MONUMENTAL
SOUND IS MADE
HERE.
From one-off sessions to full album production.
We are a full-service recording studio in San Diego. Whatever the scope of your music project, we’ll make it shine.
If you are looking for a calm and relaxed creative space with a talented, fun, and professional team to help turn your project into a reality – look no further than Satellite.
SATELLITE
Located just minutes from Downtown San Diego, Satellite is designed from the ground up to inspire creativity and effortlessly facilitate the production experience.
Custom Series 75 | powered by Neve
32 channel – 1073 pre-amps/1081 EQs
Two18 | Amphion
Hear Technologies Hear Back PRO System
Mac mini (2021) – Apple M1 chip – 16GB
Apogee Symphony I/O Mk II – 32×32
2 x Avid HD I/O – 16×16
Universal Audio Apollo – 8×8 – UAD Quad core plug-in processing
PREAMPS:
CAPI Lunchbox
COMPRESSORS:
Teletronix LA2A
AudioScape LA2A
Mohog Fet1176
Urei 1176LN
Blue Stripe 1176 x2
Tube Tech CL1B Compressor
Spectra Sonics 610 Complimiter
MISC:
SansAmp RB1
Transient Designer 9842
GUITARS:
‘72 ES-335 Gibson
‘67 Gretsch Nashville
‘60 Les Paul
‘54 Gibson Les Paul with P90’s
‘66 SG Gibson Jr.
Fender Strat
Baritone Telecaster
Baritone Taylor
‘44 Gibson LG-2 Acoustic
Guild Acoustic – 12 String
Guild D55
‘20s Silvertone High Strung
Eastwood Electric 12 String
BASS AND OTHER STRINGS:
Harmony H-22 Bass
60’s Domino Bass
Deering 6 String Banjo
AMPS:
Ampeg Tube Bass Amp
Fender Bassman Combo
Fender Princeton
Vox Pacemaker
Silvertone Twin 12
Silvertone 1482
Fender Deluxe Reverb
DRUMS:
Yamaha Recording Custom 5 Piece Kit
Astro 5 Piece Kit
Ludwig Jazz 24″ Kick
Ludwig 26″ Kick
WFL 22″ Kick
Ludwig Black Beauty Snare
Standard Supraphonic Snare
Standard Acrolite Snare
Tube Condensers
Chandler Limited Redd
Neumann Gefell M93 (2)
Neumann Gefell UM 57 (2)
Rode K2
Wunder C12 (2)
Condensers
Blue Mouse
Countryman B3
Earth Works TC25 (2)
Earth Works SR25
Earth Works SR20 (2)
Neumann TLM103
Neumann KMS 105
Neumann KM185 (2)
Dynamics
Audio Technica AE2500
Beyerdynamic M201
Electrovoice RE20 (3)
Sennheiser MD 412
Sennheiser MD 416
Sennheiser MD 421 (4)
Shure Beta 52
Shure SM57 (6)
Ribbons
AEA R88 (stereo)
AEA R84
Apex 205 (2)
Apex 210
Beyerdynamic M160
Cascade Fatheads (2)
Cascade 731R
Coles 4038 (2)
Royer 122 (2)
Direct Boxes
Avalon U5
Radial Pro D2 (stereo) (2)
Radial JDI
OUR SERVICES
01
RECORDING.
Whether it’s a two-hour session, a bigger block of time, a vocal track, instrumentation, or full band recording – whatever your studio needs – we are fully equipped to handle everything from small one-off sessions to fully-produced album projects.
We’re musicians, too. We understand what it’s like to be an artist in the studio and will support you every step of the way. We’ll take care of the technical details so you can relax and focus on giving your best performance.
02
MIXING AND MASTERING.
It doesn’t just look cool. We crafted Satellite’s control room to be the most transparent mixing room in San Diego.
Combined with our well-trained ears, we can turn your recording into the song you’ve always heard in your head. Paired with our highly experienced mastering engineer, your song/album/EP will be ready for release in no time.
03
VIDEO PRODUCTION.
Video assets are vital in building your brand as an artist.
We offer video production services focusing on your music – including social media content, live studio sessions, and music performance videos.
MEET OUR TEAM AND CHECK OUT OUR WORK.
An in-demand producer, engineer, performer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Jeff has credits on over 300 albums.
On top of performing with his award-winning bands, Jeff has played with countless musical luminaries, including Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Little River Band, Peter Yarrow, Jackson Browne, Ben Harper, The Indigo Girls, David Crosby, Joel Rafael, Steve Poltz, and Lisa Sanders. He has engineered and produced for hundreds of artists, including Jason Mraz, Rebecca Jade, Sara Petite, The Farmers, Veronica May, Gregory Page, Tolan Shaw, Tim Flannery, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Bob Wier.
As a producer and a seasoned musician, Jeff appreciates the heart behind the art. While mixing, he ensures the result is not just showcasing the mixing itself but amplifying the musician’s creation.
“I’m here to unearth their sound in an emotional and exciting way that’s pleasing to the ear and heart.”
In his world, everything points to the mix, and with his technical expertise, he can glue everything together to turn a song into an all-encompassing experience.
