Behind the Scenes @ Electric Park, A Calgary Recording Studio with Engineer/Producer Ian Dillon

Hi everyone, it has been some time since my last communication as things are really picking up at E.P.S. Noctis 4.20 was a huge success and I was very proud to be apart of this great festival. Special thanks to Terese Fleming for organizing such a great event and all the staff involved, I look forward to next year at Mac Hall. In my opinion Gatekrasher, Bloated Pig and Midnight Malice stole the show.

I would also like to share with you The "Ten Cent Pistols" A great group of young guys who rocked our house a few weeks ago with some killer tunes, They recorded their first E.P release, check them out here.

I am very excited about a big project I am about to produce, the group is "Closer To Breakdown" Pre Production is over and tracking has started, some of the great local talent you will see on this record include, Brett Duncan (Divinity), Nate Reno (Kyoktys) and Russ G (Meggido, Lordosis) I wont reveal  much more info other than it will be a 2012 summer release.

Also make sure you make your way out to The Distillery this weekend for Napalm Death! I will be working sound! as well as demoing a new Yamaha LS9 digital console! Come down and check it out!

Local Music Scene News!!! : E.P.S Update Sept.2011

   Hi everyone, were back again with another "Local Music Scene Update" This month we are pleased to announce the release  "(Pr​)​incipia Mathematica" by The Promethean Labyrinth, I am very pleased to have mixed and mastered this project in the past weeks, it turned out really well. You can pick up your copy at T.P.L's CD release show at The New Black Centre on September 30th. I encourage everyone to go check this talented group out! and support the local music scene! Here is the first single "Act V" from The Promethean Labyrinth's first full release (Pr​)​incipia Mathematica.

    We would also like to share with you some of the up and coming bands that will be ripping it up at Electric Park Studio this month. First we have Jason Turnbull (front man for The Last Act) who will be starting a solo project this month, we are very excited to explore new directions with this high energy, extremely talented artist. Secondly we will be working with Shrapnel and Adverse Reaction on E.P releases this month as well as sessions with the Ten Cent Pistols. Things are busy here but we always have time for new clients, feel free to call us and stop by the studio for a visit. (587) 888 5453

   The 2011 Calgary Beer Core Awards are this month, held at The Distillery, September 24th 2011. Get your tickets for this event A.S.A.P and stay updated on all the great hardcore acts this city has to offer. You can vote for your favorite Beer Core band this year at http://ugbiglysoft.com/cbc/

    We would also like to announce a great new package for bands on a budget. We are now offering a split E.P package for bands, this is a great source of networking for local groups. We offer for $2,500, two bands can team up to record a "split" release, each group will get 20 hours of tracking and a mix/master all include in one great price. This package is to help the local scene network with new groups and expose bands to new audiences as well is a cheap alternative for artists to get a great quality product well maintaining a tight budget. 

For any and all inquiries please call

(587) 888 5453

www.electricparkstudio.com

www.iandillon.com

Live Sound Tips & E.P.S Updates

Hi everyone, I hope your summer has been great, here at Electric Park it was a summer to remember! Lots of great local artists have walked through our doors this season, we are proud to be apart of a strong local scene. This month I would like to share with you The Promethean Labyrinth, this heavy group based in Calgary is pushing the limits of the heavy metal genre, with very creatively crossing over progressive math/ metal core with a strong scenes of originality and passion. This group of extremely talented musicians has brought their first full release production to Electric Park Studio to be mixed and mastered in the following weeks. We are very excited to share this release with you and encourage everyone to check out their CD release at "The New Black Centre" Friday, September 30th, every guest will get a free CD with cover charge, and check out their monthly video update!

