Boisen Audio Recording Arts
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Myles Boisen, P.O. Box 8086, Berkeley CA. 94707-8086 - (510) 835-9333 - mylesboise@aol.com
GUERRILLA RECORDING: 16-track analog recording, informed engineering, vintage/tube gear
THE HEADLESS BUDDHA MASTERING LAB: CD mastering and digital editing
STRAY DOG RECORDING SERVICES: Great ears and gear for audiophile live recording
B.A.R.A. RECORDING PROGRAM: Basic and advanced recording classes
FREELANCE ENGINEERING AND RECORD PRODUCTION: S.F. Bay area/ U.S./ Europe
PRODUCT AND MUSIC REVIEWS: Electronic Musician Magazine, The All-Music Guide
MUSIC SERVICES: Guitar and bass, composition, production for:
The Splatter Trio, Club Foot Orchestra, The Twisted Tales Of Felix The Cat, David Lynch's Twin Peaks & Wild At Heart, Apes Of God, Rastascan Records, Myles Boisen Guitar Trio, Guitarspeak et. al.
Myles Boisen is a recording and mastering engineer, album producer, teacher, and guitarist/ bassist. His resume includes studio work for MTV, CBS, Warner Bros., Polydor, Tzadik, 4AD, Black Saint (Italy), Victo (Canada), DIW (Japan), independant film soundtracks, director David Lynch's films "Twin Peaks" and "Wild At Heart", live concert recording, university-level recording instruction, and performances with John Zorn, Rova Saxophone Quartet, Henry Kaiser, John Tchicai, Glenn Spearman, Eugene Chadbourne, Elliott Sharp, Splatter Trio, and Club Foot Orchestra.
As owner of Guerrilla Recording and The Headless Buddha Mastering Lab, producer/ engineer for Rastascan Records, and CD mastering engineer for numerous Bay Area labels, Myles has been fully involved with every aspect of audio recording, production, and CD mastering. His Boisen Audio Recording Arts collective encompasses a wide range of services founded on empathy and respect for musicians, a comprehensive grasp of recording styles and technology gathered over the past two decades, access to affordable, high-quality recording services and education, and, of course, excellent sounds.
Services offered include all phases of studio production, multi-track and live mixing, remastering, audiophile live recording, project evaluation, pre- and post-production, freelance engineering and production at the studio of your choice, CD manufacturing information, consulting, plus in-house digital editing, processing, and CD mastering using Sound Designer II software.
GUERRILLA RECORDING
Studio recording and production - $325 per day
"After spending many hours at Bay Area 24-track studios like Different Fur, Bay, Hyde Street, Sharkbite and more, I still like my own studio the best. Clients often tell me how much they enjoy the atmosphere and creative vibe of the place. And when the musicians feel comfortable, sessions are more productive; you get more inspiration, spontaneity, people are having fun, and you can really hear the difference on tape. Of course, it also makes a difference to have a lot of the same mics and outboard gear as the high-priced studios, including sought-after vintage, tube, and high-end gear by Neve, UREI, Focusrite, Neumann, Drawmer, Lawson, Sytek, AKG, Anthony DeMaria, Langevin, TC Electronics, and RCA."
The Guerrilla Recording approach relies on carefully selected audiophile-quality gear, clean and short signal paths, direct-to-tape recording, and sympathetic, informed engineering - the best studio resource available at ANY price - to keep costs low and quality high. Natural analog sounds, attention to details, a homey, relaxed vibe, and years of recording and production experience are what allow this studio to compete with the sounds and equipment offered by the big guys, at a fraction of the big prices.
The wood-floored "Live" room is ideal for any situation that requires short natural reverb - big drum sounds, jazz and classical instruments, strings, loud guitar, etc. - and is large enough for an entire band. The 250 sq. ft. "Quiet" room allows isolation for amps, horns, or vocals, and features live and dead walls, carpeting, air conditioning, and double doors which open out onto a spacious lounge area. The carpeted "Lounge" has been recently finished with natural wood acoustic panels, and is ideal for anything ranging from additional isolation to 10-12 piece jazz ensembles. A skylight provides both natural light and fresh air for the control room mixing environment. Sessions are relaxed, fun, and productive, and discounts are available for those who are willing to work with student engineers.
