| Danny Scherr - Alex is a great find for any musician. He's a
talented, experienced and creative engineer, he's happy to give constructive feedback when
you want or need it, and he genuinely cares about how your project turns out. He's also
willing to do everything he can to help you execute your ideas, no matter how far out they
may seem (or actually may be). He's always willing to work with you until you find the
sound you're looking for, and he's got a great ear for and understanding of the sounds you
might be looking for I'm currently finishing an album I've been recording with Alex, and
I'm thrilled with the sound quality of the tracks. I've also been especially impressed by
Alex's amazing editing skills, the special effects he created for backwards guitar and
drum tracks, and his flexibility with the pacing of the project. I doubt it's possible to
find a better recording deal anywhere in the Bay Area--who knows, maybe even on the West
Coast. And at these rates, it's a nice idea to buy him lunch once in a while! JJ Schultz - "I came to Alex
James Muscat in 2003 with a few songs and a few ideas and no idea whatsoever about what to
do in a recording studio. He patiently worked with me through every aspect of my project -
honing my ideas into actual songs on a CD. His immense recording and engineering talent,
his professional experience, and his state of the art studio allowed me to come away with
a product that I am extremely proud of. I highly recommend Westlake - I know I'll be
recording my next CD there." In 2005, JJ completed his second CD "Something to
Me" co-produced by AJM. In 2006, AJM engineered much of his third CD "Traveling
Songs".
Brooke Michael- "the biggest bang for your
buck, but that is really just an added benefit to working with Alex. Not only is he
completely on top of his game as an engineer, but I also found his production expertise
and ideas to be invaluable. Alex is totally available to work with an artist on as few or
as many levels as you need. I always left our sessions feeling taken care of and
accomplished - and it takes a lot for me to feel that way!"
James Colley - "I released
California Skin on August 7th, 2004. I came to Alex with lyrics and chords and I walked
away with a great sounding record that Phil Spector couldn't shoot. If you want to record
your desires, if you think Rush rocks, if you want your moneys worth, if you want to feel
like you are a part of something cool and fresh then give Alex James Muscat a
call...without sounding cheesy or mustardy, Alex is the new revolution. Oh yeah buy my CD
and listen for yourself ."
Bob O' Magic - "I first had
the opportunity to work with Alex James Muscat when he asked to use one of my songs on
Last Stop Record’s compilation c.d., Kick Out the Jams. Alex was as passionate about
engineering the project as i was about songwriting. As an advocate of independent artists,
he insisted on stepping out of the way, encouraging me to produce. Soon we were back in
the studio..."
Fred Odell - "...a
positive experience. Alex Muscat's knowledge and experience, coupled with a love for
independent music helped me to make the recording I had initially envisioned. One of
Alex's strength's is his ability to listen to what the artist wants and help them realize
that. He is professional, efficient and knowledgeable. He's a great asset to the San
Francisco independent music community."
Jim Reid - "Alex,
You did a great job on our Jim Reid for Mayor campaign song CD and I could not imagine
going to a better person. Your work is very professional, your facitity works and your
labor rate is VERY reasonable enabling ordinary people to bring their creative work into
the world. You do a great service to people like me who value creative work."
Mural Of Sun - "Alex is the
studio man. If you want high quality affordable mixing, talk to this guy." - Ned
Tozrun
Neil Howard/The New Black Trio- "
I have found the experience of working with Alex to be consistently productive, easy and
most of all, thoroughly enjoyable. I trust his ear on everything I do and I also
especially appreciate his understanding of what I may want to try as opposed to what he or
someone else would or would not do... He works to make the artist the producer and himself
the best engineer any producer would want...and the results are always remarkable."
Steven Capozzola - "I have to say, the most
fun I've ever had in recording was at Alex James Muscat's Recording Studio studio in San
Francisco, California. From the minute I walked in, I felt at home. I loved all the
posters on the walls (Neil Young was the first thing I spotted), and I still love that
couch in the lounge. And of course there's that kitchen table in the lounge where I've
enjoyed many a pizza meal after hours and hours of work. But Alex has a special studio
because, for all the hi tech equipment and patch wires and perfect sound baffling and the
big mixing console, he's managed to retain a sort of homey, clubhouse vibe to the place.
Even the carpeting makes it feel like someone's living room. But anyway, I managed to
record a full CD of songs in exactly the way I'd hoped-- and I ended up with an ideal
record. There's a few reasons why things worked so well. First, Alex is a hell of a
musician, so he can recognize when a part is being played wrong, and he'll push you to do
it right-- which may mean doing it again and again. (Alex's famous line is, "I want
you to do it again...I know you can do it better than that." And of course you do it
again because Alex inspires that sort of craft-- that you want to equal the expectation he
has). And then there's the fact that Alex can arrange and produce the song itself, which
means that when a song needs an intro, or a way to end, it's invariably Alex who'll have
the ingenious flash of an idea of how to come up with a really cool bridge or riff to kick
into the main part of a song. And, lastly, Alex is very fair. I once wanted to
re-record a song we'd already completed. Alex could have easily agreed, if he were simply
in it for the money. But he isn't, and I had to convince him to that the version we'd
finished wasn't quite what I heard in my head. And then, when he agreed to try it again,
he willingly followed my lead to try something rather unconventional-- and that worked
very well in the end. Of course, the reason it worked is that, even though we cut an
initial live track of drums, guitar, and vocals, Alex had the studio know-how to
successfully separate different sounds, and to engineer on the fly with such skill, that
we got a great track out of something very risky. I happen to live on the East Coast now,
but I look back very fondly on all of my sessions and happen to miss those days quite a
bit. I got a great CD, and a great experience."
