AfterHours
studios
Doing After Hours With
Top-Flight Players

Gregg Bissonette at After Hours

For Ten-time Grammy Winner mixer/engineer Rafa Sardina (Macy Gray, Dr. Dre, Alejandro Sanz) work and play always happen after hours.

"Now I have a place that I can offer to musicians and friends who need to make music anytime of the day or night. Plus, I've been collecting cool gear for over five years and needed storage room outside of my house. I'm happy with the results. It's a comfortable musician-friendly environment to work on projects that don't necessarily have the budgets for commercial studios. Plus it allows me to get more involved with a wider range of artists/bands or music that I love," says Sardina.

The After Hours Studios is designed by Clayt Hudson, principal architect of COMPOS/IT/E with design credits to include: O'Henry Studio C, Alejandro Sanz home studio in Miami Beach, FL, and NRG Recording Services.

"The design evolved from a very basic 'home studio' to one on par with commercial facilities. Rafa and I worked together to develop a working studio that would satisfy his Grammy-worthy demands and were able to maximize the existing spaces to become a dedicated recording/mixing environment experience," says the architect.


The main studio at After Hours is large enough to accommodate rhythm track sessions comfortably. Recently After Hours hosted Gregg Bissonette (Don Henley, Duran Duran, Ray Charles, and Carlos Santana) on drums and songwriter Matt Bissonette on bass.
LA club circuit, Detroit Mutant Radio recently stopped by. "Your hospitality and engagement with our music was perfect. The boys had lot of fun cutting over ten songs in two days," says Joseph Bialik of DMR.

Sardina becomes the first Los Angeles-based independent engineer/producer
to choose the recently-introduced SSL AWS 900+. Analogue Workstation System which also includes an SSL XLogic X-Rack packed with eight Dynamics modules.
The control room houses the ProTools HD system fully loaded with Apogee converters and plug-ins. "I wanted to have a tool that would help me mix to the level I'm used to-I've been using SSL consoles for a very long time-and I find that mixing 'in the box' doesn't satisfy my requirements, sonically speaking, especially in recording basic tracks," says Sardina.

Yup, clients are getting younger all the time!

Photo: Ed Freeman Courtesy of AT

The studios are booked for tracking, mixing, overdubs and MIDI sessions.

After Hours Control rooms is generously appointed with well-maintained vintage and contemporary outboard equipment including an impressive microphone collection like a matched pair of the new Telefunken Ela M12 which is the recreation of the classic microhone manufactured in the 60s and considered one of the most desirable of the classic condenser tube microphones. "I'm also a huge fan of AT mics.

L-R: Luis Villa, Gregg Bissonette,....Matt Bissonette, ....Rafa Sardina,....

What I love about these mics is their performance and versatility. Last year I found myself renting the mics on almost every session. So, finally I have a pair of my own," says Sardina. According to the engineer/mixer who has works with major artists at some of the worlds' top studios (Abbey Road, Chalice and Record Plant) he uses the mics for Drums and strings to vox and everything in between.

Listening to a playback of Detroit Mutatnt Radio

Sardina's eclectic credits include chart topping artists like Macy Gray, Jessy Moss, Dr. Dre, Luis Miguel, Sheryl Crow, Marc Antoine, Angie Stone and Alejandro Sanz.

Rafa who has been working at some of the best studios internationally, decided to have his own place so he could be more flexible with a wide range of client budgets and still be able to do what he loves...mixing, engineering and producing albums.

Rafa Sardina and Luis Villa doing After Hours

"I'm mixing songs for an upcoming Warner release this week in my studio. Even some of my more established clients will appreciate the cost saving move. Plus this allows me the luxury to experiment with sound and have more fun," says the mixer/engineer.

Bookings or Private Studio Tours
Contact: studioexpresso