Sunset
Recording Studio has come about as a natural progression and extension
of my musical career. It seems I was always floating from studio to studio
trying to find the right mix of ability, competence and cost for my projects
- yet rarely finding it. Over the years I have accumulated some excellent
gear, as well as road-hardened experience dealing with sound, venues,
artists, egos and all the chaos and SWAG that happens for each unique
situation. Definitely a veteran of the industry who has seen the grit and
dirty underbelly of this beast called the music business as well as caught
glimpses of the shining beacon that lures us all.
In
1979 I began recording classical and symphonic compositions and arrangement
- most my own, some from the repertoire after spending 10 years working with
and recording my grandfather's musical career (yes that put me at 5 years
old when I started...). In 1982 I had to chose between attending Harvard,
Boston Conservatory of Music, The New England Conservatory of Music or
Berklee College of Music - ironically all in/around Boston. I chose Berklee
(kind of dumb when Harvard was calling, but there you have it...) - despite
my background being orchestral up to that point. It was at Berklee that I
really got to understand what it means to love music, be willing to
sacrifice everything for it, record and be recorded. I learned how critical
some things are and how completely bogus others are. It is amazing how
fixated some get on a specific piece of equipment and forget that it is the
soul of the music that matters most. Engineering and production is not about
altering reality but about allowing the music to flow through as brilliantly
and beautifully as possible.
At
Berklee, as a Commercial Arranging Major with a focus on MP&E (Music
Production and Engineering) I spent enormous amounts of time in the Berklee
8,16 and 24 track studios learning the craft of sound production, session
management, arrangements, conducting, organizing and delivering quality
product. Even though I was not a dedicated gear head (MP&E Major) I
learned an enormous amount about what signal flow, acoustics, and the
science of music - I had to! - in addition to the art and craft of music.
Having a roommate who went on to own platinum and gold artists recording
venue Normandy Sound as well as others like an avid MP&E major who
became one of the top dog at the Power Station helped as well. I was
surrounded by present and future greatness. It does rub off. If you want to
be successful never surrender your dream, never compromise your desire and
surround yourself as much as possible with successful people.
Anyway,
throughout the 80's I continued to record - 4, 8, 16, 24 even 48 track
- whatever I could afford and get a break on. I worked with producers and
engineers who worked with The Cars, Til Tuesday, U2, Steely Dan,
Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Extreme, Jimmy Jack Black (Wild Side), The
Vega Brothers, Randy Travis and many many others in between touring
and performance gigs. I didn't care - I worked with huge names and fledgling
songwriters. For me it has always been, and always will be an adventure
where one never knows what will be discovered.
Throughout
the 90's we focused on live sound and capturing that energy and drive that
is the live experience. Through Rock, Funk, Rap, Heavy Metal, Alternative,
and an extended stay in new Country my ears were honed to what good music
can sound like by some of the best live engineers, road musicians,
songwriters and performers in the business. The experiences were amazing.
You can learn more from Jimmy Webb just shaking his hand then you could from
a library of books on songwriting. The same can be said about many of the
best and brightest in the field.
In
1998 I began working with the Internet and became known as an expert
developer and network guru. As they say though, it still sucks doing
something that is not your true calling and passion. However the experience
in technology has helped take an analog brain (mine) and make it understand
and be understood in the digital world. I wouldn't trade that experience if
I could.
Now here in 2004, after
this 25 year odyssey / internship, I decided to open my own "real"
studio. I've always been one who explores and discovers parts of things that
most people never realized were there. I learn and view holistically. I am
continually amazing (sometimes annoying, sometimes humoring) people
with how harmony, instruments, styles, and acoustics can be combined to
create great sound. One thing you never want as a musician, writer and
arranger from a sound production company is a set of iron ears - or a closed
mind.
A producer should be able
to massage and mold the sound of a project and help it into its finest shape
- not its only shape - but its finest. An engineer should know when to stand
for an issue and when to let the battle rage outside. We do not have
engineers here that are more concerned with their name on a liner note then
the sound of the track or cut. Right now the studio is half reality (it is
here and running: 8,16 and 24 track) and half dream (We are still gathering
more gear, more resources, more acoustic /sound conditioning, etc.)
There is an amazing amount
of gear out there today - stuff that could probably write the music, perform
it, record it, burn the master, create the jewel inserts, slap the shipping
labels on it, interview with radio and wear a bikini to sell at your next
gig. In the end, its really not so much the equipment as the hands on the
knobs (yes we still have some of those!) and the mind and philosophy of
where you record. Whenever a professional begins obsessing on how well the
gear performed instead of how well "they" performed - the battle
is being lost and you should look elsewhere for your provider.
We don't have game rooms,
wet bars and x-box - yet anyway (we like toys too). If you want to smoke,
there's a brick wall to sit on outside and cover to stand under if it rains
- toss your butts in the brass spittoon, now ash bucket. Inside things are
not Texas size. The live room is designed for acoustics not for guided
tours. the control room is designed for the engineer and producer - not 24
VIPs who are just hanging.
This is a working studio
environment and while we try and stay neat, it ain't always possible!. We
are business-like but friendly and relaxed. We understand that to artists
the music is a labor of love (or anger) - a creative thing to be nurtured
and respected, yet to a label or business client it is nothing more than
product - can it sell, does it stand out, will it achieve its desired goals.
We are the bridge between these two worlds, and have spent 25 years building
this bridge to be strong and steady.
This is what Sunset
Recording Studio is. We are not the Power Station in NY, or Abbey
Road in London or any of the multi-million dollars setups - but then again
neither were they - or the now famous artists that recorded there - at
one time... food for thought.
Come see us or just call,
Rhob Elliott
