'At Sandblast, our whole focus is that sound matters. Our team is steeped in deep music tradition, so we understand how sounds and textures fit together to tell a story,' says Ralph Kelsey, Sandblast founding member.
New York (PRWEB) June 04, 2014
Sandblast Productions has opened a new facility at historic 1650 Broadway where its team of musicians and audio engineers will blend art and technology to help clients tell stories with compelling music, distinctive sound design, state-of- the-art mixing and Grammy Award-winning audio restoration.
Once America’s most famous entertainment building, 1650 Broadway was home to musical luminaries Irving Berlin and Fats Waller. Legendary Carole King, Neil Diamond and Neil Sedaka wrote some of music’s most memorable songs in its halls. Today, Sandblast shares building space with arts and entertainment giants Cameron Mackintosh, the New York Orchestra and Whoopi Goldberg, among others.
“At Sandblast, our whole focus is that sound matters,” said Ralph Kelsey, Sandblast founding member. “Our team is steeped in deep music tradition, so we understand how sounds and textures fit together to tell a story. We are very excited to be part of the musical history at 1650 Broadway, and to explore that creative energy with our clients.”
Downward pricing pressure, in-house mix suites, reduced production budgets and high rents have pushed a string of New York studio and audio post closings in recent years. Sandblast’s musical depth and audio post mixing expertise set it apart, a difference recognized by its long-standing clients such as CBS, NBC, Showtime, HBO, Sesame Street and ESPN. Recent projects include sound design, mixing and music for Showtime’s “Masters of Sex” and “Penny Dreadful” series, HBO's “Vice” series, and upfronts for CBS and ESPN. Film mixing and sound design projects include “The Lifeguard,” “Night Has Settled,” and “Purpose Built,” among others.
Sandblast Studios at 1650
Sandblast’s new facility includes two main mix studios with identical hardware and software, and a third room, designed as a MIDI/composing suite that is fully equipped to handle post production sessions. Clients will have access to a wide variety of live and virtual instruments, enabling the addition of any sound, musical embellishment and audience reaction banks.
The facility includes a recording booth for voice over and narration sessions, big enough to accommodate a string quartet or a room full of DVD commentators. Each studio is equipped with a hi-tech solution featuring multi-view monitors in place of the traditional studio glass to reduce reflection problems, allowing any combination of studio camera for communication and video playback, even teleprompter-style scripts.
Inside the curved walls of the uniquely-designed Sandblast lounge, Sandblast clients can spin LPs spanning a variety of musical genres to inspire sound creation, while enjoying views of the city from Central Park to the New Year’s Ball.
Who is Sandblast?
The Sandblast team of composers, producers, audio post engineers, sound designers, audio restorers and sonic specialists boasts a depth of expertise in musical talent and audio engineering that is unique in the industry. Its founding members are:
- Ralph Kelsey: Percussionist and sound designer who has created sound design for ESPN’s graphic packages for the past 15 years, and mixed Saturday Night Live parody spots for 20 years.
- Loren Toolajian: Composer and producer who collaborated with playwrights Arthur Miller, Sam Shepard, producer T Bone Burnett and others at the renowned Signature Theatre Company, and is a radio host for the Metropolitan Opera.
- Michael Ungar: Senior mixer who created sound for Sesame’s Emmy Award-winning “Outreach” series and created sonic baths for visionary artists Alex and Allyson Grey, and cymatics guru Jeff Volk.
Other notable members of the Sandblast team include Grammy Award-winning audio restoration engineer Bill Lacey, who writes for British publications Sound on Sound and Resolution. Musician, producer and engineer John Crenshaw played percussion, keyboards and vocals for his brother Marshall’s band before channeling his experiences in audio post at Sandblast. For more on the team, visit http://www.sandblastproductions.com/bios-2/.
About Sandblast Productions
Sandblast Productions is an award-winning production company specializing in music, sound design and audio post production for television, radio, film and theatre. For more information on Sandblast Productions, visit their website at http://www.sandblastproductions.com.