Propellerhead Media

09/13/2024

Rock opera featuring Pete and the Amusements premieres at the North Park Theatre tomorrow night, Friday the 13th, at 7pm. Music by Peter McGennis, shot and cut by Derrick Petrush, audio post at Propellerhead Media, and featuring the best in Buffalo music and theatrical talent, it's a fun tribute to the long lost memory of Crystal Beach. This was a fun mix and a great effort by some passionate filmmakers.

Dolby Atmos mix, 5.1 rerender for theatrical DCP playback.

World premiere! Years in the making, don’t miss this wild cinematic love letter to CRYSTAL BEACH! Red Carpet Premiere:7:00pm Friday, September 13th Further screenings 9/13 – 9/16Get tickets HERE! An […]

09/10/2024

Immersed in an immersive (Dolby Atmos) film project. Cutman starring William Fichtner is posting here with dialogue edit, ADR, sound design, foley, and mix. Stay tuned for updates in this amazing film and collaboration with .

07/25/2024

Upon wrapping up an epic Atmos mix of Peter McGennis Jr’s monumental Crystal Beach rock opera “Laff In the Dark”, myself, Pete, and DP/editor Derrick Petrush burst into song. 🤪. Come see the premiere Friday September 13th at the historic North Park Theatre!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/489212723202314/permalink/804778951645688/?mibextid=S66gvF

06/10/2024

While the WNY film community is rightfully excited about new multimillion dollar soundstages and high profile productions coming to town, the post world can sometimes feel unknown and underutilized.

“…Too often conversations take place, to quote some producers, “We’ve run out of budget for sound.” or worse, “There’s no money in the budget for sound.” We’re not sure which one is more insulting.”

Crickets sound great, but enough already.

In my observation the trend has been toward clients now using video editors to do audio work in the edit process, voice talent with their own decent home studios providing "good enough" pre-edited reads, and stock music libraries giving away substandard but easy-peasy content for next to nothing, quality be damned. Original music is virtually unheard of. While the LA and NYC film worlds support hundreds of audio post facilities and jobs, smaller markets, whose ad agencies and production companies now have staff who started in the industry after real audio post was beginning to disappear from the workflow, may not even know such services exist, or why they may be needed.

I guess the battle is in messaging...

Share your thoughts, and thanks to all who DO appreciate the work.

We are taking a rare opportunity to write to a section of our community, audio post professionals. There’s a simple reason, those working in audio post are facing some unprecedented challenges and we aim to be a place where you can feel supported.

03/27/2024

Here's an amazing 360 camera capture of Nusantara Gamelan's live performance of "Prabu Boko Terror of Ekakatra" - Wayang Kulit Shadow Puppetry with Midiyanto, with audio I recorded at Bufffalo's AKG Art Museum in the summer of 2023. Pan around to see my 20 microphones recorded on 18 tracks. This project also formed the basis of an experimental Dolby Atmos mix at Propellerhead Media. Many thanks to Nusantara Arts, Matty Nonsense (Matt Dunning), Andy Morin, and all involved in this beautiful musical experience!

Performance at Buffalo AKG Art Museum celebrating the grand opening!360 degree wayang shadow puppetry video - best viewed in 4kWith Ki Midiyanto, Wakidi Dwid...

03/08/2024

When you're the engineer/editor AND a voice talent - recording live with remote (real) talent via Studio Center on Source Connect and remote clients on Teams. Digital/analog routing spaghetti, a daily routine here at Propellerhead Media!

01/19/2024

Snow days in the dungeon of misfit toys.

12/20/2023

Another fantastic performance by Nusantara Arts - Bali Comes to Buffalo! - A Celebration Performance . Live multitrack and 2-mix recordings, micro PA, and post mix at Propellerhead Media, seen here with basic GoPro video shot. Many thanks to Matty Nonsense, Tim Sager, and all who helped make this an amazing and memorable gig!

Nusantara Arts presents "Bali Comes To Buffalo" recorded live Saturday December 16. 2023 in Buffalo New York.Guest Musician: Gusti KominBuffalo Performers: R...

