Chandler Limited Co-Sponsors Ross Hogarth Studio Prodigy Master Class Series Session

Shell Rock, IA – April 2013 … Chandler Limited, recognized globally for signal processing and related music and audio products that deliver the classic analog warmth recording and performing professional musicians seek, is pleased to announce its co-sponsorship of the Studio Prodigy | Master Class Series.  A new audio engineering program founded by engineer / producer Ryan Hewitt and studio designer Hanson Hsu, the Studio Prodigy | Master Class Series is geared toward anyone wanting to hone their mixing skills by learning from the industry’s top professionals.

The Studio Prodigy | Master Class Series is an ongoing series of training sessions—with this second session featuring producer / mixer / engineer Ross Hogarth. The class is scheduled for Saturday, May 4, 2013. Titled ‘Whatever Works,’ the master class with Ross Hogarth is geared toward advanced students, musicians, composers, and working engineers. The program requires an in-depth knowledge of audio terminology, DAWs, and the mixing process. The master class will take place at Universal Mastering Studios in Los Angeles. Session Two | Whatever Works is scheduled to run from 10 AM to 6 PM. Every Studio Prodigy Session concludes with time for a Q & A period with the hosts. Refreshments will be served.

Known for his ability to work with a wide spectrum of musical genres, Hogarth has an extensive discography. Recent album credits include Steve Lukather’s Transition, Van Halen’s A Different Kind of Truth, as well as albums for the Sick Puppies, John Mellencamp, Ziggy Marley, and numerous additional artists.

Hogarth commented on the nature of the upcoming master class, “Being that there is very little mentoring in our industry, this is an opportunity for people like Ryan Hewitt, myself, and others to share, or pass on, some of the tips and tricks we’ve learned from our own studio experiences. The goal is to help those up and coming studio engineers learn useful mixing and production techniques that will, hopefully, enable them to further their own careers. The various instructors in this program each have their own unique approach when it comes to addressing studio-related challenges. My approach has always been, ‘Whatever works,’ and, hence, the name of this particular class. My goal is to impart knowledge not only from a technical perspective, but also in terms of how one thinks as they approach a given production task.”

As part of the master class, attendees can learn more about the latest equipment from the session sponsors. Hogarth has a long, rich history with Chandler Limited and uses several of the company’s products in his production work. Among his many Chandler Limited products are the Little Devil Colored Boost pedal, the TG Channel MKII, TG1 Limiter, TG2 Preamp / DI, and the LTD-1 EQ/Pre Amp—all of which have been used on the albums Hogarth has engineered. “I have a very close relationship with Chandler’s Wade Goeke and his products have been a tremendous asset in my work. We have a deep appreciation for each other and we learn from one another. I’ve been using the company’s products from the very beginning and they are an integral part of my studio efforts. I’m certain these products will be of considerable interest to the attendees of this class.”

Wade Goeke, Chandler Limited’s founder and company owner, commented about the Studio Prodigy Master Class— Session Two | Whatever Works. “This class with Ross Hogarth is an invaluable opportunity to learn from one of the best audio engineers in the industry,” said Goeke. “Music production at the uppermost level involves a unique combination of technique and insight into the big picture. Ross is one of those incredibly gifted people who has both. I’ve always felt honored that he chooses to use our products in his studio endeavors and I’m confident the knowledge that he passes along to those in attendance will be well worth the price of admission.”

“It’s very important to me that those people who attend this class carry away useful information that can help with their own studio projects,” Hogarth summarized. “I want to ensure that when a person asks a question, they get an answer that will help them address that particular issue in a useful manner. My goal is not to speak at those in attendance, but to speak to them and help them learn—in other words, interact with each student on an individual basis. This is an industry about being flexible in order to accomplish a variety of creative goals and my aim is to further that philosophy.”

Tickets for each session will be limited to 25 participants and are available at $500 each. Tickets are available Studio Prodigy’s website.

For additional information about the Studio Prodigy Master Class Series, go to http://studioprodigymcs.com or visit on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/studioprodigy.

