>> We're Back

That's right. The RPM Direct Newsletter is back. We haven't been gone really, just re-tooling the way our newsletter is delivered to you. Sorry for the downtime. Meanwhile, the RPM Direct producer/engineer and recording studio directories online continue to grow daily. Our directories have thousands of listings for the industry's top producers, engineers, mixers, producer management and recording facilities. Send us your news, your press, your audio for review. If you have recording industry related press, producer/engineer news, studio sessions news, announcements, producer client updates, pro audio product news, music for review or something else to contribute, send it to News@rpmdirect.com

>> The Hit Factory Closes Its Doors After 30 Years

The Hit Factory, the New York recording studio where many top recording artists made countless hit records for 30 years, will close within a month. The studio at 421 W. 54th St. -- one of most famous studios in music history -- was home to sessions by such artists as Donald Fagen, Michael Jackson, Tony Bennett, Toni Braxton, Madonna, U2, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jay-Z, Beyonce and many more. The Manhattan studio was opened by producer Jerry Ragovoy in 1968. It quickly made its name and became favoured by top producers, engineers and artists. In 1975, it was sold to the late Edward Germano, who transferred it to a luxurious 100,000-square-foot space with seven recording rooms and five mastering suites. His first customer was Stevie Wonder who recorded part of Songs in the Key of Life there. The new location, six blocks north, opened in June 1993. In 1994, music recorded, mastered or mixed inside the pre-eminent facility captured a staggering 41 Grammy nominations. "The Hit Factory paved the way for how recording studios approached the artistic process of making music," said Janice Germano, the studio's owner. "In doing so, it forever changed the way artists thought about making records and raised the art form to a new level of innovation." The closing of The Hit Factory provides the starkest illustration to date of the precipitous and, many audio professionals fear, irreversible decline in the fortunes of commercial recording studios -- owing to the emergence of relatively inexpensive digital audio equipment that has allowed virtually anyone to produce high-quality recordings. The Hit Factory, which will continue to operate its recording facility in Miami, acknowledged in a statement announcing its decision that there was "a burgeoning shift in the music industry away from large-scale recording facilities."

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>> SPARS Organizes “Project Analog” - Plans Custom Quantegy Tape Run

At the news that Quantegy, the last U.S. manufacturer of analog recording tape, had closed its doors and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the Society of Professional Audio Recording Services (SPARS) went into immediate action to ensure the availability of analog tape to SPARS members--and others. “We’re working with Richard Lindemuth, Quantegy’s president and COO, to organize runs of specific analog tape denominations,” states Andrew Kautz, SPARS president and CEO of Nashville’s Emerald Entertainment. “Our goal is to get analog tape back in the pipeline as quickly as possible, keeping tape available and affordable as a creative tool for our profession.” According to Kautz, with sufficient response, a run of various analog tape lines including GP9, 456 and/or 499 could be accomplished relatively quickly at Quantegy’s Opelika, AL manufacturing plant. “In addition to music recording services,” Kautz comments, “analog tape is used by other customers such as NASA who require the reliability only analog tape provides. We want to preserve a tool and legacy that has been integral in the creation of the best sonic standard we have to date. “We also want to help Quantegy, a company that has been a vital part of our industry for many years. They have provided, not only tape, but also moral support and a sense of community in our charitable events. In this trying time, we want to show them that the recording community cares about their company and their product and wants to ensure that they remain a viable part of our industry. “SPARS represents various segments of the recording industry,” Kautz concludes, “including studios, equipment rental, coordinators, other support services and educational facilities. Our mission is to work together to communicate with, and provide direction to, our industry. The current analog tape situation is a prime example of an issue that affects our membership’s business interests. We hope to hear from many in the industry who want to participate in this endeavor to maintain the flow of analog product.” To participate in the SPARS authorized Quantegy tape order process, please call 1-800-752-0732 and reference SPARS. Your order will be taken, added to the list, and you will be contacted within a few days with a time frame for fulfillment of your order. For further analog updates, go to www.spars.com or call SPARS at 800-771-7727.

