Why is Sunset Sound so special to you? And how come drums just sound like magic when recorded there?
Well, It goes back to 2007. I had the good fortune of recording in Studio 2 with a band and I was immediately impressed by the room. Acoustically, the drums sounded like they were already miked up. The room is very warm sounding, cymbals not a problem. So, from that day I had a dream to come back…and here we are. Also, the studio has great and very well maintained gear for tracking plus helpful staff. You just feel welcomed and relaxed here.

Q: To source these kits, you worked with an LA icon in his own right: Ross Garfield from the Drum Doctors. How did your paths first cross and why is he so amazing at curating and tuning drums?
It goes back to the same session. I knew of his name, of course. I had seen “Drum tech Ross Garfield” on every record I had. I asked the label to set us up. I called him and he understood what sound I was after, came over with a great kit, two snares…and in 30 minutes or less we had a great sound! Why he is so good, well, you must ask him! To me he is like Gandalf when it comes to drums. He just has “it.“

For this project, you chose to record in Studio 2 and Studio 3. In the latter you also captured the famed iso booth. To you, why was it important to have all these ambiences, what sets these rooms apart and how do they complement each other?
Well, this was something I proposed already for my Rooms of Hansa SDX. Instead of recording in only one room, why not give the users more options? You know, tailor kits for the spaces you record in and not vice versa. For these EZXs, Studio 2 that we captured for Part 1 offers a larger space compared to the two ambiences we captured in Studio 3 for the second part. Combined, you’ll have everything from big and loud down to mid-sized and tight. On that note, I love drum and vocal booths. You always need some dry and direct drums, I think