It seemed like yesterday when we rang in the New Year, but it is already March. In New York, it still feels like the dead of winter. Times are tough, but we want you to know that we are willing to work with you to get through these tough times. To stimulate commerce, the industry needs products to sell and music has to be recorded. We have great sounding rooms, gear that works and well-trained staff to help you get the job done in streamlined fashion without sacrificing quality. Thanks again for your continued support and let us know how we can help you.

The 51st Grammy Awards were just presented on February 8th. Among the many projects that were nominated that were recorded at Avatar, John Mayer received the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Grammy for his song "Say" that was used in the film, The Bucket List. John Mayer wrote the song in our Studio C while lying down in the live room. The song was tracked in Studio C (basic tracks, vocals) and Studio A (overdubs, drums). Maybe the rooms or the environment was conducive to the creative process. It adds to the "track record" of success that is the legacy of this studio.

MULTIMEDIA

Bruce Springsteen Music Video

Fresh off his memorable performance during Super Bowl's Half-Time Show, Bruce Springsteen, released his new album Working On A Dream. The title track was recorded, and the music video for the song was shot, in Studio C. Check out their video.

Recording Steel Drums

As a demonstration of how we work with clients that pose a challenge for us, we documented a couple of sessions with a steel drum band in a short video.

World Cafe Lillywhite Sessions

We have partnered with NPR's World Café to record The Lillywhite Sessions where producer Steve Lillywhite introduces bands in a live performance at our studio with an interview by David Dye, the host of the show. So far, we have done shows with She & Him, Goldfrapp, Dr. Dog, Mercury Rev, The Pretenders and the latest show is with Bell X1. If you have suggestions for a band you'd like featured on the show, send us a note.

Oral Studio History Podcast

To document some of the stories we hear from veterans of our industry, we've created a podcast called Oral Studio History. The first oral history, told in five parts, is shared by engineer Malcolm Addey about his years at Abbey Road, Bell Sound and A&R Studios.

NOTABLE SESSIONS

Dream Theater tracked in Studio A for their upcoming new album co-produced by John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy. They are now mixing in Studio G. Paul Northfield is engineering the sessions with Rick Kwan assisting.

Trey Anastasio recorded and mixed his upcoming release in Studio B with engineer Brian Montgomery assisted by Aki Nishimura and Justin Gerrish

Guster returns to Avatar to track their next release. They were in Studio B with producer David Kahne and engineer Brian Montgomery assisted by Aki Nishimura

The Rumble Strips recorded in Studio C with producer Mark Ronson. Richard Woodcraft engineered the sessions assisted by Justin Gerrish. The band members jokingly posed for a photo in Studio C's lounge.

We'd like you to share your session photos with us like they did. Upload your photos to our flickr group account and we'll post them on our Web site.

OTHER WAYS WE CAN HELP

* We have a blog called Avatar Session Tips to provide suggestions for having better recording sessions. Here are some entries you might be interested in:

• Let's Make A Deal
• Recording in a Recession

* From time to time, we will put out last minute room availability information on twitter. If you follow us online, you can receive this information. Our handle is "avatarstudios". Once you get notified, call Tino right away at 212-765-7500 to take advantage of an open room.

* In addition to ISDN, we have installed a dedicated network connection for Nicecast, a way to listen to a mix simultaneously with a remote site online. Call Tino regarding availability and rates.


* As insurance against unforeseen disasters (read about a real case), we suggest you create safeties of your masters in a different format as suggested by guidelines from NARAS. For this purpose, we have a dedicated transfer station that can interface with USB / Firewire drives and transfer content to AIT-4 tape at high speeds. Call Tino today at 212-765-7500 for rates. It is fast, convenient and you'll feel better that your investment is protected.

* Avatar Studios can tailor a complete one-stop shop deal for your recording needs from pre-production to mastering. Ask Tino about package deals.

* For out of towners, Avatar also offers exclusive low priced hotel / accommodation packages. We've set up an alliance with a nearby hotel that is within walking distance (2 blocks!) to Avatar and they offer the best prices in town for Avatar clients. Many of our clients have taken advantage of this deal. Call Tino at 212-765-7500.

* We have a new drumset now available exclusively at Avatar in New York. Noble & Cooley's "Limited Edition Horizon Hybrid Series" in matte black finish with black chome hardware and triple flanged rims. The sizes we have available are as 8x10 rack, 9x12 rack, 10x13 rack, 12x14 floor, 14x16 floor, 17x22 kick. The accompanying snare drum is Noble & Cooley's 5x14 Solid Shell Oak Classic Snare with black chrome hardware and diecast rims.

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To ask about rates or to book a room, call Tino at 212-765-7500 or e-mail him at Tino@AvatarStudios.net.