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>> John Hiatt Records to Sonoma-24 at Ardent in Memphis

In what is described as the very first sessions to use a "real world" DSD recorder, John Hiatt has recorded his new album at Memphis' renowned Ardent Studios. Produced by Jim Dickinson and engineered by John Hampton, the New West Records album features Luther and Cody Dickinson of The North Mississippi All-Stars on guitar and drums, with David Hood on bass. Gus Skinas, President and CEO of Super Audio Center LLC., developers of the Sonoma-24 Direct Stream Digital recording and editing system, was on hand to supervise the remarkable new technology. Skinas explained, "John Hiatt's session at Ardent was the very first session to use a 'real world' multitrack DSD recorder. DSD, or Direct Stream Digital, is a new and different technology for recording audio. It is a step as significant as the move from analog to digital recording in the early 80's. In stead of recording 24 bit words at a rate of 96 thousand times a second , it records a very fast 1 bit sigma-delta stream at a rate of 2.8 million bits a second. It is a signal much more analog-like in sound and appearance, but it can still be digitally copied and processed. While there are some devices out there that can record multitrack DSD, the Sonoma-24 is the only one that can do this and provide the overdubbing and editing capabilities that everyone is familiar with, given the power of today's workstations. When used in a state-of-the-art analog studio such as Ardent, the final product is free of the sonic restrictions one finds with typical digital production. This will be most obvious when John Hiatt's new SA-CD is played on an SA-CD player that uses the same DSD technology to playback the recording. It will also be noticeable on CD's and MP-3's. as well , because the better the master, the better the final product." For more info, visit www.ardentstudios.com or dial (901) 725-0855

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>> Client News From Paul Brown Management

Sergio Galoyan is a new addition to the PBM rostero. A prodigiously talented young Russian pop writer/producer, Sergio co-wrote and produced the debut album by t.A.T.u which sold over 4m copies and is now in LA producing the follow-up. David Bottrill is back at work on the new album by Staind for Elektra/Atlantic. He is also close to completing the debut album by Kristin Hoffman for Interscope. He will be available in April. Pedro Ferreria has just cut a single with Jay Loveless and the Heart Attacks. He has also recently produced The Tokyo Dragons debut album for Island, due out in April. Tchad Blake has just completed a new album by Bonnie Raitt and has mixed the upcoming LP by Brendan Benson, his first for V2. Tchad has also received a Grammy nomination for the album by the Bad Plus which he produced last March. Tchad will shortly be off to the USA to work on a new Tracy Chapman album. Jim Spencer co-produced and mixed the last album by The Charlatans - "Up at the Lake" - and he has just completed engineering and mixing the new album by New Order. He has also just been in the studio with two new bands from Manchester - Echoes and Karmacops. Head has just completed producing the debut album for Brighton-based 5.15 signings She Said. He engineered and mixed the new LP by PJ Harvey, "Uh Huh Her" which has received a Grammy nomination. Nick Lloyd has just completed the production of the new album by Kerrang favourites Midasuno at his own studio (Strongbox) in Wales and is now cutting tracks with hot new Cardiff 3-piece Dirty Perfect. He is also adding the finishing touches to the debut album by Kaptain Black, out soon on Mighty Atom. Call Paul Brown or Claire Alliott for showreels and availability +44 (0) 208 994 8887

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>> Producer/Remixer/Composer Ben Rosen Joins The SOS Roster

Ben Rosen cut his teeth playing bass in the 90's in Sydney's funk and rock scenes. His sound is a unique blend of his hard-hitting funk roots, rock and electronica, bringing to mind a cross between Nellee Hooper, NIN and The Crystal Method. Based in Singapore, Ben's distinctive sonics and strong hooks have been catching the ears of some of America's most wanted. Unwritten Law used Ben's song "Mean Girl" as the opening track on "Elva," and his programming is featured on their new album "Here's To The Mourning" (Atlantic/Lava), produced by Sean Beavan (Marilyn Manson, NIN, No Doubt). His remixes of underground darlings, 8mm, have generated so much interest that he is coming to the States next month to put his face to his name. Ben's knack for knowing what attracts attention through music makes him a natural for radio remixes. A popular advertising composer down under, he is the cutting-edge choice for the likes of Levis, Sony, Nokia and Volvo, amongst others. For further info, please contact Shannon O'Shea on (323) 654 2828.

