Denton, TX
MOCKINGBIRD SOUND RECORDING STUDIO
Your music deserves to be heard.
At Mockingbird Sound Recording Studio, we work hard to achieve our clients' visions and deliver high-fidelity recordings that are inspired and authentic. We love getting to work on music with other humans, and we want you to exceed your own expectations in an atmosphere that is both comfortable and focused. Our goal is for you to enjoy the process of making art and leave here with recordings you are proud to share.
Our acoustically-treated studio includes a spacious control room, a 90-square-foot iso room, a 238-square-foot live room, a large overflow and gear-storage/piano room, and a full kitchen. We have plenty of gear available for you to use for your session, including a Baldwin baby grand piano, Story & Clark upright piano, Hammond M3 organ, Wurlitzer, and Fender Rhodes. Visit our equipment page to see our extensive list of amplifiers and instruments.
Mockingbird Sound Recording Studio is conveniently located near I-35 and U.S. 380 in Denton, TX. Since opening in the spring of 2016, we have recorded and mixed music in a variety of genres, including rock, jazz, classical, country, folk, metal, and hip-hop. We record digitally to Pro Tools and Reaper using high-quality AD/DA converters by Orion. We are currently working to integrate into our setup a recently-acquired Sony 24 track 2" tape machine, which will allow us to also record all analog. We use outstanding pre-amps by SSL, API, Universal Audio, Focusrite, and others. We have an enormous microphone collection that includes both trusted classics by the top manufacturers and new models by boutique brands. We are continually adding to our collection of outboard gear and plug-ins.
DISTANCE FROM:
Ft. Worth, TX = 35 min
Dallas , TX = 40 min
Tyler, TX = 2 hrs
Austin, TX = 3 hrs, 45 min
Houston, TX = 4 hrs
Lubbock, TX = 4 hrs, 40 min
OKC, OK = 2 hrs, 20 min
Tulsa, OK = 3 hrs, 50 min
Shreveport, LA = 3 hrs, 10 min
Monterey, CA = 25 hrs
Photo by Paige Bruneman
Photo by Angela Greco
ACCESSIBILITY:
Our studio is generally accessible, including parking, ramp, entrance, and bathroom. Our front entrance is manual but is a simple push/pull door, while inside doors have lever-style handles. If there is anything else we can do to make the studio more accessible for you, please let us know.
Our Engineers
Alex Hastings
Alex has been playing and recording music in some capacity for as long as he can remember. He has enjoyed working with a wide variety of musical styles, including the experimental guitar music of Freak Establishment, the folk songs of Blake Vaughn, and the video-game-inspired synth rock of Mirage Music Club. He strives for energy and authenticity in his recordings and enjoys the discipline of capturing live sound in a room. As a guitar player, he can be seen with Claire Morales, The Demigs (for whom he engineered and mixed the double-album Welcome to Hard Times [2015]), Edgar Derby, and The Hope Trust. Alex also leads his own indie rock band, Fresh Ghosts (whose debut album Soft Edge [2021] he produced).
Jason Rochester
Jason engineers and mixes all styles of music. His recording credits include country singer/songwriter Melissa Ratley's A Lonely View [2015] and These Moments EP [2018] and virtuoso rock guitarist Victor Gann's III [2017], as well as local and international hip-hop, punk, jazz, and everything in between. Jason holds a bachelor's degree in music from the University of North Texas. He is also a live sound engineer, working various DFW/d events, festivals, and venues, both freelance and with his own company, White Noise Productions. Jason has played trumpet for many years and plays guitar for the Denton-based metal band Dieselbeast, whose 2018 debut full-length Dieselbeast he recorded and mastered.
Kelly Upshaw
Kelly brings to his projects a wealth of experience in music and audio. For more than a decade he has led his own band, The Hope Trust (whose albums, The Incurable Want [2007], Light Can't Escape [2011], and Passengers [2018], he produced and engineered). On the performance side, in addition to playing guitar and singing, Kelly is a skilled drummer and regularly plays bass guitar and keyboards in the studio. Kelly also designs and installs sound systems and mixes concerts for venues and events all around DFW/d with his company Upshaw Sound Design. He has eclectic musical tastes and a great ear for production.