Blues Saraceno and his Chandler Limited GAV19T Guitar Amplifier

Vintage sound appeal and the ability to ‘play well’ with pedals are key attributes

Los Angeles, CA – March 2013 … Finding a guitar amp that delivers big full sound with a rich, dynamic distortion is a common challenge for today’s electric guitarist. The ability to control that distortion to one’s liking is not always as easy as one would expect. For guitarist / composer / producer Blues Saraceno, finding that one amp that really hits all the bases resulted in his purchase of the GAV19T guitar amplifier from Shell Rock, IA-based Chandler Limited.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

Blues Saraceno is widely known for his commanding musical presence. He was discovered by Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazine at age 16 and has toured with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker (of the legendary band Cream), Poison, and has played on sessions with leading artists including Ziggy Marley and Melissa Etheridge. These days he is actively engaged in the creation of music for TV and film. With as much time as Blues spends in the recording studio, the Chandler GAV19T guitar amp plays a critical role in all he does.

“I’ve had my GAV19T for about three months,” Blues reports, “and I believe I was one of the company’s first customers. I’ve been really impressed with this amp. It has a wonderful ability to take stomp boxes. My father builds Dirty Boy Pedals, which I use, and they work extremely well with this amp. Over the years, I’ve encountered numerous amps that easily get overwhelmed and lose their character when using pedals, but not this one. Further, the GAV19T—like numerous other Chandler products—excels at delivering the vintage qualities many musicians look for in a way that blends beautifully with the contemporary requirements of today’s production.”

“This amp excels in the midrange—reminiscent of that early British honky, squawky sound, but with a really full spectrum,” Blues continued. “This amp delivers a big full sound when recorded. Equally important, the amp mates well with a variety of guitars. I can blend the GAV19T with my Humbuckers, with a single coil pickup, and with anything in-between. With this amp, I can always find the sweet spot, and that’s what makes it such a terrific studio tool.”

The Chandler GAV19T guitar amplifier incorporates its overdrive and tone circuitry directly within the power section. This design enables the amplifier to be highly overdriven while still maintaining the amplifier’s classic tone—a trait that Blues really appreciates. “Many guitarists prefer a warmer, richer sound and, to get that, it always comes down to the amp’s power section,” Blues explained. “With the GAV19T, you can drive it right to the sweet spot without it overloading the speakers or the recording mics. Chandler’s design of the power section allows you to really open this amp up.”

With the Chandler GAV19T guitar amp, Tone can be selected as either Normal or Intense. This is achieved by a slight imbalance in the matching of GAV19T’s push-pull power section. Here, too, Blues was very complimentary of Chandler Limited’s design. “I like the amp in its Normal setting,” he says. “This setting provides me a lot of flexibility with my pedals and, ultimately, provides the richest sound that really works well with my style of music.”

For anyone involved with musical electronics, quality customer and technical support services are essential. Here, too, Blues rates Chandler Limited a first-class operation. “I’ve been very impressed with the company’s support services,” he says. “They’re very responsive—I always get through to someone knowledgeable who is ready to assist. And because they’re a boutique operation, they can respond and implement changes far more rapidly than most companies. I’ve been very impressed.”

Before turning his attention back to his various projects, Blues offered these parting thoughts, “The Chandler GAV19T guitar amp fills a very specific spot in my sonic palette. If this amp was ever stolen, I’d immediately replace it with another one. It’s that important to me. When it comes to great sound, the proof is in the results. I suggest visiting my website (www.bluessaraceno.com) or going to the Chandler website and listening to a clip I did using the amp. I believe that says it all!”

To learn more about Blues Saraceno, visit him online at www.bluessaraceno.com.

Grammy Award Winning Producer Tony Maserati Uses Chandler Limited Gear

Curve Bender, Zener Limiter, TG1 Limiter, and Mini Rack Mixer
play pivotal role in renowned mixing engineer’s studio efforts

 Los Angeles, CA – March 2013 … As a Grammy® Award winning record producer and audio engineer who has worked with many top flight artists including Lady Gaga, Pink, Beyoncé, Jason Mraz, Mariah Carey, the Black Eyed Peas, and Jennifer Lopez to name but a few, Tony Maserati is at the top of his game in the excruciatingly competitive market for recording mixers / engineers. When you operate at this level, you can choose any audio equipment you want. For this reason, it’s particularly noteworthy that in this digital era, Maserati has a fond preference for select pieces of analog equipment—much of it coming from Shell Rock, IA-based Chandler Limited.

Over the past eight years or so, Maserati has acquired quite an ensemble of Chandler hardware, including the company’s Curve Bender, Zener Limiter, TG1 Limiter, and Mini Rack Mixer. He had this to say about his discovery of Chandler’s products, “I first learned of Chandler Limited through engineer Vaughan Merrick, who introduced me to the Chandler LTD-1 EQ / Preamp. I liked the product a lot, which sparked my interest in additional gear from the company. So, from there, I started experimenting with the TG1 Limiter, followed by the Zener Limiter, and the Mini Mixer—all of which I use regularly.”

