About

        Recording Studios: Sunset Strip 

Professionalism Makes All the Difference    

Some Hollywood pros offer an incredible, positive music experience in - 

and beyond - the studio

Want to elevate your music to a new level?  It's important to take the time to do some research and find the right producer for you -- one with creative talent, patience, inspired vision, and a proven track record.  One with savvy business sense and advice, valuable professional contacts, and a knowledge of the ins and outs of a constantly morphing music industry.

In the heart of Hollywood, along the renowned Sunset Strip, where such world-famous clubs as the Roxy, House of Blues, Whiskey a Go Go, and the Viper Room abound, a select number of recording studios bring unique opportunities to singers and other musicians who are striving against the odds to succeed in the music business.

But with a minefield of misguided advice, and a narrow path-to-success that is booby-trapped by exorbitant studio costs, cookie-cutter "individuality" and stuck-up attitudes, a creative artist needs more than just someone who can mix tracks.  A versatile musical genius with navigational skills is more like it. 

"Artists need to know the pros and cons of what they're getting into," says JD (John) Dixson, sound engineer, mixer and producer for DreamCiti Production and Recording Studios.  Dixson, who has written and produced for such greats as Grammy Award-winning musical legend Lionel Richie, is familiar with the challenges artists have, not only in the studio, but beyond.  

"They need to have a positive experience in the studio and get their artistry truly captured. But they may also need someone who can teach them the language of music, the language of recording, and how to succeed at the recording process. If a producer really cares about an artist and their music, he's going to give them some life lessons, too, and teach them what's going on in the business and how to make their sound fresh and appealing to a modern audience.  Plus, artists need to learn how to get their music out there, especially now that the whole industry has changed."

With state-of-the-art technology, DreamCiti provides a highly supportive environment and a unique, collaborative process to help reliable, dedicated artists to create or improve their signature, professional-quality sound, and to complete their projects in the desired timeframe.  

Using JD's versatility as a writer, composer, keyboard player, innovative guitarist and monster bass player - as well as the backup of a team of accomplished professionals - the studio can work with anything from completed songs that need distinguishing riffs, added finesse and mastering, to a song with only lyrics, chords or an idea for a melody line.  All genres are welcome, and the studio's productions include hip-hop, rock, punk, Latin, heavy metal, jazz, country, ska and others.   

European singers and musicians in particular will appreciate the open-minded approach to the studio's musicianship and original, music-by-design, "architectural" vision.       

When neo-jazz/soul artist, Lori Jenaire, was commissioned to do the song for California's 250th anniversary, she came to DreamCiti for what came to be a top-20 hit on the smooth jazz charts for her remake of the Mamas and the Papa's 1965 hit "California Dreaming."  Having worked with JD as a guitarist, engineer and producer on three earlier tracks, she came to his studio for his creativity, talent and ability to promptly deliver impeccable, five-star production.  

"I know a lot of producers," says Jenaire. "I've worked with maybe 20 over the years, and there are some I wouldn't work with again, but I felt very good about JD. He's even-tempered, extremely flexible, and open to listening to the artist. He's also very business-minded, which is important in this industry.  He pays attention to time lines, deadlines and budgets. He was so conscientious that within the week, we had completed a stellar production. He did an amazing job." As a vocalist, Jenaire values a producer who can highlight her essence as an artist, while bringing out the full aesthetic value of each element of the song.

"I come to DreamCiti for vocal production because JD really gets my sound, and I like how he makes my voice work in the track," says Jenaire. "He understands how to capture me. I think that's because he listens very well to tonality. He understands what goes into making someone's tone sound best, whether it's guitar, sax or voice. Plus he's able to hear the entire spectrum of what's happening with the song, and he knows how to build the arrangement, how to mix it, and what elements need to come together to maximize the success of that record."  

While a number of studios have a reputation for rolling out the red carpet for big stars while giving lesser known talents the cold shoulder, Dixson doesn't worry about being jaded by his studio's successes, which include movie scores and music for TV shows such as Access Hollywood, and a number of guitar-related endorsements.  He maintains an old-fashioned humility, and stays focused on his purpose to help artists succeed in - and after - their studio experience. 

"What matters to the artist who comes to me with their unique vision is the quality of the song - they want songs that sound great.  My purpose is to give the artist their best experience in recording while bringing out the highest quality of their songs. That's why I treat everyone like they are multi-platinum stars. I help them find the fresh, modern sound they want, and then I help them move ahead, push forward and get exposed. I help them get their career going and get career success." 

For more information about having a stellar studio experience, contact JD at DreamCiti.

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Adam Rosenthal is a freelance writer and songwriter living in Burbank, CA.