377:(tm) dub stage standards. The existing analog dubbing equipment (film projector and mag dubbers) were kept intact, and a digital sound and projection chain was implemented that would run in parallel with the analog chain, allowing for traditional film dubbing to take place on the stage while providing SMPTE-based sync for the Synclavier and Direct-to-Disc digital workstations that now resided on the digital part of the dub stage. An AMS Neve Logic 2 digital console was installed, to provide digital signal path film dubbing. There too, Nazarian was ahead of his time - while the Logic 2 was a bit flaky, the insight gained by AMS Neve from the Magnolia installation enabled them to perfect the DFC Digital Film Console, which reflected the functionality of digital mixing pioneered by Magnolia.
350:
expanded his audio post-production efforts dramatically, creating his own company, Post Pro, Inc., to provide sound editorial services for the show. Simultaneously, Gnome
Productions was providing sound editorial and mixing services on many animated TV shows, including Sonic The Hedgehog from DIC for which Nazarian and fellow mixer Dennis Patterson won an MPSE Golden Reel award in 1993. Gnome also received many MPSE nominations for sound editing and mixing in subsequent years.
317:'s "Giving You The Best That I've Got" album, and provided Anita with her first experience with recording on a Direct-to-Disc digital recording system. Anita would later call again on Nazarian to record her vocals digitally. This would be one of the last projects recorded at the W. 30th Street studio location. Shortly after, Gnome Studios NYC was moved into the 37 W. 20th street location of Hip Pocket Recording Studios (later called Back Pocket).
186:(of "Smokin' in the Boys' Room" fame). During the next few years, he participated in countless live shows and recorded several albums with Brownsville, including "Brownsville Station" aka 'The Red Album' (recorded at Cenacle in Mt. Kisco New York, during which "Martian Boogie" was created), and "Air Special" for Epic, which was to be Brownsville's last recorded work. He remained a member of Brownsville Station until May, 1979.
358:" one of the first feature films to make extensive use of Digital Mix-to-Picture, a new technique where sound effects, Foley and dialog/ADR were played back live on the dub stage from digital devices, instead of from pre-recorded mag film. This technique would be further refined when Gnome Studios once again relocated, in early 1994, into Skywalker Sound South at the former Lion's Gate studio facilities on Bundy Drive.
159:. While doing sessions, Nazarian also maintained an active presence on the local music scene, playing with such diverse musical units as the Austin-Moro Big Band, and even the Glenn Miller Orchestra. All these musical influences formed part of his overall versatility towards music creation. Funk and R&B, however, took hold of a special place in his musical arsenal, as later musical endeavors would reveal.
22:
234:
II - Electric
Boogaloo". Millie Scott's "Prisoner of Love" and "Love Me Right" were huge hits in the U.K., re-igniting her R&B career, and led to a full LP on 4th and Broadway (later CD) that included downtempo club favorites "Automatic" and "Ev'ry LIttle Bit". Some of the projects were Produced with Detroit DJ Duane Bradley, and some were produced with close friend Jerry Jones.
195:
Shaun Murphy on lead vocals, Luis Resto (of Was (Not Was) and, later, Eminem fame) on keyboards, and funk bassist Hugh
Hitchcock. The Automatix changed personnel a few times along the way, and by the time they landed a recording contract with MCA in 1982, the lineup included guitarist Randy Jacobs and bassist Nolan Mendenhall, along with keyboardist Jim Noel. The Automatix' debut LP
77:
278:, a class designed to teach modern multi-track recording techniques as seen from the musician's point of view, instead of the engineer's. The courseware was eventually published Commercially as: Recording Production Techniques for Musicians (AMSCO Press, 1988). The book was unique in that its text and graphics had been created entirely on the brand new Macintosh Computer.
233:
During those years, he produced many successful dance music recordings, while maintaining an active career as a session guitarist. Midway's "Set It Out" (featuring Donald Ray
Mitchell of Was (Not Was) on lead vocals) became a Billboard-charting dance hit, even appearing on the soundtrack of "Breakin'
415:
In 2004, he wrote "DVD Studio Pro 2 - The
Complete Guide to Authoring with Macintosh", published by McGraw-Hill. In 2006, he wrote "DVD Studio Pro 4 - The Complete Guide to Authoring with Macintosh", published by McGraw-Hill. Both books covered DVD authoring with Apple DVD Studio Pro in great depth.
