Studio A Mirador

“Mirador \Mir`a*dor"\, n. mir·a·dor
Etymology: Spanish, from Catalan, from mirar to look at, from Latin mirari
: a turret, window, or balcony designed to command an extensive outlook

The name Mirador was chosen to highlight our company’s ability to offer a broad and strategic perspective to the process of documenting and sharing intellectual property through recorded sound.

We believe that all business boils down to an exchange of value, and in our industry, such value is found not only in the integrity of sound provided but in the guidance and support offered throughout the recording process.

At Studio A–Mirador, we truly respect the courage and generosity of spirit that inspires anyone to record in the first place. Therefore, it is our commitment to honour these values, first and foremost, in our continuing efforts to provide recording, production and service excellence.

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Studio A-Mirador and Blue Northern Music are holding an Open House:

Saturday March 15, from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 pm (or whenever)

Download the PDF

Ralph Hetke's Hammond B3 played by Joey DeFrancesco at the
Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival!

July 15 , 2007:

Described as the "baddest B3 Burner in the business" Joey DeFrancesco rocked the Uptown Waterloo Jazz festival playing the organ that is currently on loan to Studio A-Mirador. Its owner, Ralph Hetke, is seen below next to Joey after the show.

While it was said by many that the organ "smoked" that Sunday, Ralph assures us that was just a figure of speech, and the organ is in top form.

Joey, undeniably one of the great virtuosos on the instrument, made his debut in 1989 at age 17 and has since been credited with bringing the B3 back into the musical limelight. For more information on Joey, visit his webwite at www.joeydefrancesco.com.

Just arrived: A vintage 1965 Hammond B3 with two Leslie speakers:

April 26, 2007:

"Friends help you move; Good friends help you move a body; Great friends help you move a B3"

On April 26 a vintage 1965 Hammond B3 organ with two Leslie speakers was delivered to the studio with the help of expert piano movers "Attuned Moving."

The organ, which belongs Ralph Hetke of Kitchener Ontario, will be on loan to the studio indefinitely. Ralph, who is a B3 player himself, was looking for a way to securely store the instrument which has been in his family for years.

"I felt it should be in a studio where it can be put to use", Ralph explained. After contacting several recording studios in the area, somehow Studio A-Mirador made it to the top of his list. This thrilled Katie Wreford who explained "it's not every day some one calls you up and offers you a B3!"

Not only was the offer exceedingly generous she added, but it arrived only a week or so after she joked with studio engineer Chris Colvin that what they needed to complete things at the studio "was a couple lava-lamps and a B3". Within days she managed to pick up some lavalamps from a local thrift store, but never did she suspect a B3 would be in the waiting... But it was, and here it is!

Any recording studio or free-lance engineer who wishes to track a B3 for any of their projects is encouraged to contact the studio.

As Wreford explains, "In this line of business, and especially in a community such as ours, it pays to work collaboratively with others facilities and professionals . Ralph's offer in a sense inspires us all to find more and more reasons and ways to work together. That is, after all, what music is all about isn't it?"

Incidentally, the organ will be lent to the Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival and played by Joey DeFrancesco who will be performing with Sunday Night headliner Jake Langley.

February 2006: New Addition to Studio A-Mirador:

On February 10, 2006, Studio A-Mirador welcomed Shela Wreford to the studio's canine staff.

Shela's background is largely unknown to us as her application came from the Kitchener Human Society. But through job shadowing Louis Burklen, her naturally gentle and demure personality quickly lent itself to client reception and creative support duties.

December 29, 2005: Mourning the passing of "Morgie-girl":

On December 29, 2005, Morgan Wreford passed away peacefully after a long struggle with arthritis. She was ten years old.

A long time associate of the studio, Morgan first trained under the renowned "Cardy-Boy" Burklen in the canine art of creative stress reduction. Always known for her gentle demeanor and stoic heart, Morgie-girl will be sorely missed by us all.

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