Live Sound Tips

  I would Like to share with you some tips and techniques for live sound this month. Live sound is a different beast then a recording studio, but good sound is good sound!  and a "good engineer" should be able to produce great results in both situations. Here are some tips when it comes to setting up your front of house EQ. I was able to document my work at The Distillery in Calgary this past weekend as we reconditioned the live rig and acoustically tuned the system to the location/room. To acquire the current frequency responce of their room we used Smaart v.7, Smaart is one of the most widely used audio and acoustic measurement tools,  a software application for the analysis portion of acoustical measurements and instrumentation. Smaart will give us the natural curve of the room and we will use that information to adjust the FOH (Front Of House) EQ, this will help tighten up the sound within the location and help us locate and eliminate feedback. A key tool in this process is a microphone with an exceptionally flat frequency response,  To get the best sound in any room, you must first understand the room’s acoustics. The Beringer ECM8000 is a specialized condenser microphone designed for use with real-time analyzers, to provide an accurate acoustic picture of the room. You can then use your graphic EQ to fine-tune your system's performance to perfectly match the characteristics of any acoustic environment. With this combination you can tune any sound system with Pink Noise  (each frequency carries an equal amount of noise power). With some adjustments to the front of house EQ, you simply use your readings from Smaart and tune the room so the Pink Noise reads flat. You can also use the spectrograph in Smaart to adjust for the frequencies that reverberate and delay within the room as well. This is a great little set up that is cheap and quick, as well as the industry standerd for live sound set up internationally.
Go check out great local, live music 4 nights a week at The Distillery and their new sound tech Ian Dillon, for cheap drinks, good bands and a great party!

      Electric Park Studio is not just one of Calgary's top independent recording studios, we also offer live sound services, rentals, conditioning and repairs. Give us a call for a free consultation and stop by to check out the studio.

(587) 888 5453

www.electricparkstudio.com

www.iandillon.com

 

Calgary Music Scene News by E.P.S

  Hi everyone, this city has seen some great entertainment this summer, local artists are blazing  up the scene all across the map. There has been some great outdoor events like Stampede, Rock Apocalypse, The Blues Festival and soon X-Fest. Awesome local venues like The Blind Begger, The Palomino, Distillery and Dickens make their stages available for one of the best music scenes around. Check the local street magazines, FFWD or Beatroute for show times and support your local music scene!
    This week we would like to feature 3 artists that have summer releases available, all recorded at Electric Park Studio here in Calgary. The first release is from Lowell Van Carroll and Insufficient Funds. This release has 11 tracks of great blues, folk and americana, lead by singer/song writer Lowell Van Carroll. This record covers allot of ground and I was proud to be apart of it, the group was a pleasure to work with and I look forward to the next album. Keep your eyes peeled for this one.

 Lowell Van Carroll 

"Pour Your Poison" 

       The second group we would like to mention is Lordosis. This heavy act has a pink floyd flavor and walks a line of psychedelic undertones. We were very pleased to help them complete their first E.P. You can check them out this Thursday at Lord Nelsons as they kick off a small tour which will take them across 3 provinces. And check out their article in Beatroute this month here

"Internal Redemption"Lordosis

   Once again I would like to inform every one about Bloated Pig's newest release " Ways To An Early Grave" Pick this up at their release party at The Distillery or Noctis later this summer or catch them on tour with Lordosis. And visit their new web page www.bloatedpig.net 

        Bloated Pig

       "Crawler"

  Here at Electric Park we offer a comfortable location so you can get down to what really matters, the music. Owned and operated by engineer/producer Ian Dillon, with a modern approach to the recording arts and sciences, Electric Park can offer that extra bite needed for a successful project. Booking Now.

www.electricparkstudio.com

www.iandillon.com

(587) 888 5453

   "Thanks to all the Local acts that have made this music scene great, keep up the hard work!"

Electric Park Studio: NEW LOOK!!!

  Hi everyone, we are proud to present the "New Look" of Electric Park Recording Studio, during the last few months we have been renovating our space, Our goal was to achieve maximum sonic quality within a room while keeping it cool and inviting. A few of the features in our "live room" include maple hardwood floor, custom built diffusers, amp/isolation closet,  exclusive custom design of "live end""Dead end" in the entire main room. Also we have added a vocal room inside the control room, for easy access in vocal/instrument tracking, and producer/artist connection. As well as the inclusion of out new 12" Velodyne subwoofer for the control room.  We are very pleased with the way everything turned out and we invite you to stop by for a visit, please call 587 888 5453 to set up a custom consultation.

  Also we would like to share Bloated Pig's latest release "Ways To An Early Grave" recorded at Electric Park earlier this year. The album will be available August 13th. Enjoy!

