hey just wanted to share some press coverage with the rest of the
r.a.p. community. after 3.5 years of construction we're live here at
SF Soundworks!

for more info:

http://www.sfsoundworks.com

in addition to our top-of-the-line SSL 9K Studio A room we also have a
killer drum room and protools HD suites with procontrols and outboard
(neve, api, telefunken, pendulum, etc.) going for $200 per day. the
goal is to build a community of talented engineers, producers and
artists around san francisco once again.

-tE

from the billboard magazine site:

THIS WEEK'S BILLBOARD IN THE MAGAZINE

September 13, 2003
New Golden Gate Studio Rivals Big Guys
BY CHRISTOPHER WALSH

The dotcom revolution of the 1990s dealt a heavy blow to many Bay Area
audio professionals and musicians. Soaring real-estate costs forced
several recording and rehearsal facilities to close and encouraged an
exodus of bands, individual artists and audio pros to more affordable
cities.

Three years after the dotcom boom crested, however, there are signs of
new life. San Francisco Soundworks, located in the city's downtown
area, is a new facility designed to accommodate both big- and
small-budget, major-label and indie projects.

San Francisco Soundworks features three Pro Tools HD-equipped studios
catering to demo production and writing as well as tracking, overdubs
and mixing, according to founder Tony Espinoza.

While such an array is typical of modern studios—both commercial and
personal—San Francisco Soundworks' primary space is a more
traditional, full-blown studio featuring a Solid State Logic (SSL)
9072 J Series console and a full complement of vintage outboard
equipment and microphones.

Securing larger-budget projects while participating in artist
development through a fledgling production company will keep the
facility humming in the midst of a prolonged music industry
contraction, Espinoza says.

"There's been a continual drain of facilities and talent from the Bay
Area for a long time," he says. "I'm trying to provide a place where
people can build their careers around a facility that's going to have
everything to compete with the studios in L.A.

"Trying to cross-pollinate the major-label guys who can afford to work
in the SSL room with some of the up-and-coming folks who are designing
beats and doing more creative songwriting in the smaller rooms is part
of the magic we're trying to draw upon that you really can't get
unless you have a studio as a center of a community," Espinoza adds.
"A bunch of disparate Pro Tools home studios doesn't accomplish that."

A recent project illustrates the allure Espinoza believes his facility
has for artists, producers and engineers: John Cale tracked and mixed
in the SSL studio with engineer/producer Mikael "Count" Eldridge (see
story, page 43). Espinoza feels an SSL J Series console on the West
Coast that is not in Los Angeles is a valuable asset.

"John Cale came here instead of going to L.A., where he could have
gone to a million of these things. Partly, he came here because there
was a talented guy he wanted to help produce this record. There are
guys like Count who have to travel to do their work, but they're
residents here. Their inspiration and whole life is centered in San
Francisco. The investment in the console in a room like this creates
that center for them to do real work here and bring projects to the
city."

With an SSL J Series, three Pro Tools HD-based production studios and
loft-style residences for clients, Espinoza is confident in the
facility's future. "There has been an interesting switch," he
observes. "There was this initial wave of people really falling in
love with home studios, building really fancy Pro Tools rooms in their
houses, and now things have evolved enough that people know what the
limitations of a system like that are. So they know what key things
they have to go into a studio to do."

in article , tony espinoza at
wrote on 9/10/03 15.44:

hey just wanted to share some press coverage with the rest of the
r.a.p. community. after 3.5 years of construction we're live here at
SF Soundworks!

for more info:

http://www.sfsoundworks.com

in addition to our top-of-the-line SSL 9K Studio A room we also have a
killer drum room and protools HD suites with procontrols and outboard
(neve, api, telefunken, pendulum, etc.) going for $200 per day. the
goal is to build a community of talented engineers, producers and
artists around san francisco once again.

-tE



Need any full time engineers? *grin*

J


--
josh.snider
cave.productions
416.524.6927

tony espinoza wrote:

from the billboard magazine site:

THIS WEEK'S BILLBOARD IN THE MAGAZINE

September 13, 2003
New Golden Gate Studio Rivals Big Guys


Congratualtions!


Still need to get out there to see the place sometime...

That sounds great. I have to ask though. How do you make money
charging 200 per day? My takehome pay is a lot more than that and I
don't have to support the weight of amazing equipment, high rents,
repairs, salaries, etc. Hey don't get me wrong, if you don't want to
do it for money- thats beautiful. I just don't know how that business
model works, thats all.

Paul

Josh Snider wrote in message ...
in article , tony espinoza at
wrote on 9/10/03 15.44:

hey just wanted to share some press coverage with the rest of the
r.a.p. community. after 3.5 years of construction we're live here at
SF Soundworks!

for more info:

http://www.sfsoundworks.com

in addition to our top-of-the-line SSL 9K Studio A room we also have a
killer drum room and protools HD suites with procontrols and outboard
(neve, api, telefunken, pendulum, etc.) going for $200 per day. the
goal is to build a community of talented engineers, producers and
artists around san francisco once again.

