There was a very active field of 16 candidates running for nine open seats representing three different membership categories. Imamura had this to say regarding the results: “I am honored and excited to serve as the new President of SPARS. SPARS and our industry are each going through a challenging transition. We see this as an opportunity to think differently and make some positive changes. We are fortunate to have a fresh and energetic board made up of members who are all passionate about preserving our craft and nurturing the next generation of talent.  To that end, I would like to reach out to all those in our industry to engage in open dialogue and frank discussions about the future.”

Those newly elected to the Board include Jessica Dally, live sound and post editor and mixer, Los Angeles, CA; Dave Hampton, engineer, educator and author, Los Angeles, CA; Mark Rubel, Pogo Studio, Chicago, IL; Rick Senechal, Microsoft Studio, Redmond, WA; and Candace Stewart, EastWest Studios, Los Angeles, CA. Re-elected to the Board were Trevor Fletcher, Hit Factory-Criteria Recording, Miami, FL; Scott Phillips, Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN;Kevin Becka, Conservatory of Recording Arts/Mix magazine, Tempe, AZ; and Sherri Tantleff, Full Sail University, Winter Park, FL.

Those members continuing on the Board are Kirk Imamura, Avatar Studios, New York, NY, who will be serving as the new president; Zoe Thrall, Studio at the Palms, Las Vegas, NV; and Tony van Veen, Discmakers/CD Baby, Pennsauken, NJ. Eric Johnson, Blazing Music + Sound, Raleigh, NC, moves to the position of Immediate past president.

Imamura also stated, “I also wish to thank all those who were nominated and who were willing to participate in the election process. I also want to thank our immediate past president, Leslie Ann Jones, Director of Music and Scoring at Skywalker Sound, who served as chair of the nominating committee, as well as fellow members of the committee, Maureen Droney, senior executive director, P & E Wing of

Presented by SPARS

Saturday January 15, 2011 / 1:30 -2:45P

Room 204A

DESCRIPTION

Tom Kenny, Editorial Director Mix Magazine, will discuss the future of the recording studio. The audience will take in different perspectives from the highly experienced and diverse panelists. Topics covered include: traditional studio operations, room design, acoustic product, buying trends, data management, cloud recording, and new innovations.

MODERATOR

Tom Kenny- Mix Magazine

Tom is Editorial Director of Penton Media’s Audio Group, which includes Mix, Electronic Musician and Remix Magazines. After graduating from Indiana University with a master’s degree in journalism in 1988, he joined Mix as an Editorial Assistant and over the past two decades has authored hundreds of articles on recording, sound for picture, live sound and the studio business. He has had a front-row seat in the recording industry’s transformation into the digital age and has been tracking the evolution toward a hybrid personal studio/commercial studio production model since his first feature for Mix on John Mellencamp’s Belmont Mall Studios back in 1989.

PANELISTS

Dave Hampton – CEO, MATK Corp.

Dave is an Audio Engineer, Studio Designer, Author, and Educator with more than 25 years of experience. Through his company MATK Corp. he maintains a reputation for creating unique solutions for various artists and excellent client satisfaction. Hampton is trusted and called upon by some the entertainment industry’s biggest stars. In his role as technical consultant, Dave has been pivotal in supporting the production and engineering of projects for many artists across all genres of music. His client list includes: Lady Gaga, Prince, Herbie Hancock, M.I.A., Maxwell, Justin Timberlake, Babyface, Marcus Miller, RZA, Rafael Saadiq, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. In June of 1998 Dave was one of four featured studio designers in Mix magazine. Twelve years later he has designed and built rooms for some of music’s finest. As a technical consultant Dave keeps his clients several steps ahead of the trend. He is a ‘Game Changing’ solutions provider who incorporates emerging trends and existing production needs into new innovative designs.

Tina Morris – Studio Manager, The Village Recorder

Tina started her career in music as a Guitar and Music Production/Engineering student at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Immediately after college she started her professional career at Sound Techniques giving her a head start as an engineer and studio tech, working with some of the best in the business. After years of gigging with her band as a heavy metal guitarist, working as a freelance engineer for NPR, Q Division Studios and The Blue Man Group she decided to move to LA with her husband John Joyce. After moving she landed the position of head evening tech for The Village Studios. Continuing to impress employers and clients alike with her expertise, Tina’s hard work was rewarded with a promotion to her current position as Studio Manager of The Village. Now the proud mother of her first son Jackson, Tina still manages to balance her role of manager and mom.

