May 1, 2001 12:00 PM, Dan Daley

Founded in 1977 by president and chief engineer Peter Yianilos, Artisan Recorders Inc. is the oldest continuously operated remote recording company in the Southeast. Yianilos' philosophy is reflected in the name of the company — Artisan — and he has focused the company on one market: music. “I love to make music and make it well,” says Yianilos. As a result, Artisan has become the truck of choice for a lengthy list of leading recording artists, engineers and producers. These include the Rolling Stones (Steel Wheels live album), Luciano Pavarotti, Whitney Houston, Trisha Year-wood with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Dave Matthews Band, Smashing Pumpkins, and many more. And for two years, Artisan has been the mobile control room throughout the country for Tom Joyner's acclaimed live music syndicated radio program.

Artisan's first incarnation was as a clever conversion of a GMC motorcoach, which Yianilos remembers fondly as more of an expression of youthful exuberance than the result of careful analysis of studio design. But that willingness to keep the music at the center of every decision, business or technical, has been at the core of Artisan's success over the last 24 years.

The current Artisan truck came online in 1993, and in 2001, underwent a comprehensive upgrade, with new acoustical, technical and aesthetic additions that further enhanced Artisan's already renowned reputation for music recording and mixing. The extensive remodeling of the control room by John Arthur of Miami-based John Arthur Design Group included enhanced isolation, thanks to over 2-tons' worth of mineral-loaded vinyl (no lead content) and MDF board suspended on springs. “The ability to get this level of isolation in a remote truck is critical for music,” says Yianilos. “In concert situations, we can get this control room as close to the venue as needed and not have the recording affected by high SPL.” And this Artisan truck is designed with a very human touch — Yianilos purposely had the 38-foot-long trailer positioned at just 24 inches off the ground. “It might seem like a small thing, but what that serves to do is to make the truck much more inviting from the first moment you encounter it,” he says. “Standard-height trucks can be intimidating. This one actually beckons you aboard.”

An Amek Hendrix console fitted with Super True automation offers analog warmth and high flexibility; combined with onboard analog and digital sidecar mixers, Artisan offers up to 120 inputs. Vintage analog outboard gear, such UREI 1176 and LA-4 units, and a microphone array including Neumann, AKG and Sennheiser, truly bring a classic music studio right to any doorstep. Artisan director of operations Natalie Eckart says that building a truck and a business around music has proven to be a successful plan. “Peter is a musician, and there's always at least one other musician on the crew,” she says. “The technical excellence has always been there — Peter wouldn't have it any other way. But there is also always the fact that we can communicate with musicians in a very unique manner. We speak the same language. We always have, always will.”

SPEC SHEET

Company Name: Artisan Recorders Inc. Contact: Natalie Eckart, Director of Operations. Services Offered: Remote audio recording, editing and mixing; audio production and mastering; audio remote broadcasting; customized equipment flight pack also available. Main Technology Platforms: Amek Hendrix (40 mono, 4 stereo, 4 stereo returns; 24 group, 12 aux sends, full Super True automation); Hill Multimix 16×4 submixer (2); Yamaha 02R V.2 (2); Yamaha 01V; Sony PCM-800/Tascam DA-78 HR digital 8-track with timecode and remote (10); MCI JH114 24-track (14-inch reel capacity) with Dolby SR/A noise reduction (2); Ampex ATR102 1/2-inch stereo mastering recorder; Dolby 363 SR/A stereo noise reduction; Pro Tools 5.1, 24|Mix system, 888/24 I/O, software from Waves, TC Works and Bias; Hafler TRM 8 active monitors; custom 50-channel active splitter systems, three-way line-level output, plus direct out/channel 800-foot cable (2). Truck Information: 36×8.5-foot custom-designed trailer, 370-h.p. Cummins-powered Volvo tractor. Partial Credit List: Barenaked Ladies, Disney/ABC, Gloria Estefan, MTV Networks, Prince, Sony, Universal, Univision.

Artisan Recorders — Mobile
PO Box 70247
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33307
Tel.: 954/566-1800
Fax: 954/566-3090
Website: www.artisanmobile.com
E-mail: mobilered@aol.com

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