Local recording studio moves to bigger space, adds even bigger talent

Summerlin resident Darren Sher has moved his recording business, The Omnitone Recording Studios, from the northwest valley closer to the Strip. The move came just as he partnered with Los Angeles-based Stampede Music Publishing, whose artists include rapper Snoop Lion (formerly known as Snoop Dogg).

Stampede also works with artists YG, Macy Gray, Shvona Lavette, Iza Lach, CBallin and Mali Nicole. With the partnership, The Omnitone, 5087 Arville St., Suite C, became Stampede’s sister property.

“I’m a partner with Stampede, and the person who runs Stampede Publishing is Ted Chung, Snoop’s manager,” Sher said. “We’re really excited about that. Now, it’s not just offering a great product, but potentially the opportunity to have a publishing deal, a management contract with heavyweights who work with big names in the industry.”

Part of his six-person team is sound mixer Jeff Juliano, who works from Delaware. His work can be heard on more than 29 million records sold worldwide. He mixed John Mayer’s breakout album “Room for Squares” and has worked with Dave Matthews. With today’s technology, Sher can bring in the artist and link him to Delaware so he can have input in how Juliano mixed the piece.

“They can go over it line by line, in real time in the studio,” Sher said. “His face pops up on the screen, and I can go, ‘Hey, Jeff, can you bring that vocal up right here,’ and he can do it in real time. And we’re hearing the change in high fidelity, so you don’t feel that distance.”

Producer Steve Skinner is also on the team. A Grammy Award winner, he’s worked with Diana Ross, Chaka Khan and Jewel.

Singer Rosealee, who goes by a single name, has performed live at major sporting events and on HBO and Showtime. She just finished recording an as-yet-untitled funk-soul-R&B album.

Rosealee said The Omnitone’s new location sounds better acoustically, and “even though the last studio was beautiful, it just, in my opinion, didn’t allow me to get as creative as I can be here.”

Through The Omnitone, she was presented to Stampede, which agreed to represent her. It wouldn’t have happened if her final product had not been up to par.

“If you want to record a demo, there are tons of studios in town (you) can go to,” Sher said. “But if (you) want to record a record, then this is the place to come check out.”

The Omnitone offers a flat recording rate, something it began four or five years ago. Most studios charge an hourly rate, Sher said, then find ways to nudge an artist into more add-ons, such as an orchestra backup, requiring more studio time and money.

“It’s garbage in, garbage out,” Sher said. “They don’t really care about the quality. It’s different here; we’re more boutique that way.”

He said that a lot of singers in Las Vegas want to cut a demo. But a demo is viewed as a poor cousin to a record, he said, and not at the level where a singer ultimately wants to go.

Sher said the days of demos are shrinking fast.

“The industry has changed so much that that way of thinking of, ‘Hey, I’m a diamond in the rough, come invest money in me and launch me’ — those days are gone,” he said. “When you walk into a record label, you’ve got to walk in with guns blazing. They want something finished, at the level they’re used to carrying. If not, then they’re thinking of all the dollars they have to spend to get you to that level. To have a fighting chance, the word demo has to leave your vocabulary.”

Working on a record at The Omnitone starts at $1,500. Snoop came in to record last fall.

“The guy’s a genius,” Sher said. “He comes in here, closes his eyes, gets behind the microphone after not writing down one lyric, and he ‘one takes’ everything. He’s a poet, brilliant. You can see why he’s a legend at what he does.”

The former location was 1,500 square feet, and the new one is 1,800. It was a warehouse but was built to specs for a tighter sound, a project that took a year and “a lot of money,” according to Sher.

“I’m running out of kidneys (to sell),” he joked.

His soundboard is top of the line. Even with all the sophisticated equipment available, Sher insists on old-fashioned microphones, which are back in demand these days.

He said the idea is to capture the essence between the digital and analog worlds, which keeps that warmth element to the voice.

“It’s a crazy business, a fast-paced industry,” Sher said. “But at the end of the day, it’s a lot of satisfaction in leaving behind a legacy. Some people do it with children; I do it with music.”

For more information about The Omintone, visit theomnitone.com or call 702-487-6664.

To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.