Tascam 16-track 1" analog deck w/ DBX
Neve, UREI, Langevin, Focusrite Red and Green series, Sytek preamps; Drawmer and AMR tube mic preamps
Soundcraft Spirit 16x8x2 studio console
Tannoy and Event monitors
AKG, Altec ribbon, Beyer ribbon, B.P.M., Coles ribbon, Electro-Voice, Groove Tubes, Lawson tube, Neumann, Oktava, RCA ribbon, Sennheiser, and Shure microphones.
TC Electronics, Lexicon, Yamaha, and Alesis digital reverbs
AKG and Furman analog reverbs
UREI, DBX, Drawmer tube, Focusrite Red, Anthony DeMaria tube, and Aphex compression and gating
Focusrite Red, Aphex, AKG, and Rane eq.
Quality cabling throughout
100% phase coherent (it's important!)
THE HEADLESS BUDDHA MASTERING LAB
CD mastering and digital editing - $35 an hour/ $225 per mastering session
Good-sounding mixes are essential, but you can't make a great-sounding CD, record, or tape without the finishing touch that a mastering engineer provides. During mastering, the spacing, sound, and level of every selection is compared and carefully adjusted, so that each piece not only sounds hot on its own, but also matches the rest of the tracks. Digital compression will make your music "jump out of the speakers", adding volume and punch beyond what is possible on DAT, and digital editing can be used to re-arrange songs, add or change fades, and in some cases fix mistakes! Song sequencing is fast and easy too. Basic mastering only takes about 6 hours, and is a small investment that pays off every time your project is heard on radio, tape, vinyl, or at home.
Fast and accurate digital editing, CD mastering, and pre-mastering for vinyl or cassette demos are available at very affordable rates, as well as special digital processing effects and "audio reclamation" from older analog sources. "Long distance" mastering jobs shipped in from outside the Bay Area are always welcome.
Panasonic SV-3800 DAT recorder
TC Electronics M2000 digital processor
Focusrite Red 2 stereo analog equalizer
Drawmer 1960 stereo tube compressor
Tannoy PBM-8 near-field monitors
Sound Designer II mastering software
Waves L1 Ultramaximizer software
Hafler power amp
Yamaha CD Recorder
Mackie 1402 mixing/ monitoring console
Monster cable throughout
STRAY DOG RECORDING SERVICES
Audiophile live recording - $75 for two sets
There are few things better than capturing the energy and spontaneity of a great live show on a CD-quality recording. Stray Dog Recording, operated by stereo miking specialist Karen Stackpole, uses carefully-chosen audiophile gear, plus extensive experience, testing, and training to ensure that every sound the audience heard (and even the sounds they couldn't hear!) gets onto DAT. Stereo miking is the best (and most cost-effective) recording option for venues with good acoustics, and multiple mike/ multi-track recording is ideal when you need to have more control over mixing or acoustics. Choose any live recording method you want, but don't choose to let that magical show vanish into thin air!
Panasonic SV-3800 DAT recorder
Focusrite Green series stereo mic preamp
Drawmer stereo compressor
AKG C-3000 microphones, or other stereo pairs available on rental
Monster cable throughout
BOISEN AUDIO RECORDING ARTS WORKSHOPS
Apprentice programs and recording workshops - variable fees
Education is a vital part of the Audio Recording Arts philosophy, starting with basic recording workshops. Enrollment is open to all, regardless of experience, and women are encouraged to apply. The six-week course, taught in the studio, provides a broad-based overview of the recording process, covering technical and practical fundamentals applicable to any home recording, live sound, or pro studio situation. Students are eligible to apprentice on commercial sessions, and advanced workshops and independant study programs are offered for workshop graduates who wish to pursue commercial studio engineering, live stereo recording, digital editing, and mastering.