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Recent sessions action at The Cutting Room in NY includes: Carly Simon continued working on her new standards record with producers Richard Perry and Lauren Wylde. Dylan Margerum engineered the sessions in studio B. DJ Kayslay continues to keep very busy with multiple projects including The Game, Cassidy, Papoose, Money Mark & Cannibus. Online entertainment company UnderGround Online (UGO) visited in December with The Ditty Bops. The session was for a web broadcast of their live performance in studio A. Joe Nardone engineered the session. Producer/Engineer Chris Griffin returned to Studio A to cut tracks and mix for new artist Katie Neil. Sean Pelton cut drums on the track. Anthony Gallo assisted. Independent rock band Fight Of Your Life mixed their demo in Studio A on the SSL 9000J with engineer Paul Logus. For more information on The Cutting Room check out our website at www.thecuttingroom.com

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>> Recent Sessions Action At Avatar Studios

We recently caught up with Tino Passante at NY's Avatar Studios for the latest happenings. Here are some highlights: Studio A - (NEVE 8068) Producer Charlie Sexton and engineer Brian Scheuble were in recently with Edie Brickell recording more songs for her upcoming release. Brian Montgomery and Anthony Ruotolo assisted. Lava Records band O.A.R. were in recently recording with producer Jerry Harrison and engineer Eric Thorngren. Brian Montgomery assisted. Studio B - (SSL9000J) Engineer Rich Costey was in recently mixing material by Three Days Grace for Jive Records. Ross Petersen & Claudius Mittendorfer assisted. Studio C - (NEVE-VRP72) Producer Steve Jordan, and engineer Niko Bolas were in recently tracking for Marc Cohn’s upcoming release. Peter Doris assisted. Engineer Joe Blaney recently stopped by to record new artist Legion Fields for indie label Diluvian Records. Anthony Ruotolo assisted. Studio G - NEW (SSL4000G+) Producer/engineer Ben Schigel recently in mixing an upcoming record for Windup Records band Breaking Point. Brian Montgomery assisted. Engineer Rich Costey recently in mixing material by Your Code Name Is: Milo for Polydor Records. Brian Montgomery assisted. Engineer/Producer Jason Corsaro recently in mixing material by new artist KeroseneSky independent release. Peter Doris assisted. For more information contact Tino Passante Tel: (212) 765-7500 or tino@avatarstudios.net

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As part of Robin Millar's ongoing commitment to re-establishing Whitfield Street as the premier multi media studio, he has the pleasure of recently announcing the following appointments: David Anderson as General Manager, Rebecca Duncan as Studio Bookings Manager and Jo Harrison as Marketing and Client Services Manager. Gay Marshall, appointed as Mastering Manager in March of this year, completes the team. Robin Millar, Chief Executive, Whitfield Street Studios notes, "This is a very exciting time for Whitfield Street Studios. A time for building upon and enhancing our existing technology and services, a time for preserving our valued relationships and for cultivating new ones. It is a time to pay homage to Whitfield Street's extraordinary history and above all, a time to ensure that the history that we have been given the opportunity to create will be as extraordinary." For more information contact Jo Harrison Whitfield Street Studios Tel: 020 7636 3434 Or visit www.whitfield-street.com

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>> Waves Aid Jerry Harrison On Remixes Of Two Classic Talking Heads Records In 5.1

Speaking in Tongues (1983) and Remain in Light (1980), two of the classic LPs that comprise the rich musical legacy of Talking Heads, have been remixed in 5.1 surround sound by original band member Jerry Harrison and engineer/mixer Eric “E.T.” Thorngren. Waves tools selected by Harrison and Thorngren to be used on the remixes include several of the well-known Waves’ Renaissance plug-ins as well as the company’s C1 Compressor, C4 Multiband Parametric Processor, L1 and L2 Ultramaximizers, and X-Noise plug-in. “Every engineer I know loves them,” remarks Harrison, who adds that he has been familiar with the Waves heritage dating back to when several of the company’s founding engineers worked on the MUSE digital mastering console, a pioneering effort in digital audio technology. “These guys have been pushing the envelope for years, and the result is that we get to use some of the finest processing available for our projects.” Thorngren, who has recorded with the Eurhythmics, Robert Palmer, Grand Master Flash and the Von Bondies, has also been a Waves user for years. “I find that I increasingly reach for the Waves stuff first for compression and EQ,” Thorngren notes. “The Q10 is one of the best equalizers I’ve ever used." Thorngren is also fond of the C1 Compressor and C4 Multiband Parametric Processor, which combine compression and equalization features. "They're part of how I always mix vocals now," he continues. "Compression on vocals has to have exactly the right touch. The secret to rock music mixes is the relationship between the vocal and the track: too loud and it’s not rock anymore, too soft and you can’t make out the words. The Waves compressors allow me to actually ride the vocals in a mix and find that happy medium that makes great rock mixes.” Harrison says having dedicated 5.1 processing on a plug-in basis made the remixes easier to handle, particularly with EQ and compression. “My studio has the ability to route to both outboard analog processing and to digital plug-ins,” he explains. “We use Waves plug-ins on every project. Because of the completeness of the bundle, they are the first plug-ins we turn to. Waves plug-ins are musical, easy to use, and a great complement to our analog equipment. I would recommend them to all DAW owners.” Site Waves Ltd Discription Software Signal processors www.waves.com