                                                      

Here is our first Electric Park Recording Studio promo video for youtube, we plan on making more and are looking in to some very exciting possibilities for local artist, check it out!

www.electricparkstudio.com

www.iandillon.com

587-888-5453

                                                                        

The Importance Of Where To Record And Why

    Hi everyone, this week the topic is "the importance of where to record and why". This can be a very crucial decision for a band/artist to make when it comes time for them to step into the studio, a difficult task for someone who has limited knowledge of the processes involved. For most artists/bands the goal is to get their music out to the public, create a fan base, make sales and book gigs. A good recording can make your success possible, but if the same songs are engineered, mixed and produced poorly it can cause a negative effect on your creative vision and how others perceive your music. An important decision to make is which studio to choose from, there are plenty of options depending on your location. In the last 10 years the technology needed to make good recordings has improved, and the possibilities are constantly growing. Professional studios can be set up in almost any location, but there are still some very important factors to making good recordings that need to be considered. Today you can walk into any music store and by an off the shelf consumer grade recording system, the truth is even the best engineers will have a hard time making professional level recordings on this equipment. Parts are made cheaply in consumer equipment in order to lower costs for both the manufacturer and the consumer, and very important corners are cut to produce this cheap equipment. A professional recording studios equipment costs start at $100,000 and can run into the millions.  There are 3 major facts when it comes to a studio that will either make or brake the way your band sounds. The first and most important piece of gear in a professional working studio is your analog and digital I/O (Input/Output), in todays world of digital recording and DAWs (Digital Audio Workstation) every signal that is recorded will pass through the I/O, cheap I/O's will restrict frequencies and cause a "Tin can" sound to everything recorded in that studio.  Here at Electric Park we use the finest in digital and analog I/O, the newly designed Avid 16x16 I/O and Avid Omni. These units are used in the biggest studios in the world, check out this video with some of the worlds best engineers sharing there opinions on this gear, enjoy.

    The second most important factor to consider is "mic pres" (microphone preamps) . A studios mic pres determine the quality of the source that is being recorded. There are a lot of great mic pre designs both vintage and modern, and there are a lot of manufactures that make great sounding mic pres. But cheaply made preamps sound bad! The average price for a good mic pre starts around $400 a channel. If you have ever made home recordings with weak mic pres, you will know what I am talking about, the source being recorded sounds extremely "hollow" and there is often a lot of noise/hum introduced into the signal. The only way to avoid this issue is to use good pres. Here at Electric Park we use some of the best modern mic pres available, SSL, UA, Digidesig/Avid, DBX and Focusrite. Most "all in one" I/O, mic pre box combos will limit you in your creativity because of cheaply made parts to save costs and space within a certain piece of equipment.
     The 3rd most important factor is studio monitors or speakers, this is what gives the engineer the best representation of what has been recorded and how the "mix" sounds as a whole. Once again cheaply made studio monitors or home entertainment speakers can restrict the actual frequencies that are being monitored, which in return can cause your mix to sound extremely muddy. At Electric Park we use Tannoy, Mackie, Sinclair, Yorkville and Velodyne monitors.
     There are plenty of thing that can add to or take away from a recording, in my opinion these are the 3 major factors that separate the amateur studios from the professional ones. There are plenty of good recording plat forms i.e Pro Tools HD, Logic, Cubase.....  as well as microphone manufactures out there but these 3 factors lead to how everything sounds as a whole from the beginning to the end. Most studios that run out of their home/basements use poorly made consumer grade gear in an attempt to cut costs, as there prices may be cheap so is the level of their product, also choosing an experienced and credible engineer is an extremely important asset. There are only a few really good recording studios within Calgary, here at Electric Park we use only the finest equipment available and offer a comfortable professional location to create your art. For more information on what Electric Park Recording Studio can do for your music give us a call 587.888.5453 or my web page @ www.iandillon.com or www.electricparkstudio.com .

  "Electric Park will be re-opening after renovations this week, book now!!! also we will be having an open house in late August, details coming soon."

Thanks
Ian Dillon
Engineer/Producer at Electric Park Recording Studio, Calgary, Alberta

