North Hollywood's Dwarf Village

Jeff Hull opened Dwarf Village studios to accommodate artists with fixed budgets who have appreciation for a good studio. "We offer attractive packages with or without engineering that will suit each situation,"says Hull who has branched out into film and TV music with credits to include the main title for the feature MGM film "Molly" Starring Elizabeth Shue and just finished writing & producing an album for his own band "Rush of Ushers" with his partner "Daniel O'Brien."

Hull is a prolific producer, composer and arranger and Grammy nominated songwriter and musician with over 23 years of professional experience in both acoustic and electronic environments.Read more here..

mixer/engineer, producer at Dwarf Village Photo: Robert knight

Take an ExpressTour of Dwarf Village here
Call 818-509-9057 for more info or studio tour

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Oscar Is In The House!

Feb 25th, live on NBC --The Oscars

Ellen DeGeneres hosted the 79th Academy Awards telecast produced by Laura Ziskin.
It's DeGeneres' first time as Oscar® host, as well as her first appearance on an Academy Awards telecast. The ceremonies honoring film achievements for 2006 was held on Sunday, February 25, 2007. The 79th Annual Academy Awards Presentation was broadcasted live from the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland by the ABC Television Network, beginning at 5:00 p.m. (PST) with a half-hour arrivals segment. Congrats to all the 2007 Oscar winners here!
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Ethan Nuyen holds one of the authentic Oscar Statues during the public viewing of the 50 Golden Oscars on display at Times Square Studios on February 12, 2007

A Journey of Light And Music
Fusion of Original Symphonic Music by Robert Kyr and Fine Art Photography by Lawrence Janss



photographer, Lawrence Janss with his large format camera and one of the black & white prints he took of ElCapitan

Explore the emotional and spiritual impact that Yosemite, the great Valley has had on its visitors for generations through breathtaking music and photographs.Yosemite: Journey of Light was commissioned by the New West Symphony and conductor, Boris Brott and will premiere in Brentwood, Thousand Oaks and Oxnard on April 13, 14 and 15. "The concerts are dedicated to Ansel Adams in gratitude for his life’s work, especially his exploration of Yosemite," says Brott.
"As collaborators, Larry and I hope that this work will contribute to the growing awareness of Yosemite as an American icon, which reminds us of our need as a people to preserve the environment that nurtures and sustains us," says composer Robert Kyr.

l-r: Composer Robert Kyr, photographer, Lawrence Janss and videographer, Nelson Dodge at Yosemite 2006
Photos: by The C

The visual component of Yosemite: Journey of Light consists of more than sixty large format traditional photographs (Ansel Adams School) blended with motion-picture photography. The photographs were created by Lawrence Janss during five trips to Yosemite that were taken over a period of more than twenty months, from spring 2005 through winter 2007.A fifth-generation Californian, Janss attended the Ansel Adams Summer Photography Workshop, the first of three summer sessions he would spend with Adams, who said of the young, aspiring photographer, “Larry is as enthusiastic as a young, muddy puppy, and as clumsy too.” Thus began a friendship that lasted until Adams’ death in 1984; it was the heart of Janss’ formative period, during which he also assisted Adams on some of his many projects. In addition, Mr. Janss has participated in advanced workshops with some of the finest photographers working today, including Bruce Barnbaum, Ray McSavanay, John Sexton, Stu Levy, Huntington Witherall, Jay Dusard and Don Kirby. In 1998, Larry was awarded a major commission to produce a photographic interpretation of Ferde Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite, which was premiered by the New West Symphony. He took four major expeditions to the Grand Canyon for the project, and from those trips, he produced over 150 large-scale photographs that were rendered into high-density glass slides and projected above the orchestra. Janss is also the executive producer of a new feature motion picture titled My Suicide, a dark, comedic exploration into the causes of and solutions for teenage suicide. The film, starring David Carradine, Mariel Hemingway, Joe Mantegna and Gabriel Sunday, is directed and produced by David Miller.

l-r: NWS' Charles Stegeman, Concertmaster and Personnel Manager Michael Markman; Marney Janss and conductor Boris Brott
Photos: by The C

