Peter Dyson – Owner
A native of England, Peter came to San Diego from the musical town of Austin, Texas in October of 2004. The third owner in Studio West’s thirty-five year history, Peter spearheaded the studio expansion and remodeling project in 2005, determined to bring to fruition his vision of a world-class, fully integrated San Diego-based recording studio, comparable to the top facilities in Los Angeles. His thirteen years of professional expertise in strategic business planning, leadership training and human resources for Motorola’s Semiconductor Group in Austin and his passion for music have uniquely equipped Peter to assemble a top notch team of engineers and producers at Studio West, and to identify and develop services to better meet the needs of clients. As a drummer, Peter has played and recorded with bands in both England and Austin, and has a musical taste that is as diverse as the artists who have recorded at Studio West over the years.
Ari Mouratides – Producer/Engineer
Ari returns to his native San Diego and Studio West from Los Angeles. Formerly head engineer for Atomic Entertainment in LA, he has designed, built and owned two commercial studios, and produced and recorded multi-platinum/gold artists such as B2K, Missy Elliot, Kool Keith, Tatu, Duffle Bag, Mars Lazar, and Sony-ATV Publishing. Ari has accumulated a world-class collection of vintage analogue and state-of-the-art digital gear along the way, which now resides at the newly expanded Studio West. He brings to the table a familiarity with esoteric equipment and acoustic design along with a strong background in music production in a multitude of styles from hip-hop to jazz. Ari plays a wide variety of musical instruments (drums, guitar, bass, keyboards). His tracks have been featured in film and television. Ari is experienced with full-scale record projects for major labels, including Sony and Interscope and is well versed in composition, pre-production, tracking, editing, mixing, and mastering.
Mark Kirchner - Post Production Engineer / Producer / Instructor
With nearly two decades of experience working with audio and video production, Mark brings his encyclopedic knowledge of Digidesign technology and his vast expertise in post-production techniques into the studio. Mark is both a Pro Tools Expert and certified Avid editor. He has engineered, produced and mixed post-score, ADR and ISDN dialogue sessions for top film, TV and broadcast commercial clients. Prior to his work in post-production, Mark spent 14 years working with Digidesign, and in his role and Technical Marketing Manager, directed and produced all of the complany's product information DVDs and videos. Mark is the founder of a thriving, full-service audio production rental company, Edit System Rentals, providing Digidesign Pro Tools HD systems and Avid Meridien based Media Composers to recording studios and editorial facilities. His clients include the hit series "Veronica Mars" (UPN 13), "Prison Break", Digidesign and Grand Design Productions, an animation company which develops 3D animated television programming for children with positive moral messaging.
Astra Kelly – Studio Manager
Astra brings a wealth of music industry experience to her new role as Studio Manager at Studio West. The singer/songwriter, independent music promoter and radio personality arrived from Santa Fe, New Mexico just a little over a year ago, and has already had a powerful impact on the San Diego music scene. A passionate advocate for independent local music, Astra will continue as DJ and producer for her Saturday night radio show on KPRI radio, The KPRI Homegrown Hour, which features local artists and bands. She also hosts a Monday night local music showcase at Dublin Square in the Gaslamp District.
Formerly the Studio Manager of Stepbridge Recording Studios in Santa Fe and the Assistant Studio Manager of 35th Street Recording Studios in Chicago, Astra comes to Studio West with vast experience in studio operations, staff management and session scheduling and coordination for national, local and regional talent. Over the years, she has worked with music clients such as Leonard Cohen, Wes Studi, Producer Jon Kurzweg (Creed, Puddle of Mudd), Tim Reynolds, R Kelly, Sparx and WC Handy Award winning artists Eddie Turner and Otis Taylor. She also has worked with post-production clients including Paramount, Disney, Sci-Fi Channel, BBC, NPR and Steven Spielberg Productions and ADR / voiceover talent including Gene Hackman, Jane Fonda, Sam Elliot, JK Simmons, Alan Arkin, Val Kilmer, and Tim Allen.
As a guitarist, vocalist, writer and veteran of her own studio recording projects, Astra is uniquely qualified to understand the needs of bands and artists booking studio time. Since 1994 she has released four solo albums on her Independent label, Rockaway Records; promoted numerous independent albums and concert events via radio and the Internet for artists in her Native Chicago, Santa Fe, NM and San Diego. She’s also toured extensively as a solo artist and works as an on-air talent for San Diego’s KPRI radio.
Astra is also available to Studio West clients for session vocals, vocal coaching, voiceover work, and graphic design.
Astra’s Philosophy: “Everything is based upon relationships between people and things. In all that I do, I strive to create clear and meaningful connections between both the elements of a project and the people working together for that common goal. Nothing has to be less than extraordinary.”
Kellogg Boynton –Engineer
A versatile and talented engineer, Kellogg attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and received a BAS in Sound Engineering from Ex’pression College for Digital Arts in the San Francisco Bay Area. With extensive training in SSL and Pro Tools, and talents as a guitarist and sometimes drummer, he brings a wide variety of technical and musical knowledge to both tracking and mixing sessions at Studio West. Specializing in rock genres from alternative to the heaviest rock, he particularly enjoys tracking live drums and working with bands.
Recent music credits include sessions with internationally acclaimed bands Wolfmother and Simple Plan, Frankie J, Baby Bash and up and coming producer /guitarist Tommy Andrews. Local San Diego band projects Kellogg has worked on include recording and mixing music for Jeff Berkley and Citizen Band’s upcoming live Music Video (DVD), which was filmed and recorded at Studio West.
Kellogg’s knowledge of ISDN and ADR technology also make him a valuable asset to Studio West’s post-production and broadcast clients. His ADR and voiceover recording credits include Richard Dreyfus, EA Games (with Colts’ running-back Marshall Faulk), Southwest Airlines, Kashi Company and the hit TV series Veronica Mars.
