Find out our studio's history, and why Fandango Recording is the right solution for your musical projects.
A history of 28 years and counting of making music...
Musical beginnings...
Fandango Recording was one of Toronto's longest running owner/music producer operated recording studios. I started Fandango Recording in Toronto back in 1997 because of my love for music and sound. I’ve been a musician for a long time; my passion for music comes from my family, my parents having guided me to learn music since early childhood. I moved in Spain in 2023 and therefore reopened the studio last year here, in Costa Brava.
Like many other musicians, I've had my share of playing live in bands or as a solo act. I started with classical guitar at 10, and much of my 20's were spent with the band I put together, Labyrinth, promoting progressive rock, with classical and jazz influences. During its seven years of existence, the band had concerts, played in music festivals, recorded for radio and TV. It was those recording sessions that got me really interested in the music production side of things.
After the band dismantled, I was lucky enough to be taught not just the technical side, but the art of recording, by the top professionals. At that time, I was asked to produce a couple of pop and rock groups; the first time was by chance- and yes, luck plays an important part!
After moving to Toronto, Canada some 30 years ago, I was faced with starting a studio from scratch. I found this to be a very exciting time: meeting new and peculiarly interesting people, learning new recording, mixing, and mastering techniques, and continuously building on the previous experience. As soon as I was able to put together the financial puzzle that stood in the way, Fandango Recording was born. Over the years, I’ve kept investing in the studio, to the point where the blending of analog and digital equipment I put together provides the absolute best quality.
Looking back, I realize it takes years to get the experience. The experience from playing, recording, arranging songs in the band, and collaborating with musicians of different background was very useful when I started producing music. It was also a continuous process of improving my mixing skills; Toronto’s music scene is so diverse, meaning you must learn and deal with the particularities of many music styles. Working in a music environment so diverse as the one in the cosmopolitan Toronto, and with the exposure it offered, I had the opportunity to learn every day something new, and build a deep understanding of the differences and particularities of a very large palette of music styles.
Later, at a certain point in time around 2004, when I felt confident enough in my mixing experience and techniques, got a deep understanding of acoustics, acquired the right tools, and learned from a top mastering engineer, I started to venture into mastering, the last frontier in music production.
Moving the studio to Calonge, Costa Brava, Spain...
In 2023 I moved to Spain, in Sant Antoni de Calonge, by the sea, due to the beauty of the area, the weather, the openness and friendliness of people, my love for the Spanish music and culture, and the many friends I have in Europe. Of course, I have moved Fandango Recording too…
It took over a a year to rebuild the studio, and I used all my previous experience as acoustician, and the help and advice from some of the greatest designers (like John Brandt, Ron Sauer) to achieve a top-notch sounding space, which is at the same time very comfortable and inviting. A lot of design work and testing was done for the control room, as I wanted to be first and foremost up to the standards of the premium mastering facilities.
Putting together a recording studio is a major challenge, and there were several criteria I would not compromise: a studio should provide excellent acoustics, have a creative atmosphere, use only high-end or esoteric equipment in line with the major studios, and maintain an affordable cost without sacrificing quality. After all these years, I have understood that the most important thing is the song and its sound, and how it translates emotionally. It all comes down to how a studio and the artists meet the requirements of the 5 pillars of any good song: composition and arrangement, performance, recording, mix and mastering.
I am excited to bring my experience as a mastering, mixing and music producer to the table, because many independent and up-and-coming artists do not have a professional producer backing them. The artists need help and guidance producing and polishing their songs, and they need professional services as song production, recording, mix and mastering. That is exactly what Fandango Recording is all about!
I am also very happy as I got to the point in life where I can take everything one step at a time and enjoy it, with the understanding of knowing intimately what it takes to be part of this miracle, which is the birth of a song!