The music of Yosemite: Journey of Light by Robert Kyr is approximately 23 minutes. The music of the first movement embodies the dynamism, raw power and primal energy of water in motion, as suggested through virtuoso and colorful writing for the woodwinds, percussion section and strings (often playing as soloists within the thundering textures). The second movement (Reflections and Solitude) features photographs taken during autumn and winter trips to Yosemite. "In my music, I aim to embody the sparkling clarity and quiet serenity of these images, especially through lyrical writing for the strings," says Kyr. The final movement (Living Granite) features photographs taken over the course of the entire project. The heart of the movement is a single panoramic vista that was shot from the same spot at Inspiration Point in every season. The vastness and grandeur of Yosemite is evoked through expansive, luminous textures for full orchestra in which the brass section plays a particularly majestic role. The instrumentation includes: 2 flutes, flute/piccolo, oboe, oboe/English horn, 2 clarinets, clarinet/bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, bass trombone, tuba, 4 percussionists, piano/celesta, harp, strings.

Kyr has composed nine symphonies, three chamber symphonies, three violin concerti, and numerous works for vocal ensembles. Kyr's ninth symphony—The Spirit of Time for four soloists, chorus and orchestra—was performed as part of an international project titled “Waging Peace in the New Millennium.” Kyr is chair of the composition department, and director of the renowned Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium (www.iwagemusic.com), as well as the Music Today Festival, a biennial series of concerts and events that celebrate new music from around the world. He also directs the innovative Vanguard Concert & Workshop Series, and the UO’s Pacific Rim Gamelan and is professor of composition and theory on the UO music faculty since 1990. Kyr graduated from Yale summa cum laude in 1974 and continued his education in England at the Royal College of Music in London, and at Dartington Summer School for the Arts, where he studied with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. In 1989, Kyr received his Ph.D. from Harvard University, where he studied with Donald Martino and Earl Kim. At Oregon, Kyr has developed new models for teaching composition, integrating theory, performance practice, and composition into a single, focused curriculum at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The composition program at Oregon is presently one of the largest in the United States—a thriving community of 50 composers

Meet Maestro Boris Brott, and some of LA's top musicians that make up the New West Symphony, now celebrating its 12th season by giving thrilling performances at Brentwood, Thousand Oaks and Oxnard. The New West can also be heard on K-Mozart 105.1 FM (click for the schedule) with Rich Capparela on select Sundays at 8pm. Next concert: Friday, April 13, 8:00 pm at Oxnard Performing Arts Center; Saturday, April 14, 8:00 PM at the Countrywide Performing Arts Center at the
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and Sunday, April 15, 2007 3:00 PM at the Wadsworth Theatre, Brentwood. Program includes:Kyr's Yosemite: Journey of Light (world premiere features a audio/visual presentation of Lawrence Janss photographs), Barber's Concerto for Violin & Orchestra Opus 14 with Elmar Oliveira (a prodigious violinist and recording artist, Oliveira was a Grammy nominee for his CD of the Barber Concerto with Leonard Slatkin, a Gold Medal winner at the Moscow’s Tchaikovsky International Competition and received the coveted Avery Fisher Prize), and Suite from Star Wars by Williams. Reserve your seats here today!

2007/2008 Masterpiece Series subscriptions http://www.newwestsymphony.org/order2.cfm
single tix http://www.newwestsymphony.org/buytickets3.cfm

NWS AUDITION NOTICE: April 11 and 12, 2007 – Oxnard Performing Arts Center
Second Assistant Concertmaster; Section Violins I and II, Viola, Cello and Bass.
Application Deadline: March 20, 2007. Visit The Symphony Web Site for further details.

2007 TEC Awards Dates Announced
The Mix Foundation for Excellence in Audio will present its fourth annual TECnology Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City on Friday, October 5, 2007, the first night of the 123rd AES Convention. For more information on submission procedures, visit 2007 TEC Awards

MUSEXPO 2007 Performance Slots Open
A&R WORLDWIDE today announced plans for their third annual MUSEXPO international music and media forum convening April 29 - May 2, 2007 in West Hollywood, California. To be among one of the 30 acts chosen to showcase during MUSEXPO Visit musexpo.net for the complete lineup of speakers and an itinerary.

