All about DBAR Productions & Stephen Sherrard

Location

DBAR Productions is located in a private residence in Issaquah, Washington, just a short 20 minute drive from downtown Seattle, in a development just one mile off of I-90.

The Name

Originally I did business as MusicTECH and got on the web around 1996 with the domain www.music-tech.com.  After a short while I discovered that MusicTECH was a bit too popular as there were several other companies with that name.  To avoid confusion and to set up a new production company for my own product lines, I switched the name to DBAR Productions.  The original MusicTECH web site has now become Music-And-Technology.com (still accessible also via music-tech.com) and is a site full of resources and technical assistance for recording musicians.

Staff

As of this time, DBAR Productions is run by just one person, Stephen Sherrard.  Check out my bio page for more.

Studio

Although the studio is located in a home, it is NOT your typical home studio.  The high-end equipment has been carefully selected to provide major label quality professional results, and you’ll find the same equipment in many professional facilities throughout the world.  The studio has also been acoustically designed and treated with professional products (not cheap acoustic foam that you’ll find in a lot of basement studios).  The only difference from the large studios is that I don’t have a huge tracking room, although it’s more than big enough to record drums and small groups.  When an even bigger space is needed, I am more than qualified to work at any major studio out there and I often takes my clients to big studios to record large groups, and then bring them back to my much more cost efficient studio to do everything else.  No sense in paying for more space than you need!  Check out the Studio Page if you want more details on the equipment I use.

What makes DBAR Productions special?

There are plenty of great studios and great producers and engineers in most major cities.  Finding the right one for your project can sometimes be a challenge, though.

What sets me apart is that in addition to a highly technical background (degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering, plus served as a Nuclear Engineer for the Navy for 5 years), I also come from a very musical family and have been involved in music my entire life (playing trumpet, piano/keyboards, a little guitar, as well as singing experience).  I am truly passionate about music and enjoy listening to and working with a very wide variety of musical styles.

I understand that the music comes first and that the technology must serve the music without ever getting in the way of it.  I effortlessly handle all the technical details for you so that you can get into your creative space and concentrate on delivering a moving musical performance.

I also has that rare natural talent of a “great ear”, meaning simply that I knows how to make things sound good and fit them all together into a great sounding mix (much more difficult than it sounds).

Learning to record and mix is like learning another musical instrument, and the more that you work at it, the better you get!  I have been doing this professionally for more than 20 years now, and as a serious hobby for much longer than that.  I also worked as a full time staff engineer for several years at one of the largest studio facilities in Seattle, Triad Studios.

Just as important as technical and musical skills are social skills.  If you don’t feel comfortable with the person you are working with, you won’t be able to deliver your best performance in the studio.  I’m a very easy going person who seems to be able to get along with just about any type of person.  If you are looking for a highly energetic cheerleader type of person to motivate you, that’s NOT me.  But, if you like a laid-back, easy going professional, who is always prepared and works quickly and efficiently without getting in the way of your creative vibe, then I may be the engineer for you.  If you need help with production, I am more than happy to offer my feedback and suggestions and help guide you along in the recording process in a friendly and non-intimidating way.

I’m a highly trained professional who has been recording and producing music and audio full time for more than 20 years now.  I take a great deal of pride in my work and strive to ensure that I always exceeds my client’s expectations.

Contact me today to discuss your project in detail!