09/27/2023

Noted actor and musician Brian Mysliwy in for some stellar VO work.

09/25/2023

Original music by Shaun Mullins, voice talent Ashante Timoll, audio post and mix at Propellerhead Media.

09/12/2023

Filmmakers: We've got a long track record of performing minor postproduction miracles on challenging production sound, along with dialogue, voice over, ADR, foley, sound design, custom or stock music, mix to picture in stereo, 5.1, 7.1, and Atmos.

Truth.

08/30/2023

Sharing for a friend.

As the industry tries to find correction over its poor record over gender, sexual orientation, and other identity factors, let’s not forget that ageism is something we need to guard against too.

08/18/2023

Almost everyone who works in and around broadcast in Buffalo has had the pleasure of meeting and working with the legendary Rick Jeanneret, and I’m no exception. Always a gentleman and a real pro. We lost a great man. RIP ❤️

Buffalo Sabres broadcast legend Rick Jeanneret in the studio today with FIFTEEN and John Ceglia for a narration recording.

08/12/2023

Shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of David Rotterman. Over many years I worked with Dave and his team at WNED/PBS doing audio post for numerous high profile and primo quality documentary productions which aired on national PBS. He was about to start a new job as CEO of PBS Western Reserve. Deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

07/21/2023

The legendary Chris Brown in for some voice over.

06/22/2023

AKGs at the AKG. Live multitrack recording of Shadow Puppets of Java concert and puppet shows Friday 6/23 at 5:30 and Saturday 6/24 at 3pm in the AKG Museum atrium. Free shows! 2

06/13/2023

Here's a thing: My friend Stephen Powell is a world class filmmaker and videographer, and he's produced a fascinating documentary about Zamir, Anthony Bourdain's bestie. In order to finish the film he needs some funding help to take care of some final touches, which includes audio post right here at pHead. Check out this great little promo he made featuring my studio, and consider donating to this worthy cause!

Rough cut is done! Now we need YOUR help in raising post production funds to finish our film! | Check out '98 DEGREES WEST -ZAMIR DISCOVERS BOURDAINS AMERICA' on Indiegogo.

06/06/2023

When your nice Denon surround preamp/decoder dies and you want to stream 5.1/7.1 TV audio and you find a $4999 (1990s) pro Dolby decoder on eBay for $125 including shipping…

05/30/2023

This fails to address the fact that so much software and hardware still ship with 44.1kHz as the default sample rate. Why does 44.1 exist? Are people still that committed to maintaining no sample rate conversion throughout the process because they intend to make CDs? Really? Couldn't they work at a pro industry standard rate like 48 or 96 and then downconvert their final mixes if CDs are the end goal? I get whole mix projects where serious musicians/studios track at 44.1. For me to downgrade my studio sample rate involves resetting my master clock, DAW, and several outboard devices, so I upconvert to 48k. Not judging, just asking. Some really respectable people still seem to support 44.1, so I'd love to hear a reasonable explanation as to why.

A couple of weeks ago we ran a Sample Rate survey to gather information from our community about their choice of sample rate when working. Here you’ll find the results with a breakdown and comment on the choices of over 2500 respondents.

05/25/2023

My multitrack recording/mix synced to 360° video of Javanese Gamelan Klenengan, Gendhing Bondhet : Ladrang Peksi Kuwung : pélog nem June 2022, Buffalo.

Gendhing Bondhet kethuk 2 kerep minggah 4 kalajengaken ladrang Peksi Kuwung pélog nem. Featuring: Heni Savitri - Pesindhen ( female vocals)Wakidi Dwidjomarto...

04/25/2023

Wrapped up a really cool project with The Damone Jackson Outcome with a live multitrack recording at Central Park Grill and hybrid analog-digital post mix at Propellerhead Media. This killer sextet led by drummer Damone A-Miracale Jackson is an improv-fusion-funk-jazz-rock-whatever juggernaut of talent, and plays every Tuesday night at CPGs. Post mix included re-tracking all drum tracks through analog dynamics, hardware outboard digital reverb, and vintage Echoplex tape echo on vocal and sax tracks. See comments for gear photos. Crank it up, and enjoy!

