I started BVA in 1992.
I had just received my diploma in Recording Arts from Trebas Institute and had started working at (what was then called) Vancouver Studios.
I loved it.
I worked over 300 hrs a month for for a while before I started earning any money at all and when I did start getting paid I couldn't believe how lucky I was.......someone was paying me to do this!
(I still have my first photocopied cheque for 200.00 that's how excited I was)
I soon realized that I was going to need more electronics training if I was going to move up in this industry so I spent the next two years getting my Electronic Technician Diploma at VCC while still working full time at the studio. I honestly don't know how I pulled that off.
I worked with some great Techs during those early years. Dale Einarson ( he went on to work at SSL LA) and then Alf Waghorn.
Alf is pretty much one of the coolest guys I've met and a great friend. He worked for years with Glyn Johns at his private studio. If you google Glyn Johns you will see a pretty amazing credits list ( no big deal just the Beatles, The Who, The Stones, The Eagles etc etc etc) and Alf was the tech there for a lot of that.
From Alf I learned that no matter who is in the studio and no matter how much smoke is pouring out of the console, it's very important to stay calm and exude confidence to the client. I remember one time when we got called into studio B at Vancouver Studios for that exact problem ( smoke escaping) and the clients were freaking out. Alf just calmly said, " Just go grab a coffee and then we'll get this sorted out in 20 minutes". When they left the room I said to him " so you know what's wrong?" To which he replied
"No, we're fucked"
On the other end of the technical spectrum I also got to work with the late great John Vrtacic.
I worked closely with John for 15 years (1994-2009) and I learned a lot of my "tech chops" from him. He was a true scientist and was probably the pickiest person I ever met but he also was a great friend who I could always count on for good conversation and advice.
With him I got to work on projects like the Metallica world headquarters in San Fransisco, the development and production of the Vrtacic Design Guitar splitter JC-1 ( JC stood for John Corey) and the many huge projects he did for Bob Rock and the rest of his superstar client list.
I got to work with him on numerous studio designs and builds as well as countless hours spent working alongside him working in his shop in North Vancouver repairing pro audio equipment. Those were very influential times for me. You don't really realize how influential they were until you look back.....
I can't leave out the 15 years that I spent working at CBC Radio Vancouver (2000-2014). During this time I would work at CBC in the day and then drive over to Johns to work that evening. I would work for CBC as a senior broadcast wireman on major projects like Vancouver Radio master control replacement as well as many new studio builds there. And then as a group B maintenance technician working on many of the broadcast systems in the plant.
Lots of great connections came from that time, as well I experienced the technical requirements of live broadcast and all the pressures that come along with it.
I also got to be part of the CTV installation team that put together the broadcast center for the 2010 winter olympics.
Which brings us to the present.
Recent projects have been the refurbishment of two SSL consoles ( recap, re-switch and some major modifications which I will post pics of soon) as well as the racking of two SSL channel strips in a 2U 19" rack. These will be available for purchase through this website shortly.
It's been a pretty fun ride so far and I look forward to what the next 25 years has in store!
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