Mooka's notes:

Though I managed to steer clear of it for the first half of the year, the gear bug bit me bad this summer, and so we once again have a whole bunch of new toys here at the studio. First and foremost are the Wunder Audio CM7 microphones, which I mentioned in the Summer Special mailing last month and of which we now own a stereo pair. So far they've been stellar, and I haven't even had the chance to try them on everything I'd like to! Wunder also sent us a couple of their PEQ-1 mic pre/EQ modules to try out, which can drop into our Neve in C or into a rack for A or B. I already know I'm at least keeping this pair, based on a wonderfully revealing recording of the Baldwin in B via our Neumann SM-69 and these incredibly open mic pres.

I auditioned this recording on the Barefoot Sound MicroMain 27's, which most certainly warrant all the hype that's surrounded them. I'm sure these relentlessly accurate speakers will become an engineer's favorite amongst the nearfield monitors in our collection. And as was mentioned in a story above, we recently upgraded our iZ RADAR 24 to the Adrenaline Plus recording engine. More than just a cool name, this upgrade allows our RADAR system to work with 24 tracks at sample rates up to 192kHz, and has vastly improved the sound of the A/D and D/A conversion beyond even the RADAR's already superior sound. Please read on for this month's staff profile.

Prairie Sun Staff Profile: Jason D'Ottavio, Senior Staff Engineer

Born and raised in Sonoma County, our senior staff engineer, Jason D'Ottavio, graduated from the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2000 and began his internship here in early 2001. Jason then served as Studio Manager at Prairie Sun for two years, during which time he was a key participant in the construction of the new Studio A. All the while learning the craft as an assistant engineer, Jason applied that knowledge to become an invaluable member of our engineering corps.

Since that time Jason has amassed an impressive credit list as an engineer/mixer, working with such artists as Michael Schenker, Steel Train, Watch Them Die, Eric Gales, George Lynch, Luvplanet, Near Life, Pat Travers, Marc Ford, Brides of Destruction, Joe Louis Walker, and Ramblin' Jack Elliot. Besides working as my right-hand man on a host of projects I've produced, he has also worked with such well-respected producers as Stephen Barncard, Jack Blades, Michael Lardie, Roy Rogers, and Mike Varney. All of this work has allowed Jason to develop a diverse skill set that leaves him especially suited to take on projects in any variety of genres.