Recording and Mixing
I would love to speak to you about your recording and mixing needs. I love recording, mixing and being in a studio. I bring this passion to all of the projects I get involved in.
I work as a freelance audio engineer, this allows us the freedom to record where ever we want (budget allowing) We can record at your preferred facility, in my studio, on location, wherever we choose. I have a fantastic home mix and overdub facility where most of my projects get edited, mixed and completed.
Live Sound and Touring
Live Sound (FOH or Monitors) and Touring have been a major part of my life for over 30 years. I love it. Let’s have a chat and see if we can work together. I’d love to mix you.
Mentoring and Education
If you need audio education or a mentor for live or recording, including in your home studio, I can tailor a package to suit. I have taught from the very basics to very complex systems. I teach both one-on-one and group sessions. I can come to you, or you can attend my facility.I do lots of mentoring for students of all ages and have run workshops for many schools. This can be as simple as having an industry person speaking, to entire planing to completion sessions (Full planning, recording and completion of a song or songs).
I teach people how to work and get work in this industry.
Many of my previous students have gone on to achieve great success. Some of my ex student/mentees are now in positions at Channel 7, Channel 10, JAS (Johnston Audio Services – one of Australia’s largest and best production companies) AVID – (they make Pro Tools) some have won awards for Theatre productions, oh and one of them works for The Rolling Stones… So I think I can help you on your journey..
Troubleshooting
I also offer a troubleshooting service. Just give me a call and let’s see if I can sort out your issue.
Anything from live sound, installed sound, home and pro studios, hardware and software, system design, if it makes noise (or is supposed to) I can probably help.
Click here for my fee structure.
Please feel free to contact me, let’s see if we can work together, have some fun and create some fantastic art.
- Leo Sayer. -
- Rachel Parkinson -
- Mark Kennedy - Drumming Legend. -
Days in the Studio
Shows Mixed
Happy Clients
Coffees
I have been involved in music since about 1984 (when I still had hair and yes it was big 80s hair). I started out playing in bands with friends, operating PA systems, doing recordings all while still at school. I was doing this well before I realised it could be my career. I am still in contact with many people I started out with, as they have also gone on to have careers in entertainment.
My first adventures in recording were in the mid 80s and I have been doing it ever since. I grew up with tape and consoles and now enjoy the digital world.
I love getting involved in the session, not just hitting record as many other engineers do (although I will happily hit record when it is not my place to produce).
I love the process of recording and capturing the best performance possible to make the song the best version of itself.
The mid 80s was a busy time for me and that’s when I did my first live shows. I didn’t realise that to PLAY you needed to setup all the gear first. So I was learning to be a crew person/engineer at the same time as playing. My first proper job was in a small studio that also had a PA business, so I was mixing both live and studio events from the very start.
Currently I am working with a number of artists, including Leo Sayer, Jeff Duff and Little Feet Music.
I engineered the world’s first live triplecast, featuring the band Boom Crash Opera, which was streamed live to the Internet, Triple M and Hey Hey It’s Saturday simultaneously (this WAS a big deal at the time, it was 1995 or so… everyone was still on 28.8k dialup modems.)
My first proper business, Ultrasonics Audio Engineering started in 1987.
I have worked with and toured extensively around Australia, NZ and Asia with many artists including:
BB King, Alice Cooper, James Brown, Leo Sayer, Lee Kernaghan, Eric Burdon, Jose Feliciano, Chubby Checker, The Divinyls, NoKTuRNL, Marie Wilson, The Sharp, Boom Crash Opera, The Seekers, Black Sorrows, Rick Price, Brian Cadd & Glenn Shorrock, The Bangles, Donny Osmond, Richard Marx, plus many, many more.
I currently play bass with the amazingly talented Rachel Parkinson in the Little Feet Music Band.
I have a mixing, editing and overdub facility at home in Parkdale, Victoria, Australia.
U47
Made to be Creative
Can I have some MORE
Here are some highlights of my working life. All of these events have helped shape who I am today.
I have worked in the music industry since I was 15 years old. I started out playing in bands on the Mornington Peninsula, and since then I have worked in music, film and TV studios, done an electronics apprenticeship, worked as a live audio engineer, and owned and operated Pony Music. Now I spend lots of time in recording studios.
In 1987 I started my first audio business, Ultrasonics Audio Engineering.
I worked for Internet-based companies in the late 1990s-early 2000s, building two production facilities along the way. This was the early days of streaming, when most of us had 56k dial up at best. It was fun to create fuzzy postage-stamp sized videos that we were all so proud of. It was a dig deal at the time, and complicated.
Some other cool things I have done include;
The world’s first live triplecast. This was a huge deal at the time. It was with the band, Boom Crash Opera. Each musician was at a separate location – in the Channel 9 studios in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and at Triple M in Sydney. The performance went live to the Internet, Triple M networks and Hey Hey It’s Saturday simultaneously. I mixed the performance from the Triple M studios in Sydney.