Canadian Engineer/Producer Ian Dillon

  Hi Everyone, this month our doors will be closed for a few weeks as we renovate our studio space, there will be some great new features added to the studio, so you will have to check back to see what has changed. This month we would like to share with you a small biography of Electric Park Studios house engineer/producer Ian Dillon.
        Ian Dillon was born on the 8th of June 1985,  in Camrose Alberta. At an early age he was introduced to the workings of a professional recording studio, Patrick Dillon (Ian's Father) owned and operated Blue Room Studio in Edmonton Alberta during the 1990's. Ian's first tracking session occurred in this studio as he began to learn the fine craft of the recording arts and sciences. In his teenage years Ian would start his pursuit into the trade by setting up and managing the recording studio within his high school.  The studio ran a very crude and early version of Pro Tools,  and with Ian's help the school was able to launch a recording program with a curriculum that Ian had designed that was used for years after he graduated.  After high school Ian would step back from his passion for recording and focus on a career as a musician, performing in New York city to Vancouver and everywhere in between. He self recorded many E.P's as a soloist and appeared in many acts in the Calgary music scene. In 2006 Ian decided to return to his roots and registered for training at the Academy of Production and Recording Arts. After scoring an A plus on his final exams and graduating his first semester with honors, Ian left the program for an engineering position at M.C.C Recording Studio in Calgary, were he would meet Johnny Gasparic and apprentice under him for the next 2 years. Ian quickly began to grow as an engineer in this environment. While at M.C.C Ian had the pleaser of working with many great artists and producers including Mark Howard (producer for Tom Waits/ Tragically  Hip/ Neil Young), Rick Mizzoni ( George Canyon/ Joe Hick) and Econoline Crush to name a few. In 2009 Ian felt his training at M.C.C was complete and proceeded to open up his first recording studio, Electric Park. Originally designed as a state of the art mobile recording studio, Ian uses this set up to find character within custom spaces, he is now designing his 3rd studio installation which he fittingly calls "Studio 3" by Electric Park.  Ian has a strong passion for music and the fine art of replicating the true essence of any performance, over the years the artists Ian has worked with include ; Matt Blais, The Perfect Water Band, The Whorehouse Massacre, Adverse Reaction, War Eagle Rising, Cerberus, Lowell Van Carroll and Insufficient Funds, Makeshift Innocence, Everett James, The Matt Blais Connection, Kindergarden, Cai'lin Kroon, Don Castro, Jaron Rovinsky, Doug Pettibone, Marcus Blake, Lindsay Ell, Free Radio, Lordosis, Bloated Pig, AfterEarth , Closer to Breakdown, The Electric Revival, and Faint Awakening.

Contact: 587-888-5453 - Electric Park Studio
 electricparkstudio@gmail.com
www.electricparkstudio.com
www.iandillon.com

Ian Dillon

 Ian Dillon @ M.C.C Studio

 Jamming with Econoline Crush

 Ian Dillon and Mark Howard

The Electric Summer!

Hi everyone, it has been awhile since our last blog post, we have been extremely busy that past few months. I am pleased to announce the completion of the Bloated Pig record, just in time for their western Canada tour in August, Keep your ears and eyes peeled for this release in the coming months.
      We were also pleased to have Faint Awakening in our house to work on a 3 song E.P. Great group with lots of potential. We look forward to having them in again soon as talks are already underway to have them back to complete another release.
        The Lowell Van Caroll and Insufficient Funds sessions are complete, we are now moving the project into post production as we tie up all the loose ends and get this record ready for a summer release. The last session was really great, watching this group gel in the studio is really something to see.
       Also we have yet to announce The  Electric Revival, a fun project consisting of my self and Russ Guithier, we have made a small E.P and have the song up on Reverbnation, we look forward to growing this idea in the near future and expanding the line up, I will keep you posted on all The Electric Revival News.
      "Electric Park Recording Studio now offers live sound services, we are equipped and ready to serve you for all your live on location, events, live sound and rental needs, feel free to contact us for a quote on your specific needs. "  phone- 587.888.5453  or Email- electricparkstudio@gmail.com

       " We will also be bringing back our Demo Package for $450, ask for details!!!!!!!"

                                                                Bloated Pig (old photo)

         Faint Awakening with Ian Dillon

                                                    
                                                  Lowell Van Carroll and Insufficient Funds

The Electric Revival

      

Calgary Local Music News

   

   Electric Park Recording Studio is working hard this season to help the local music scene here in Calgary, we offer great rates and packages for Bands/Artists of all levels. We are pleased to present our new partnership with Supernova, this year as we offer a chance for upcoming local talent to be discovered, and the opportunity to win free recording time at Electric Park Studio, with Engineer/Producer Ian Dillon. There will be a series of battle of the band events held through out the year at The Wyckham House, Mount Royal College, with all sorts of prizes and giveaways, so get yourself registered at www.supernova.com
    In the past few weeks, Electric Park has been very busy with all sorts of projects. Live on location recording for the Amandeep Singh Workshop, were Amandeep Singh travels the globe sharing his teachings.
   Russ G. has been hanging out at the studio working on a top secret project, which will be announced early next month. Keep posted for some exiting news from this very talented musician.
   Also the Bloated Pig record is starting to take shape, Alex and Marc have been hard at work wrapping up their parts as the record moves into post production. I am going to keep tight lipped about this one but all I have to say is, this is going to be a must have this summer for all you heavy enthusiasts.
   Our 3 song demo promotion will be ending this month, but there is still time to get your bands killer sounding E.P ready for such summer events as X92.9 Exposure contest, Warpped Tour, Sled Fest and much more!!!

