with new company designed and manufactured transformers.

"The vacuum tubes selected for the VSPE are military grade with very strict requirements for extremely low levels of noise and distortion," says Brad Lunde of TransAudio Group, the distributor of world-class audio equipment.

A breakthrough in audio engineering, the VSPE combines the warmth of a vacuum tube stereo EQ, with the precision of digital control and recall.

Bettermaker’s VSPE includes a DAW plugin that allows you to control and recall all settings of the analog hardware via USB. Along with standard parameter control, it provides high-quality digital HPF and LPF spectrum analyzer session snapshots, dual mono operation, audio level metering, and quantize (step) mode for all hardware knobs. VSPE filters are also adjustable by dragging handles on the EQ curve graph.

“The vintage analog sound of passive EQ’s so loved by engineers is replicated in the new Bettermaker Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer. The VSPE easily captures the musicality and tone of a performance with digital precision,” adds Lunde.

For technical specifications, go to the VSPE Product Page.

Units are Now Available. Price: $2999.00

Bettermaker Mastering Limiter 2.0 Convenient, easy-to-use plug-in control and instant recall.

“From Grammy-award winners, to top international recording artists, home and free-standing recording studios, the original Mastering Limiter is that piece of go-to gear that adds that particular dynamic edge and significant touch towards the end of the recording process.

The Bettermaker Mastering Limiter 2.0 has faster release time, a lowered noise floor and the same 100% analog signal path with the ease of digital plug-in control and recall. This one is a superstar product,” adds Brad Lunde, president, and founder of TransAudio Group

Watch Vlog review by DJ, Producer, Jon Sine of the new Bettermaker Mastering 2.0 here

The Bettermaker Mastering Limiter 2.0 is priced at $3,500 in USA and is now available for shipping.

"The Daking Mic Pre 4T, nominated for a TEC Award 2023, will elevate any recording offering unique solutions to common problems," say Brad Lunde (click top left image for a video presentation by Brad Lunde). The “low-distortion” Jensen input and output transformers offer more linear low-end performance under super dynamic conditions. Daking’s own variable high-pass filter dials out the low-frequency mud that can be subsonic and will decrease available headroom. Built in the USA, Daking uses only high-end parts like Jensen input and output transformers in a high-end design using all-discrete transistor Class A circuitry. Unusually high 24dB of headroom and easy to read twenty segment meters make proper gain staging easy and forgiving under a wider array of conditions.

Auratone Celebrates its 50th anniversary, Auratone and its US distributor, TransAudio Group, introduced the first-ever Active 5C, nominated for TEC Awards at NAMM 2023.

A careful R&D process has been implemented to maintain the original characteristics of the 5C, utilizing the same amplifier design from the NAMM TEC Award winning A2-30 amplifier.

“We were happy to get boutique Polish manufacturer Bettermaker together with Alex Jacobsen, owner, and grandson of founder Jack Wilson, for the perfectly matched A2-30 amplifier. Now, the two companies have collaborated to get a mono amplifier that contains the guts and soul of the A2-30 into each chassis for the active version,” says Brad Lunde, founder, and president of TransAudio Group.

The Auratone Active 5C is now shipping • MAP: $749/pair

Like the other 5C variants, the Auratone ACTIVE 5C is made in the USA.



Trans Audio Group -- The Recording Studio Equipment Experts. Call to order from their trusted brands:

A-Designs (USA), ATC Loudspeakers (UK), Auratone, Bettermaker, Daking Audio, Drawmer, Hakan, Latch Lake, Mojave Audio, Mutec, Pete's Place Audio, Sabra-Som, Subwoofer Pros, and Tube-Tech 

Questions- pricing, availability and dealer locations please email sales@transaudiogroup.com

TransAudio Group, the U.S. distributor of world-class audio recording gear, announces the

Drawmer 1977 – the company’s most versatile channel strip to date.

“For over 45 years, Drawmer has been on the forefront of creating and manufacturing beautiful sounding analog gear,” noted Brad Lunde, president, and founder of TransAudio Group. “With the Drawmer 1977, they combined the richness of analog sound with the functionally needed in today’s recording environments. The concept is legendary. The implementation is difficult. Yet somehow Ivor Drawmer and his team made it happen with the creation of the 1977 Channel Strip. I’m excited to bring this product to market. It’s going to meet the almost eternal quest to bring more of that ‘70s analog sound to today’s recordings.”

The Drawmer 1977 is priced at $1749 and is now available.

The new Drawmer 1971 4-band parametric EQ, available in the U.S. from TransAudio Group.

Trans Audio Group (TAG) has made its mission to deliver creative, problem-solving, and bulletproof products to recording studios around the world. This month, the U.S. Distributor for Drawmer, TAG, is introducing the all new Drawmer 1971 4-Band Parametric EQ. This new edition to the Drawmer 70s series of FET-based gear offers two channels of fully featured 4-band parametric EQ and a new CRUSH button with the ability to deliver a myriad of unique musical applications on each bandwidth.