George Shaw – Glyph Production Technologies

Dr. George Shaw is an active educator, composer, performer and music  industry consultant with more than 35 years in the business. He holds a PhD in Music Education from The University of Oklahoma. In addition to his day to day musical endeavors, Dr. Shaw serves as the educational representative for Glyph Technologies, the leading manufacturer of Hard drive storage devices for the entertainment industry.

Ed Fassio – Exsilio Solutions, Inc.

As a Tech veteran and IT Solution Provider, Ed has two decades of experience leading world-class service organizations and record-breaking sales revenues for companies such as Adobe Systems, Microsoft Corporation, Nextel Communications and Apple Computer. His history includes responsibilities as a systems engineer, technology consultant, and business development manager.

Fassio has been a featured presenter at MacWorld, COMDEX, CES, NAB and SIGGRAPH. Established as a subject matter expert and trusted advisor, he is best known for showcasing the latest IT developments in hardware and software for the entertainment, print, gaming, hospitality, manufacturing and legal industries.

In tandem with Irvine-based Exsilio Solutions, (an IT Solutions Consulting firm specializing in custom development) Fassio continues to educate and participate in think-tank focus groups for independent entrepreneurs, small-to-medium businesses and corporate factions. Through Exsilio’s consulting services, Fassio helps clients explore ways to combine branding, sales and marketing with technology tools that enable true business agility within the evolving, and socially powered internet marketplace.

In mid-2008, Fassio launched Las Vegas-based Itchy Metal Entertainment. Initially a PR firm, he expanded the company’s capabilities to support and accelerate the growth of Indie music projects. Today, IME has evolved into a new media agency comprised of industry experts as an innovative way to market, manage, develop, promote and distribute unique content and independent works by leveraging emerging technology platforms and partners.

Randy Emata – Producer, Engineer, Music Director

Long before Randy’s recording and producing career, he first started off as a pianist at the youthful age of five. Being classically and jazz trained, he balanced teaching and performing gigs as an adolescent. But it was not until his son was born, Dakota Miles, where his lifelong career took off.

Originally from San Francisco, Randy moved to Los Angeles to pursue a more fitting and diverse career. He works from his home studio as well as popular known studios, such as The Village Recorders or the famous Capitol Studios.  With a background of musical knowledge, vast amount of pre-production and tech savvy, working with clients does not make them feel like its “just work”. He creates an environment where they can breathe to their fullest potential.

Emata’s work is just diverse as his clientele. It is not uncommon to find him mixing a CD project, turning out a re-mix, editing vocals from natural sounding to Auto-Tune, consulting in production, or studio organization and design, which is an extension of his character.

George Adjieff – West LA Music

George is a music industry veteran and the well-respected VP at West LA Music. He has been serving the professional audio community for decades. www.westlamusic.com

Audio Engineer Dave Hampton Mixes Business Outside the Box

With New Media Partner Exsilio Solutions

Los Angeles, CA, (October 28, 2010) – Audio Engineer, Author and Educator, Dave Hampton and his company MATK Corporation have joined forces with Irvine based Technology Partner Exsilio Solutions.

“I’m excited to approach our business from a new perspective,” Hampton says. “Every year I do more consulting outside of music. I’ve noticed that large companies like Microsoft have used analytics, business intelligence, and specialized web tools to drive and determine cycles of markets and make real time business decisions for years. I asked a simple question: If large corporations use specialized tools to elevate results, then why can’t we do the same?”

IT Specialist Ed Fassio brought Exsilio and MATK together. Exsilio Solutions is a unique, full-service technology development company offering a broad range of multi-platform solutions. They help clients generate corporate growth in social networking, improve communications, and adapt to changing business environments for competitive advantage.

“When Dave came to meet with us, we all saw how much we have in common and that the partnership would be fruitful,” says Fassio. “This alliance allows both the MATK and Exsilio brands to provide content to a wider range of markets.”

The first branded event is Exsilio’s sponsorship in DECOMPRESS at the AES Show in San Francisco on Saturday November 6, 2010. Free with RSVP or an AES Badge from 8 – 11P. Go to TempleAfterParty.EventBrite.com to get on the guest list.

