Subject: Memories of Media Sound - - - - - - - - - - - - My first response - to get all warm & fuzzy inside. Media is one of my all-time favorite recording studios - absolutely! The big room was really big - and, having had a previous incarnation as a church, the ceiling was heavenly high ... if I remember correctly, more than one in-house engineer used to put the overhead stereo pair for the drums exactly 18 1/2 inches above the kit, for the most breathtaking room sound (to be dialed in when appropriate). At some point, the one large space acquired sub-rooms to the back and sides, in order to achieve total isolation (when necessary) for acoustic piano, guitar amps, etc. Standing out in my mind prominently - recording numerous projects using ensembles of 30 or 40 musicians (or more) - the size of the room accommodated this, and the acoustics of the room were just so flattering to musical sounds. While separation is always (usually?) an issue with recording engineers, the sound of the 'bleed' was really kinda neat - and the room's natural reverberation was beautiful. I began working there in the early '70s and played hundreds of sessions at Media. I also did a fair amount of production in the facility. The management were always very friendly and accommodating. While charging record companies and advertising agencies the full whack (one of the more expensive rate cards in NY), when we regular musicians/aspiring producers had projects to record, were given deals which allowed us to record there on whatever our budgets allowed. Bob Walters, who managed the studio for quite a long period (before opening Power Station with Tony Bongiovi, Bob Clearmountain et al) was truly a benevolent benefactor! Mike Delugg, Harvey Goldberg, Godfrey Diamond, Bob Clearmountain, Michael Barbiero, Jeffery Lesser - all killer engineers. The mood between staff was great and sharing - new ideas, discoveries and tricks were swapped regularly. Every now and again I'd bring in outside engineers, who also loved working there. My engineering mentor Paco (Frank Kulaga) loved working there, and was behind the console for a good number of my productions. I introduced him to the Media gang when I was recording the soundtrack for the Movie "Fame" with Michael Gore (Leslie's brother). Bobby Darin's last recording is one of my fondest memories of the big room - full-on strings and horns playing live with the rhythm section; Richard Davis on upright bass, Gordon Edwards on Fender bass, 3 guitars (I think it was me, Jerry Friedman and Jeff Mironov)... holy cow, what an event! Produced by Bob Crewe, arranged by Charlie Callelo... hey - don't let anyone kid you - those were well and truly 'the days'! Projects that spring to mind instantly (more 'warm and fuzzy' stuff,) include: Rupert Holmes (prod & eng by Jeffery Lesser), Desmond Child and Rouge (Prod by Richard Landis, arr by Callelo, eng by G Diamond), Frankie Valli (Swearin' To God LP), DiscoTex & The Sexolettes, Eleventh Hour (all produced by Bob Crewe and Denny Randell *I think M Delugg eng), Ritchie Havens, Greg Reeves (both prod by Larry Kurzon, eng by H Goldberg)... numerous projects with Ron Dante (eng by Mike Delugg), and countless jingles, which, for the most part, were a lot of fun also - not to mention lucrative :-) So... quality of sound, minimum of downtime, lovely moods of staff, that "can do" attitude - what more can you ask for in a recording studio? Not much!       --Addendum--      What a disappointment it was when it ended abruptly, and the space became a dance club...   with 'genuine' nightclub management (read: scum), adding insult to injury to the music community...

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