Big recap project: this is the Quad Eight Ventura at @hallofjusticerecordingstudio getting a tune up, every electrolytic capacitor is being replaced 🔋.
Big thx to @samuel.rosson for testing channels and helping me stay organized, and of course for asking me to take this project on!
Every console is its own unique challenge. This one is old and runs hot, so wires and circuit boards are delicate, a bit brittle - parts don’t entirely match the schematic, and there’s no labeling.
But… this is essential maintenance for an old console, for tone, stability, even safety. As electrolytic capacitors age, they drift from their original value. The circuit starts misbehaving and the parts can even leak conductive fluid (causing sparks! ⚡️)
Of course this board has been cared for by knowledgeable techs over the years, so this project is more maintenance than fix. But a recap can be pretty dramatic lowering noise floor, adding clarity, addressing strange behavior in the circuit. Gotta keep these old things alive.
Wowie, new website! Never has it been more appropriate to say: LINK IN BIO
Some say this website is a fresh, modern retelling of who I am and what I do. 💻
For those of you who don’t have the internet, I’ve included a video of scrolling through the site, so you can get the full experience.
Happy New Year! 2025 was busy, busy for me, and here are a few colorful photos to prove it.
Thanks everyone, for the support, the work, the help, the trust. Too many friends to tag but you know who you are. See you in the future!
Pair of Neumann U 87 A i mics, one from the mid-90s, one from the mid-2010s - both stock. As you can see, not much changed in those 20 years and it’s still the gold standard of studio vocal mics.
I looked over one for a repair and used mine for comparison. These two mics have been used on a LOT of great Seattle music :)
Going back a little further, this model has been produced since the 80s and its identical-looking predecessors date back to the 60s. Again, pretty amazing how little has changed.
These days it’s funny that an old mic has an “A i” model designation, but it prompted me to upload the schematic to modern AI to see what it could tell me about the mic. It was… not up to the task.
#neumann #u87
The grind never stops :)
Lately it’s been lots of mastering projects and repairs, and of course baby stuff. The hops I thought I was growing turned out to be raspberries, oops, so now I have a new plant. 🌱 We buy in bulk.
If you’re interested in my most recently released work 💼, check my stories. Website is decently up to date as well I think.
Meet the new studio, same as the old studio… the new & improved 7 Hills is here!
New acoustic treatment for the live room! 💥
New gear for the control room! ⚙️
Bathroom rearranged for easier amp isolation! 🚽🎸
More efficient power for the console! 🔋
The whole space has been tuned up for peak performance 🏔️
It’s always been a great little studio, but this refresh builds upon the last 25 years of use, improving the space and introducing new ways to get great sounds.
Too many folks to thank for support, from the regulars who make this a community to friends with the materials hookup, and of course, everyone who’s ever recorded here!
Let’s keep it going - reach out for more info, open to artists and freelance engineers alike.
Quinine - First Ever Whippet on Acid
This LP of swirly punky jams from the one and only @quininefanaccount is out today via @cherub.dream.records and @juliaswarrecs ! Great people and great weird sounds. It’s always a blast to work with folks from out of town, especially getting to share a slice of Seattle in the summer when we were recording. Wish I took some pics, but here’s a photo from ‘23 at the Crest theater in Sacramento.
Rec’d and Mixed by ME
Co-Pro’d with @reeltru & the band
Mastered by @jonasvece_
Weep Wave - Speck
Cosmic punk from @weep_wave 👽 This album was released to streaming at the beginning of the year, with LPs available earlier last year. There’s a new video for single The Pattern, one of the moodier cuts on the record, premiering 4/28.
Rec’d/Mixed/Prod by ME
Mastered by @jackendinoseattle
Lose - Lose One: A Contribution to American Music
Released… at some point in the last couple years. The entire album is not and has never been streamable, with LPs only available at shows. The band’s now done and records are pay what ya want - get one from @losetheband or @herelies.rip
Produced by @dickdotson
Mixed by ME
Mastered by @breakpointadam
Hank Lemon - Hank Lemon and the Last Shots EP
New ramblin grooves from @thehanklemon released yesterday! The whole @naked_giants crew and more at work on this one.
Mastered by me! At Tastefully Loud
