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It's About The Music


 … JOHNSTON HOUSE STUDIO …

Welcome to Johnston House Studio.  Whether you just need a keyboard/bass track or a completely produced cd, it can all be provided here.  Not only do you get a producer/engineer, but you get a keyboardist/bassist/arranger with 30+ years of experience to bring it all together.  With a nice compliment of digital keyboards/modules/virtual instruments as well as a few vintage keyboards, the options sonically are plentiful. I have an array of bass guitars which include Musicman, Fender, Ibanez as well as a few acoustics.  I also have a long list of other top LA studio musicians from drummers and percussionists to brass and woodwind players to pull into sessions as needed.   Please contact me for an appointment regarding your next project.

Full Music Production    

First we'll meet so I can get an idea of what the overall concept is for your project.  We'll talk about our basic approach such as style, form, instrumentation ,etc.  I'll take your songs from scratch,  building a rythm section (usually keys, bass, drums) and then start adding guitars, organ, synths, lead vocals, background vocals, percussion etc.  Some projects have a simple, organic kind of approach.  Others may have more instrumentation.  I have a nice selection of microphones and preamps to suit different vocal styles and an array of state of the art audio plugins to finish the job.  In the end you'll receive a 2 track mix of the whole project ready for mastering and duplication. 

Keyboard Tracks  

Piano, synth, strings, hammond organ, rhodes, you name it. Tailored to fit your song, your style,  I'll bring years of playing/recording to the table and your music will come to life.  It won't sound mechanical like a midi sequence perfectly quantized.  It'll sound like a real player, with feeling and soul.  You can provide me with a Pro Tools OMF Exchange file, individual audio files(wav,aiff,sd), or even a stereo mix w/tempo.  You can be here for the session or I can record the tracks and send them to you via cd/dvd or internet exchange.  

Bass Tracks   

4,5, string electric or 4,5 string acoustic/electric basses. Holding down the bottom end is the name of the game.  When the bass locks in with the drummer, you'll be guaranteed a strong foundation.  Growing up with a drummer/brother has paid dividends for me in that respect.  Once the drums and bass are on the same page, the rest of the instruments just follows suit.  Obviously, it's recommended to track the bass and drums simutaneously if possible.  If not I can still work with an OMF, individual audio files or a pre-recorded stereo drum mix w/tempo.

Rates and Other Questions?

Outboard Gear

Presonus Digimax 8 channel mic pre • Grace Design model 101 mic pre • Avalon Design U-5
TL Audio Dual Valve mic pre • HHB Radius 3 Fat Man stereo tube  compressor • Alesis 3630
ART Tube Pak tube pre/compressor

Microphones

Rode NTV tube mic • AKG C3000 condenser mics(2) • SE Electronics Icis tube condenser mic • ADK SC-1 condenser mics(2)
Cad Equitek II multi pattern condenser mic • Cad GXL 1200 condenser mics(matched pair) • miscellaneous dynamic mics

Keyboards

Roland RD 700 • JV-1010 • XV-3080 • MKS-20 • VK-8M • MA-8 monitors
Yamaha Motif 6 • EMU X board 49 • Korg  05R-W
Hammond C-3 Organ • Leslie 122 • Yamaha U-1 upright piano

Basses

Musicman Stingray 5 • Fender Precision • Fender Jazz 
 The Bass Company Custom Made 4 string short scale
Jackson/Charvel 4 string Acoustic
3/4 Upright Bass