Recording
Your Fantasy
For Over Forty Years!
studio A
Whether it's
recording music, spoken word, soundtrack,
or post production, Fantasy Studios is a first-rate facility located
in the heart of San Francisco/ Bay Area.
The new owner,
Wareham Development, has invested over four million in the building,
allocating much of that to the studios. During the renovations,
architects and technicians were careful to preserve the 40-year
history of Fantasy Studios, while successfully melding its rich
heritage with state-of-the-art gear
and amenities.
David
Rodenbach of Peppermint James
Who has walked through the doors at Fantasy, you ask? Platinum certified
artists like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Santana, Journey, Green
Day, En Vogue, Aerosmith and countless others. The tradition of
providing an inimitably creative environment continues, as Fantasy
Studios has also been the recording destination for some of today's
hottest artists including Counting Crows, The Donnas, AFI, Ozomatli,
and the Kronos Quartet.
Staff engineer James Willetts in Studio A control
room
In addition to its rich musical history, Fantasy Studios also boasts
an impressive history in film and television. Much of the post-production
work including additional dialog recording, foley, voice-over, and
soundtrack recording for Academy Award winning films such as Amadeus,
Apocalypse Now, The English Patient, Good Will Hunting, Fellowship
of the Ring, Sixth Sense, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille and many others
have been produced at Fantasy Studios.
studio D
Fantasy Studios'
three historic rooms have been recently upgraded to meet the most
modern standards. "Studio A is one of the most requested tracking
rooms on the West Coast. We also offer complete ISDN services linking
us to studios worldwide. " says Jeffrey Wood, Studio Director.
Studio D lounge
All rooms are
fully equipped with Studer analog as well as ProTools HD. Fantasy
may just have the largest selection of vintage and new microphones
and outboard gear in Northern California. "Fantasy houses a
9 Yamaha C9 piano in studio A and a 7 Yamaha C7 grand
piano in studio D that record beautifully and have been featured
on many famous recordings," says Wood.
photos of
Peppermint James by: Michael A. Pyrz
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Fantasy Studios Reception
Area
The large rooms
can be made available for film, video, photographic shoots, and
Internet streaming. Fantasy offers one of the most comprehensive
transfer and editing facilities on the West Coast, offering the
ability to digitize audio from almost any format.
Amy Vangellow of
Peppermint James
The staff at
Fantasy Studios takes pride in providing clients with the best possible
experience. Studio Director, Jeffrey Wood, helms the staff with
25 years of industry experience under his belt. James Gangwer, the
chief technician, is a renowned microphone expert. In-house engineers
James Willetts and Jesse Nichols have worked with artists from every
genre of music including Rock, Pop, Jazz, Gospel, Classical and
World Music.
Staff engineer Jesse Nichols in Studio D control
room
Fantasy Studios first opened in 1971 as an in-house studio for Fantasy
Records and then opened to the public in 1980.
Wareham Development
purchased the Zaentz Media Center - the building that houses the
studios - from Saul Zaentz in January 2007.
In spite of flurry of studio closures in the Bay Area, the new owners
of Fantasy Studios have demonstrated the utmost respect for the
studio's history and its dedication to quality. The new Zaentz Media
Center remains a mecca for a thriving community that includes tenants
in film, new media, television and music production.
Studio A Lounge
Not to be mistaken
as a place where only big names can play, Fantasy Studios has supported
local Bay Area artists throughout its existence by offering studio
packages and a welcoming atmosphere second to none. In addition,
many of the independent filmmakers and documentary makers in the
Bay Area and Zaentz Media Center community come to Fantasy Studios
for their post-production work.
l-r: James Willetts & Amy Vangellow, Jonathan
Lefebvre
Jeffrey Wood,
Studio Director, comments, "The goal for Fantasy Studios is
to be an accessible place for artists at every stage of their careers.
Having a great sounding record or film should not be reserved for
the privileged few. We work with bands, managers and film productions
to craft the best studio packages possible working within individual
budget constraints. Every big name artist that has recorded at Fantasy
was once a developing artist. We strive to provide the best experience
for both the stars of today and the stars of tomorrow."
It is no surprise
that in 2000, Billboard Magazine deemed Fantasy Studios the #1 Recording
Studio in America.
To request a
tour or for bookings contact:
Amanda
Howell or Jeffrey Wood, Studio Director
Fantasy Studios
2600 Tenth St. Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 486-2038 tel
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