Fuzzy in LA, cinema mixing part 3

Greetings audio fans, just a quick post about today’s adventure. I spent most of the day meeting with and discussing equipment at supply stores, technical sales and so on.

The chaps at Guitar Centre were very helpful, thanks gang! As many local musicians, engineers and Mickey B himself mentioned before I got here, West LA Music has been around since the advent of the cotton gin…or something. I spent quite a bit of time chatting to their consultants, discussing trends and, more importantly, acquiring equipment and tools specific to film and Foley, based on the impressions and observations during my time in LA.

Of course there was a spot of time to go North (and East) where some of the studio consultancies were, and I promised myself I would pop into Little Armenia while I was there due to my love of World music and in particular the Doudouk. I don’t know what I was expecting—I actually berated myself for thinking that the moment I crossed past Western Avenue there would be the strains of Zurna and whatnot. Of course there was an “Office Mart” and “Jack In The Box” so this was not the case, no deli’s selling Khorovats or Karshm that I could spy in the time available.

I did get wind of an Armenian Music Centre, and upon arriving there found a block of flats ☹ I was about to leave when someone who looked like a cross between Ernest Borgnine and Djivan Gasparyan came to the balcony and eyed me suspiciously. I greeted and him with some trepidation and was greeted back with particular warmth. Thinking I was in luck, I asked if he knew were the music centre, kind of expecting him to whip a Doudouk or at least a Shvi out, but the most I could get was “No,” said in a way suggesting a rather flirtatious Y was inserting itself lasciviously between the N and O…kind of like “gnocci.”

Ah well, you can’t win them all! And with a fantastic selection of Foley and Post gear and some wonderful insights, I look forward to the next entry in this blog.

Simon Fuzzy