Maserati reports that the Chandler Limited Curve Bender is the product he uses most frequently. Issued in celebration of the 75th birthday of Abbey Road Studios, this processor is based on the vintage EMI TG12345 desk used to record The Beatles and Pink Floyd. “This processor is found on virtually every mix I do,” Maserati says. “I use it primarily for adding a bit of high frequency, but I also use it to adjust the midrange or low-end sound as well as some shelving EQ. For me, the Curve Bender is uniquely well suited to my method of working. I use a hybrid system revolving around Avid’s Pro Tools and its automation, yet I sum externally through the Mini Mixer—with the Curve Bender also being on my buss. This arrangement enables me to incorporate the best of both the digital and analog worlds as I mix.”

Chandler’s Mini Rack Mixer is the second most important part of Maserati’s hybrid setup. “The Mini Mixer is another key element in my external bussing setup,” he notes. “I use it on almost every mix I create. The amazing thing about the Mini Mixer is the fact that it has never generated any distortion whatsoever. This mixer has an amazing amount of headroom and the way it works with the high volume internal mix buss in Pro Tools is exceptional. It enables me to go back and forth between an internal mix and one that’s split out across the Mini Mixer without having to do any signal trimming, which is really quite rare. When I feel like my internal mixing buss is squeezing and thinning the overall sound, I go straight to the Mini Mixer.”

The Chandler Limited TG1 Limiter is yet another processor that gets high marks from Maserati. The TG1 is a recreation of the classic EMI TG12413 Limiter used in custom EMI and Abbey Road recording and mastering consoles from the late ’60s. “The TG1 works very well for a wide range of recording applications,” Maserati explained. “I use the limiter quite often on drum overheads as well as room mics on strings, and I’ll occasionally use it on piano. I’ve also used the TG1 for vocals. For the Jason Mraz album We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things, I used it on Jason’s vocal. In addition to its ability to raise the overall program level so that I can fit a track into a real high energy mix, the TG1 has a great sonic character.”

Maserati was equally complimentary about Chandler Limited’s customer and technical support services. “They couldn’t be better to deal with,” he says. “It’s a small company, so it’s easy to get hold of someone. I once needed a replacement part for my Mini Mixer. I called tech support and they immediately overnighted a replacement module. I was able to easily swap out the old part and minimize my downtime, which is a big deal.”

Before turning his attention to the business of the day, Maserati offered these final comments, “I find that Chandler pays extremely close attention to the sonic quality of the vintage equipment our industry grew up with, yet they have taken that sound to a higher, completely modern level. At this point, I no longer have to rely on the vintage gear, which is frequently prone to intermittencies, noise, and other undesirable traits. Chandler is innovative in that they’ve given me products that have many of the vintage qualities—without the headache. Chandler’s products are a critical element of my sound. While I do have other sonic colors and choice available to me, Chandler is one of the few product lines that is dominant in every mix that I do.”

To learn more about Tony Maserati, visit his website at www.tonymaserati.com.

Steve Stevens uses Chandler Limited’s Little Devil Colored Boost & Germanium Drive guitar pedals

Guitarist / songwriter Steve Stevens knows that crafting the right sound is critical to the success of any performance. Possessing a resume that includes stints with high profile artists such as Billy Idol, Michael Jackson, and Vince Neil—along with his contribution on the Grammy® Award winning soundtrack to the wildly popular film Top Gun—Stevens’ ability to get the right sound is a skill that’s been fine-tuned to a very high level. In addition to strong playing technique, another critical element of his sound is achieved through signal processing. That’s precisely why Stevens looks to Shell Rock, IA-based Chandler Limited for some key hardware to shape his sonic signature.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

Chandler’s Little Devil Colored Boost and Germanium Drive guitar pedals have been integral to Stevens’ sound for approximately two years. The Little Devil Colored Boost pedal can gently color one’s amp or drive it into oblivion. Its six presets range from slightly fuzzy to an ‘in your face’ Plexi sound—with each preset having its own style of harmonic distortion and clipping using different effects on a sine wave signal. According to Stevens, “The Little Devil has a very ‘organic’ sound, and Chandler’s experience building high quality studio gear is reflected in this pedal. It has a unique ability to complement your sound—it’s very pleasing. The Little Devil does a great job of making your sound big, and its distortion is very musical, as opposed to some other pedals, which can be pretty harsh.”