Examples of Jeff’s work.
I’ll Never Tell by Story and Tune.
Recorded and mixed by Jeff Berkley. Mastered by Robbie Robinson.
More Than This by lila r.em
Recorded and mixed by Jeff Berkley. Mastered by Robbie Robinson.
People Lookin’ The Other Way by Ron Houston.
Recorded and mixed by Jeff Berkley. Mastered by Robbie Robinson.
Pretty Summertime by The Fourth Section.
Recorded and mixed by Jeff Berkley. Mastered by Robbie Robinson.
Some Kinda Fine by Astra Kelly.
Recorded and mixed by Jeff Berkley. Mastered by Robbie Robinson.
As well as an accomplished producer and engineer, Amelia is an integral part of lead producer Jeff Berkley’s operation as assistant, associate, and lead engineer.
Amelia has worked with notable artists, including Jason Mraz, Joshua Taylor, Moon Talk, Elon Mosque, Celadon, Lindsay White, and many more!
Amelia fell in love with music as a child, listening to 91X and attending concerts with her parents. Through her first job at the iconic San Diego music cafe Java Joes, she became connected to the singer-songwriter community while learning the ins and outs of the local music scene.
Her passion for the indie, hardcore, and punk scenes and an unending curiosity about electronics and how things work led her to Studio West and The Recording Arts Center, where she would graduate with a diploma in Recording Arts.
Amelia has become an invaluable Studio Manager at Satellite through hard work as a live sound technician, studio engineer, assistant engineer, and overall badass troubleshooter.
As part of her role, she is responsible for the staff of studio assistants, scheduling sessions, looking after the equipment and facility, and handling the social media and marketing efforts for Satellite.
Examples of Amelia’s work.
Demise of a Seedling by Elon Mosque.
Recorded and produced by Amelia Sarkisian. Mastered by Robbie Robinson.
Gunk by Moon Talk.
Recorded, mixed, produced, and mastered by Amelia Sarkisian.
Mathy 3 by Celadon.
Mixed and mastered by Amelia Sarkisian.
Robbie has worked with many artists and mastered over 20,000 songs for acts such as Jason Mraz, Alan Parsons, Macy Gray, Natasha Bedingfield, Perry Ferrel, Switchfoot, Angels and Airwaves, Gregory Page, Greg Laswell, Molly Jensen, Bushwalla, Rebecca Jade, and Tom Brosseau.
Robbie has also been a part of many SMDA (San Diego Music Awards) winning projects and a Latin Grammy Award-winning album.
With decades of experience in mastering and as a recording engineer, producer, and mix engineer, Robbie has a unique perspective on how the “final product” should sound.
“Mastering is all about a fresh take – the fresh perspective in a new room with fresh ears. I’m looking at these songs from a thousand-foot perspective.”
Once your song enters Robbie’s mastering room, he can hear exactly what needs to be enhanced.
“As soon as I bring anything into my mastering room, in 10 seconds, I can hear exactly where it needs to go and how to bring the project to the ‘finished’ point.”
You’re likely to see Jackson Hunter and Rebecca Sykes around the studio before your session begins.
They are a big part of our team and are here to help keep the studio in ship-shape, make your session begin without a hitch, and assure your comfort during recording.
They are both talented engineers who wear many hats here at Satellite, and our parent facility, Studio West.
Rebecca and Jackson are both graduates of The Recording Arts Center at Studio West, having earned a diploma in Recording Arts.
Suzie is your emotional support, assistant studio manager, and all around fuzzy ball of fun when you need it most during your session.
She loves belly rubs, good guitar tones, and salmon treats. She’ll also take you up on a relaxing lie down in the sun.
HEAR WHY OUR CLIENTS LOVE SATELLITE...
Satellite FAQ’s
At Satellite, we tailor each quote to fit the artists’ needs and budget. Please contact us for a quote and availability.
You can complete the “Contact Us” form at the top of this web page or call Amelia Sarkisian at (858) 203 1851.
We are located in Kearny Mesa, 10 minutes from downtown San Diego. For our full address and contact details, please scroll down.
Yes – we are owned by Studio West, but we have our own location in Kearny Mesa. Please scroll down for address and contact details.
We have a per-song, flat rate fee for unattended mixes and mastering sessions.
For mixing, you will need to provide files of your fully recorded, pre-mixed tracks, with the BPM, key, and any inspiration tracks. For mastering, you simply need a stereo file of your fully-mixed tracks. We’ll tell you how to share these files when we discuss your project.
Mixing.
You’ve created a song comprising multiple instrumental and vocal tracks. A mix engineer’s job is to balance those tracks into a cohesive sound rather than a random, unbalanced mix of parts. This is a highly skilled job. Mix engineers draw upon their experience and the many tools at their disposal to strike the right balance and deliver an artist’s vision.
Mastering.
Think of a mastering engineer as your final quality controller before your project is released. Whereas mix engineers work with multiple tracks, mastering engineers primarily work with the overall sound using a single stereo track. It’s their job to ensure your work sounds great on all streaming platforms and every possible playback system.
We accept all major credit and debit cards and cash payments.