Turn left at Coachella: Soon to enter its 2nd quarter century, The Saltmine Studio Oasis is Mesa, AZ based, but founded by L.A. born and bred owner Don Salter. It is a recording, mixing and mastering mecca with “Classic and Modern Recording” as its motto. It’s a private, secure artist’s dream come true for those seeking a rich, yet affordable, unique studio experience. Catering to both independent and international clients-—top names include Lil’ Wayne, DMX, Bone Thugs, Kelly Rowland, Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Swizz Beatz, Sheryl Crow, Meat Puppets, Soulfly and Megadeth—they recently mixed the new YES album with Roy Thomas Baker. The facility offers packages that can include overnights. Its 1,300 sq. ft. Bungalow Hideaway includes a master bedroom suite, a separate Queen bedroom or bunkroom with three beds, kitchen, living room, two bathrooms and a roman tub room.
With Vintage and Modern Recording Tools: The gated compound has four state-of-the-art rooms with 38 channels of vintage discreet NEVE with many lush compressors, EQs and instruments (Studio A) to classic SSLs. Studio A’s tracking room features maplewood floors, cathedral ceilings with three adjoining Iso rooms and numerous vintage keyboards (Yamaha C-7, Hammond C-3, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer); its Neve room can include a 12-channel Melbourne Sidecar (for 48 channels), which can also be put in Studio B (the mixing and overdub studio) for Neve-SSL Mixing with 64 outs of HDX Pro Tools. Studio B has Westlake BBSM-15 Tad Mains, with Bryston amps and crossovers, and many outboard dynamics. Studio C is “The Production Room.” Studio D is “The Villa,” an environment where clients compose, record and mix on their own schedule. It has a bedroom, bathroom with a two-headed shower, kitchen and pool table, in addition to an SSL 4056 G+ HDX, with Augspurgers monitors.
The “Oasis Venue”: The Saltmine’s aesthetic centerpiece is a 7,500 sq. ft. courtyard laced with palm trees, three Mexican fountains, beautiful outdoor accent lighting and an outdoor stage perfect for band showcases or parties. The state’s largest newspaper, The Arizona Republic, did a feature article with video: http://azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2014/04/10/downtown-mesa-recording-studio-oasis-genres/7536735.
By Jonathan Widran
Contact [email protected], 480-220-4007
Tour: http://thesaltmine.com