About MATK Corporation

Established by audio engineer/technician Dave Hampton, MATK Corporation is a full service music and technology solution provider. A fixture in the business for over 20 years, the brand’s success is based on execution, trust and dedication to service. MATK takes a personal approach to provide each client with the best creative experience possible. Client list includes Lady Gaga, Prince, Herbie Hancock, M.I.A., Maxwell, Justin Timberlake, Babyface, Marcus Miller, RZA and Rafael Saadiq. www.davehampton.com.

About Exsilio Solutions

Exsilio Solutions is a unique, full-service technology development company offering a broad range of Microsoft and non-Microsoft development solutions. Exsilio out sources a variety of roles from custom web and application development (specializing in virtualization solutions) to events technical support, creative services, and management roles in marketing, content, and training. For additional information please contact Ed Fassio at 702-879-8205, edfassio@exsilioinc.com.

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I liked this title because it speaks the truth, which is at the heart of all households right now. As a working professional each one of us is involved in a daily battle to stabilize the economies of our families. If you happen to be involved in the entertainment industry, then you have no doubt noticed that the job prospects started to get thinner as soon as corporate professionals lost their jobs and decided to make their weekend hobby into their new profession. That’s right the characters plight in the movie “Dick and Jane” couldn’t be any closer to the truth. We now have several levels of experienced and inexperienced professionals competing for the same work. What’s interesting is that many of the newbie’s are having great success in finding work as well as transitioning to life as an independent contractor. I have studied many situations and found one major common thread. Success is a planned event.

The term “networking” always brings forth images of suited executives passing cards and glad-handing each other over a cigar. Well in every business, networking is a powerful tool for gaining an upper hand on the new challenges of finding new clients. Networking used to be an exclusively face-to-face experience. The social networking sites such as Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter have now increased the possibilities of you reaching potential solid business connections much faster.  Here are some things that you can do to get more out of your social / business situations.

When attending business functions:

Show up early, it shows that you are respectful of time, and you can gather info.

Do your research; know the people and companies that you meet with.

Bring a friend when possible, nothing beats having a second set of eyes and ears.

Talk to people and just be yourself. Take the time to make introductions.

Increases your personal database.

In key meetings:

Ask level 1 (surface) questions as icebreakers.

Ask level 2 (work related) questions to create a focus.

Listen in their responses for target words that point to unmet needs.

Words are often the keys to understanding long term corporate needs.

Schedule a lunch. Good food and conversation can be unforgettable.

On Line:

Build a database across several different social networks. It should contain people that you have had different levels of business success with.

Continually update your contact lists and remember, 50 reliable people in your data base is way more valuable than500 mere acquaintances.

Maintain current updates to your websites and social networks.

Blogs, webisodes and other forms of targeted press help to the web audience keeps informed about you and your brand.

Finally I’d like you to remember to always keep learning. It’s been said that the information that you are learning is at the most relevant for two years. We must all be in a constant learning mode. For all of us to remain relevant for years to come we have to be about the business of “personal branding”.

I challenge all of you who receive this to use these tips to strengthen your independent business plans. Put these to work and I know your business and personnel life will see positive results. As a nation we are in a very revealing times. The financial picture has changed drastically for many households. In order to be proactive we must all come from a different place. My goal is to impact your life with information that can bring about a dynamic change for your career and your household.

I felt compelled to write this because I just received word that a studio I had designed was the location for an Golden Globe winning song for an animated release. I started to think about how it came about and what some of the feedback that we got along the way was. I know that if I would have listened to some of the experts I would not be writing this. Many say that you absolutely must have a large facility to mix surround in and that it would be crazy to even attempt a mix in a room like the one in this story. Well here is where we are at as an industry.  Every setting where music is done is real. Every “project” studio is real. We are now in an age of adapted spaces and major production with minimal equipment. It was bound to happen as the evolution of our recording equipment has increased, it has helped usher in a technology that allows us to condense the largest of conditions into the smallest of spaces.

At the core of any musical situation you will find one question: “What does it sound like”? This question should be on your mind at all times as an engineer and even when attempting to make changes to garages, small offices, bedrooms. Etc… You get my point. When constructing new facilities top designers and architects create a road map to get the desired result for a room. Drawings, plans and schematics are all documents that get it done on the large scale. Well when adapting a location that already exists you must do many similar steps. List the pro’s and con’s about a room before you begin. Take basic measurements of the space, and do a pencil sketch notating all the doors, windows, and electrical outlets. List all the intended gear that will go in the room. Test the electrical connections to every area of the room. These are some of the questions I asked before we undertook conversion of the space.

