According to the METAlliance Academy, the inaugural event on March 20 & 21 in Hollywood at the historic studios in the Capitol Records tower was a resounding success.
“In Session with The Guys,” drew 26 attendees from around the country and as far away as Japan.
During recording sessions with soul singer Lalah Hathaway and hard rocker Trev Lukather, participants got a close-up look at basic tracking and mic techniques; in the separate mixing sessions they were engaged in the processes in significant detail and participated in critical listening.
The METAlliance Academy occupied the historic Capitol Studios for the entire weekend.
“This was simply a great experience for all of us,” commented Phil Ramone. “Working hard with a very diverse group of students, pros, educators and recording beginners.”
“It’s so great to have our work appreciated with such new energy,” added Elliot Scheiner. “It was quite an experience sharing our passion for recording with people who really care about the music,” said Al Schmitt.
“We were surprised with the depth of the questions we were asked,” offered George Massenburg. “This weekend we really brought the best of the old school and the new technology together,” said Frank Filipetti.
“The search for good recording is just a passion that chooses you and drives you forward,” said Chuck Ainlay. Ed Cherney summed it up: “I think we have inspired this first METAlliance Academy group to carry the message of quality back to their worlds of recording. What could be better for the future of music?”
METAlliance co-founders Phil Ramone and Al Schmitt recorded the soulful Lalah Hathaway in Capitol Studio A, where such artists as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Nat King Cole recorded in the past. Chuck Ainlay and Ed Cherney worked with Trev Lukather and his band, Intelligent Design, in Studio B demonstrating the fine art of tracking and mixing a power trio.
Elliot Scheiner was in Studio C soloing tracks, processing and mixing analog from multitrack masters on a large format Neve console. George Massenburg and Frank Filipetti explored home studio mixing “in the box” in the spacious Capitol lounge, taking great care in explaining how to make the most of past techniques in a world of new technology.
The METAlliance is comprised of seven globally-recognized, award-winning audio engineers and producers who have been deeply involved in establishing techniques and technical standards that are the foundation of modern music recording.
The METAlliance is a collaborative community that allows producers, engineers and audio technology manufacturers to work together to ensure the highest standards of audio production.
