:Jonathan-edward: Weaver
5/5
Although I've been audience to plenty studio sessions for various artist friends & family of mine, today I had my first experience recording my own track in a professional studio, and I must say how fortunate I feel that Live Action was the one studio of the 20+ that I called who actually took my call and treated me like they cared about possibly taking me on as a client. The package and service they offer is a hands-down no brainer - which I didn't find anywhere else - but on top of that, the entire team had wonderful energy, they were completely receptive & warm, genuinely inquisitive about my project, masters of their craft(s), and they spent sincere time focused and actively listening to my overall project vision so we could be on the same wavelength and maximize the session time.
My session today was absolutely smooth, and not just because I had my material memorized, but primarily because of the skill level and engineering acumen of the team I worked with. Ben was dynamic at the controls, and he piloted this project better than James T. Kirk did the Starship Enterprise - I mean that with utmost sincerity. His quick engineering & software reflexes transitioned us thru this project seamlessly, and he did the mixing & mastering as we went along, so by the time we finished, he was able render me quality tracks with crystal clear clarity and precision. He also had many creative ideas, yet he never tried to over-assert his ideas - it wasn't about control, but about conducting, and he did a masterful job. Adam made sure I had an awesome customer experience from the first call he fielded from me, to communicating with me by text prior to and after my appointment, and leading the discovery process so the team could truly grasp the overall scope and goals of my project. He managed the customer service aspect from beginning to end, and having trained call centers full of reps to do that very job, I know how to spot a quality company rep, and he's exactly that. Matt greeted me at the door and welcomed me into the facility, and after the four of us discussed the project inspiration and mission, he picked up the high-resolution camera and took charge of the videography, capturing video of me from all angles, while simultaneously taking care not to disturb me as a working artist; he shared the studio space with me and I almost didn't notice he was there at all - he's like a ninja cameraman! Adam also helped out on cams to give Matt a break and was equally stealthy in being completely thorough - I really put the team to work today.
These guys really know what they're doing, but even more than that, they do it with tlc - they care about helping you make great music through a phenomenal artist/customer experience. Not only that, but once we wrapped everything up and our session was complete, they even gave me hugs - REAL hugs, not those half-handshake hugs that guys who wanna make sure they still look cool give. I'm a hugger though, so that means somethin to me, and if ur not a hugger, I'm sure they'll meet you halfway at handshakes if that's all ur into.
I apologize if this review seems long winded, but I doubt I could have given my experience today at Live Action Music the justice it truly deserved in a tweet-sized text. I'm so happy with what we accomplished today, but even moreso, I'm happy I didn't waste my time or energy getting less than what I was paying for at a studio with less energy, less professionalism, less ambiance, and less to offer while most likely asking for heftier compensation. Ben, Adam, Matt, you guys TOTALLY FRICKING ROCK!!! It was totally worth the hour-long drive from the Bay.
Thanks for everything,
Jon Weaver, aka, Ž'qir
Richmond, CA
