TRAC Alum Records Debut EP at Studio West

TRAC Alum Hunter Levy is the singer/guitarist of San Diego-based heavy rock band Chanauk, who recorded their debut EP in Studio A of Studio West last week. The band chose engineer and TRAC instructor Kellogg Boynton to record and mix the project, based on his reputation and extensive Pro Tools expertise. Here’s what Hunter and the band had to say about the recording process:

“While most engineers use a direct signal for recording, Kellogg utilized a collection of microphones that gave me a great sound - big, growly and thick, it really provides a solid foundation for our songs.” -Rob Jones, bassist

“The best equipment combined with Kellogg’s knowledge at the helm enabled me to really dial in great clean and overdriven tones. This was definitely the most comfortable and non-intrusive recording experience I’ve ever had.” -Tyler Alvord, guitarist

“Kellogg was a very compassionate and welcoming engineer. It really helped having an engineer that understands the difficulty of having to record first out of the whole band. I also didn’t expect to be able to get such a great sound from my kit, which is optimized more toward a live setting.” -Nic Gentilella, drummer

“I love recording guitars at Studio West because they always turn out professional, especially compared to recording at home. You know you’re at an awesome studio when the studio owner’s wife brings you pastries in the morning.” -Hunter Levy, singer/guitarist

This Holiday Season...

...is in full swing! TRAC is celebrating 5 fantastic years of training and our home base, Studio West, is about to turn 40!

This past Friday, Our Man Jesse got the chance to watch a live set by Plain White T's in Studio A (that's him in the back row, 3rd from left). Here's how it went:

The band performed a 3-song acoustic set for an intimate gathering of 40 fans, closing with their biggest hit, "Hey There Delilah". The session was also streamed live over Slacker Radio and recorded for a potential future broadcast.

The five-member band brought in three acoustic guitars and a ukulele, and shakers and tambourines for the percussionist. All of the instruments and voices were recorded in to Pro Tools HD 8 at 24 bit/96Khz and returned to Studio A's SSL 4064E Console for mixdown. Each vocalist sang through an SM7b microphone except for lead singer Tom Higgenson, who sang through a U87 into a Teletronix LA-2A. Every microphone was routed through a Neve 1073 Preamp before being sent into Pro Tools.

Check Studio West's site for more photos and info!

TRAC alum returns to help fellow students

Dan Stelter, who joined us for several Pro Tools classes, Audio Recording Techniques (ART), Signal Processing with Waves and The Art of Mixing, will come back in this week to play for our latest group of ART students. The students will prep Dan's session, practice micing techniques and routing, and track some tunes. Stay tuned for photos!

TRAC catalog now available for download

Click here to download a .pdf version of our catalog, or give us a call at 858 592 0556 and we'll snail mail a hard copy to your door!

Classes added for October

Additional sessions of Pro Tools 210M and Pro Tools 220 have been added to the schedule for October....

If you got your Operator Certification in Pro Tools 6 or 7, PT220 is the course you need to get up to speed with version 8! We'll be meeting October 29 & 30 to discuss both Music Production and Post Production topics.

And if you're looking to get your Pro Tools Operator certification quick, we put another PT210M on the schedule for October 26 - 28 so we still have room for you!

New Photos from "Audio Recording Techniques"

One of the major benefits to having our school reside within a working commercial studio is getting to use the rooms for training! Last week, students in "Audio Recording Techniques" got to spend some quality time in Studio A, learning about the SSL, routing, patching, micing and more....

Nothing so constant as change....

TRAC has seen it's share of changes - ahem, upgrades - over the past few years and 2011 will be no exception! As we prepare to offer new and expanded training services we've brought on a Director of Admissions, so the next time you hear a friendly Texas drawl on the other end of the line you'll know you've met Jesse Maxson! We're very pleased to have Jesse on board and know our students will really like working with him, so stop by the studio the next time you're in the neighborhood....

So...as for the new stuff: Media Composer, VENUE, Waves Gold...see anything you like? New classes will be added to the schedule over the next few months so keep an eye out. We'll also be picking up where we left off with the San Diego Pro Tools User Group meetings, each focusing on a particular element of Pro Tools which deserves further exploration. You can get in on the action by heading over to sdptug.org and letting us know exactly what you want to learn more about.

And...the expanded stuff: The TRAC staff is currently pooling our talents and resources to build a 9-month degree program in Recording Arts! Look for updates here or on the site, and let us know if you'd be interested in enrolling....