Inspired by Chandler’s Germanium pre amps and the company’s work with other germanium amplifiers, the Chandler Limited Germanium Drive guitar pedal has all the tone and color one would expect from this type of signal processor. Stevens’ assessment of the Chandler Germanium Drive guitar pedal was very upbeat. “The Germanium Drive pedal operates at a higher voltage than most other guitar pedals,” he said. “In doing so, it gives players a lot of headroom, so if you want to overdrive an amplifier, you run it through the Germanium Drive first. This pedal has a unique sonic ability in that it becomes part of the amp you’re using. The pedal marries your guitar to whatever amp you’re playing through.”

Commonly known as ‘stomp boxes,’ guitar pedals frequently take a beating under the crush of a player’s foot. “Chandler pedals—like all their gear—are built like a tank,” says Stevens. “When I step on those pedals, I know they’ll be ready! The build quality of their equipment is fantastic. I’ve also been impressed with the pedals’ ability to ‘play well’ with other equipment. I’ve never had any issues whatsoever patching these pedals into my signal chain. I’ve used them both before and after other pedals and they work really well—no matter what order they’re in.”

Stevens was equally complimentary about Chandler Limited’s customer and technical support services. “I had ordered my pedals online,” Stevens explained “and I had a question about the power supply, so I emailed the company. Wade Goeke (Chandler’s owner and chief product designer) had no idea I had recently purchased them through a dealer, nor did he know who I was at first. Wade’s responsiveness and overall level of support was terrific, which goes to show that Chandler’s excellent support services are universal—it’s not just preferential treatment for those who endorse their products. Wade couldn’t be any cooler to deal with.”

Before heading out for a studio call, Stevens reflected on his experience using Chandler Limited products. “I couldn’t be happier with my Chandler equipment,” he said. “I leave for another Billy Idol tour this coming July and my Chandler pedals will be on stage with me every night.”

Chandler Limited GAV19T – Ernie Ball Music Man Armada Electric Guitar – Blues Saraceno

Every so often, wonderful instruments that are destined to become classics are dreamed up, engineered, put through the paces and born into the world; our friends at Ernie Ball / Music Man have done just that.

Recently, Ernie Ball / Music Man introduced the Armada electric guitar and produced a great video featuring the Armada played by the incredibly talented guitar virtuoso / producer, Blues Saraceno through our Chandler Limited GAV19T guitar amplifier. The Chandler Limited GAV19T was introduced at NAMM 2013. Also featured in the video is the “Dirty Girl” fuzz guitar pedal from Dirty Boy Pedals.

When this video was presented to us, we instantly felt that these two pieces, the Armada electric guitar and GAV19T guitar amplifier were an irresistible match; the one knob Dirty Girl fuzz pedal adds another sweet layer of electrified guitar goodness.  Of course Blues Saraceno’s incredible phrasing and tone really brought this combination of gear to life.

We hope you’ll agree!

Learn more: Armada electric guitar, GAV19T guitar amplifier, Blues Saraceno, Dirty Girl fuzz

Adele took home the Best Pop Solo Performance Grammy award for the song “Set Fire To The Rain”. Adele’s recording of “Set Fire To The Rain” from her 2011 Grammy Award winning Album of The Year “21″ was mixed through the Chandler Limited Mini Rack Mixer. “Set Fire To The Rain” was produced by Fraser T. Smith, and mixed by Jim Abbiss. Adele is an amazing talent, and this win adds to her growing Grammy Award collection.

Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys ran away with the Grammy Award for Producer of The Year, Non-Classical. Meanwhile The Black Keys won Grammy Awards for: Best Rock Song – “Lonely Boy”, Best Rock Performance – “Lonely Boy”, and Best Rock Album – “El Camino”. We are proud to say Dan Auerbach is a Chandler Limited user of our 500 series Little Devil Compressor, and Little Devil EQ.

Chandler Limited Celebrates The Grammys 2013

Chandler Limited celebrates the 2013 (2012) 55th Grammy Awards, the artists, producers, and recording engineers who create the music we love.

