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Mix Regional: Los Angeles

Updates from Capitol Studios, Mick Schultz's personal studio, Eldorado Recording Studios, Before Noon Post, and Guitar Center's flagship Hollywood store

Brandi Carlile and Sam Smith at Capitol Studios

Capitol Studios recently hosted a recording session with live video taping for the music video for Brandi Carlile’s “Party of One,” recorded as a new duet version with Sam Smith. A portion of the profits from this recording will be donated to Children in Conflict via Brandi Carlile’s Looking Out Foundation as part of its ongoing campaign to raise $1 million for children impacted by war.

The single was produced by GRAMMY Award-winning producer Dave Cobb.

“This is a song about deep and enduring compassion,” says Carlile. “It’s about trying to navigate domesticity, love and particularly marriage whilst being willed to fail by those that would revoke that right if they could.

“I’m beyond proud to have collaborated with the incredible Sam Smith,” she continues. “There is no one quite like him and I’ve never heard a voice like his before. He’s an absolute gentleman and a sweetheart and I’m proud to call him my friend. We came to know one another through our work as ambassadors for Children in Conflict, so it felt only right to use our platforms and music as a tool to spotlight the work they are doing to help children affected by war. We hope the vulnerability of this song reflects the fragility of their situation and compels people to support our cause.”

“I am so excited for everyone to have this song in their ears and hearts,” adds Smith. “Working with Brandi Carlile is truly one of the highlights of my career. Her voice and songwriting get me through the dark days. Brandi is a mentor to me—and now a friend—and I’m so thankful she asked me to feature on her single. And I hope this raises as much support as possible to the incredible charity Children in Conflict and its partner, War Child U.K., of which I’m a global ambassador.”

The original version of “Party Of One” appears on Carlile’s acclaimed new album, By The Way, I Forgive You, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Current Albums and was recently named “Album of the Year” by Elton John on his Rocket Hour radio show on Beats 1 on Apple Music, in addition to landing on “Best of 2018” lists at NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard and more.

“We were very pleased to be able to host this session and serve as the backdrop of a great video for two iconic artists like Brandi and Sam, and help in the mission of raising awareness for Children in Conflict, the worthwhile cause that the video is dedicated to,” says Paula Salvatore, Capitol Studios VP/studio manager.

More information can be found at http://www.childreninconflict.org and http://www.lookingoutfoundation.org.

Mick Schultz Personal Studio

A ground-up personal recording and production facility for music producer and songwriter Mick Schultz was recently completed north of Los Angeles. According to nonzero\architecture, the TEC Award-nominated space features a “tall, airy and light-filled live room [that] is complemented by an equally generous adjacent control and production room.” The dedicated studio building also includes a private client lounge and a sky-lit awards gallery.

The live tracking space features angular ceilings with integrated color-changing light strips and a faceted and triangulated wall, both designed to optimize the acoustics in the space. Tall windows offer daylight and views to the greenery outside, but can be closed with automated shades for privacy and a more intimate feel.

The control room has many of the same features and is equipped with a custom-built walnut workstation desk. Acoustic diffusers in the rear wall are made from the same wood and are framed by more windows leading to the day-lit gallery and entrance hallway.

The mostly white color scheme throughout the building is accented with dark gray fabric panels and a polished concrete floor in all spaces.

Discrete flat screens in wood frames are displaying digital art when not used as TV and video monitors, contributing to a serene and residential feeling in the building.

New SSL Console for Eldorado

Eldorado Recording Studios has installed a new 48-channel Solid State Logic Duality δelta hybrid SuperAnalogue console in its Control Room A.

Eldorado was founded in 1954, located across the street from Capitol Records, and even though it has changed addresses several times since then, it has maintained a position as one of the go-to facilities for both top-flight and up-and-coming artists in LA. Its latest location is Burbank, in a ground-up facility designed and built by Steven Klein (Sound Control Room) with a generously sized Control Room A and main live room, alongside another five isolation areas and hospitality facilities.

The new 48-channel SSL Duality δelta console is in Control Room A and replaces the previous SSL 4000E. “We’re very pleased to have this console,” says Rob Strickland, Eldorado owner and studio manager. “It offers a lot to our clients and handles modern workflows much more efficiently. Everybody has DAWs in their production processes, and everybody is excited about bringing in their rigs and hooking them up to the new console, The fast recall and the ability to jump between songs as quickly as we can have been wonderful.”

