Studio S · production & engineering

Simonoto

Musicianship first, engineering second. Production, mixing, mastering, and session work out of Oakland. Every session starts with the music.

remote worldwide · in-person bay area · since 2019

The rooms

studio s · oakland

home base. small room, big rig. a 7-piece band has tracked here. the lowest rate, right for smaller groups.

hyde street studios · san francisco

for the heavier hitters that want a real studio. three years here under otis mcdonald.

tiny telephone · oakland

the other real-studio option, east bay side.

The rig at Studio S is custom Cdel: every preamp and EQ hand-built in Oakland by Cesar Delly with rare vintage transformers. Delly has built consoles for studios worldwide, including Otis McDonald's.

The work · produced for other artists

The rig

consolecustom 16-channel cdel summing mixer · six cdel preamps · 1073-style chameleon preamps with eq
outboardstam audio "logicchild" mastering compressor · four cdel custom mastering eqs
tape + conversionuniversal audio apollo x8p, x16, x4 · tandberg ¼" tape · tascam portastudio 4-track
micscdel u87 + u47 fet clones · advanced audio u47 · beesneez arabella · warm wa-44 ribbon · matched se s7 pair · matched uher m534 pair · akg d12 · telefunken td26 · full sm57/58/7 set
drums + keyssonor s class 22" 5-piece · 1968 vintage zildjian a cymbals · yamaha sd493 steve gadd snare · rhodes stage 88 mk2 · vintage microkorg · weighted dcp-300
amps + pedalsreverend kingsnake tube head · markbass 1000w with ampeg 10" · red panda context & particle · mxr phase 90 · red witch chorus/trem · modded boss ds-1 · helix lt
monitoring + itbneumann kh120s · jbl lsr8s · uad complete · goodhertz · izotope · soundtoys · native instruments · arturia
playedguitar, bass, keys, drums, voice. multi-instrumentalist sessions tracked in one room

In the rooms

Simon at the console, Tiny Telephone, Oakland
at tiny telephone
Simon at Hyde Street Studio D, San Francisco
at hyde street studio d

Rates, flat

full production → $1,500 per track · ep of 4+ $1,200

produce, arrange, every instrument played in house, mix, master. comes back radio ready.

mix + master → $500 per song · ep of 5+ $400 · master only $150

one job, same ears start to finish, up to 40 tracks.

session musician → $150 per instrument per track · rhythm section of 3+ $400

bass, guitar, drums, keys, voice. stems delivered, ready to drop in.

podcast & brand audio → from $300

themes, transitions, sonic logos, on-hold loops.

music for picture → from $1,000

short film, ad, game cue, sync. quoted per length and use rights.

monthly retainer → from $2,000 a month · 3-month minimum

set hours, faster turnaround, priority queue.

terms, flat: a 50% deposit books the slot and applies to the balance. two revision rounds included on everything, extra rounds $75 each. rush work under a week runs +50%. scope confirmed in writing before any deposit changes hands.

Start a project

send a few sentences. real quote within a day.

goes straight to my inbox, plus a low-volume studio list you can leave any time. or just email → simonoto@gmail.com

Questions

What's your turnaround time?
Most mix-and-master projects ship in 7–14 days from delivery of stems. Full production from scratch takes 3–6 weeks depending on scope. Rush turnaround (under a week) is available at +50%.
Do you work remotely?
Yes. Most production and mixing work is done remotely worldwide. Session musician parts are tracked here in Oakland and delivered as stems. In-person sessions are available for Bay Area clients.
What file formats do you deliver?
WAV (24-bit, 48kHz default; higher rates available), MP3 (320kbps), and stems on request. Master deliverables include streaming-loud and reference -14 LUFS variants.
How many revisions are included?
Two rounds of revisions are included on every project. Additional rounds are billed at $75/round. The goal is to get it right, not nickel-and-dime the back-and-forth.
Do you do exclusive or non-exclusive work?
Both. Exclusive production (you own the master and publishing outright) is priced higher. Non-exclusive session work and beats are also available at lower rates. Terms are written into every agreement.
Will you work on AI-generated stems?
Not currently. Studio S works with human-played material: original recordings, MIDI compositions, or sample-based productions where the samples are properly licensed. AI-generated audio is not part of the lineup right now.

Kind words

"Simon is easy to work with, quick, professional, and insightful as a producer. Every project we work together has a spark!"

tess posner · recording artist & composer

Elsewhere

lessons in oakland → professor of funk

press kit → /epk

back to the house → simonoto.com

beat licensing coming soon