A native San Diegan, Kellogg grew up in the North County coastal town of Encinitas.
Kellogg’s Philosophy: "I enjoy helping artists bring their creative vision to life on a format that can live forever. Because people will listen to the music we create time and time again, I strive for excellence in my work every time I walk into the studio!”
Darrell Harvey – Engineer
A San Diego native, Darrell’s 20+ years of experience as recording engineer at Studio West and his deep knowledge of music theory and perceptual acoustics (why and how we hear what we hear) make him a tremendous asset to any session, be it rock, orchestral, jazz, gospel, classical or alternative music. With feature film, local band and national artist credits under his belt, Darrell has a long list of repeat clients who know and trust him with their recording projects. Darrell’s film credits include "The Usual Suspects", his album credits include Blink-182’s Enema of the State and he has recorded artists including Midnight Oil, Natalie Merchant and Patti Smith. Darrell is a student of classic recordings of the 60’s and 70’s. His musicality, attention to detail and his ability to use vintage gear and recording techniques in unexpected or cutting edge applications make him a valuable commodity on the Studio West team.
Caleb Keiter – Engineer
Caleb is the newest member of the Studio West team, recently relocated from the East Coast. An avid drummer, and occasional guitarist and keyboardist, Caleb brings his passion for music and audio engineering as well as his experience as a Digidesign Certified Pro Tools Expert to the studio’s in-house talent pool.
For the past 6 years he has owned and operated a mobile Pro Tools recording system and has worked regularly at Omega Recording Studios, Sound of Music Studios, and Dragonfly Recording Studios on the East Coast. He has lent his expertise to numerous tracking and mixing sessions in genres ranging from pop and rock, to classical, jazz, and even big band and orchestral recordings. Credits include: BFD "Percussion Expansion Pack" by FXPansion (www.fxpansion.com), a virtual instrument plug-in for which Caleb recorded all of the samples, and recording and broadcasting a live studio performance by Death Cab For Cutie.
Caleb’s especially enjoys recording rock and roll and acoustic jazz as well as drum editing. He has an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration and attended Omega Studios School for the Applied Recording Arts and Sciences.
His sense of humor and expertise insures a fun and productive environment in the studio. When he is not recording, you can usually find him behind his drums or his camera.
Caleb’s Philosophy: “If I am doing my job as an engineer in the studio it should be kind of invisible. If I can keep the artist relaxed and comfortable, they will give me a great performance to record.”
Ibo Rodriguez – Engineer
A native of Puerto Rico, Ibo joined the Studio West family in 1998 after completing his studies at the Conservatory Of Recording Arts in Scottsdale. He has since worked with many major artists and local San Diego bands including Jewel, P.O.D., Shock G from The Digital Underground, Liquid Blue, Pete Yorn, Ike Turner, Tonex, Walela featuring Rita Coolidge and Vocoder. A multi-talented instrumentalist (guitars, bass, drums), Ibo is comfortable in a wide variety of musical genres with special expertise in the heaviest rock and hip-hop as well as Latin, jazz, reggae and fusion. Ibo is a talented engineer who helps artists get their very best performance, be it live bands, vocalists, or solo artists and his experience as a mix engineer can add polish to tracks no matter where they were recorded.
Dan Abernathy – Engineer
Dan is a vastly experienced engineer who is well known and respected in the San Diego musical community. In the 20+ years he has been associated with Studio West, he has recorded countless artists including Al Jarreau, Manhattan Transfer, Patti LaBelle, Randi Crawford and Fatburger. He also has many television and film credits including: "The Cable Guy" with Jim Carrey, Oscar winner "The Usual Suspects" and "Don Juan DeMarco" with Marlon Brando. He is a genius with mic techniques, and production music and also specializes in working with large ensembles and remote recordings. Whether you are recording a classical symphony or a big band, doing ADR/looping or mixing music for a National TV broadcast spot, Dan’s expertise can help you.
Marti Amado – Composer, Arranger, Producer
A Midwestern native, Marti has been a well-respected independent composer, arranger and producer for the past 13 years with clients in Germany, England, Los Angeles, San Diego, New York and Chicago. With a music degree from Northwestern University, Marti is both jazz and classically trained as a pianist, vocalist and arranger. She composed and produced music for national broadcast advertisers in Chicago and Nashville like Chevrolet, Hallmark and Sears before relocating to Southern California to pursue music production for TV, radio and film as well as record projects. Her past clients include: “Entertainment Tonight,” The Odyssey TV Network, for whom Marti produced a music spot featuring The Muppets that won a Pro-Max Gold Medallion Award, the LA Lakers, and NBC. Marti recently had a musical cue featured in the film "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang". She has produced many album projects for singer-songwriters in the Americana, pop, jazz, Celtic and contemporary Christian genres. Wreck N’ Sow, produced by Marti and Americana duo Berkley Hart, won honors at the San Diego Music Awards. Marti is now on-site and available to Studio West clients for pre-production and production.
Larry Czoka – Mastering/Digital Editing
Larry is a classically trained musician with degrees from CSU Long Beach and UCSD, where he began his recording training. He worked with a major label as editing and mastering engineer for over 15 years before coming to Studio West in 1997. Larry also is a transcriptionist, music copyist and score preparation guru. He was copyist and worked closely with orchestrators to prepare the musical score for the film "The Usual Suspects", as well as working on many other film scores recorded at Studio West. Larry is the studio’s primary mastering engineer and has worked with Blues Traveler, Natalie Merchant, Joan Osbourne, Frankie Laine, Dishwalla, Buck-O-Nine, Unwritten Law and a slew of other artists in genres ranging from hip hop to classical.