Sanjay Patel Sound

Music Works in El Cerrito

If you’re in need of some audio-related advice and you’re in the Bay Area, head over to Music Works in El Cerrito.

I’ll be starting there Monday as a sales guy, and I have to say I’m pretty impressed with this little mom-and-pop shop.  Not only have they survived being within a mile of a Guitar Center, they stock a ton of great gear that you won’t find in the local big-box store.

Rivera Amps, Modulus Basses, and G&L Electrics to name a few of the brands that I’ve come to love as a Sound Guy are carried here, which I’ll admit, floored me a bit. These brands don’t cater to the masses as much as they work hard to make rock solid gear that rocks hard, so it’s definitely a telling sign for a small store to carry them.

But really, come check us out, and if you’re in need of some recording/concert sound help, feel free to ask for me! There’s a bajillion ways to get in contact with me over at AskASoundGuy.com too.

Cover Art for The Spectacle

My friends VIOLETHOUR (yes, it’s all caps on purpose) released their E.P. entitled “The Spectacle” this summer.  Why am I writing about this, you might ask?

Well yours truly had priveledge of mastering the record (it was self-recorded, produced ad mixed).  It was truly awesome to get on board a project that was a lot of fun, full of challenges, and great sounding.

It’s definitely worth a listen, and of course worth buying (although I am a bit biased).

If you’re interested, follow the linky to iTunes – LINKY

Had the pleasure of sitting in on a practice last night.  Threw up some mics and hit record.  They did the rest.

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Little Extra Info:

Drums: Audio Technica AT2050 in Omni as Overhead

Cello: Audio Technica AT2020 2 feet off about 30 degrees off center to the Left of Fingerboard.

Electric Piano: Shure SM57 Directly on Speakers.

Acoustic Guitar: Sennheiser e609 on Amp.

twentyfrets

Rough Master of “One”

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In the process of mastering the twentyfrets demos.  Progress has been slow as switching gears from mixing/recording to mastering takes a little time and re-thinking.  

I’m definitely enjoying the challenge of mastering with a limited budget, as it’s the kind of challenge that forces you to get creative, find new resources, and ask tough questions.  

One of the best books I’ve found that really helps take some of the mystery out of the process is Mastering Audio by Bob Katz.

Mastering Audio by Bob Katz

Anyway, keep an eye out on twentyfrets:

myspace: myspace.com/twentyfrets

twitter: twitter.com/20frets

We should be getting tracks up as soon as next week!

Well, I didn’t want to brag about it until I was sure this was going somewhere, but my online magazine, www.AskASoundGuy.com, has reached it’s 100th article posted.  

I started the site with colleague, friend, and nerd, Ben Versluis with the idea of creating an online magazine full of useful tips and tutorials about music and audio production.  We wanted some hands-on, real-world information for solving problems and honing techniques that were relevant to people with small budgets but a lot of creativity.  

We slowly expanded the scope of the magazine to encompass reviews, interviews and other things we thought were interesting and relevant.  

I’m proud to say now, that AskASoundGuy.com is here to stay, and we’re actively looking for more writiers and contributors.