PRO TOOLS MIXING AND MASTERING

Send me your tracks to mix, regardless of where they were recorded. I've been getting an increasing number of mixing and mastering projects, and the finished products have been favorably compared to or preferred to mixes done by some major mixing stars. In fact, one of my recent clients called me to admit that they had one of my live recordings mixed by a well-known mixing engineer with over 3000 commercial albums to his credit, and that my free sample mix of the same recording "blew his away...it wasn't even close," according to the band's manager. My mix was therefore chosen for the band's CD release, “Me and You,” by VAST. The cut is a bonus track, "Flames".

Whether the tracks were recorded on my remote rig, or on any other system, the results will be about as good as you can get, without paying multiple thousands of dollars to a big-name mixing engineer. And if for any reason, you don't like how the first song is sounding, you can take your tracks elsewhere, and you won't owe me a thing for mixing.

Rolling Recorder can also arrange to convert to digital and mix audio from existing 2" 16 or 24 track analog master tapes. Existing digital recordings in many formats can also be loaded into my Pro Tools rig for editing, mixing and mastering. Reality check--I am not a high-end mastering house. I work entirely "in the box" (usually sans outboard gear), and can offer a great sounding master CD or files for digital download. However, if you have the budget for it, a true mastering specialist with the proper--and very expensive--room and equipment can often get that extra edge to the sound that is important for a serious commercial release. Alternately, a bad mastering job can ruin your mix, so be careful.

COMPLETE CD AND DOWNLOAD PACKAGES FOR FUNDRAISING

An effective, fun and proven way to raise funds for any church, school or organization that has live musical performances. No expensive, inconvenient studio time required. Just have your regular performances or services recorded, and in a short time you will have a professional quality CD to sell to your congregation, school or organization. Contact me for all the details. [Back to Services]

This is actually more like some random notes than a bio, but if you are into Motley Crue or other rock history/trivia, or audio stuff, it might be interesting. I started out like any typical audio freak--started playing around with tape recorders at around 12 yrs., was blown away by my Uncle's high end stereo system, started playing drums in a surf band at 15, and did the P.A. and recording. It was all downhill from there--I was hooked.

I later became a professional drummer (I think musicians usually make the best audio engineers). After a lot of different bands, I was involved in a more serious effort with a 5 piece band known as "Rage." We came very close to signing a major deal with Warner Bros. Records--we were just one greedy attorney away from success. He was secretly insisting on no less than $300,000 front money-since his cut came from this amount. (That was a lot of money in those days--1973!)

After that deal fell through, the singer and I joined a band called WhiteHorse. The guitar player for the band, Bob Deal, later became Mick Mars of Motley Crue fame. He got the idea for the name from a female singer that we briefly worked with, named Micki Mars (she later tried to sue him for stealing her name). We toured (locally-playing about 28 nights per month) for a full year. I did all of the band's P.A. work, and did a lot of live recordings with my trusty Nakamichi 550 portable.

It was generally a good time, but after that solid year of touring, I was pretty burned out, and I decided to give notice that I wanted out. I still remember Bob (Mick Mars) saying to me, "Let's start our own band and call it Motley Croo." Although it wouldn't have been the same band, and probably not the same level of success, it was a fairly monumental decision that I passed on it. In a weird twist of fate, my decision to quit, along with Bob's leaving Whitehorse, actually allowed the eventual formation of the real Motley Crue. If the singer and I had stuck with Mick, he probably would have been too busy playing obscure gigs to ever meet and join up with Vince, Tommy and Nikki. But the best part of the outcome for me, of course, is that I got to keep my soul!

I have some goofy pictures of Mick when he was Bob Deal in Whitehorse, but it would no doubt be a major irritation to him if I released them.  Check back, I might just post them here.  

Earlier, I spent a lot of time recording (playing drums) at L.A.'s famed Record Plant studios in the 70's, where I learned firsthand about high end analog audio (and met a lot of major recording stars of that time). I got to hang out with our engineer Phil Schier (James Gang, Joe Walsh, etc), and Gary Kellgren, the owner of the studio, and one of Jimi Hendrix's engineers. He had a Rolls with a custom paint job by Peter Max and a license plate with the word "GREED. "  He was one wild and crazy guy. Unfortunately  he was tragically electrocuted while trying to wire some underwater speakers in his pool. Drugs were probably involved . These really were some bizarre times.  I could tell you tales (but I'll spare you for now). All the crazy band and studio stories need to be in a book or screenplay. Maybe I'll attempt it someday.  

Another (possibly interesting, if you were there) thing that I was a part of in my earlier days was helping the Chambers Brothers transform a somewhat wimpy R&B tune into the classic psychedelic rock anthem "Time Has Come Today."  My band members and I were played a 45 RPM record (you know, the small vinyl discs with the big holes) of this song that was the same in name only. Willie and Lester Chambers wanted to see if we had any ideas to change it. When we were done with it, it was unrecognizable, but the Chambers Bros. loved it and recorded it nearly the same way as we jammed it for them. We probably should have been given credit, but we were just happy to be a part of it. I still hear that song used today in car commercials and other advertising. 

After the year with Mick Mars and Whitehorse, the singer (Buzz Hatton) and I recorded a song in a studio in San Diego with Mick (still Bob Deal then) called "Welcome to L.A". Mick (Bob) was so broke back then that we had to help him get his guitar out of the pawn shop. His common law wife had left him for a doctor, and she was not too subtle about telling him what a loser he was. Of course, when he later started Motley Crue and made millions, the ex. was back trying to sue him  with noted "palimony" attorney Marvin Mitchelson. It was thrown out of court. Micki Mars also tried to sue Mick for "stealing her name."  Yes, when you're big-time, everyone wants a piece of you. 

Anyway, after a fun detour, I got back to my first love, audio engineering. I worked with a live sound company (Natural Sound in Fullerton), then became a house sound engineer at The Starwood in Hollywood where I got to do live sound for many famous and soon-to-be-famous acts like Van Halen, The Ramones, Menudo (Ricky Martin), etc. etc. 

I first started my original business, Forbesound as an audio consulting business, with the idea of selling and installing high end home and commercial audio systems, but after just a couple of sales, I decided I would rather be involved in the creative end. So I set up a semi-commercial home studio in a rented house in Long Beach, CA. We actually set up a control room with a piece of one-inch thick bullet-proof glass from a drive-up window from a bank that was being torn down, and our landlord allowed us to turn the living room into the tracking room!  I don't think she was fully aware of how radical the transformation would be, but it was fun until she sold the place a couple of years later. 

After a more recent 9 year stretch doing live sound reinforcement, I got the idea to get back into recording, but  without the need for real estate.  I figured that just about every musician today either has or knows someone who has a home DAW-based recording set up that would allow them to record songs a few tracks at a time.  So in 2003 I  decided to enter the more specialized realm of multi-track mobile recording.  This was the perfect cure for my audio addiction, since I could use my years of experience in live sound to great advantage. 

Since I have been doing the mobile recording gig, I have been very privileged to work with some really great musicians and performers. See my client list and check out their links, and listen to some of the audio clips. While you may not be familiar with some or even all of them, many of these people are among the absolute best at what they do. And, as always, I am continually working at being the best at what I do, which is to raise the quality of affordable remote recording to a previously unheard level.