Matt Swindells - Muscat
Sound is the perfect solution for my recording needs. I make records on a tiny budget. I
have my own computer with pro-tools but I also need a place to record my drums or any
other loud instruments. Muscat Sound is that place. Check out the drum sound on my new
recording Matt Swindells Here. I have had comments from other studio engineers and
musicians who think that the drum sound is recorded to tape. It sounds analogue. Its the
warmest digital drum recording I have encountered and I do lots of sessions at different
studios.. I don't know how Alex gets that sound, but he does.Whether I'm working on my own
stuff or doing a drum session for another artist the sound is consistently good. The same
warmth translates to all the other instruments I have recorded there, be it vocals,
guitars, percussion or whatever. The affordability of Muscat Sound helps musicians on 2
levels. First it helps you bring your musical idea's into reality and secondly it ensures
a creative and relaxed environment where you are not always worried about the clock. You
have time to get performances right and to also be creative on the spot. Having a good
performance is the most important thing for me when I record music, even more important
than the sound. At Muscat Sound I always leave happy on both counts.
J Neo Marvin and the Content Providers
- "I'm tremendously satisfied with the results we got... Alex James Muscat has a
good thing going: a comfortable, homey little studio with OUTLANDISHLY reasonable rates.
Alex is an intense guy with very strong opinions which make for furiously entertaining
conversation, but once it's time to work, he is totally focused on getting the job done.
As an artist and a producer, I really appreciated his musical ear (especially his sense of
pitch) and his feel for the moment a good take happens. His commitment to his work (and
the artists he works with/for) helped us get through a few highly stressful moments, too.
Another quality I find essential in an engineer is the willingness to try out any crazy
idea I come up with (or suggest an even better and often crazier alternative) and Alex has
this. My recommendations to anyone who is serious about recording." - J Neo Marvin
Lullaby Crush - "Alex
provides a very productive and stress-free recording environment from which to work in and
the results my band got with him behind the board sound just plain great. But don’t
let his friendly, laid-back manner fool you. Not only is Alex a knowledgeable and
professional engineer with years of studio experience, he's an accomplished musician and
songwriter. Whether you are thinking about recording a few songs for a demo or you are
looking to produce a full length professional-quality album, I suggest you utilize
Alex’s services. His rates and commitment to your project just can’t be
beat." - Jason Cole
"We were very
fortunate to record our first CD at Westlake. The studio had everything we needed and was
comfortable - the hourly rate was reasonable and extremely competitve with other studios.
But most of all, Alex's engineering skills and industry experience were invaluable and
allowed us to create the CD we all wanted. Everyone is pleased with the professional
quality of the result - and we definitely plan to go back for our next recording. - Val
Lipman
Deborah Crooks - "Professional, friendly
and affordable, a boon for any recording musician, from those working on simple demos to
full-length CDs. I've gone there to work on a friend's project and to make quick demos. On
both occasions, Alex brought his wealth of musical experience, good ear and technical
know-how to the project at hand, managing to be both efficient and creative. Plus he made
it comfortable for everyone to perform well. Making a clean, well engineered
recording."
Andy Padlo - "We came to Alex
with our recording project already started in a raw, garage (literally--we'd been
recording on a laptop in my garage) format. Alex impressed me from the very moment I spoke
to him about my music and my recording--he was knowledgeable, he listened, he made sense.
In the studio he was organized and quick on the uptake, and his focus was always the same:
to use his skills to help me get the sound I was looking for. He made me feel he cared
about the music we were making, that the quality of the project mattered to him, and this
helped make every session positve and productive. We came out with a cd we're absolutely
proud of."
Bryan Harrison - "Alex
James Muscat is a man dedicated to the local, independent recording artist. From the first
moments of entering the recording studio enviornment, Alex sets about making the artist
feel at ease. As a producer and engineer, Alex reads every situation well. His creative
nature, and his desire to work with the artist to create the best possible representative
recordings of the given material, serve to further put the artist at ease, enabling
everyone to just relax and create. His equipment is state of the art, and his facilities
are ideal for many applications. In addition to his fine production work, Alex has
contributed both bass and keyboard parts on some of my recordings. He's a very capable
musician/artist in his own right, and seems to have the ear to know what a song needs,
with a sense of the direction a project might need move in. Alex's dedication to the local
artist community shows up in numerous ways. He promo's and features artists with whom he
works on his web site, as well. Alex has brought his recording equipment, desktop computer
included, to do a live recording session for me. While we experienced a few technical
issues outside of his control, we still managed to mix-down several tracks from the
evening that are included on my live CD. It's that extra effort that, alone, makes working
with Alex James Muscat, an invaluable asset for the independent artist. His relaxed
demeanor sets a comfortable tone, and makes the whole process more fun. I've been
extremely happy in working with Alex, and have plans for more sessions in the near
future."
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Call me
anytime at 415.999.4764 to discuss your project and my availability.
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