Noted Brad Lunde, president and founder of TransAudio Group, “Widely popular, the Drawmer 70’s series has received many industry awards, and this new EQ is sure to follow. The features embodied in the 1971, plus the amazing new CRUSH button, allow for fine-tuned tactile tone sculpting. CRUSH is a dramatic tool. Engineers and producers will love the diverse and subtle creative options. Drawmer gear is designed and handmade by Drawmer in the UK – no small feat for a pro audio manufacturer.”

Units are Now Available. Price: $1799.00 Details here

L-R: Salaam-Remi-and-Guy-Moot Photo: Courtesy of MBW

Warner Chappell Music (WCM) announced its new partnership with Analog Metaverse, a boutique rights management company and music publisher, founded by Grammy-Award winning – and 10x Grammy-nominated – record producer and music executive, Salaam Remi. As part of the deal, WCM will jointly administer the majority of the company’s expansive music catalog, including the works of Remi himself, as well as music icons like Dennis Brown, Don Blackman, Bobby “Digital” Dixon, and Terri Walker.

Spanning decades and genres, the Analog Metaverse catalog – which Remi and his team, comprised of Kwame Kandekore (Head of Legal and Business Affairs) and Josephine Westphal (Vice President of Royalties and Administration) have thoughtfully curated over the last two years and continue to add to – features more than 2,000 songs, including iconic classics and contemporary hits like “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys, “Money In My Pocket” by Dennis Brown, “All I Want Is You” by Miguel and J. Cole, “Revolution” by Dennis Brown, “Fu-Gee-La,” by the Fugees, and “Here Comes the Hotstepper” by Ini Kamoze, which re-peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes Reggae Songs Chart, among many others. The catalog also includes the Ivor Novello Award-winning song “Stronger Than Me” by Amy Winehouse and Remi’s eight other co-writes with Amy Winehouse, the most co-writes of any other collaborator. 

Remi shared: “Having the benefit of being a songwriter and publisher myself, I fully understand the importance of having partners who not only appreciate the wonderful creations of the icons from the last few generations but also can help us carry them into the future. My Analog Metaverse team – Kwame, Josephine, and I – recognize how valuable partners like Guy Moot [WCM Co-Chair/CEO] and the entire Warner Chappell team are in shepherding these classics to new audiences.”

Moot added: “I’ve personally known Salaam for more than three decades, and it’s such an honor to be entrusted to shepherd not only his own life’s work, but that of legends like Dennis Brown. Carianne [Marshall, WCM Co-Chair/COO] and I are very intentional about the catalogs we work with and really think about how we can grow and tend to them, both today and for the years to come. There’s a lot of synergy between our approach and Analog Metaverse’s mission, and it’s great to be joining forces to help writers and their estates realize their full potential.”

Experience Hendrix L.L.C., in partnership with Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is releasing Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, a deluxe box set offering 39 tracks (38 previously unreleased) that were recorded by the new-look Jimi Hendrix Experience (Billy Cox on bass, Mitch Mitchell on drums) at Electric Lady Studios between June and August of 1970, just before the legendary musician’s untimely death the following month.

In celebration of the forthcoming release, on August 8, the City of New York temporarily renamed the portion of West 8th Street between 6^th Street and MacDougal Street JIMI HENDRIX WAY. The official theatrical premiere of Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision will be on August 9 at Quad Cinema in Manhattan at 7:00 PM and feature a post-screening Q&A session with director and co-producer John McDermott, co-producer and president/CEO of Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. Janie Hendrix, and producer/engineer Eddie Kramer.

The documentary explains in depth that while Jimi Hendrix’s death robbed the public of so much potential music, the continued success of his recording studio provides a lasting legacy beyond his own music. John Lennon, The Clash, AC/DC, Chic, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder and hundreds more made records at Electric Lady Studios, which speaks to one of Jimi’s lasting achievements in an industry that has radically changed over the course of the last half century.

“My brother had a musical vision,” Janie Hendrix reflects. “With this project, it felt appropriate to shed light not only on his own music, but also on his lasting contribution of Electric Lady Studios.

All confirmed worldwide theatrical bookings for the film can be found here: including:

Sep 3, 2024 7:30pm Santa Monica, CA at The Laemmle Monica Film Center, Sanata Monica

Pre-order Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision here

1. Freedom by Pharell Williams
2. Feedom by Jon Batiste
3. Freedom by George Michael
4. Freedom by Beyonce feat Kendrick Lamar
5. Neil Young's Freedom Album

R: With the legendary rock'n'roll session guitarist par excellence Robert "Waddy" Wachtel at the Village celebrating the new docu-film Immediate Family

Music is community. Music is health, education, vision, and life. We acknowledge that artists, session musicians, writers, filmmakers, studio crew, mixers, engineers, and producers and those who support them, are essential workers.

We're grateful for your fine labor and for your profound economic impact, and good will to our world.

Keep on rockin' in the free world. Happy Labor Day!

Tell us about your new release, event, or reach out for music production support.

Stay well and in touch, until next month,

Music Lives and Moves!



Claris Sayadian-Dodge, founder/editor

claris@studioexpresso.com