The SSL Duality δelta console has a hybrid approach and combines a traditional analog path and signal processing along with DAW control and integration, as well as the δelta-Control plug-in-based console automation technology. “One of the nicest things is that you don’t have to think about the console,” notes Strickland. “It just works. It’s there; it does what you need. I know there is a sound, if you want to dial it in, but the transparency of the whole thing helps with your flow; it’s an invisible helper. And getting rid of the heat and the electric bills of the last console is also very much appreciated!”

Networking at Before Noon Post

Peter Cole first encountered networked audio systems while helping a client assemble a setup to review mixes in the client’s office. Cole saw networking as the ultimate in efficiency for audio workflows, so he applied it to his own facility, Before Noon Post, a 5.1-surround mixing suite built around a large Pro Tools | HD-Icon mixing system.

At this facility, located in Studio City, Cole has done projects over the last two decades for some of the leading animation titles and companies, including Fox’s Futurama, Comedy Central’s Kid Notorious, TBS’s Tarantula and Netflix’s F is For Family, while racking up three EMMY Awards and two additional nominations for Film Sound Editing, and four Monitor Awards for Film Sound Mixing and Best Audio Post Production Children’s Programming.

At a moment when television and film have placed new premiums on quality productions at the same time that budgets are under pressure, Cole decided that networked audio was the way to go, and has invested heavily in Dante infrastructure and Focusrite’s RedNet range of Dante-networked audio converters and interfaces to help achieve that. Together, the RedNet components have helped make Before Noon Post competitive by streamlining Cole’s throughput and workflow, and increasing productivity and efficiency.

“My entire signal flow is now all Dante, thanks largely to RedNet,” he says. “I’ve eliminated patchbays and tons of spaghetti wiring—placing the RedNet A16R near the speakers has eliminated about 50 feet of wire to the speakers. It’s cleaned up my signal path and studio workflow immensely.”

Cole says the RedNet X2P is able to sit out in the studio when he needs to record a quick voiceover and offers him remote control over all of its parameters while locking out the controls on the unit itself next to the voice talent, leaving them able to control their volume and concentrate on their delivery. “They can hit a button or knob accidentally, and I still have full control over it,” he says.

Currently, Before Noon Post is working season three of Netflix’s animated sitcom F Is For Family with sound designer Chris Trent and re-recording mixer Shaun Cunningham, and Cole says his workflow has never been smoother or easier. “I couldn’t imagine building a studio without networked audio, and it would be hard to imagine doing it without RedNet,” he says. “It’s made all the difference for me.”

Revamped Guitar Center Flagship Hollywood Store

In celebration of the unveiling of the newly revamped 30,000-square-foot flagship Hollywood store located on Sunset Boulevard, Guitar Center hosted a full week of events last Fall. The week included workshops, clinics and live performances and culminated with a Mural Commemoration Ceremony, RockWalk inductions and a secret block-party style performance with two-time Grammy Award-nominated artist Anderson .Paak.

The remodeled store features a 15-foot-long interactive 182-pedal display, a 24-foot-wide snare drum wall, interactive brand displays from manufacturers such as Fender and Gibson and the retailer’s largest standalone vintage guitar room with exclusive and rare vintage instruments.

Music memorabilia is also showcased throughout the store, including Eric Clapton’s “Blackie” Fender Stratocaster and other gear from such influential artists as BB King, Slash, Johnny Cash, Eddie Van Halen and St. Vincent.

The week’s final day of festivities involved closing down Sunset Boulevard to host an array of events, including the Mural Commemoration Ceremony. Designed by street artists Amanda Lynn, Scott Marsh and Patrick Griffith, Guitar Center’s new mural prominently features Jimi Hendrix, and was unveiled by Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu with an official city proclamation honoring the mural, music makers and dreamers in a way that is uniquely true to Los Angeles.

Following the mural presentation, Guitar Center honored its newest RockWalk inductees. Hosted by global radio personality Zane Lowe with a special appearance by Angela Bassett, the ceremony presented Guitar Center’s RockWalk Inductions to Grammy -nominated singer, drummer and percussionist Sheila E. and DW Founders Don Lombardi and John Good.

The finale included a block-party style performance in front of the store that was headlined by two-time Grammy Award-nominated artist Anderson .Paak with an opening EDM set by Fool’s Gold record label owner A-Trak.

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