Sonal D'Silva

New York-based recording and mixing engineer Joey Raia is as comfortable mixing propulsive basslines and powerful vocals for hip-hop stars like Run The Jewels, Danger Mouse, and Aesop Rock, as he is shaping sunny sing-alongs for award-winning Disney movies like Frozen, Moana, and Encanto, for which he won a GRAMMY in 2023. Continue reading →

Named after a Norwegian Viking who, legend has it, followed the path of a raven to discover Iceland thousands of years ago, Flóki Studios is a one-of-a-kind space at the edge of the Arctic circle, designed for artists to explore their creativity away from the distractions of everyday life.  Continue reading →

Recording and mixing engineer Joey Raia started his career in audio electronics at Apogee and then switched to engineering and mixing while working with mix legend Bob Clearmountain. Since then he’s racked up an impressive discography, working on albums and movie soundtracks, including Disney’s Encanto, for which he won a GRAMMY in 2023. In this edition of Five Sounds With… Joey takes us behind the scenes of five of his favorite records, sharing mixing techniques, workflow tips, and his favorite gear along the way.  Continue reading →

In the world of music, there are mix engineers, and then there is Michael Brauer – a living legend who's effortlessly traversed genres and eras, leaving an indelible mark on the sonic landscapes of our favorite tunes. Recently, we had the privilege of sitting down with Michael as part of Vintage King's 30th-anniversary celebration. But once we got to chatting, we quickly found ourselves with way too many great quotes for just one blog. Continue reading to learn more about Michael's illustrious 40-year career, which sessions were his favorites, and his advice on building and sustaining a career in this ever-changing industry. Continue reading →

Multiple Grammy Award-winner Aaron Dessner wears many hats in the studio—guitarist, keyboardist, bass player, composer, songwriter, and producer. He moves through each role with ease, and it’s no surprise because he’s spent the better part of the last two decades becoming one of the most prolific artists in contemporary music. He’s released ten studio albums with his band The National and collaborated with artists like Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Icelandic performance artist Ragnar Kjartansson, and, most recently, Brian Eno & Fred Again. If that wasn’t enough, he co-wrote and produced two history-making records during the pandemic with superstar Taylor Swift.  Continue reading →

Spread over 2500 square feet, with pristinely designed acoustics, lots of natural light, and an enviable collection of vintage and modern gear, Brooklyn’s Hyperballad Music has become the kind of space that producer/songwriter Jonathan “JB” Benedict always envisioned setting up—a classic New York studio from which great music emanates. Continue reading →

Artist development, music education, and embracing technology—these are the three pillars upon which Trilogy Sound Studio is built. Co-founder and CTO Erin Wallace tells us that the studio, based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, wants to do more than just record music for the artists that come through—it aims to empower them with the tools required to build a career in the music industry.  In this edition of 30 Years / 30 Studios, Erin tells us about the studio’s goals, their favorite gear purchases from Vintage King, and their approach to embracing the innovations in technology that are changing the landscape of the music business. Continue reading →

Musician/producer Aaron Dessner’s serene upstate New York studio Long Pond had already been home to GRAMMY-winning records like The National’s "Sleep Well Beast" when it was thrust into the spotlight during the pandemic, thanks to "folklore" and "evermore,"—two history-making lockdown albums by Taylor Swift that were co-written and produced by Aaron amidst the highest levels of secrecy. His vision for the studio was an open space designed to feed the creative spirit, as well as a pristine listening environment. With upgrades like the ATC SCM45A Pro studio monitors, he achieved just that. In fact, he has enjoyed working with the monitors so much, that he just bought another pair for a studio he’s designing in the south of France.  Aaron sat down with us recently, to talk about his new monitors, go-to microphones, his incredible vintage console, and what it’s been like working with Vintage King through his extraordinary career. Continue reading →

Producer/engineer/mixer/studio owner Dan Cardinal had been splitting his time as a live sound engineer on tour and working on albums in studios when he, and two of his engineer friends, heard about an abandoned studio in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. When they visited the space, which had been built in the early ‘70s, they found that it was in need of some TLC, but the sonic foundation was solid.  Dimension Sound Studios version 2.0 opened in 2011 and has since hosted a steady stream of artists from the local music community, particularly those who like to get in a studio and record while performing together. For our 30th Anniversary interview series, Dan sat down with us recently to talk about restoring the old studio, working with Vintage King to meet his gear needs over the years, and how the changes in the industry have impacted his workflow. Continue reading →

Over the past two decades, multi-platinum selling, multiple GRAMMY Award-winning producer/songwriter Khari Cain aka Needlz has carved a niche for himself working with new artists poised on the brink of stardom. Early records by future superstars like Drake, Cardi B, and Bruno Mars all feature Needlz on production and songwriting duties, and with his new Atlanta-based studio, Needlz hopes to continue helping a new generation of artists rise to the top. As part of our 30th Anniversary celebrations, we sat down with the producer to talk about his impressive discography, his favorite gear, and his decade-long relationship with Vintage King. Continue reading →