241:
on producing several 12" recordings, including "Too Busy
Thinking About My Baby" from "Orbit", featuring the vocal talents of Carol Hall. He also produced or co-produced Nighthawk's 1982 "Eye of the Tiger", Mitch Ryder's 1985 version of "Like A Rolling Stone", Gerry Woo's "Hey There Lonely Girl" and
138:
Also during his college years, he began a career as a studio musician at the urging of recording engineer Jim
Bruzzese, owner of Detroit's Pampa Studios. He quickly became a "first-call" guitarist in the Detroit recording scene, working with diverse and influential producers like Don Davis, Don Was,
349:
Gnome
Studios at the Complex remained active in music until 1991, when Nazarian segued into audio post-production, becoming Sound Editor for, and eventually Supervising Sound Editor of "Dinosaurs" a Disney-produced network show running on ABC TV. As Supervising Sound Editor for Dinosaurs, Nazarian
305:
The second Millie Scott Album, "I Can Make It Good For You" was a groundbreaking project, in that it was recorded entirely without multitrack tape. All tracks were created using music sequences programmed into the
Synclavier, and live audio recorded directly into the 16-track Direct-to-Disc system.
203:
charts when the band found themselves with a dilemma: Incoming MCA President Irving Azoff had reduced MCA's artist roster from 42 acts to 7, and by the end of 1983, the
Automatix were without a label and disheartened - disbanding shortly thereafter. The band recorded its namesake LP in a multitrack
194:
Around 1979, Nazarian formed "The A-Band", a group of Detroit studio musicians who performed casually in the Detroit area. The A-Band became the basis of a new band, "The Automatix", a contemporary rock/pop band that featured close friend and session veteran Jerry Jones on drums, local vocal legend
411:
In 1988, the textbook he had written for his university class "Recording and Electronic Techniques for Musicians" was published as "Recording Production Techniques for Musicians" by AMSCO Press. The book and all artwork were created on an early Macintosh 128K using MacWrite and MacPaint, making it
340:
on the score for "Air America". In addition to creating many Synclavier orchestral pre-realizations for Gross, Nazarian was also heavily featured as lead guitarist on the film's score. Powertrax also played host to fellow Synclavier owner John Barnes, whose musical experiences with Michael Jackson
106:
Nazarian was an Apple Certified Trainer and Certified Pro on various professional applications, including DVD Studio Pro and Logic Pro. He authored several books on music and technology and served as President of Digital Media Consulting Group, Inc. as well as TDG Foundation, Inc., his non-profit
369:
Seeking additional editorial space, as well as a dub stage of their own, Gnome Productions' sound editorial operation was moved to Burbank, where it took over the former B&B sound studios. B&B was home, at the time, to Horta Editorial as well as the remains of B&B Sound. Magnolia and
389:
In 1999, Nazarian became Director of DVD Training at Video Symphony in Los Angeles. During that time, he ran an independent authoring company called eVideo, which authored many innovative and interesting DVD projects. In February 2001, he left Video Symphony to create Gnome Digital Media, an
353:
By 1993, Nazarian had relocated his sound editorial operations to become part of Soundworks West, a new audio post facility created in the old Hitsville West studio complex on Romaine Street in Los Angeles. While part of Soundworks West, Nazarian was one of the Supervising Sound Editors on
229:
sequencer, and racks of outboard MIDI modules. Ever in search of higher quality sound, and freedom from reliance on multitrack tape, in 1985 he acquired the first of what would eventually be many Synclavier digital music systems, and companion Direct-to-Disc hard disk recording systems.
380:
Magnolia played host to Walt Disney Television, mixing many of their 1995 season's TV movies, as well as a host of independent feature films, and animation shows. In February 1998, Magnolia was sold to Millennium Sound, and Nazarian moved on to a different creative career.
398:
In 2000, Nazarian accepted a position on the advisory board of the DVDA, a non-profit trade association promoting optical disc media production. In 2005 he was elected to the board of directors, and in 2006, he was elected vice-president. In 2007 he was elected president.
297:
Nazarian's skill as engineer, producer and Synclavier operator quickly brought him a reputation in the New York market, and netted him a new stream of clients - film composers who wanted electronic augmentation for their film scores. One of the first of these was
175:' "The 8th Day", and was lead singer on "If I Could Just See The Light", their third national single. The 8th Day was a unique act for that period, with half the members white, and half black. During that period he also performed with "The 8th Day" at the
390:
independent DVD authoring company and home base for his growing DVD consulting and training practice. He took the nom de plume "The DVD Guy" during the early years, and later changed it to "The Digital Guy", by which he was known until his death.