Watch Video Interviews with Top producers from Legendary Studios
studioexpresso in alliance with Record Production & Babblefish is pleased to bring you these interviews. Watch the video interviews by clicking on the producer names below.
Get your FREE Real One Player download



Matt Wallace Interviewed At his Delux Studios in LA for Record Production
L-R: Producer Matt Wallace, studioexpresso's Claris Dodge
Photo: Johnny Jaskott

Ken Allardyce - Sarm West, UK
Lenise Bent - Village Studios. LA, CA
Niko Bolas - Watersound Studios, Studio CIty, CA
Pete Byrne - Glenwood Place, CA
Andre Fischer - Village Studios, Los Angels, CA
Chris Fogel - Fig, Glendale, CA
Brad Gilderman - Little Big Room, Burbank, CA
Greg Ladanyi - Tidal Wave Sound, Studio City, CA
Joseph Magee - O'Henry Studios, Burbank, CA
Scott Mathews - Tiki Town Studios
Oscar Paul - Roundhouse Studios, London
Greg Penny - Sphere Studios, London
Steve Parr - Hear No Evil Studios
Michael C Ross - Royaltone Studios, North Hollywood, CA
Rafa Sardina - Abbey Road, UK
Elliot Scheiner - Presense studios, CT NEW!
Al Schmitt Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA
Toby Scott -- coming soon!
Tolbert & Sutton - Studio Atlantis, Hollywood, CA
Matt Wallace - Delux Studios, Van Nuys, CA
John Wooler - Village Studios, Los Angels, CA

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Downright Neighborly
SoundField MKV Lands On Hell's Half Acre from Legendary Guitarist Martin Stephenson

Dolph Ramseur's "Hell's Half Acre" with Martin Stephenson (left) and Jim Hornsby utilized SoundField MKV for extraordinary location recording authenticity; Stephenson of Dintees

The locals in and around the one-stoplight town of Midland, North Carolina know it better as "Hell's Half Acre." It earned its colorful name during the 1930's, when an unusually large concentration of moonshine stills attracted a rough bunch of hellions to the town. The old hellions begot little hellions, and Midland stayed true to its nickname for decades after prohibition ended.
It was against that storied backdrop that the legendary English guitarist Martin Stephenson decided to record an album on the porch and in the kitchen of Ramseur Records owner and engineer Dolph Ramseur's Midland home. The album is called "Hell's Half Acre."

Stephenson is perhaps best known for his post-punk band, the Daintees, which were contemporaries of U2, Echo & the Bunnymen, and The Smiths, but he is most loved for his quieter, more intimate work that continues to this day.
In recent years, Stephenson became enchanted with the endemic music of North Carolina and wrote a beautiful album's worth of songs inspired by the region.

North Carolina native Ramseur was happy to release the album on his label, which is distributed by Sony Red, provided they could record it with an authenticity that no studio production could deliver. A location-recording enthusiast, Ramseur suggested they use the ambience of his rural home, and Stephenson happily agreed.

With the location set and passion for the project running high, Ramseur researched stereo microphones with the hope of upgrading his system. "I only do location recordings, and I wanted a single microphone that sounded amazing and that would be simple to set up," he explained. "Everything pointed to the SoundField MKV. The reviews were great so I arranged to get a demo from SoundField."

While its use is simple, any explanation of the SoundField MKV tends toward the technical. The single microphone actually contains multiple capsules that capture all three dimensions of an acoustical event and transmit that information to a proprietary decoder in SoundField's "B-Format." The B-Format signal contains ALL of the sound source's dimensional information.
Since every microphone pattern and stereo/surround format is simply a special case where some dimensional information is kept and some is discarded, the B-Format signal can be processed after the fact (by discarding some of its information) to generate any microphone pickup pattern or stereo/surround output that the user desires.

While the possibilities of the SoundField MKV system are heady, Ramseur used a more important organ to find his sound. "I know that the MKV has a lot of different capabilities, figure-8, cardioid, surround, and so on, but I threw all of that out the window and let my ears guide me. I moved things a little bit while they were setting up, but I quickly found what sounded right and didn't need to tinker with it after that."

Stephenson and his musician friends (including famed UK acoustic guitarist Jim Hornsby) first gathered around the MKV on Ramseur's eight-foot by forty-foot front porch. Ramseur set up his Alesis Masterlink two-channel recorder with a pair of trusty headphones about twenty feet away and let the feel of the place wash over the musicians and into the recording itself.

Recalled Ramseur, "We taped birds, bugs, cars going down the road, and even a thunderstorm. All of those ambient noises were absolutely beautiful in the SoundField. There are five or six cars going by on the record and you definitely hear them. The recording has a context that you can practically feel."

