Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Tunison.
Eric, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Around the emergence of the Beatles in the mid- ‘60’s and the resulting transformation of popular music, I was playing lead guitar and singing lead vocals in a Southern California rock band called the Classics. Credit collective talent, hard work, youthful energy, and especially luck, for by 1965 the Classics were recording our own original music in a major Los Angeles recording studio. it’s easy to see how, at the tender age of 17, I caught the recording bug.
I moved to Seattle in 1968 to study engineering at the University of Washington. During my studies, I purchased a sound-on-sound tape deck, which enabled me to record and bounce up to four tracks, one track at a time. Having now doubled my track count, but no longer having my band mates handy, I taught myself how to play bass guitar, piano, and drums. Before long I became a master at the art of sound-on-sound recording, and I proceeded to fill reels and reels of self-produced songs in between my studies.
I graduated from college with my engineering degree in 1971, fully employed now, and ripe for some major equipment upgrades. Multi-track tape recorders were becoming the norm in professional studios in the ‘70’s. I invested in a 4-track, and soon thereafter an 8-track multi-track tape recorder, complete with mixing board, outboard processors, and some nice mics. It was at this point that I started recording other people on a professional basis.
I moved to Georgia in 1991. While living in temporary quarters I designed and built my new studio in Alpharetta. I worked closely with a builder to ensure my studio design details were properly implemented, including room dimensions, sound isolation, and wiring.
In 2004, I was by now convinced that digital recording technology sounded as good as, if not better than, analog tape. With its great, clean sound and far superior editing and mixing flexibility, computer-based digital recording systems had surpassed the capabilities of analog recording studios in efficiency and in quality. I was now ready for my most significant upgrade to date, to Pro Tools. The current recording gear at Groove Tunes Studios utilizes the recording industry standard, 192- track, Pro Tools HD digital recording system.
Groove Tunes has been the recording venue of choice for many Pop, Rock, Americana, Country, Christian, Children, Jazz, Alternative, Classical, Fusion, Folk, Latin, Post-Punk, Heavy Metal, Soft Soul, R&B, and other musical genres. I appreciate just about all types of musical expression, although I do refer rap artists elsewhere. I work with clients of all ages, musical backgrounds, and levels of expertise.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As with any startup business it took a couple of years to build up a decent clientele. Then word-of-mouth and my website www.groovetunes.com has been the primary mechanisms for bringing in new business. Groove Tunes has been a sponsor for Open Mic Atlanta for the past 12 years, and musicians who play live at those venues sometimes become recording clients as well.
The technical aspects involved with computer based recording technology has a fairly steep learning curve and can be quite complicated. The four main processes for making a studio recording are tracking (recording), editing, mixing, and mastering. Having worked with analog tape recording for years prior to switching to digital I was already familiar with these processes. It was just a matter of learning the keystrokes on the computer for the various programs and plugins that the system required.
With small studios like Groove Tunes staffing typically runs lean, with the owner typically wearing hats of both engineer and producer. The engineer takes care of all the technical aspects of the recordings while the producer oversees the musical production along with artistic vision to make sure the song is well-crafted, arranged, and “sounds good”. Having been involved with multi-track recording since the analog era, as well as music direction and arranging for decades, I have been able to handle both sides of the production equation.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Ranked #1 in customer satisfaction by Kudzu.com for the past 12 years, Groove Tunes Studios produces and records singer/songwriters, bands, small ensembles, solo artists, musicians, vocalists, voiceover artists, and more. Whether you need to record a demo, a single track, or an entire album, Groove Tunes is the recording studio where your project will receive complete and personal attention from conception through final completion. You will be working with the same competent, professional producer/engineer that you agreed to work with from the start all the way to the completion of your job. And if you’ve dreamt at having some of the best session musicians in the country playing killer backup tracks on your album, you will find Groove Tunes to be the perfect studio to help you realize that dream. Groove Tunes will get the best musicians for your project within your budget.
The main things that sets Groove Tunes apart from most Atlanta studios are the value of the finished product (quality vs. price), and the personal and professional care each client receives from start to finish, including:
* Quality, organic* sounding recordings — well-produced, professionally-engineered, “radio-ready” recordings, at a fraction the cost of big-label studios.
* Professional service throughout the entire process
* Constantly striving to deliver the results that you want
* Located in beautiful North Fulton County on a quiet, semi-wooded, suburban lot
* Located in a safe part of town; on-site 24/7 video surveillance
* Studio is always clean and inviting
* Studio is private, not a hang-out; sessions are closed to public, for booked clients only
* Service is highly personalized, specialized, good-natured, fun, and professional
* Session flows are planned before the client arrives to facilitate time management
* The studio is climate-controlled, comfortable, with a musically inspiring environment
* The room acoustics are superior
* The equipment is a combination of the latest technology and vintage high-end gear
* The studio offers highly competitive rates and scheduling flexibility
* The studio can provide musicians, writers, and producers as well as engineering for projects
* The studio will deliver the same degree of professionalism to small and large projects
* All individuals working on your project will be top professionals in their field, talented and dependable
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in Southern California, near L.A., and I was a studious and musical kid. After high school I was counseled to pursue an engineering degree, and from there, to earn a master’s in business. Meanwhile, throughout my entire education years, I was making music, including playing lead guitar in a rock band, playing and recording multiple instruments, directing a musical/comedy acting troupe, and running a professional recording business.
Contact Info:
- Address: Suburban Alpharetta, Georgia
- Website: www.groovetunes.com
- Phone: 770-842-5511
- Email: eatunison@bellsouth.net