Selected Production - engineering - mastering - editing - musician credits
DEREK BAILEY & EVAN PARKER (Rastascan CD)
ANTHONY BRAXTON/ GINO ROBAIR "Duets 1987" (Music & Arts CD)
EUGENE CHADBOURNE "Vol. 2: Solo Acoustic Guitar" (Rastascan CD)
EUGENE CHADBOURNE/ WILLIAM PARKER/ JACKSON KRALL
(live stereo recording)
CLUB FOOT ORCH. "Sherlock Jr./ Felix Woos Whoopee" (Rastascan CD)
CLUB FOOT ORCH. "Plays Nino Rota" (Rastascan CD)
INDIA COOKE'S RED HANDED (Music & Arts CD)
DEBRIS "Rapture In The Church Of Disreputable Daydreams"
(Music & Arts CD)
LISLE ELLIS/ LARRY OCHS/ DONALD ROBINSON "What We Live" (DIW CD)
ESKIMO "Some Prefer Cake" (CD/ film soundtrack)
FIGURE 8 (Rova + Barrett/ Berne/ Golia/ Spearman) "Pipe Dreams"
(Black Saint CD)
FRED FRITH "Un Certo Discorso" (RAI - Italian Radio)
DREW GARDNER & JOHN TCHICAI (CD pending)
PHILLIP GREENLIEF "Dreams With The Fishes" (film)
IMPERIAL TEEN "Shayla" (7")
MIYA MASAOKA "What Is The Difference..." (Victo CD)
THE MOLECULES "Morokyu" (Sento CD)
MUDWIMIN "Mysteries Of Inner Beauty" (Broken CD)
MX-80 SOUND "I've Seen Enough" (Atavistic CD)
MX-80 SOUND "Big Hits/ Hard Attack" reissue (Atavistic CD)
MX-80 SOUND "Always Leave 'Em Wanting Less" (Atavistic CD)
NAKED AGGRESSION (Broken CD)
PARIS SLIM/ GARY SMITH "Mt. Top West Coast
Blues Session Vol. 1" (Globe CD)
PARIS SLIM "Bleedin' Heart" (Globe CD)
GINO ROBAIR "Singular Pleasures" (Rastascan CD)
ROVA SAXOPHONE QUARTET "PTOW!!" (Victo CD)
ROVA SAXOPHONE QUARTET "Bingo" (Victo CD)
ROVA "Morphological Echoes" (Rastascan CD)
DRED SCOTT "Time For The Hard Stuff" (CD)
JOHN SCHOTT "Shuffle Play" (CD pending)
JOHN SCHOTT "In These Great Times" (Tzadik CD)
GLENN SPEARMAN DOUBLE TRIO "Mystery
Project" (Black Saint CD)
GLENN SPEARMAN/ DONALD ROBINSON DUO (Eremite CD pending)
SPLATTER TRIO "Hi-Fi Junk Note" (Rastascan CD)
SPLATTER TRIO & DEBRIS "Jump Or Die: Splatter & Debris Play Braxton" (Music & Arts CD)
STONE FOX "Dirty Pillows" (CD)
TARNATION "Gentle Creatures" (4AD CD)
VARIOUS "Wavelength Infinity: A Sun Ra Tribute" (Rastascan CD)
VARIOUS "Land Of The Rising Noise Vol. 2" (Charnel Music CD)
VARIOUS "David Lynch's Wild At Heart - Original Soundtrack"
(Polydor CD)
VARIOUS "Music From Twin Peaks - Fire Walk With Me" (Warner Bros. CD)
FRANCIS WONG/ GENNY LIM "Devotee" (Asian Improv Arts CD)
JOHN ZORN XU FENG ENS. "(Y)earbook Volume 2" (Rastascan CD)
A discography, list of production credits, and demo will be cheerfully provided on request. Please feel free to call or write me for any reason. If you want to know more, click on the links listed below. And thanks for checking out this page - Myles.
About Myles' music and the Bay Area scene:Myles Boisen's GuitarspeakSplatter TrioRastascan RecordsBay Area Creative Music CalendarOther record labels:Broken RekidsCharnel MusicLimited Sedition RecordsMusic & Arts RecordsRacer RecordsVaccination Records
Boisen Audio Recording Arts
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