We would like to acknowledge Grammy Award nominees and Chandler Limited gear users Joe Chiccarelli & Tony Maserati. Their years of service to the recording industry, artistry and commitment to the craft of recording has benefitted us all. Also nominated for this years Grammy Awards are Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) for Producer of the year Non-Classical; The Black Keys are nominated for Best Rock Song – “Lonely Boy”, Best Rock Performance – “Lonely Boy”, and Best Rock Album – “El Camino”. Adele is nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance of her song “Set Fire To The Rain”.  The Avett Brothers album “The Carpenter” engineered by Ryan Hewitt, produced by Rick Rubin was nominated for Best Americana Album.

Both Joe Chiccarelli & Tony Maserati were nominated for this years Best Engineered Album Non-Classical of Jason Mraz‘ “Love Is a Four Letter Word”. We are excited that our Chandler Limited recording gear played a small role in production of this album. Specifically, the Chandler Limited guitar pedals (Little Devil Colored Boost, Germanium Drive) were used all over the album, and on the song “93 million” the TG1 Limiter was used for the drum room, while the Zener Limiter was employed for both acoustic guitar, and lead vocal.

Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys is a user of Chandler Limited recording gear (Little Devil Compressor, Little Devil EQ), and Adele’s recording of “Set Fire To The Rain” from her 2011 Grammy Award winning Album of The Year “21″ was mixed through the Chandler Limited Mini Rack Mixer. Ryan Hewitt used the Chandler Limiter Curve Bender on the mix bus for the  Avett Brothers “The Carpenter” album, and the Chandler Limited Little Devil Colored Boost guitar pedal was used for the nasty guitar parts on the song “Pretty Girl from Michigan”.

Blues Saraceno, plays a 1960′s Gibson SG through a Dirty Boy Pedals Green Dirty Wah and the Chandler Limited GAV19T

American rock guitarist, composer, and producer Blues Saraceno has a gift, and he’s sharing it with us. What happens when Blues plugs a 1960′s Gibson SG into a Dirty Boy Pedals Green Dirty Wah and our Chandler Limited GAV19T guitar amplifier? FAT SONIC SOUL MELTING TONE! Thanks to Blues & Dirty Boy Pedals you can hear the full track on SoundCloud - Dirty Wah (Green) – Full Song – Mid Position into the GAV19T.

Chandler Limited sponsors Studio Prodigy’s Session One Master Class featuring Ryan Hewitt

Chandler Limited in association with Studio Prodigy’s Master Class Series presents Session One: Hybrid Mixing Techniques featuring Grammy award winning Producer / Mixer / Engineer Ryan Hewitt.

Ryan Hewitt is know for his work with: Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Avett Brothers, Harry Connick, Jr, Dan Wilson, The Band Perry, Matchbox 20, Sheryl Crow, The Bunny Gang, Joe Cocker, Orange, Doug Wamble, Ken Burns, Tom Morello, MGMT, Dixie Chicks, Sum 41, Johnny Cash, Flogging Molly, Heavy Young Heathens, John Frusciante, Taylor Hawkins, Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats, Pepper, blink-182, Brandi Carlisle, Jamie Cullum, Eulogies, Buddy Guy, Yonder Mountain String Band, We Are Scientists, Alkaline Trio, Motion City Soundtrack

WHERE: Universal Mastering Studios (Studio A)
3400 Cahuenga Blvd. – Building C
Los Angeles, CA 90068

WHEN: This highly anticipated master class session will be held Saturday Feb 23rd, 2013 10AM-6PM

TICKETS: Reserve your spot today!

Space is limited to 25 attendees to preserve the class’s intimate, one-on-one feel.

Studio Prodigy’s Facebook page.

Ryan Hewitt uses the following Chandler Limited gear: Curve Bender, Germanium Drive, Germanium Pre Amp/DI, Germanium Tone Control, LTD-1 EQ/Pre Amp, TG1 Limiter, TG2 Pre Amp/DI

This event is sponsored by Chandler Limited.

Ryan Hewitt during the Studio Prodigy Master Class Series: Hybrid Mixing Techniques 2.23.2013

Kurt Ballou of Converge and God City Studios

We sent Kurt Ballou - Recording engineer, producer, and owner of Godcity Recording Studio a prototype of our new Chandler Limited GAV19T guitar amplifier to try. His response: “Holy sheep shit! Finally an amp that sounds cranked up even when its quiet!” Kurt is also Guitarist of highly successful american band Converge from Salem Massachusetts. According to Allmusic, Converge are “regarded as one of the most original and innovative bands to emerge from the punk underground”.

Chandler Limited GAV19T Guitar Amplifier at Godcity Recording Studio