About Us
Deep Signal Studios excels at audio tape archival, digitizing both analog and digital multitrack and 2-track tape sessions for clients aiming to remix or master 70s, 80s, and 90s recording sessions in-the-box for commercial re-releases or preservation. We also offer video tape transfers. Our state-of-the-art facility in Long Beach, CA, USA, located within the 30-mile studio zone, is owned and operated by Mario Escalante and Nick Dynice. With over 50 media playback machines, we handle a wide range of media transfers and can convert more than 30 different sequencer, DAW, and notation file formats from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s to modern software-readable formats.
Nick Dynice began his journey in audio technology as a freshman at Cypress College, studying MIDI sequencing and synthesis under saxophonist and professor Tommy Thomas. He learned to use Texture on a 386 PC with a Roland MPU-401, Yamaha DX7, Emu Proteus, Roland S-550 sampler, Oberheim Matrix 6, Roland D-50, and Alesis D4. The following year, his high school friend Mario Escalante joined him at Long Beach City College, where they studied under esteemed instructors including Nancy Allen, Dr. George Shaw, Maurice Love, Tim Parsch, and Charles Gutierrez. There, they learned audio theory, multitrack recording on 16-track 1-inch and 24-track 2-inch analog tape machines, as well as digital recording with synced ADATs, Pro Tools, MIDI sequencing, and sampling. The LBCC computer lab featured Opcode Vision on a Mac Classic, Kawai K4r and K1, Roland Juno 106, Yamaha TX-81Z, and Roland DJ-70 sampler.
Nick and Mario's first MIDI studio, set up in Mario's garage, featured a Macintosh Performa with Opcode EZ Vision and an E-MU Sound Engine module, later adding the Kawai K4r, Juno 60, Chroma Polaris, and SCI Tom drum machine. You can hear some of their early productions on our SoundCloud. By 1995, they were actively seeking analog synthesizers in music stores and secondhand shops, just as these instruments were experiencing a resurgence due to the mid-90s electronic music boom with artists like The Chemical Brothers, The Orb, Orbital, Underworld, and Aphex Twin. Nick’s tenure in musical instrument retail at Whittaker Music from 1996 to 2000 enabled him to acquire vintage pieces such as the Roland Jupiter 8, Juno 106, and Juno 2. Their skills in production and engineering developed through both formal education and practical experience in their home studio, producing genres such as industrial, techno, electronica, and drum and bass.
Despite the shift towards complete software production in the early 2000s, with platforms like Reason and VST plugins dominating the scene, Nick and Mario held onto their vintage hardware. They valued not only the tactile experience but also the warm analog sound that software still struggles to replicate. In 2016, they founded Deep Signal Studios as a commercial recording studio specializing in vintage synthesizer recording and rentals. Their collection boasts over 60 modern and vintage instruments, spanning the late 70s, the dawn of MIDI in the 80s, the analog resurgence of the 90s, and the contemporary return of new analog hardware.
Nick and Mario bring a wealth of experience from music instrument and pro sound retail sales, consumer and pro audio tech support, freelance and in-house A/V operations, and administration (video projection, live sound reinforcement). Over the past 20 years, they have produced numerous music projects. Mario holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology and a certificate in Recording Engineering, while Nick has earned certificates in Recording Engineering, Record Production, Studio Assistant, and Pro Tools Assistant from Long Beach City College. Nick’s sound design work includes contributions to Michal Lewy's Bigfoot Island short films, exhibited at the Center of Contemporary Artists and UMass Amherst Department of Art.
Our studio houses over 60 modern and vintage synthesizers, samplers, and drum machines, ready for recording into Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton Live, Cubase, and various tape formats. We are conveniently located 19 miles from Downtown LA and 9 miles from Long Beach Airport (LGB).
Why Choose Deep Signal Studios?
How did Southern California become the recording capital of the world?
Two reasons: motion picture production and rock 'n roll production as businesses were both born here.
Motion Pictures: The origins can be traced back to a few pioneering brothers who wanted to create movies without paying Thomas Edison's patent fees on motion picture technology. They left the northeastern United States and moved to the opposite corner of the country: Los Angeles. These brothers, Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Wonskolaser, eventually Americanized their last name to Warner and became known as The Warner Brothers. As their studio flourished, other movie studios followed, leading to a burgeoning film industry that needed soundtracks and scores, which laid the groundwork for a vibrant recording industry.
Rock 'n Roll: The second major influence was rock 'n roll. When The Byrds sought to innovate their songwriting and escape the folk purists in New York City, they relocated to Laurel Canyon. There, they further developed Bob Dylan's electric folk concept, resulting in the iconic album "Mr. Tambourine Man." This move inspired other influential artists like Frank Zappa, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY), and many others to also settle in LA, solidifying its status as a rock recording destination. Additionally, The Wrecking Crew, a group of prolific session musicians, did most of their recording in LA, contributing to the city's reputation as the epicenter of the recording industry.