333:. Kershenbaum's purchase led to the formation of "Powertrax" a complex of studios within the former Studio 55 that recorded music and performed audio post-production as well as music supervision using then-new digital music techniques.
407:
Nazarian also had a long involvement with the written word. From 1985 to 1986, he was a contributing editor to MIX magazine, where he created "In Sync", a monthly column devoted to computerized music production, sequencing and MIDI.
302:, with whom Nazarian collaborated on a number of film scores, from Turner and Hooch to their last collaboration, Air America in 1990. (It was Nazarian who played all of the lead guitar solos on the movie's orchestral soundtrack)
212:
After the Automatix disbanded, Nazarian continued producing, branching out into dance music, and utilizing many of early analog and digital sequencing tricks he had been developing. His earliest productions included use of the
119:
musical variety shows in his hometown of Detroit. During his grade school years, he studied piano and vocals, and at age 13 took up tenor saxophone and played in the Mackenzie High School band under director
341:
and Marvin Gaye made him legendary in the L.A. studio scene. . Powertrax closed in December 1990, and Gnome Studios West moved to The Complex in West L.A., the former studio home of Earth Wind and Fire.
294:'s "I Can't Let You Go" for CBS UK, Gnome Sound was moved to New York City, where it landed at Theodore's Planet Sound Studios, just around the corner from Madison Square Garden.
270:
After over a decade of live performances and studio sessions, in 1981 Nazarian was tapped to become Adjunct Music Instructor in the new Contemporary Media Program at
290:, an old friend, who suggested he consider relocating Gnome Sound to New York. By November the die was cast, and after the completion of recording and mixing on
830:
262:
and produced many 12" records that appeared on Lifton's Orphan Records, including Lifton's own version of "I'm A Man", later re-released on Atlantic records.
810:
654:
361:
During the years at Bundy Drive, the Gnome Productions Sound editorial operation grew until it needed to expand beyond the space available at Bundy Drive.
565:
825:
412:
one of the first books printed from an electronic manuscript. Many of the topics in the book are still relevant to today's digital recording process.
107:
charitable foundation. Nazarian was also President of the International Digital Media Alliance (IDMA), formerly known as the DVD Association (DVDA).
275:
131:
In 1968, he toured Europe with the Wayne State University Men's Glee Club, under the direction of Dr. Harry Langsford, and participated in the 1968
790:
795:
540:
820:
815:
60:
115:
Bruce Nazarian began his musical career as a singer at the age of four, performing regularly on local television (WXYZ-TV) and in
167:
Shortly after completing college, Nazarian began touring and recording with playing with many local and national acts, including
785:
38:
31:
514:
336:
Nazarian and Gnome's Studio 2 from New York landed at Powertrax in June 1990, just in time to begin work with film composer
805:
373:
The Main dub stage at Magnolia was remodeled to contemporary audio post specs by designer Steven Klein, and certified to
144:
800:
124:. Later, he also sang in the Mackenzie High School Choir, under the direction of Claire Weimer. At age 17 he entered
183:
658:
370:
Horta shared the facility until Horta's later relocation, after which Magnolia took the entire space as its own.
128:(WSU) for four years of musical study and began playing professionally with local artists and bands in Detroit.
436:
152:
132:
569:
355:
271:
125:
452:
243:
780:
775:
760:
287:
200:
42:
750:
544:
121:
307:
326:
242:
Vic Faster's Slingshot version of "Unchain My Heart". "I've Got The Night off" from Detroiter
306:
The one exception to "tapeless" was the final master mixes which were recorded on Sony 2500
250:
172:
139:
and George Clinton, recording engineers Ken Sands and Jim Vitti, and R&B musicians like
448:
432:
176:
419:
In 2009, he wrote "Fast Path to Blu-ray for Mac", published by The Digital Guy Press.
769:
440:
428:
337:
330:
299:
156:
140:
721:
700:
258:
214:
168:
37:
It may require cleanup to comply with Knowledge's content policies, particularly
444:
314:
148:
755:
182:
In 1975, a chance meeting with band manager Al Nalli would lead to his joining
92:
76:
590:
222:
329:, who at the time was finalizing the purchase of Studio 55 from then-owner
633:
291:
179:
in Harlem, a unique experience for a white musician of that time period.
100:
612:
427:
Nazarian counted a number of musicians as his "first heroes", including
221:
sequencer and SBX-80 Sync Box. Later productions were created using the
679:
238:
96:
455:. He was additionally influenced by numerous rock and jazz musicians.
