Blind Banana Productions Sees The Digital Light

BUENA PARK, CA (March 15, 2004) — Ask recording engineer and studio owner Jeffrey Pierce how he learned his craft, and he'll give you an honest answer: "The best way – by teaching myself, doing everything backwards and making a bazillion mistakes!"

Pierce owns and operates Fredericksburg (VA)-based Blind Banana Productions, a full service recording studio and live sound business with a full roster of corporate clients and bands seeking an alternative to the pace (and prices) of nearby Washington, DC. Over the last year, Blind Banana has completed work for The Kennedy Center, HBO, Georgetown University, The National Zoo and The White House Commission, and has also worked with Spike Lee, Goldie Hawn, James Brown and Jerry Lewis. Pierce and veteran recording engineer Shannon Walton are joined by current interns Jerimie Thomas, Carlos Diaz and Zak Obenchain.

When the studio upgraded to include digital recording technology, Pierce purchased a Yamaha 02R96, and had the distinction of receiving the very first production model sold in the U.S. "I was not a previous 02R user," he explains. "What convinced me was the combination of price, features, value and wanting to 'step it up a notch.' Some people advised against getting a new product right out of the gate, but in retrospect, it was the smartest decision we ever made. I did have some help learning to use it – the people at Sweetwater Sound and Yamaha Tech Support were extremely helpful – but overall, the 02R96 was one of the most intuitive piece of gear I've ever worked on."

That self-starter spirit has been a driving force since Pierce turned a passion into a profession more than twenty years ago. "I was a music fan working in the insurance industry, and got tired of just doing it as a hobby after work every day," he says. "So with my wife's blessing, I decided to make it a fulltime venture. The problem was, no one would give me an internship, so I basically did it myself."

Starting off with a Tascam half inch reel-to-reel setup, Pierce recorded demos for artists that included blues singer Bobby Parker, Les Loki and the band Firefall before landing a gig as technical director for the French Embassy in Washington. "I was responsible for the on-site cultural center, which hosted meetings, visiting presidents and musicians – everything from jazzers to French pop stars," he explains. "We recorded a 17-show jazz series for WDUQ Radio (Pittsburgh, PA) from there, which was then picked up by National Public Radio. Those visiting artists were very, very particular. It was a real challenge, but a great learning experience. It took my skill level to a new level, and put it on par with national engineers."

Pierce returned to full-time studio work three years later, and continued to build a steady client base. "Someone told me that it was the studio's vibe that helped us attract all this talent," he says. "Since the studio is in my house, we can provide an environment where people can really relax. When people come here, they have the run of the bottom floor of the house, the garden and a room with pinball machines. Everyone can just hang out."

The decision to upgrade Blind Banana's current location in 2002 was a move to stay competitive. "As the technology changed, we weren't really keeping up, and clients were jumping," Pierce notes. "I had met engineer Dave Ruffo on the jazz series when I was at the Embassy and we hit it off immediately – plus, he gave me some great microphone tips. Dave was at Birdland [Jazz Club] in New York City, and was also making the jump from analog to digital, so I gave him a call. He was a big fan of the original 02R. Another recommendation on the [02R]96 came from engineer Donnie Thompson, who had been using the 'classic' 02R for years.

"The first thing we did was get rid of piles of outboard gear because we just didn't need it anymore. We also had a lot of midrange preamps, and after doing a lot of listening tests, the 02R96 preamps sounded much better. The 02R96 also gives me the most accurate mix I've ever heard, and the clarity is amazing. Once we heard it in normal mode, it made every mic, the room and the mixes sound better. We're currently upgrading to Version 2 software, but it still seems like we've just scratched the surface. For instance, we haven't done 5.1 yet, so we still have a long way to go. That's the amazing value of it.

"We also hold recording classes at the studio, and the ease of teaching on the 02R96 is amazing. The most common comment is that it's really intuitive."

Additional gear includes an Alesis 24XR and ProTools hard disk recording system. "Being able to run Pro Tools from the surface of 02R96 really helped our business," says Pierce. "It got the MIDI people and computer people onboard. We're using Wavelab to master, Vegas 4.0 for video and have a DigiDesign 002 rack. We kept a Lexicon MPX1000 and a Yamaha SPX1000, and everything gets run through the Apache Frontier. Originally, we started with one of the Mackie HD systems, and then went to the Alesis 96 for the clock. We also have Bellari preamps for bass input, two RP583 and two RP520s."

Although the studio continues to attract corporate accounts, Pierce and company are getting back to their roots by recording an increasing number of demos for bands, and are currently working on releases for Enough Said, 7th Wish, The Shooters, Kyle Pierce, De Realiz and rappers Blade and Sheem. "Bands are a lot of fun," he says. "Like our website says – It's not enough to know your gear inside and out. Music is a passion, you either feel it or you do not. We feel it!"

For more information on the 02R96, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Professional Audio, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.