The Damone Jackson Outcome live at The Central Park Grille (CPG's), Buffalo, NY, April 18, 2023Damone Jackson - DrumsGeorge Puleo - Guitar Honey Henry - Bass...

04/25/2023

Recent and ongoing vintage audio restoration projects including 1960 Magnavox 8201 bi-amped stereo tube amp, Stevenson Interface 100C compressor input module channel strips, and the 1953 Stan White Series 1010 “Powrtron” mono amplifier.

04/25/2023

ADR, or "Audio Dialogue Replacement" is done frequently in audio postproduction in films and TV, and for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is done to correct background noise on the set, or to change an actor's performance, both on and off camera. Propellerhead Media has done quite a bit of ADR work when actors are in town and are needed to contribute to projects in post. The process is fairly standardized in the industry, but every project and client handles things a little bit differently, requiring flexibility on the part of the remote hosting studio. Here are some recent ADR projects we've worked on.

https://propellerheadmedia.com/ADR/ADR.html

Thanks to Sam Wintermantel for web design help!

04/18/2023

Really cool tune by Menry I did strings/production/mix on, including a Dolby Atmos immersive mix. Hats off to Mark Henry and Jonathan Skowron for a killer epic piece to work on!

Menry · Song · 2023

04/09/2023

VO sessions are critical, exacting, and serious science to be sure, but (believe it or not, 2023) we actually have done more than just voice over recording for 23 years. Original and stock music, sound design, foley, ADR, dialog editing, mix to pix in 5.1/7.1/7.1.4 Atmos, and so much more. Just sayin'.

04/04/2023

The uncredited, pro bono work I did on this interesting and touching piece represented a uniquely challenging workflow among my years of audio post work.

It came to me fully mixed, with no possibility of access to individual elements. I was tasked with somehow improving "the mix" after the fact. All I could hope to do was go through it and ride levels and apply EQ, etc. But it quickly turned into more than that.

Many segments featured on camera interview voices which were recorded on a phone using the built-in stereo mic. For those sections I picked either the right or left and used it alone, panned center, and processed for dialogue, eliminating the distracting sound of the speaking voice shifting around the stereo soundfield. Voices should almost always be mono-center for TV.

Then there were voice over segments, recorded at different times, also with a phone. Here I chopped the VO segments up and tried to match them in level and EQ on dedicated tracks for the several setups.

The music was mixed in stereo, but really only appeared up full in places where nobody was talking much, mostly at the beginning and end. Here the supplied stereo mix was used in stereo with EQ applied that sweetened the music.

Finally I added some minimal stereo background SFX to bridge edits between VO and interview segments where appropriate.

I am not actually positive this version uses my mix, but here it is.

A documentary about the volunteers who run an animal rescue farm in Gasport, NY.

02/16/2023

Such a pleasure to record/mix/produce and play Strat and organ on vocalist-guitarist Paul Lamont's beautiful contribution to this spectacular album with drummer/percussionist Matthew Knott, vocalist Maria Sebastian, bassist Tom Mullaney, and pedal steel player Bob Benton. Congrats to all involved in this global all-star effort celebrating the songwriting of Eric Andersen .

A 5-Star review goes out to Y&T Records CD tribute to the poetic songwriter Eric Andersen. Ready why.

02/04/2023

Mics at the ready…

01/16/2023

Gregory Gizzi and David Kane recording a live percussion/synth improv.

Hear the whole set of jams here: https://soundcloud.com/dabeelo/sets/gregory-gizzi-david-kane-studio-jam-january-15-2022

Gregory Gizzi - percussionDavid Kane - keyboards and devicesShaun Mullins/Propellerhead Media - recording/mix/video, eventual guitar, etc.Thanks to dPost for...

12/15/2022

and crew in for some audio production and post for an upcoming campaign.