247:
75:
655:"WSU Class Bulletin: MUA 5630 Recording Techniques for Musicians"
204:
studio created by Nazarian for the project, Gnome Sound Studios.
226:
218:
88:
745:
374:
217:
sequencer and OB-8 Synthesizer, as well as the Roland MSQ-700
116:
15:
722:"Sonic the Hedgehog (1993–1994) : Full Cast & Crew"
274:. He created the course syllabus and wrote the textbook for
515:"Bruce "Beezer" Nazarian Of Brownsville Station Has Died"
313:
In 1988, he recorded vocals and produced some demos for
208:
Pioneering digital sequencing and dance music production
30:
A major contributor to this article appears to have a
541:"Langsford Men's Chorus > About Us > Biography"
155:
and many other members of the Motown studio band the
133:
International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales
613:"allmusic ((( Brownsville Station > Overview )))"
566:"Langsford Men's Chorus > Events > Welsh Tour"
286:
In summer 1986, Nazarian was approached by producer
701:"Dinosaurs (1991–1994) : Full Cast & Crew"
95:musician, recording artist and music producer from
87:(March 27, 1949 – October 8, 2015) was an American
276:Recording and Electronic Techniques for Musicians
171:. In the early 70's, he recorded and toured with
135:, where the WSU Men's Glee Club won first prize.
489:(a.k.a. 'The Red Album') (Private Stock Records)
761:Non-Profit International Digital Media Alliance
199:, released in 1983, was quickly heading up the
634:"allmusic ((( The Automatix > Overview )))"
591:"Jim Bruzzese - Bio, CDs and Vinyl at Discogs"
8:
568:. Langsfordmenschorus.org. Archived from
543:. Langsfordmenschorus.org. Archived from
61:Learn how and when to remove this message
506:
256:Nazarian also worked extensively with
657:. Bulletins.wayne.edu. Archived from
325:In early 1990, Nazarian met producer
7:
831:20th-century American male musicians
111:Biography and early music influences
811:American people of Armenian descent
385:DVD authoring and "The Digital Guy"
14:
826:20th-century American guitarists
751:Bruce Nazarian's Radio Show site
237:Nazarian also collaborated with
41:. Please discuss further on the
20:
225:, an integrated drum machine /
73:American funk and rock musician
791:Record producers from Michigan
756:Bruce's credits on Discogs.com
746:Bruce Nazarian's Official site
1:
796:Wayne State University alumni
519:Detroit Rock n Roll Magazine
403:Authored works and articles
847:
474:With Brownsville Station
821:American male guitarists
816:Guitarists from Michigan
345:From music to audio post
253:spinning Euro-disco ...
786:Musicians from Detroit
272:Wayne State University
266:Wayne State University
145:Richard "Pistol" Allen
126:Wayne State University
81:
480:Motor City Connection
79:
39:neutral point of view
806:Epic Records artists
451:and Motown arranger
190:Detroit music career
801:MCA Records artists
636:. Allmusicguide.com
615:. Allmusicguide.com
487:Brownsville Station
246:became a staple of
184:Brownsville Station
482:(Big Tree Records)
453:David van de Pitte
423:Musical influences
163:Early music career
82:
611:Thomas, Stephen.
521:. 11 October 2015
394:DVDA and the IDMA
327:David Kershenbaum
321:Los Angeles years
71:
70:
63:
34:with its subject.