The room was being used as a tape storage and media room. It measured (9’,6”wide x 14’long). It was originally used as a projection room so it had a thick sheet of glass on one side. This allowed the projector to stay inside the room and make noise and the movie to be shown through the glass on a wall. This room also had a dropped ceiling with limited airflow. Over the years the rooms use had been changed so in many places the ceiling tiles were broke and many wires were run into it without proper terminations, (wires twisted were together with electric tape).

Our finished room was designed to simulate the conditions found in most home studios. The transition to surround required us to bring in an HD rig from another studio. We worked with Dave Holland from Omni-Raxx designs on filling the modified space with a workstation that utilized all the space but did not crowd an already small room. I have always been able to submit them my sketches and ideas and have them craft really great furniture. It really helps to have a vision for what is possible in any room. While it is nice to have space to work with, many studios and creative situations now start in spaces that are the size of a standard bedroom. Below is an overhead view that Omni-rax came up with based on front room wall measurements and operational notes.

We used very minimal treatment. Carpet was installed on the floor and walls to help with reflections. We added a pitched ceiling and flush mount lights to create the perception of large expanse in a small space. Air ducts were re-routed and a multi input flat screen was added in front. Studio mains were concealed behind screens in each corner.

We were trying to create a room where the focus was on work, instead of what monitors you are listening to. So many times people draw conclusions about what a room will do by what they see. Remember that one question? “What does it sound like?”

We had originally brought the Blue Sky system in because when re-fitting the studios the topic of surround had been mentioned but had not been a primary concern. I knew that we would have to have a system that could work in any of our control rooms. Some of the other products available are just not the right fit the needs of a facility like this. When we have to change a control room for surround we sometimes have very little time. The Blue Sky system allows us to set up in each room and create a pre-set for the systems placement in each location. This system’s flexibility was instrumental, as this project was tracked in the smallest room of the facility and worked on in the larger studios A & B while on it’s way to completion.

The Blue Sky Monitors surround system was responsible for the conversion of this small production studio into a viable surround mix room. Their system instantly makes surround production a reality in any setting. While the size is small, just as is the case with our studio looks can be deceiving.

I hope that you get some insight on the thought process for how to use a small space and achieve maximum efficiency.

One more thing, the facility that this studio is in as called Paisley Park, in Minnesota. The artist who wrote the Golden Globe winning song from the animated feature “Happy Feet” is Prince.

Since the untimely death of Michael Jackson on June the 25, 2009 there has been a re-focus of many in our industry, on the process of making great timeless recordings. Just look through any young person’s iTunes files or any dj’s record crates and you will see that music has had a new teaching method for some time now. The great music that was born from the time of budgets, major record companies,  musicians, and charts has been passed down from friends, relatives and used record stores. That’s right- the combination of great records and technology has given birth to a new way to educate several generations of new music makers. Many never had a formal music lesson. While others took their love of playing records and built there own door into music thruogh the music of the past. Whatever the story, the fact is truly great music, and timeless recordings all came about because of a process that involved many dedicated professionals all working from intent. Part of what makes the music great was the individual stories of the group interaction while creating the original recordings.

Contained in our recorded music from the past are some of the new ways to reach the musicians of the future. While we can’t bring the old times back we can use the music as a targeted educational tool. I have found some success in actually looking at each musician as an individual and using my experience to feed them the proper information so that they can see, hear, feel and understand that they are improving in their mastery of their instrument.

Nurturing talent is the responsibility that all experienced professionals share. No matter what the genre, the fact remains that Music is so powerful on it’s own that it reaches out and brings the most unlikely folks together to do amazing things.

This was an interesting turn of events, because we were finishing up Paisley Park when I got the call that let me know we would be recording and working on some of the album at Herbie Hancock’s project “Possibilities”. Over the years Herbie and I had talked about more of the project work being done at his home facility. It seemed as though it was about to happen all at once.

