From left: George Horton of Solid State Logic, Dave Pensado, Manny Marroquin, Maureen Droney, and George Adjieff, Westlake Audio CEO. Photo: Courtesy of The Recording Academy.
On Wednesday, May 6, 2015, The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing hosted a special Up Close and Personal event at Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood. Participating sponsors included iZotope, Solid State Logic, and Westlake Pro.
More than 100 pro audio VIPs gathered for networking and a conversation with top mixers Manny Marroquin (Bruno Mars, Rolling Stones, Imagine Dragons) and Dave Pensado (Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Elton John, and co-host of the hit Web series Pensado’s Place).
The event was held in Larrabee’s new Studio 5, the recently renovated facility adjacent to the rest of Larrabee, formerly owned by engineer/producer Bill Schnee. The historic control room and elegant live recording space are renowned for their design and acoustic properties, which have been carefully preserved in the renovation, which now has an SSL Duality console as well as an updated lounge and common area.
The evening kicked off with a brief cocktail reception featuring light fare and Caipirinhas courtesy of Cuca Fresca Cachaça. Serving as discussion moderator, P&E Wing Managing Director Maureen Droney initiated the conversation with some thoughtful anecdotes about Marroquin and Pensado, transitioning to more specific remarks about their careers and successes. The duo dissected their different approaches to mixing and offered details about some of the most important professional lessons learned to date. A brief Q&A closed the program, followed by a meet-and-greet.
“Manny and Dave are always inspirational,” says Droney. “It was great fun to get them together, and especially wonderful to present this event at Larrabee, which has played such a key role in both of their careers. Larrabee remains one of the world’s top studios, and it keeps that position by constantly innovating and improving. The addition of a classic recording room to the facility continues the Larrabee tradition of excellence and also serves to provide a beautiful live space to expand on the facility’s repertoire. We thank Dave and Manny, as well as Larrabee and studio manager Amy Burr, along with all of our sponsors, for a memorable evening.”
Visit the Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing at www.grammy.org/recording-academy/producers-and-engineers.
Visit Larrabee Studios at www.larrabeestudios.com.
