Crescendo! Studios

As an agency producer having worked with most of the major audio post studios both around SF and LA, Crescendo Studios is by far my favorite. The engineers are very talented and personable. Whether we are working on a national TV commercial campaign needing complex sound design or radio spots with a fast turnaround, they nail it every time.
I look forward to continuing our working relationship in the future.

I could write a book… I could write THE book. I worked at Russian Hill Recording (1520 Pacific Ave.) from 1981 through 1994 and then as an independent producer up to the end in 2000. I booked the very last recording session, threw a little party and invited a bevy or musicians who I worked with over the years.
Started in 1980 by Jack Leahy, he of Funky Features in the Haight, RHR had an illustrious run for over two decades. Their client list was a veritable who’s who of the music and movie worlds… Michael Jackson, David Byrne, Keith Richards, on and on. Many great records and films were recorded and mixed here. Stories are legion of the after-​hours goings on. As the ad business got bigger in town, a second facility, Crescendo, was opened in the financial district. Sadly RHR was no longer getting the attention or the business as investments into the studio were curtailed for the sake of Crescendo. Its time had passed and none too soon. Given the proliferation of home-​studio technology only the largest acts spent money in studios and they were typically in LA or NY. A few years later Crescendo was sold and has new management and continues to do highly regarded production work primarily for advertising clients.
RHR was a Bay Area legend that continues to be remembered fondly by those who worked there.