-tE



Need any full time engineers? *grin*

J

Paul wrote:

That sounds great. I have to ask though. How do you make money
charging 200 per day? My takehome pay is a lot more than that and I
don't have to support the weight of amazing equipment, high rents,
repairs, salaries, etc. Hey don't get me wrong, if you don't want to
do it for money- thats beautiful. I just don't know how that business
model works, thats all.

I don't think you get the SSL and goodies for that; I think that's what
thte PT rigs and their own goodies go for. I also think he's catering to
independent engineers and producers who know their stuff and can bring
their own clients with them to a capable Bay area facility. I hope it
all works.

For lots of musos, though, a place like Tonebarge's fine establishment
will deliver fatly finished goods for a relative pittance.

j

Of course, you have to put up with his recording and mixing chops...

/j

--
ha

hey just wanted to share some press coverage with the rest of the
r.a.p. community. after 3.5 years of construction we're live here at
SF Soundworks!

Hey Tony, Kudos.

Rappers, I just took a tour of the Studio last weekend. The facilities are a
thing of beauty, as is the vision of a resurgent Bay Area artistic hub. Hard
to imagine being able to block in time at very good prices, and also stay as a
guest in such a lovely environment while doing so. I was also very impressed
with his personable, unassumining nature which belies great expertise and
insight into things technical, artistic, and the global marketplace. A rarity
of sorts.


michael ortega

Need any full time engineers? *grin*

J

hi josh - yeah, well, the whole idea is that this place become a place
engineers can build a career around. the $200/per day room is
actually something i technically lose money on. but my hope is that a
set of engineers in the bay area can jump on it and make a career
based on it. i talked to one guy who thought it would work great for
his projects because their daily budget ends up around $500 per day
and this way he gets to take home $300 per day for his time.

the investment for me is long term. as the scene heats up in SF again
(2 years, 5 years, or 10 years from now - i believe these things are
cyclical) we'll have a happening little place ready to ride the wave
and more importantly a circle of folks who have developed their
talents here.

as an example, the producer who brought John Cale (velvet underground,
souxie and the banshees, etc) a few weeks go had recorded in the
smaller $200 room a couple years ago!

-tE

Paul wrote:

That sounds great. I have to ask though. How do you make money
charging 200 per day?

i don't. i lose money at that rate. in fact, i have 3 protools rooms
and i lose money on all of them. but there is a kind of method to the
madness. it's very much a long term strategy. (hold that thought.)

My takehome pay is a lot more than that and I
don't have to support the weight of amazing equipment, high rents,
repairs, salaries, etc.

yeah, part of the equation is that i have a Studio A that has been
booked for the first 5 weeks solidly at $1500 per day. so the big
guys help the small guys, if you know what i mean.

Hey don't get me wrong, if you don't want to
do it for money- thats beautiful. I just don't know how that business
model works, thats all.

the bottom line is that i'm self-financed and i own the property, so i
don't have loans to pay and i don't have partners to answer to. well,
that's not completely true. my wife is my only partner. luckily we
tend to be on the same page. ;-)

the studio business is the WRONG business for anyone to pursue if
they're interested in making money. particularly in this market. see
any number of threads on this topic if you want details.

but i do believe there is a business model here and i do believe that
in an underserved market like san francisco, we can make a difference.
first off, i'm not measuring my "return on investment" on a quarterly
basis -- it's a very long term commitment (10 years min). and the
return for me has to be a lot more than a daily rate. but all that
said, it's still a leap of faith and that leap of faith is based on 3
things. 1) that there is tremendous talent in the bay area that's
entirely underutilized and 2) the city of san francisco is a
world-class place to visit and an attractive location for making
making music. 3) we are in a period of transition across the music
industry on every level and studios will continue to play an important
role in the new world. now my opinion about what's important in this
"new world" is a whole other discussion. in terms of our model, one
key point is that we've got a long term perspective and are focused on
building a community as one of our primary values. everyone here
knows there isn't enough industry around to support all talent, so we
gotta get more industry cooking. (that means paying gigs, btw.) in
some cases i'm even out trying to help get project funded from sources
in SF, LA, and NYC.

i was saddened to hear that some local studios are ****ed about the
Artist Development rates. i guess i shouldn't be surprised!. i think
that's just an indication of how ****ty the business is right now.
And maybe some of them are confused and think i'm charging $200 for
the J (doh!). truthfully, i think of my primary competition as being
outside the bay area. if we can draw more work here, all studios and
engineers will benefit.

by the way, i do think the best way to draw more of an industry here
is to make some fu*&ing amazing music. so i guess we better get to
work!

-tE

For lots of musos, though, a place like Tonebarge's fine establishment
will deliver fatly finished goods for a relative pittance.

j

Of course, you have to put up with his recording and mixing chops...

/j

maybe tonebarge should come over and check us out!?

-tE