More talent!

TRAC students attending Audio Recording Techniques this week will get to step into the studio with Soundescape and Jordan Reimer and get hands-on experience tracking these artists in Studio A and Studio C at Studio West of San Diego

New photos!

We've updated our original training room and built a brand new one - check 'em out!

TRAC Student Testimonial

A few kind words from a former student and current intern at Studio West....

"I began playing music when I was in the second grade. It came fairly naturally to me and I always had fun playing whatever instrument I was into at the time. As a youth it was mostly a hobby for me and it wasn’t until I moved to California and picked up a guitar that I really started to get serious and passionate about pursuing music as a career.

That was six years ago, when I received my degree in hospitality management and began working in hotels and restaurants. Early on, in the back of my mind, I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, but I didn’t really know how to go about breaking into the music business. After playing in a few different bands and writing some of my own music, I began to realize that I wanted to learn about music recording and production to really diversify my skill set and better prepare myself for the future.

I spent months looking into all sorts of different programs, from community colleges, graduate programs, the Musicians Institute, and local studios as well. It seemed like an impossible decision until I made a visit to The Recording Arts Center at Studio West. Immediately after taking a tour and meeting with the staff, I knew it was the program I wanted to get involved in.

As a student I had access to state of the art equipment, expert instructors, small class sizes, and networking opportunities with other music enthusiasts from Californians, east-coasters, and folks from as far away as Mexico City. Most important for me was the level of personal attention that I received as a student. No matter how busy things were at the studio, whenever I called with a question, someone would take time out of their day to speak with me. That made a lasting impression with me. The other great part about the classes is that you can tailor them to your goals, whether it’s to learn how to work your own project studio or to become a certified Pro Tools Operator.

Once I received my operator certification in music production, I started working as an intern at Studio West. The welcoming and family-like environment I enjoyed as a student has continued and it feels like I’ve been there for years, even though it’s only been months. The smaller size of the studio has given me many more opportunities to work on a variety of projects in a short amount of time, which I feel would be considerably more limited in larger facilities in cities like L.A. and New York. These have included tracking, session set-up and break-down, mixing, working on a weekly radio call-in show, and I’ve even had opportunities to work off site with film and music celebrities.

The program allows you to progress at your own rate while challenging you to become creative and resourceful by working autonomously on projects. Problem solving is an essential skill for engineers to be successful and the staff is there to support you 100 percent. They genuinely want to see you realize your goals and I feel like I am getting the best possible preparation for a tough industry.

Having a career in music seemed like an unattainable dream for so long and my internship is making that dream seem more like a real future every day. I feel truly lucky to be a part of the team at TRAC and Studio West and for all the skills that I have learned and will continue to learn for as long as I can."

Coming this fall...live sound and VENUE!

Starting this fall, TRAC will be offering classes and certification in VENUE. Pro Tools 110V and Pro Tools 210V will focus on the essential skills required to operate a VENUE system in a live sound environment through comprehensive, hands-on training on a VENUE D-Show or Profile control surface and cover system hardware as well as software configuration. Stay tuned for dates!

The Tuesday Tutor Series

February's "Tuesday Tutor" was a success! Caleb helped the group break Elastic Audio down into its basic components, and explained how to use it in everyday sessions. They learned how to fix the timing of drums, match loops to a session’s tempo, align vocal tracks, and change the phrasing of audio sections, all non-destructively with Elastic Audio.

Interested in joining us for the next meeting? Head over to sdptug.org and sign up!

New Music From The Latest Audio Recording Techniques Course

We just recently finished up our most recent Audio Recording Techniques (ART) course which meant we brought in a local band for the students to record. Once loaded into Studio A at Studio West, the boys from Echo Revolution wasted no time laying down the basic tracks for their song "Spring Time". The students did a fantastic job of tracking the band through the SSL 4000 series console into Pro Tools HD. Here is the rough mix of the song. You can check out the band on their website at www.echorevolution.com or on Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/echorevolution.

Spring Time by Echo Revolution

The Tuesday Tutor Series

Starting in February, TRAC will hold bi-monthly "mini-training" sessions focusing on specific topics like Beat Detective, Elastic Audio and Keyboard Shortcuts, to name just a few. These sessions will be open to any interested parties and we expect them to fill up fast! For more info call Caleb or Amy at 858 592 0556.

Happy New Year from TRAC and Studio West!