A Framework for success; with technology in place, Framework Sound Studios attracts and keeps clients via its talent - Audio Today & Tomorrow

Post, Jan, 2004 by David John Farinella

SANTA MONICA -- After working for a couple of audio companies in Los Angeles, Ken Dahlinger came to the realization that clients were more interested in talent than technology. The year was 1991 and Dahlinger was about to open Framework Sound Studios (310-829-1020). "I knew the clientele was following me and not the facility," he says. "That's basically what drives your ability to bill and have clients--the talent behind the box and not the box. It's a little bit location on certain levels, but a lot about what you can do."

So, with that in mind, Dahlinger and a team of expanding or contracting talent (depending on the demands at the facility), work on a wide variety of audio post production projects. "Basically anything with picture," he explains, "and even some stuff without picture. We do audio post production for television commercials, television shows, videos and movies. We do full Foley sessions, full sound design sessions, and full mix sessions. It just depends on the client and what their needs are."

PHILOSOPHY

Some of the projects that have spun through Framework's Santa Monica headquarters include a Fox series, Classmates, the Shortlist Music Awards for MTV 2, a handful of Honda commercials for Rubin Postaer and Associates and a couple Corona Light spots for Cramer Krasselt. Dahlinger has also worked on a few MTV pilots, including Pimp My Ride, Channel Surfing and Judgment Game.

Dahlinger believes his forte lies in sound design and mixing. "I love mixing music," he reports. "I did a whole show for Universal called Farm Club where we mixed a hundred different bands over a year and a half, which was just a blast. We did that all in Pro Tools, so I got really good at that. We did everybody in music that you can think of during those years."

The mindset--of clients following talent and not technology--was something that Dahlinger discovered early on in his career. "The tools are really important, but obviously the guy controlling the tools is the key, and putting a guy who's really good on a box he doesn't know is useless," he says. "But we've all had to learn what's the latest and greatest." As an example of keeping an open mind to new tools, Dahlinger points out that he turned from Synclaviers and Post Pros to Pro Tools in 1998. "To me [using Synclaviers and Post Pros] was the only way to do it. I had tapeless everything and complete control. Pro Tools still gives me that, with a company that's still there," he says with a laugh.

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NEW DIGS

The company's new facility--which broke ground in November of 2003--was built in Santa Monica because of the city's roster of entertainment companies such as MTV, Universal and HBO, as well as the high-end graphics and commercial editorial houses. Framework is currently working in a temporary facility that will be razed sometime in the fall of 2004 when the new building opens. While Framework will continue to work in the television market (commercials and shows), Dahlinger is also looking to add big screen credits to his resume. To that end, Framework will boast a larger mix stage complete with an as-yet-to-be-decided console and monitor set up.

"I believe by 2006 [the industry] will have 5.1 everywhere, but I'm building a couple of bigger rooms just because I want to do feature work and start to get into doing at least the lower-budget features," Dahlinger explains. "Then, should I be successful, branch into higher budget features by building something bigger."

In the meantime, Framework has been built around Digidesign Pro Tools and Pro Control. Not only does Framework have all the standard video accruements--Digi Beta and 3/4-inch--VIs are used for digital picture. A sound effects library is networked to all of the facility's computers via a Geffen Server. According to Dahlinger, the company operates in either 24-bit or 16-bit, depending on the project delivery format. "We've done some Unplugged shows where it was 24-bit because it was music and it would end up becoming a CD or a DVD," he explains. "Most of our television stuff is still done in 16-bit, although we're all 24-bit capable."

Why are their television sessions still done in 16-bit? "Well, Avid just got the eight channels a little while ago and now they're going to get the 24-bit audio into the Avid. Once they have it on that end then the projects will come across at 24-bit, because they'll be digitized. I'd say 90 percent of the audio everyone is hearing on the air was digitized in an Avid bay by an assistant," he adds.

When it's all said and done, Dahlinger admits that Framework has concentrated on a variety of projects for a couple of reasons. "It's fun, absolutely, and it also makes a lot of business sense. I've been doing this a long time and different genres of the industry falter at times and if you're depending exclusively on commercials you're going to have trouble at some point. So, I like to do a little bit of everything and it does make it fun. That's why we do it."