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Nancy Matter just recently completed the 5.1 and Stereo mastering for Atlanta Gospel Artist Ann Nesby at Moonlight Mastering for her latest up coming 2005 DVD/CD release "Ann Nesby Live" (It's Time Child Records, LLC.) Grammy Nominated three years in a row, The Inspirational Soul driven DVD and CD was recorded live in Atlanta and will feature Nesby's hits from her first three solo albums and even some "gems" from the Sounds of Blackness days. For more information contact Nancy Matter at Moonlight Mastering at (818) 841-2987 or visit www.moonlightmastering.com

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>> MPAA, RIAA Push U.S. Supreme Court Review of Grokster, Morpheus Case

In a brief filed with the Supreme Court, the country's leading entertainment companies have joined together to urge the Court to stop the growing threat of theft of movies and music over the Internet. In the filing, the nation's major motion picture studios and recording companies emphasized that they do not seek to overturn the Sony-Betamax decision, but rather ask the Court to reaffirm the fundamental principles of the protection of private property, including intellectual property, central to the country's laws since the days of the framing of the Constitution. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) member company studios and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recording companies urge the Court to overturn the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that held that certain internet file sharing services, including Grokster and Morpheus, are not liable for the massive, rampant copyright infringements occurring over their networks. The motion picture studios, record companies and music publishers argue that these services are liable for those copyright infringements based on their history of encouraging and assisting the massive illegal downloading and uploading by the users of their services of copyrighted motion pictures, television programs and music; and, as the services are used overwhelmingly for infringement, they cannot escape liability for those infringements. "A broad consensus has emerged around the conclusion that the Sony-Betamax decision was never meant to provide cover for Grokster-style theft," said Mitch Bainwol, chairman and CEO, RIAA. "We've seen legal briefs echoing this perspective filed by a remarkable set of voices - creators, technologists, state attorneys general, the Solicitor General on behalf of the federal government, Members of Congress, property rights organizations and many others." Recording Industry Association of America www.riaa.org Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. www.mpaa.org. Grokster www.grokster.com. Morpheus www.morpheus.com

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>> DTS Entertainment Releases Special Two-Disc Set From LTJ Bukem

DTS entertainment label, DTS Entertainment recently announced the release of a special two-disc set from UK dance music pioneer LTJ Bukem entitled Planet Earth. Composed of exclusive new mixes of the best tracks from the legendary Earth series, the Planet Earth package offers both a DVD in DTS-ES 6.1-channel surround sound, as well as a stereo CD. Often called the "godfather" of drum'n'bass, LTJ Bukem has been one of the most individual and influential figures in dance music over the last decade. He led the dance music scene in the early 1990s, and later released a series of eight classic mix albums collectively called Earth, which brought together elements of acid jazz, dance, hip hop and soul. A combination of the jazzy ambient soundscapes and hyper breakbeats which have become Bukem's calling card, Planet Earth features unique new mixes from drum'n'bass legends such as Makoto, Lori Fine, K-Scope, Phluff, Words 2 Be Heard, Dr. Jazz's Universal Remedy and PHD & The Funky Technicians. The new mixes, both surround and stereo versions, were overseen at London's Hear No Evil Studios by Steve Parr, one of the UK's leading surround mix engineers. Additional remixes were created in Los Angeles by Rodney Orpheus and Fred Maher (Crystal Method's Legion of Boom.) The Planet Earth DVD features many extras including: DTS-ES 6.1-channel surround sound on DVD Bonus track on DVD - "Extensions Of Life", Special "Mix Breakdown" track - "You're Divine", On-screen bios, "LTJ Bukem's lush ambient mixes offer a whole new perspective in surround sound," said Jeff Skillen, Vice President, Pro Audio and Technology Evangelism at DTS. "Any fan of dance music or surround music in general needs this compilation." For more information, please visit www.dtsEntertainment.com

