Meet Darren Elpant of Silverlake Recording Studios in Silverlake

Today we’d like to introduce you to Darren Elpant.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Darren. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Silverlake Recording Studios was created in the wake of a record deal that I had with A+M Records as a drummer in a band. We had worked with and met with so many amazing producers, engineers, and studio owners that it rekindled my passion for what had started back when I was in my early teens. I have always loved the process of recording and producing. In the early ’90s technology had made it possible to have a commercial studio in a residential setting. Also around that time, I got into vintage drums, vintage microphones, and vintage mic pre-amps. I was soon able to fill a niche of getting professional results recording in my apartment that I lived in at the time. The housing market was affordable in the ’90s so I decided to purchase a house with the intention of building a commercial studio in the garage. I got really lucky when I found the perfect house with a new 3+ car detached garage in the Sunset Junction neighborhood of Silver Lake. I spent the next 3 months designing and sound-proofing the room with some other engineering friends of mine. The result was a well-tuned, sound proof, commercial recording studio in a residential setting. My equipment has changed over the years but my mindset has always stayed the same, to record to a digital format but have high fidelity microphones, mic pre-amps, and compression that are vintage whenever possible. Having the amalgamation of Pro Tools HD and vintage channel strips like Neve, SSL, API, Raindirk, etc and vintage Neumans, AKG’s and an array of ribbon microphones, has piqued the interest of industry professionals and local bands alike. I got started on another interesting path as a recording engineer and studio owner when I was asked to mix a show for the SPEED channel. The show was nominated for a tech Emmy for that season. After that, I was working on a couple of shows for the Lifetime channel. Recording voice-overs has been a nice revenue stream for me as well. This started in the early 2000s when I was asked to record the dialogue for Delta Airlines in-flight radio. Since then, I have done many books on tape and commercials for TV and radio.

Has it been a smooth road?
The road is not always smooth in owning an operating a recording studio. Having to constantly upgrade equipment is an expensive battle that a lot of us struggle with. Internet marketing is also key to having a steady stream of business. It’s a competitive world out there. My niche is that I’m an inexpensive solution to the big commercial studios. The people that understand this love what I do.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Silverlake Recording Studios – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I think what sets us apart from other studios of our type is our detailed and focused work ethic. From the studio tour/introduction to handing off the final mixes, we treat all of our clients like family. Recording is a very personal thing. People are baring their souls in their music and their film projects. One will not do their best work if they don’t feel comfortable. Silverlake Recording Studios works hard at creating a comfortable and creative work environment. We pride ourselves in meeting and exceeding expectations.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Silver Lake is a wonderful neighborhood. We have lots of great food, festivals, and artists of all different types. I have met so many awesome like-minded people while going to the dog park or while buying and selling gear locally.

Contact Info:

• Website: silverlakerecordingstudios.com
• Phone: 323-404-5598
• Email: darren@silverlakerecordingstudios.com
• Facebook: Silverlake Recording Studios
• Yelp: Silverlake Recording Studios