But not all ambient noises proved a blessing. "The recording was made in the summer of 2004, which coincided with the hatching of 17-year cicadas,"
Ramseur laughed. "I don't know if you've ever heard those cicadas when they get going, but there were times that it felt like we were recording in a jungle! We had to stop seven or eight times and wait for them to quiet down."

Since everything was recorded in one pass with no overdubs, Ramseur effectively mixed each song by moving the musicians around the MKV.
Depending on the effect they were going for, it only took a shift of a few feet closer or farther to achieve a pleasant, natural balance. "Martin and Jim have recorded in some of the best studios in the world," said Ramseur, "and they could tell right off the bat that the sound was authentic. We had the sweet spot, and it wasn't hard to find. I couldn't believe how easy it was to pull Martin in just a little bit and bam, we had it!

"I'm no sound guy," he continued, "but everyone who hears this recording thinks it's out of this world. I think that's what's so great about the SoundField MKV system - it can be so technical, but all you have to do is trust your ears and you'll get something spectacular. If I can achieve success with this format, then anyone can achieve success with this format. It's really just point and click!"

For more info on SoundField MKV system, contact Brad Lunde at www.lasvegasproaudio.com or Phone (702) 307-2700 or visit SoundField Microphones


TransAudio Group's product lines include A-Designs (USA) AEA ribbon microphones (USA), ADT Toolkit, AEA, ATC Loudspeakers (UK), Brauner microphones(Germany), Drawmer (UK), Geoffrey Daking & Co. (USA), Enhanced Audio (Ireland), George Massenburg Labs (GML) (USA), Heil Sound (USA); Mercury Audio (USA) Mission Audio (UK) Phoenix Audio (UK), PAULY Superscreens(Germany), SABRA SOM(Brazil), Soundelux (USA), SoundField Microphones (UK), Z-Systems (USA) and Weiss Engineering (Switzerland) and Z Systems (USA).

Las Vegas Pro Audio is the direct sales division of TransAudio Group. The goal of LasVegasProAudio.com is to provide a personal long-term relationship with top engineers delivering insightful and accurate advice, unique equipment and long term support.TransAudio has quickly become the premier US importer/distributor for high-end audio. visit the web sites at: www.lasvegasproaudio.com

Production AWS At Chalice!

Christina Aguilera picked up the 'Best Female Vocal Pop Performance' award for 'Ain't No Other Man' at the 2007 Grammy Awards earlier in February. Co-written by Aguilera, the album’s sexy, upbeat first single ‘Aint No Other Man’ was produced by Christina and DJ Premier. Recorded at Chalice Studios in Los Angeles, it strikes a vintage sound, which perfectly balances the old and the new and features mixes from Kardinal Beats (Destiny’s Child, Pink) and FULL PHAT (Rhianna, Usher).

“This is a concept album that follows a bold, set vision,” says Christina. “The touchstones are Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald.... what I used to call my ‘fun music’ when I was a little girl.”

Hugely successful among top producers, engineers and independent record labels, Solid State Logic’s AWS 900+ Analogue Workstation System is also a hit among commercial recording studios
One of Southern California's busiest and fastest-growing facilities, Chalice Recording Studios recently chose a Solid State Logic AWS 900+ Analogue Workstation System for its new Studio F, an overdub/mix studio scheduled to open in March 2007. According to manager Stacey Dodd, Studio G has been open for a month now, and so far we have had Kelly Rowland, Beyonce & Shikira, and coming in this week is Alan Moulder mixing one song for Arctic Monkeys followed by two weeks with mixing Queens of the Stone Age. We wanted to have a console in the room that was usable for more than just controlling Pro Tools," explains studio manager Stacey Dodds. "Solid State Logic consoles have a sound about them. We have three other SSLs and wanted to maintain that sound."

Additionally, Chalice North has had Nine Inch Nails for the last month mixing with Alan Moulder mixing in Studio B, as well as Brian Michael Cox producing tracks for the upcoming Chris Brown album in Studio A.

Westlake Recording Studios has also installed two AWS 900+ consoles. The consoles are housed in Westlake's Production Rooms 1 and 2, which are used for overdubs, pre-production, writing and, now, mixing. "We've heard such good things about the console," says Westlake Recording Studios co-owner Steve Burdick. "Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis's production facilities have five AWS 900 consoles. We have a lot of history with them, and if they felt it was a good console, so do we," adds Burdick (West LA Music/Westlake Audio Are The New Dealer For AWS 900+).