Thanks
E.P.S
www.electricparkstudio.com
www.iandillon.com

  

$400 (3 Song E.P) Recording Package!!!

        Electric Park Studio has a great offer for Artist/Bands. A 1 day, $400 recording package, upon request. This package includes a 8 hour recording session, mix and master, all in one day. Get your music out there, with low cost, professional service from Electric Park Recording Studio. Use your E.P to enter such summer contests as X 92.9's Exposure and perform at summer festivals like Sled Island or Warped Tour. Post your music on Itunes with TuneCore and use online social networking sites such as ReverbNation and Facebook to boost your sales.

     ***OFFER ENDS APRIL 20 2011****
  
     For more information on our $400 E.P package please call 587.888.5453

Thanks
E.P.S
Calgary, Canada
www.electricparkstudio.com
www.iandillon.com

Calgary Recording Studio

Check out the new web page @ www.electricparkstudio.com
big thank you to Angela Carson for all her hard work and designs.

Local Music Scene News!!! E.P.S

What's new at Electric Park Studio?
             Our new location in downtown Calgary has been attracting lots of buzz in the local scene. This month we have been extremely busy with everything from hip hop production, drum tracking and live on location recording. We were pleased to have Don Castro in the studio, who has started production on his next Hip Hop release. As well as the completion of 2 songs for AfterEarth which will be appearing on a video game available for the X Box, created in the vain of Twisted Metal. These guys are great and have exploded onto the Calgary Metal scene, for more info on AfterEarth visit their myspace @ http://www.myspace.com/metalafterearth .
             We started phase 2 of Lowell Van Caroll and Insufficient Funds a few weeks ago and I am very excited about how this whole project is coming together. Lowell is an amazing song writer with an equally matched voice,  and the musicians appearing on the record are fantastic. Dallas Lobb (Adverse Reaction, War Eagle Rising), Brett Winnichuk (Back Ally Boozers), and Russ Gauthier  (Lordosis, Meggido, War Eagle Rising) to name a few, keep your eyes and ears peeled for this one. For more info on Lowell Van Caroll visit his Facebook Page.
              Bloated Pig has arrived at Electric Park this week, and tracking for there upcoming release has started. (above) Will Wagner (Bloated Pig) tracking drums and sharing the benefits of eating celery.
Stay tuned for more info on this and many more exciting projects from Electric Park Studio.

"visit our newly designed web page at www.electricparkstudio.com and visit our contest page, you could win free studio time with producer Ian Dillon @ Electric Park, enter now!"


Thanks
E.P.S

NEW LOCATION!!!! ELECTRIC PARK RECORDING STUDIO

Electric Park is proud to present our new location in downtown Calgary, book an appointment to view the new look and see what we can do for you.587-888-5453. 

             We offer a comfortable location so you can get down to what really matters, the music. Owned and operated by engineer/producer Ian Dillon, with a modern approach to the recording arts and sciences, Electric Park can offer that extra bite needed for a successful project. Booking is now available for our new location, we are close to public transit, and offer unbelievable rates. 

              This month we are pleased to present the following acts at Electric Park; After Earth, Bloated Pig, The Perfect Water Band, Lowell Van Caroll and many other new and exiting local talent.

For more info please visit

www.iandillon.com

www.electricparkstudio.com

Reverb Nation

Facebook

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Recording Greasy Riffs!

Electric Park Studio is pleased to announce the completion and official release of Adverse Reaction's "The Greasy Riffs E.P". Recorded by Ian Dillon, this bands first release is now available on iTunes

http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/adverse-reaction/id414147332?ign-mpt=uo%3D4. The Band Will be throwing a CD release party on Friday, Jan.14 @ Vrerns Tavern in Calgary. With free CD's at the door and live go go girls, sounds great!!!!! Check out the great shots of Marc Edgar (Bloated Pig) from the Adverse Reaction sessions. 

   Keep posted for some big news later this month from Electric Park Studio, as well as new recording packages designed for all this summers band contests, promotions and publicity. Keep in Touch.

Thanks

E.P.S