I operated audio for the ‘Sorry’ presentation in Alice Springs for the stolen generation. This was one of the saddest and most emotional events I have ever been involved in.
As production manager/FOH engineer for Lee Kernaghan, (who was Australian of the Year at the time) I was part of many drought/farmer relief events, mostly in QLD and northern NSW, raising funds and awareness for farmers and their mental health.
I’ve done live-to-air band mixes on Denton (The Andrew Denton Show), Bert Newton, and Triple J Live at the Wireless.
From the late-80s to the late-90s I worked for most of the Melbourne production companies, eg, McLean Audio, Troy Balance Corp, Big Beat (now JAS/Johnston Audio), Nova Sound, Revolver Audio, the Crown Casino, amongst others. Some are now defunct, but friends and relationships with the people who worked there still remain.
I have many odd, crazy and fun stories about life on the road, in studios, and the people, places and events I have been a part of.
A list of names and events is below. I know there are more. If we have worked together and you want to be added to the list, please let me know; you were probably so amazing you blew my mind and I can’t remember the event!
Studio
Leo Sayer
Little Feet Music
Rachel Parkinson
Mike Parker
Snowy
Doug Millen (R.I.P)
Atticus Street
Stevie Paige
Mark Callaghan
(for charity, Support Act)
Glenn Shorrock
Divine Fluxus
Beverly Fraser
The Skamps
Hot Little Trio
Mark Seymour and The Undertow
Ross Nicholson
Defryme
Jason Lives
Johnathan west
Andrew Swift
Clint Wilson
Tasha Amoroso
Natalie Gauci
Judy Jaques
Laurie (she will be a star one day – she’s amazing)
Barefoot Spacemen
Mat Weaven / Tobias Wonderdog
Mozztronics / Andrew
The Hadron Kaleidoscopes
Dream Fatigue
Countless FReeZA and school bands
House Engineer 1989-1990 at Music & Effects (Doron Kipen)
(post-production, Foley, Fairlight Series Ill programming.)
House Engineer PG Records, Frankston, mid-late 1980s
Front of House Engineer
Leo Sayer (18 years and counting)
“Big Screen” Audio for Australian women’s rugby 2019
(Wallaroos vs Japan)
Jeff Duff
Marcia Hines
Lee Kernaghan (five years)
Eric Burdon & The Animals (three tours)
Damien Leith
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (SAHB)
Shane Nicholson
Ted Mulry Gang (2018) TMG
Moving Pictures
Models
Machinations
Matt McHugh
Richard Clapton
Beccy Cole
The McClymonts
The Blackeyed Susans
Leonardo’s Bride
The Supremes
The Temptations
Karise Eden
Julien Baker (from Memphis)
Dave Graney
Kinky Friedman
Harry Manx
Steve Poltz
No Fixed Address
Madder Lake
NoKTuRNL
Treorchy Male Choir
Georgian State Dance Company (The Georgian National Ballet)
The Stylistics
Gina Lola Brigita
Marie Wilson
Herman’s Hermits
The Sharp
Richard Pleasance
Boom Crash Opera (six years)
Chocolate Starfish
Ross Wilson
Nick Barker
D.I.G. (Directions in Groove)
Exploding Daisies
Little Feet Music
Monitor Engineer
Grinspoon
The Seekers
Renee Geyer
Pollyanna
David Gates
The Stylistics
Swoop
The Sharp
Boom Crash Opera
Black Sorrows (five years)
Rick Price
The Choirboys
Ed Kuepper
The Angels
Paul Norton
Brian Cadd & Glenn Shorrock (The Blazing Salads)
The Badloves
Things of Stone & Wood
Tour Manager
Leo Sayer
Eric Burdon & The Animals
Jose Feliciano
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (SAHB)
Marie Wilson
Rita Coolidge
Alice Cooper (assistant tour manager)
BB King (assistant tour manager)
Chubby Checker
BJ Thomas
The Stylistics
John Hammond & Duke Robillard
Gary Puckett
Blind Boys of Alabama
The Platters featuring Herb Reed
James Brown
(assistant tour manager)
Charlie Musselwhite
The Sharp
Richard Pleasance
Boom Crash Opera
Production Manager
Leo Sayer
Suzi Quatro
Georgian State Dance Company (The Georgian National Ballet)
The Stylistics
Chubby Checker
BB King
James Brown
On U Sound – Out of Control
Boom Crash Opera
The Sharp
Richard Pleasance
The Celtic City Sons
Loader
(Being one of many people moving boxes and learning as much as I can from the ‘Big Boys’ of the time)
Neil Diamond – In The Round
The Eagles – Hell Freezes Over
Rolling Stones – Voodoo Lounge
Madonna – The Girlie Show
U2 – Zoo TV
Guns & Roses
REM
John Farnham – Jack’s Back
Hunters & Collectors
INXS
and many, many more
Education/ Training
Dante Level 1 & 2
Smaart
BSS/Soundweb – Audio Architect
1986-1989 Electronics apprenticeship
Musician
1984-1990, Various local original bands
2002 – present, Rachel Parkinson