Expresso Cat Walk On The Red Carpet With Grammy Moments You Didn't See or Hear...
The Staple center in Los Angeles was transformed into a multi-mega-studio on testosterone in preparation for the 49th Grammy® Award broadcast on Feb 11. All of us witnessed Dixie Chicks become toast of town by taking five Grammys for "Record...," "Album..." and "Song of the Year."
"My Grammy Moment" winner, the new music darling, Robyn Troup revealed backstage that it's her birthday and added that she looked at Blige the entire time she was performing with Timberlake to avoid getting nervous. "Blige's face was warm and welcoming," she says. Everyone enjoyed the reunion performances by the Police kicking it off in high gear with the Chicks, Mary J. Blige, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gnarls Barkley; medleys by Corinne Bailey Rae, John Legend and John Mayer; Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts (in tribute to Bob Wills and The Eagles) and more....
What was not seen by most, however, is how the largest night of music goes on the air. studioexpresso went behind the scene to bring you the stories not seen or heard.

While the star-studded performances, the party atmosphere and swag bags provided by sponsors took center stage, we decided to put the spotlight on the men and women of sound and picture who lift the heavy weight. Oh yeah, we had to climb into remote trucks, high-strung production rooms, roam the green and red artist lounges and even got close and personal with the colosseum-scaled stage and hall to bring you the knots and bolts of what it takes to blast off a Grammy show into the stratosphere.

High Five To Dixie Chics; Party vibe and Giselle Fernandez with the contents of the 7th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards Gift Bag; "My GRAMMY Moment" competition winner Robyn Troup and Neil Portnow, President

First of all, this year The Recording Academy®, CBS Television Network, and Cossette Productions combined forces for the three-hour-long broadcast, utilizing the latest in technology to provide television viewers worldwide with a cutting-edge, high-definition surround sound event. "The 49th Annual Grammy® Awards marks the fifth year that the telecast has been broadcast in HDTV/5.1 surround sound,” states Neil Portnow, President of The Recording Academy®. According to Portnow, each year the bar is raised on the overall production, particularly on the audio quality of the telecast. "We are moving to total HDTV/5.1 broadcast in 2009, so this year’s show once again helped set the stage for that transition and further extended the boundaries of broadcast television," says Portnow.

L-R: Maureen Droney, Executive Director of the P&E Wing; Phil Ramone, who also won a GRAMMY for his production work with Tony Bennett; Ron Fair, Chairman - Geffen & President - A&M (conducted orchestra for Mary J. Blige); Ken Ehrlich, executive producer; Glenn Lorbecki, P&E Wing Co-Chairman; Jack Joseph Puig, VP A&R - Geffen/A&M and a multiple award winner producer/engineer. Music Mixers John Harris, Eric Schilling with Phil Ramone, Chairman Emeritus of the Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing (P&E Wing), who supervised the broadcast audio right before airtime. Courtesy of The Recording Academy® Photograph by John Shearer /WireImage ©2007

At the helm of the Grammy Awards' technical staff are two audio pioneers, co-supervising the audio broadcast -- multi-Grammy producer, Phil Ramone (Chairman Emeritus of the Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing) and Hank Neuberger (advisory council member of the P&E Wing).
"We are very proud that our members help contribute to the overall production of the show,” says Portnow. Ramone and Tom Holmes, the production sound mixer (Ed Green handled this last year) sit in the production truck. Holmes is the last person in chain before the sound goes out to the masses for the LT/RT feed. He does the mix for all the production elements -- dialog, music stems ATPB & audience reaction and sweetening. "We created the 18-hours of rehearsal format which helps us manage the complex operation and enhance the audience listening experience in stereo and surround," says Neuberger.

Tom Holmes, Sound Mixer; Audience Reaction Mixer Klaus Landsberg

Most technicians we spoke to said that the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards was the most complex show to date and featured expanded staging employing more than a 1000 microphone inputs, a new level of multi-channel wireless complexity, and elaborate set changes.