838:
733:
732:
730:
729:
718:
712:
711:
709:
708:
697:
691:
690:
688:
687:
680:"Bruce Nazarian"
676:
670:
669:
667:
666:
651:
645:
644:
642:
641:
630:
624:
623:
621:
620:
608:
602:
601:
599:
598:
587:
581:
580:
578:
577:
562:
556:
555:
553:
552:
537:
531:
530:
528:
526:
511:
365:Magnolia Studios
173:Invictus Records
66:
59:
55:
52:
46:
32:close connection
24:
23:
16:
846:
845:
841:
840:
839:
837:
836:
835:
766:
765:
742:
737:
736:
727:
725:
720:
719:
715:
706:
704:
699:
698:
694:
685:
683:
678:
677:
673:
664:
662:
653:
652:
648:
639:
637:
632:
631:
627:
618:
616:
610:
609:
605:
596:
594:
589:
588:
584:
575:
573:
564:
563:
559:
550:
548:
539:
538:
534:
524:
522:
513:
512:
508:
503:
461:
425:
405:
396:
387:
367:
347:
323:
284:
268:
210:
192:
165:
113:
74:
67:
56:
50:
47:
36:
25:
21:
12:
11:
5:
844:
842:
834:
833:
828:
823:
818:
813:
808:
803:
798:
793:
788:
783:
778:
768:
767:
764:
763:
758:
753:
748:
741:
740:External links
738:
735:
734:
713:
692:
671:
646:
625:
603:
582:
557:
532:
505:
504:
502:
499:
498:
497:
496:(Epic Records)
490:
483:
472:
471:
460:
457:
449:Jack Brokensha
433:James Jamerson
424:
421:
404:
401:
395:
392:
386:
383:
366:
363:
346:
343:
322:
319:
283:
282:New York years
280:
267:
264:
209:
206:
191:
188:
177:Apollo Theater
164:
161:
112:
109:
85:Bruce Nazarian
80:Bruce Nazarian
72:
69:
68:
28:
26:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
843:
832:
829:
827:
824:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
807:
804:
802:
799:
797:
794:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
773:
771:
762:
759:
757:
754:
752:
749:
747:
744:
743:
739:
723:
717:
714:
702:
696:
693:
681:
675:
672:
661:on 2016-03-03
660:
656:
650:
647:
635:
629:
626:
614:
607:
604:
593:. Discogs.com
592:
586:
583:
572:on 2008-12-02
571:
567:
561:
558:
547:on 2008-11-20
546:
542:
536:
533:
520:
516:
510:
507:
500:
495:
491:
488:
484:
481:
477:
476:
475:
469:
468:The Automatix
466:
465:
464:
463:As an artist
458:
456:
454:
450:
446:
442:
441:Dennis Coffey
438:
434:
430:
429:Earl Van Dyke
422:
420:
417:
413:
409:
402:
400:
393:
391:
384:
382:
378:
376:
371:
364:
362:
359:
357:
351:
344:
342:
339:
338:Charles Gross
334:
332:
331:Richard Perry
328:
320:
318:
316:
311:
309:
303:
301:
300:Charles Gross
295:
293:
289:
288:Mike Theodore
281:
279:
277:
273:
265:
263:
261:
260:
254:
252:
249:
245:
240:
235:
231:
228:
224:
220:
216:
207:
205:
202:
198:
189:
187:
185:
180:
178:
174:
170:
162:
160:
158:
157:Funk Brothers
154:
150:
146:
142:
141:Earl Van Dyke
136:
134:
129:
127:
123:
118:
110:
108:
104:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
78:
65:
62:
54:
44:
40:
35:
33:
27:
18:
17:
726:. Retrieved
716:
705:. Retrieved
695:
684:. Retrieved
674:
663:. Retrieved
659:the original
649:
638:. Retrieved
628:
617:. Retrieved
606:
595:. Retrieved
585:
574:. Retrieved
570:the original
560:
549:. Retrieved
545:the original
535:
523:. Retrieved
518:
509:
493:
486:
479:
473:
470:(1983 - MCA)
467:
462:
437:Robert White
426:
418:
414:
410:
406:
397:
388:
379:
372:
368:
360:
352:
348:
335:
324:
312:
304:
296:
285:
269:
259:Jimmy Lifton
257:
255:
244:Kathy Kosins
236:
232:
215:Oberheim DSX
211:
196:
193:
181:
169:Brian Hyland
166:
153:Robert White
137:
130:
122:Craig Strain
114:
105:
84:
83:
57:
48:
29:
781:2015 deaths
776:1949 births
494:Air Special
459:Discography
445:Joe Messina
315:Anita Baker
197:Night Rider
149:Uriel Jones
770:Categories
728:2015-10-19
724:. IMDb.com
707:2015-10-19
703:. IMDb.com
686:2015-10-19
682:. IMDb.com
665:2011-01-02
640:2010-08-06
619:2010-08-06
597:2010-08-06
576:2010-08-06
551:2010-08-06
525:16 October
501:References
356:Gettysburg
310:machine.
223:Linn 9000
51:July 2015
43:talk page
292:Haywoode
101:Michigan
251:DeeJays
239:Don Was
97:Detroit
492:1978:
485:1977:
478:1975:
248:Hi-NRG
527:2015
227:MIDI
219:MIDI
93:rock
91:and
89:funk
375:THX
308:DAT
201:AOR
117:USO
772::
517:.
447:,
443:,
439:,
435:,
431:,
151:,
147:,
143:,
103:.
99:,
731:.
710:.
689:.
668:.
643:.
622:.
600:.
579:.
554:.
529:.
354:"
64:)
58:(
53:)
49:(
45:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
