Today we’d like to introduce you to William Klein.
William, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I knew as early as high school that I was going to be an audio engineer. After receiving my degree as a Recording Arts major at LMU, I interned at a top-level post house, a multi-room recording studio, and finally at the A&R department of a major label in Hollywood. The internships provided a broad overview and exposure within the audio industry. I transferred to and gained employment at one of the label’s A&R busier writing studios and was able to work under Warren Huart and Phil Allen. There I witnessed firsthand what happens at the top level of the recording industry, and I was able a credit list with recognizable names in a relatively short amount of time.
I grew up in Orange County, and in my long-term plans I knew that was where I wanted to live. When my lifelong friend threw out the idea of opening a photography studio, it seemed like an opportunity that was too good to pass up.
After several years of engineering in Hollywood, I made the tough decision to give up my current spot and start building the studio/stage in OC that was to become Hybrid Studios.
Hybrid’s build out and installation took about a year, and we opened the doors in November 2013. We’ve been going strong ever since as one of Orange County’s premier multimedia production facility.
Has it been a smooth road?
I’ve always had an interest in architectural acoustics, so in my mind everything was already mapped out when it came to building the studio, from layout of the spaces to the wall layering and materials. That said, I was totally naive about how complicated it would be to build out a professional grade facility. What I thought would take a month or two ended up taking six months to complete. Things like a location’s infrastructure play a large role – you’ve got to have good Internet, clean power, and no EMI/RFI interference to have a state-of-the art production facility.
We also had a ton of tenant improvements so renting was not a logical option. We had to own the building. Also, most acoustic products are construction materials and not meant to be easily transported from one location to another. There are a ton of things we to consider which affect everyday operations.
There’s also a lot of upkeep with maintaining a physical building; insurance, air conditioning, plumbing, and other general maintenance. Through the studio, I’ve become a better all-around engineer and tech.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
In Orange County, the studio scene is different than what I had been used to in Hollywood. In OC, most studios are what I would call “production houses” – meaning they seemed to be attached to the owner/operator/engineer of the facility and tend to lean more towards offering production services. In LA, studios are aimed mostly at freelance Producer/Engineers like myself. LA studios basically sell time in rooms and equipment. In other words, you go to most OC studios to work with the studio’s operator; you go to most LA studios to work with their equipment and rooms. This difference in philosophy was something I always had in mind while building Hybrid Studios. I wanted to carry over the ‘multi-room production facility’ vibe I had experienced in Hollywood and build a community within the facility where creators in the music industry run into each other in the studio common areas.
We also have a full soundstage at Hybrid that facilitates video production. On any given day, clients on the stage might be filming a commercial or music video, while on the other side of the facility music is being made in Hybrid’s recording studios. It’s a diverse and creative crowd at the studio every day of the week.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
We love our location. Being just south of LA in North Orange County allows us to provide a little more space and comfort to our clients. We feel like we’re in a great position to provide the area with a great option for various multimedia productions in both audio and video.
It’s hard to beat Southern California.
Pricing:
- Studio A (full recording studio): $100/hr & $850/day (10 hrs)
- Studio B: $60/hr & $500/day (10 hours)
- Soundstage: $120/hr & $1,000/day (12 hrs)
Contact Info:
- Address: 3021 S. Shannon St.,
Santa Ana, CA 92704 - Website: www.HybridStudiosCA.com
- Phone: (714) 850-1499
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @HybridStudiosCA
- Facebook: facebook.com/HybridStudiosCA
- Twitter: twitter.com/HybridStudiosCA
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/hybrid-studios-santa-ana-4
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