Numerous remote trucks including the production truck where Walter Miller sits to direct the show and the XM truck (L7 truck utilized Genelec 8200 Series DSP Monitoring Systems) where the tag-team of music mixers, John Harris and Eric Schilling sit are linked from the parking space via miles of snakes to the stage. Here's a sample of audio professionals who make it all come together. Klaus Landsberg's job is to capture the audience reaction to events throughout the show and generate a full surround audio feed (for the XM Productions 5.1 truck) and front and rear feed for the LT/RT mix. Klaus who also works on the Emmys and Oscars says next to VMA's this is the biggest music show to produce. "Anytime, over 110 decibel of sound is pushed onto the stage floor, you have a lot to watch for," says Landsberg.

Front-Of-House (FOH) Production Mixer Mikael Stewart ;One of the lighting team; Grammy Michael Abbott of Splitzville; Music Man Jules Chaikin -- Courtesy of The Recording Academy® Photograph by Alexandra Wyman/WireImage ©2007

Joel Singer sits in the ORB (a dedicated "mirror image" broadcast truck) and does the sub-mixing of overflow inputs of orchestra that will be passed to the music and house mixers. Paul Sandweiss in the XM production OSR 5.1 truck handles all the surround sound mixes. Don Worsham is in charge of real-time music playback, pre-records, music and nominee packages. Mikael Stewart and Ron Reaves (ATK Audiotek) are FOH production mixers. Mike Parker (stage right "A") and Dave Velte (stage left "B&C") handle the monitor mixing and Andrew Fletcher & Jeff Peterson are ATK system managers.

Part of the 49th Annual Grammy HDTV crew during rehearsals; ATPB Mixer Don Worsham ourtesy of The Recording Academy® Photograph by Alexandra Wyman/WireImage ©2007

According to consulting engineer and Recording Academy P&E Wing member Doug Mountain, the amount of gear used to produce the show is astonishing. Picture 150 tons of lighting on chained motors suspended from the ceiling hall illuminating the two-sided stage. Two-weeks of "pre-hang" or set up is required for the lighting alone. The 11 riggers are actually experienced (presumably well-insured) climbers who wear bungee-jumping type harnesses to install 13000 amps that light the performers and the hall. Fiber optic and LED technology is everywhere in sight.

Ateam of graphic artists provide images for the broadcast; Grammy XML media feed Courtesy of The Recording Academy® Photograph by Alexandra Wyman/WireImage ©2007

Imagine 10 large screens, 19 high-DEF cameras, 23 stage managers, 150 technicians, and 500 plus microphones all going on-line live! Backstage, you can bottle the energy...there's continues flow of cartage crew transporting the prized musical instruments on drum risers with grace and elegance of a well-choreographed ballet. Much like Captain Kirk of the Enterprise, exec producers Cossette and Erlich are strategically situated below center stage in a private control booth where they can monitor the entire production during the broadcast. Michael Abott makes audio recommendations and is the overall audio coordinator for the broadcast working closely with Erlich and Cossette.

Backstage with all the drum risers set, ready to go onstage Courtesy of The Recording Academy; TV Production Truck where Walter Miller sits -- Photograph by John Shearer /WireImage 2007

Then there are extended shows like Musicares. Elliot Scheiner who has received 16 Grammy Award nominations (five wins; first took a job working for Phil Ramone in October of 1967) was in LA helping record Musicare's Person of the year, Don Henley at the convention center. Elliot's list of credits reads like a Who's Who in the music business, from Aerosmith to Grover Washington, Jr. and of coursre, Steely Dan and Donald Fagen. Most will agree that he's breathed 5.1 life into such great recordings as The Eagles' Hell Freezes Over and Sting's Brand New Day. We spoke to super engineer/mixer, Scheiner who was in town to mix the new Eagles album at Glen Frye's studio in LA. Elliot is also busy producing couple of unsigned jazz acts back in his private studio which we'll bring to you as soon as completed.

Steve Vai and Tony Benett Backstage; Phil Ramone, Tony Bennett, winner Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for "Duets: An American; ;
Darcy Proper and Elliot Scheiner, winners Best Surround Sound

When asked what type of preparation is required to get such a huge show off the ground, Elliot says:
"Hire a good crew and let them do the work." Actually, according to the vet engineer, he's somewhat new to the live production scene and that's exactly why he's interested. "We anticipate there will be breaks in between star studded guest performances. Each act gets to sing a Henley song with him joining later. Then there's auctions and other activities around the show. So, it should keep us nice and busy," says Scheiner. And with Elliot getting a helping hand from friend, Guy Charbonaugh and Le Mobil remote truck, you know it's smooth sailing.

The Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing puts out Recommendations For Surround Sound Production which makes interesting reading for those of you interested.

Music Man Jules studioexpresso met up with music vet/contractor Jules Chaikin in the green room. Jules is a familiar name to stage and studio managers and ace players in Hollywood. He just finished work on Michael Buble' CD due out later this year. Jules continues work with many arrangers and music directors to include: Jeremy Lubbock, Johnny Mandel, David Foster, Randy Kerber, Michael Melvoin, Roger Kellaway. You could say that over the past 53 years in the biz Jules has worked with more artists than you can imagine --from Sinatra , Bennett, Striesand, Ella, Sass, Carmen, Gerald Wilson, Bacharach, Herb Alpert, Kenton, Harry James, Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks, Jefferson Airplane to so many more it would fill these pages. "Suffice it to say I have had a very long, productive, successful and fortunate career here in L.A," says Chaikin who provided the musicians for the "Gnarls Barkley" Orchestra on the Grammy show accompanying, Beyonce (strings), John Legend, John Mayer, Corinne Bailey Rae, Justin Timberlake (strings), Smokey Robinson, Christina Aguilera, Lionel Ritchie, Chris Brown, Dixie Chicks (strings). Jules was the man in contact with all of the musicians and groups that performed. "This was the greatest number of musicians on the Grammys since I became the show's orchestra contractor some 17 years ago. Three of the performances required big orchestral set ups (65 + mic inputs) with a dedicated orchestra mixer. The miking and management of the audio alone is a monumental task in itself. We had over 200 musicians not including the principal performers, e.g. The Police, James Blunt, Dixie Chicks, etc," says Jules according to whom the coordination of rehearsal times was a monumental job handled by the talent executives. "You can imagine what had to be done in order to reconcile the various schedules of the performing artists. And whenever there was a slight schedule change I had to contact all the musicians that were accompanying any particular act. It was a very exhausting challenge, especially in light of the size of the Staples Center and Center Staging, where most of the rehearsals took place," says Chaikin.
Even after all of these years Jules is still amazed at how well everything comes off, on time and on budget. "Hail, hail professionalism!!" he shouts with enthusiasm.

Rubin with Johnny Cash & Tom Petty photo: Kevin Estrada Courtesy of The Shooting Gallery 11x14 Silver Gelatin Photograph Call For Prints (323) 882-8340; The record industry titan meditates on a Malibu beach. (Béatrice de Géa / LAT); Elaine Martone and her husband Telarc President Bob Woods at the Grammys.

Best Produced And Engineered...The Flaming Lips & Dave Fridmann both won for "Best Engineered Album" for At War With The Mystics. Jim Scott and his coconspirators, Richard Dodd (mastered the album) and Chris Testa got Grammys for their work on Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice" and Taking The Long Way. Donald Fagen's Morph The Cat--Elliot Scheiner (Darcy Proper was surround mastering engineer, with Fagen serving as surround producer) who won the "Best Surround Sound Album." Jacques Lu Cont won "Best Remixed Recording" (Thin White Duke Mix) remix of the Coldplay single, "Talk." Versatile super-producer, Rick Rubin (JayZ, Johnny Cash, System of A Down, SemiSonic) who was nominated four times won this year's producer award for his work with: Taking The Long Way by Dixie Chicks; Stadium Arcadium by Red Hot Chili Peppers; American V: A Hundred Highways and God's Gonna Cut You Down by Johnny Cash; 12 Songs by Neil Diamond and Justin Timberlake's Future Sexy/Love Sounds.

According to a recent Times article Rubin has such major presence in the industry that Columbia Records has offered him co-chairmanship of the label, which would add immense credibility to the company in the competition for quality artists. Rubin is considering the move, but no decision has been made, says someone close to him. For now Rubin is back home after working with U2 in England on two tracks for the band's latest greatest-hits album and three weeks vacationing in Hawaii with his fiancée, model Amanda Santos. Plans had also just been announced for Rubin to team with Kanye West, the most compelling figure in hip-hop since Eminem, and writer-director Larry Charles, whose credits range from "Seinfeld" to "Borat," to develop a fictional comedy series for HBO based on real incidents in West's life. Also on his immediate schedule: going in the studio with best-selling rock-rappers Linkin Park and heavy-metal marvels Metallica.