I got together via phone and e-mail with Brian McCullough, and the team in Los Angeles to design and implement a plan for the total transformation of his studio, complete with a new Digidesign Icon and expanded Pro Tools system. We were going to replace the existing Euphonix CS 2000 console and we had less than 4 weeks. It was down to the wire we (the engineering crew and I), actually flew in the night before the Christina song was to be tracked. We had been working as a team in Minneapolis and so it just seemed natural for Lisa and Khaliq to Track the song and make it happen just as we had been doing. Herbie always liked to record on dual formats so we recorded on both Protools and 2”. Coming from the pressure of making it happen for Prince, you learn that the only thing that matters is getting it recorded.

Mitch and I monitored the technical aspects of the day as this was the first time everything had been fired up under session conditions, and we had musicians coming to play.

Well, everything worked, music showed up, the song was tracked with Christina Aguilera cutting her vocals at Record Plant when her schedule allowed. The musicians had a great time and were happy that they could lay things out so quickly. Mitch and I got to see what further work was needed on such issues as headphones and patch bay adjustments.

It would go on to be the only song to get a nomination from that album. All of us involved in putting that day together feel that our energy and time put in way in advance of that day helped to set the stage for great musicians to come in and create the magic that is a hit song.

I love the pressure of our business. I have to thank Herbie for that experience because he was the main one who encouraged me to go to Minn. when Prince called me. If I had not have gone I would not have been able to work with such a great team of people, and I wouldn’t have met my wife. Past making music my time spent with Herbie Hancock are some of the most memorable years of my career. He invested in me at a time when I really needed mentor-ship. I know why all these years later the time I shared and lessons learned are imprinted so clearly in my mind. This home studio should be called the “Hancock University”. To attend is a privilege few have had.

One of the best projects I have ever been involved in was the restoration of Paisley Park Studios in Minnesota. I worked in seclusion for the first 6 months and during that time it’s famous owner would come back to test the facility, work and give me direction. We made many recordings and prepped a world tour all throughout the rebuild process.

When the first albums after the rebuild finally hit, everyone I know would say, “Hey man got the new Prince CD, but I didn’t see your name.” I just smiled and said nothing. Inside I knew that my wage had been paid in full and there are only two studios listed on the credits. The first one, Paisley Park wasn’t working when I showed up. The second studio, listed as 3121 didn’t exist until I sketched it on paper, and built it. So in my mind that album has my name all over it!

While credit is something in our business that is always great to get, the fact is as an independent service provider it is still not always as important as the reason why you have a job. Credit is often a byproduct of a job well done. Completion of work is just as important as being able to talk about it. For me I understood long ago that I might just get to work with some famous people along the way. I did also realize that there were no other Dave Hamptons out there so just by existing in my role I stood out. I was content in the realization that I was not always going to need or be able to get credit. I also knew that all the banks I was aware of didn’t take album credits and mentions the same way they took cash. The big picture is the pay off. Work is the opportunity. Don’t get me wrong because I do like credit when I can get it, however I understand that my role is many times as a support player or trusted adviser. The minute I start putting my goals along side or ahead of the clients is when I need to stop providing service.

I want to add something as well. This is specifically to anyone out there who actually works for / with established entertainers. At the end of the day they (the artist) do the work that creates the revenue to be able to afford you as well as others. In addition, many established entertainers will give great opportunities for growth just by exposing you and others to contacts, environments, and people from all over the world. Never miss the things that are done just for you. It costs to take people on the road or buy that extra seat at award shows. It costs just to have a staff. The experienced entertainer knows this and pays the cost. As a trusted adviser you owe your client the full focus of your attention. You (in whatever capacity) represent that entertainer’s camp when you do business or travel together, so conduct yourself with some tact and discretion. I have seen so many people comfortable with their role that they squander away any real opportunity for growth.

This story is one, but I have many. My reason for telling this one is because it’s so graphic. I understood that as Technical Director of Paisley Park Studios my responsibility was massive. To get side tracked by a search for a thank you was not even a consideration.

Music and entertainment allow art to create opportunities for commerce. When you back up from any entertainment situation you can see how the success is due in large part to a core group of selfless individuals who are committed to the idea of loyalty, service, and completion.

One last thing I want to mention about working with Prince- many times we hear stories, and some may even be based in truth. But I can honestly say that everyone I have met who has worked at length with him in any music and entertainment capacity has stepped their game up to a level that many will not experience. This is perhaps one of the most dynamic, historic entertainers that we have left. Old folks say, “Iron Sharpens Iron.” It was truly an honor to be responsible for this historic facility and work closely with one of music’s most iconic artists.