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>> Napster Launches World's First Portable Subscription Service

Napster, the biggest brand in digital music, announced the consumer release of its groundbreaking Napster To Go technology and the unveiling of the new Napster 3.0. Napster To Go, the world's first portable subscription service, lets consumers move an unlimited amount of songs from Napster's million plus catalog to compatible MP3 players for one, low monthly fee of $14.95. Napster To Go marks the most significant milestone to date in the rapidly-growing digital music industry and makes costly download-only stores seem antiquated by comparison. The release will be accompanied by a major $30 million marketing campaign supported by strategic alliances with leading consumer electronics manufacturers Creative, Dell and iriver. "Napster To Go provides infinitely greater value and is much more exciting than the iTunes pay-per-download model," said Chris Gorog, Napster's chairman and CEO. "This is what consumers want and Napster is once again proud to lead the industry by being the first in the world to offer this revolutionary new way to enjoy music." A fully-integrated marketing program will support the release of Napster To Go, led by a currently-under-wraps February 6, 2005 Super Bowl television advertisement. This will be complemented by the new "Works with Napster To Go" logo program that enables consumers to easily identify Napster To Go compatible MP3 players at retail. Napster's initiatives will feature the Creative Zen Micro, the Dell Pocket DJ and iriver's H10 MP3 players in retail and direct programs as well as prominent placement in its advertising. All three manufacturers are participating in the "Works with Napster To Go" logo program and will include a free one-month Napster To Go trial subscription bundled with each device purchase. "The combination of a subscription service like Napster To Go and one of Creative's portable music players, like the award-winning Zen Micro, opens up a whole new paradigm for music discovery," said Mark Adams, vice president of sales and marketing for Creative. "It's so much fun to go through the Napster catalog of over a million songs and fill up your Zen Micro. You can mix tunes from favorite artists, albums, or choose some completely new music -- it's like being your own personal DJ." www.napster.com

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>> Bits & Pieces...

Beth Shuttleworth (ex-Eden Studios) has just taken over at UNiT21 Recording, a new commercial studio complex in East London. The studios comprise a Euphonix/ProTools HD studio and ProControl/ProTools suite. Pre-production, recording, mixing, 5.1, post-production. In-house engineers/programmers available. Clients include Kylie, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, Andy C, DJ Hype, Mark Aston. For more information contact Beth Shuttleworth, Studio Manager, UNiT21 Recording, 21 London Lane, London E8 3PR Tel. +44 (0)20 8525 1101. Beth@unit21recording.com

The Mastering Lab is pleased to announce some Grammy Nominations for the upcoming Grammy awards in February 2005. Doug Sax and Robert Hadley are nominated for Album Of The Year and also for Best Surround Sound project for "Ray Charles-Genius Loves Company." Sax is also nominated in the Surround category for the re-issue of Bonnie Raitt-Nick Of Time. Two time Grammy Award winner Gavin Lurssen of The Mastering Lab was the first mastering engineer to win an Album Of The Year Grammy for his work on O Brother Where Art Thou in 2001. For more information contact Gavin Lurssen

Ric Ocasek Sanctuary Producer Management. Although most widely known as a member of The Cars and a pioneering solo recording artist, Ric has also developed an impressive discography as a record producer. Ric has produced artists such as Bad Religion, No Doubt, Weezer's hit self-titled albums in ‘94 and ‘01, Black 47, D Generation, Guided By Voices, Hole, The Wannadies, Jonathan Richman, Smashmouth, Le Tigre and more. For more information contact: Jim Phelan at (310) 205 5000.

Since completing his production of Gavin DeGraw's "Chariot" album for J Records, Mark Endert has become seriously in demand in the mixing world. His additional production and mix on the Maroon 5 "This Love" track helped propel that track to #1 on the CHR/POP Chart. Since that track Mark has mixed albums for new artist Anna Nalick on Columbia and Mozella on Maverick. Forthcoming mixes will be from Anastacia ("Underground Army"), Delta Goodrem/Epic ("Fragile", "Be Strong", "Little Too Late") for her Australian/European release, and additional production and mix on "Lost Without You" and "Born To Try" from her forthcoming U.S. release. Mark is currently mixing singles for Jonathan Rice/Warner Bros., Kyle Riabko/Columbia, and Tamin Sursok for Sony International in Australia. For more information contact Gary Gunton at gary.gunton@guntonmanagement.com

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