Congrats also to Elaine Martone, Senior Vice President of Artist Relations and Production at Telarc who won a Grammy for Classical Producer of the Year. “I share this honor with the remarkable artists I have the privilege of producing in classical and jazz, especially the visionary Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Paavo Jarvi and the Cincinnati Symphony (both ensembles are our longtime partners), Ben Zander and the Philharmonia, classical guitarist David Russell, and jazz pianist Michel Camilo who lends his amazing talents to Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ – these are the artists that are represented by this award," says Martone. Michael Bishop won for Best Engineered album, classical (Elgar: Enigma Variations; Britten: The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, Four Sea Interludes [Telarc]. Congrats everyone!

Happy Birthday John Williams He turned 75 on Feb 8th and won two Grammy awards in the Best Soundtrack category for his score to Memoirs of a Geisha, as well as for Best Instrumental Composition for "A Prayer for Peace" from Munich.

Of Music Directing: From Idol To the Grammys

For bassist-turned-music director Rickey Minor The Grammy Awards is a piece of cake. Best known for being the music director for the smash American Idol series, Minor toured the world as Whitney Houston's musical director and produced her Super Bowl national anthem performance. He received an Emmy nomination for music direction in 2005 for “Genius: A Night for Ray Charles,” a concert tribute featuring Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Norah Jones. He has helped assemble bands for artists like Usher, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, and Mary J. Blige.

Mr. Minor’s path to “Idol” started in South Central Los Angeles, where he moved from Louisiana with his family when he was 9. “It was a low-income, drug-infested situation,” Mr. Minor, now 47, said. But a high school music program, in which he played bass, “enabled me to move forward in life, not just career but in life.”

At 19 he abandoned studies in math and computer science at the University of California, Los Angeles, to tour Europe with Gladys Knight. He had never flown before. He said: “I sat on the plane thinking: ‘They’re paying for the plane and the hotel room, and they’re paying me to play this piece of wood and these metal strings. I can do this.’ ”

Back in Los Angeles, he was working in the pit of the musical “Dreamgirls” when he received a career-changing call from John Simmons, then music director for the singer Stephanie Mills. Mr. Simmons asked him to put together a band to back a singer from his church who was seeking a record deal. That singer turned out to be Whitney Houston.

The 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by Cossette Productions in association with Ken Ehrlich Productions for The Recording Academy. John Cossette and Ken Ehrlich are executive producers and Walter C. Miller is producer/director.

Music Honorees, Herb Alpert & Jerry Moss
More Awards For Two Legends

Dynamic duo: Herb Alpert, left, and Jerry Moss (Stuart Ramson / AP)

Music legend, Herb Alpert with partner Jerry Moss were honored earlier this month by The Recording Academy with the President's Merit Award. "We are proud to pay homage to this amazing duo and celebrate their incredible accomplishments as one of the most respected and revered executive teams in music history," says Recording Academy President Neil Portnow.

Alpert's artistic vision reverberates one note comprised of three simultaneous chords: curiosity, integrity and excellence. An extraordinary musician, Alpert's trumpet playing earned him five #1 hits, eight Grammy Awards, fifteen Gold albums and fourteen Platinum albums.

Alpert and partner Jerry Moss started A&M Records out of Alpert's garage in the 1960s, nurturing it into music's largest independently owned label with a roster that included The Carpenters, Cat Stevens, Joe Cocker, Sting, Sheryl Crow and Janet Jackson. Alpert and The Tijuana Brass was the label's first signed act, selling more than 700,000 copies of "The Lonely Bull" to put A&M on the map. Alpert and Moss sold A&M Records to PolyGram for $500 million in 1989 and continued to run the label until mid-1993.

The duo received The Recording Academy's Trustees Award in 1997 for their contributions to the field of recording. They also received a lifetime achievement award in the non-performing category from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Art Of Alpert
Supporting Music Education For The Kids

During the last two decades, Music legend, Herb Alpert has emerged as a talented abstract expressionist painter with international exhibitions. His canvasses are characterized by flowing shapes, bold brushstrokes and exploding colors. Alpert and partner Jerry Moss received the President's Merit Award on Feb. 11 at the 49th annual Grammy Awards. The executive duo were recognized for their impressive four-decade career in popular music.