Hi, my name is Chris Mara- I record and/or produce independent artists for a living, (I have for 12 years) and am based out of Nashville,TN. I work in many studios in and around Nashville such as Omni Sound , Darkhorse Recording , Seventeen Grand , Warner Chapel, Tombstone , and House of David - to name a few. I also do a lot of work in Minneapolis, Mobile, and Cleveland and have access to several private studios around the country. I have worked with many up and coming indie rock bands such as Bebek (Philly,PA), Complex Mold (Cleveland, OH), The Joshuas and Project Jones (voted "best rock band in Nashville" by 102.9 The Buzz), as well as established artists like The Gin Blossoms and Juvenile. You can listen to the mp3s I have uploaded for many examples of the types of artists I work with on my artists page . Be sure to take a look at my testimonials to see what these bands say about their experiences working with me.
Like what you have heard? Wondering what I can do for you? The answer is anything. Just e-mail me and let me know what you're up to, and maybe I can do some work on your project. About half of the projects I do are from start to finish, the other half I just do one or two parts. I may just record it, do some overdubs, or mix a project that somebody else recorded. Just let me know what you're doing or thinking about doing, I'm a free lance engineer/producer, (I don't own a studio), which means that I'm not going to try to sell you studio time at "my studio"- I find the studio that fits your budget and vibe. Many times I bring my gear to the artists home studio and work there...so I'm sure I can offer some creative ideas that will improve your project while PROTECTING YOUR WALLET!
And.....just because I don't own a studio doesn't mean I don't suffer from a bad case of gear lust. Here's a list of my personal gear that I take with me from studio to studio, and state to state:
Mic Pres/Compressors:
2) Trident TSM mic pre/eq modules (vintage)
4) API 312c mic pres (vintage)
2) Vintech X73 pre/eq's
1) Sontec DRC 202 Stereo Compressor (vintage)*just added*
1) Avalon 737 tube mic pre/di/comp/eq
1) Drawmer 1960 stereo tube mic pre/di/compressor
1) TL Audio dual tube pre/compressor/di
1) Altec 1591 mic pre/compressor
4) DBX 160 (vu) compressors (vintage)*2 just added*
1) DBX 163x compressor
2) Valley People Dyan-Mite Compressors/Expanders (vintage)
2) Pandora Stereo Limiter (vintage)
1) BBE Sonic Maximizer
Mics:
1) AKG C-12a mic (vintage tube)
2) Neumann U-87 mics (vintage)*just added*
1) Sanken CU-32*just added*
2) Audio Technica 4033*just added*
2) Shure SM-91 PZM boundary mics
1) Police issue bull horn (this thing is LOUD!!)
1) CB Radio microphone (made by Sears...)
-several old, odd and cool mics
Analog Recorders:
1) MCI JH24 2" 24 track*just added*
1) Ampex ATR800 1/4" 2 track w/remote
1) Revox B77 1/4" 2 track*just added*
Digital Recorders: (my portable recording rig)
1) Macbook Pro 2GHz w/2 gig RAM
1) Pro Tools 002R w/7.3 version software
1) Lacie 320 gig 7200 RPM firewire drive
Guitar Amps/Pedals:
1) Yamaha 5 watt combo guitar amp
1) Danelectro 10 watt combo guitar amp
1) "Marshman" custom 5 watt tube guitar head
1) Mutron Phaser II Pedal (vintage)
Monitors/Power Amps:
1) pair Yamaha NS-10 monitors
1) Hafler Pro 505 power amp
1) pair Focal SM-8 powered monitors
1) pair Truth Audio powered monitors
1) pair Auratone cube monitors
Misc:
1) Mackie 1202 mixer
1) Pair acoustic phase checkers
Vibe Kit:
1)Lava Lamp
50)10 taper candles
50)votive candles
10-20) various sized candles
Incense
Cigars
Supa-funky candle holders of all shapes and sizes
I also write recording-based articles for several industry magazines and music websites. I re-post some of these articles on my blog , and they offer a lot of information and insight for independent artists of all genres. Please subscribe to my blog if you like what you've read.
