Total Access Recording
tarecording.com • tarehearsal.com
Celebrating 40 Years in the South Bay: The multi-generational partnership between producer-engineer Wyn Davis—who founded Total Access Recording in Redondo Beach, CA in 1980—and co-owner, producer-engineer and multi-instrumentalist Steve Ornest, is so distinctive that it merited a story in the online magazine Southbay last year. Ornest was in high school when he originally met Davis, who had produced artists like Guns N’ Roses and Dio—and the two became friends (and later family when Davis married Ornest’s mother). After graduating from Berklee College of Music and using the studio on and off for years while playing in bands and pursuing his career, Ornest joined forces with Davis and has devoted himself to Total Access full time for the past 10 years. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, the studio became a popular hub for countless superstar bands, from GN’R, Great White and Dokken to No Doubt, Black Flag and Foreigner. The 2000s brought a new generation of reggae artists, including Slightly Stoopid, Pepper, Fortunate Youth, Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds and others.
Quote from Steve Ornest: “There is so much talent here in the South Bay! While we still service legacy artists, it has been my mission to help reinvigorate the local South Bay scene. We’ve been able to do this by making it affordable for young local artists to come in and work on their song, EP or album and walk away with the same commercially competitive results we’ve become known for over the past 40 years. A couple of local bands we’ve recently worked with, Joker’s Hand and Mor Flowrs, have gone on to have success on KROQ’s Local’s Only and even perform at large festivals such as BeachLife.”
Traditional Gear and a “Facelift”: Total Access is a state-of-the-art facility providing vintage and cutting-edge equipment, a dynamic and inviting atmosphere, and an award-winning staff of producers, engineers and assistants. The studio offers an extensive microphone locker, Amek G2520 52-channel console, an incredible selection of outboard gear, a Yamaha Grand C7 Piano, analog synths, a plethora of guitars and amps, etc. Davis and Ornest take the overall aesthetic and vibe very seriously, and recently gave the studio a 40th anniversary facelift featuring colorful tapestries, Moroccan lamps and wood floors.
Total Access Rehearsal: Ornest recently opened a 1,000 sq ft.
rehearsal suite a few steps away from the studio. The idea evolved out of a frustration at the lack of clean, acoustically treated rehearsal
facilities in L.A., particularly in the South Bay. Ornest and business partner Jeff Nisen created a suite that boasts an acoustically treated showcase room, top-of-the-line gear, a Nashville-themed writing-production room, a private lounge-bathroom, A/C, free water and coffee, private parking, and convenient roll-up entry. This private, distraction-free rehearsal suite is perfect for any serious band looking to prepare for their next big gig or studio session. Please visit tarehearsal.com.
Contact Total Access Recording, 310-376-0404
Total Access Rehearsal, 424-271-5070
