Sonal D'Silva

It has become crucial for studios and artists to adopt a forward-thinking approach towards preserving their life’s work by archiving their sessions so that they are safe in the event of a natural disaster, technological glitch, or an unknown variable further down the line.   To understand the importance and intricacies of session archiving, we turned to someone with decades of expertise: Kelly Pribble, Director of Media Preservation Technology at Iron Mountain Media & Archival Services. Kelly is a veteran studio engineer who has spent a lifetime dedicated to music and audio restoration.  Continue reading →

When it was time to build a new control room at Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s Swamp Raga Studio in Jacksonville, Florida, their long-time engineer Bobby Tis set out on a mission – to find the speakers that would become the centerpiece around which the room was built. After an almost year-long journey, he found what he was looking for in the ATC SCM300ASL Pro studio monitors.  Read on to learn about what drew Bobby to the ATC 300s, how they’ve been performing in the new space, what comprises the GRAMMY-winning musicians’ vocal and guitar signal chains, what’s in their mic locker, and more.    Continue reading →

When Chip Freeman set up SuSuSound Studio at his lakeside property in Northern Michigan, he intended for it to be a space where he could pursue his longtime passion for mixing. Things didn’t go quite as planned, and SuSuSound soon became a full-fledged recording studio with top-of-the-line gear including a 32-channel API 1608 console, ATC SCM45A monitors, an AVID HDX system with HD I/O, and a UAD-2 Satellite DSP accelerator.  Continue reading →

When Alaska-based Frostline Studios owner Richard A. Cooper, and Senior Recording and Mixing Engineer, Derek Haukaas completed the extensive upgrade on their recording studio, they had no idea that the console sitting at the heart of the space was special in more ways than one.  The console they opted for was the Neve Genesys Black, a 16-channel digitally-controlled analog console that, with the G3D upgrade, allows mixing in the Dolby Atmos format directly from the console.  Continue reading →

Imagine being a youth who can, at no cost, access world-class recording equipment, musical instruments, and supportive mentors, in a space right in the heart of your hometown. Sounds like a fairytale? Well, it’s not, thanks to Notes for Notes. Since 2006, the non-profit organization has been turning that dream into reality, one space at a time, across the country.  Continue reading →

LA-based producer/mixer/songwriter Keith “Ten4” Sorrells has been hard at work in the studio, fueled by the pursuit of great sound and an endless supply of coffee. As part of GRAMMY-winning producer Oak Felder’s protégé production group The Orphanage, Keith has worked on hit singles for leading artists such as Demi Lovato, John Legend, Anne-Marie, Kehlani, and more. We sat down with Keith recently to get a closer look at his studio setup, where two Dangerous Music products now have pride of place. Read on to learn about his journey in music, why he loves the Dangerous Music 2-BUS+ summing mixer and Monitor ST, his favorite microphones, and what he would love to hear in pop music in the new year. Continue reading →

When we sit down to talk to Seattle-based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Brian Fennell, he’s gearing up for the release of ‘Infinity’, the new album from his solo project SYML. Brian’s musical journey has taken him from his early days studying classical piano, to finding success as part of the indie band Barcelona, and now performing as SYML, with hits like the platinum-certified single ‘Where’s My Love’, and the much-Shazamed ‘Mr. Sandman’, which was featured in the outstanding Netflix thriller series ‘Behind Her Eyes’.  Continue reading →

What do the No. 1 pop hits ‘Espresso’ by Sabrina Carpenter, and ‘Lose Control’ by Teddy Swims have in common? Two things: Big Family Music and the LEWITT LCT 1040 microphone. With four analog tube tones, switchable tube/FET circuitry, versatile polar patterns, and a detachable remote control to assist workflow, the LCT 1040 is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone that offers incredible sonic diversity, which is one of the reasons it is a staple at the Los Angeles and Nashville studios of Big Family Music.  Continue reading →

California-based data scientist and musician John Akred creates and records music in a unique space – an 1879 log cabin made of old-growth Redwoods, which give the space a rich acoustic quality. When he decided to upgrade his console recently, he opted for the iconic warm and punchy API sound that he loves.  Read on to learn what drew John to the API 2448 console, how the Avid MTRX II interface fits into his workflow, why he went with BURL Audio Mothership as his converters of choice, and what it’s been like working with Vintage King.  Continue reading →

Over the past decade and a half, Los Angeles-based Todd Robinson has built a solid discography, working with artists including DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, Chloe x Halle, Roddy Ricch, DJ Snake, and many more. At the 2024 GRAMMY Awards, Todd took home not one but two trophies – ‘Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical’ and ‘Best R&B Album’ – for his work on Victoria Monét’s acclaimed Jaguar II.  Continue reading →