OUR STAFF

JUSTIN ROSE

Justin Rose began his recording career as a Tonmeister at The State University of New York at Fredonia. After being accepted into their school of music, Justin gained a valuable foundation of audio techniques and practices within the sound recording technology department. His instrument of study was the euphonium.

Although his time in college was valuable, Justin's real education came from Pressure Point Recording Studios (Chicago, IL) as an intern under the watchful eye of the late Larry Sturm (Destiny’s Child, Lil Kim, R Kelly, remixing for Michael Jackson and Prince). After paying his dues as an intern, Justin got his turn to be Larry’s mixing assistant. Larry demanded excellence in all respects, giving Justin the fire needed to succeed. During this time, Justin worked with Grammy-winning gospel artist Smokie Norful, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Ray Davies from The Kinks, Michelle Williams, and Bad Boy Bill (to name a few). It was then that Justin got word that the Goo Goo Dolls were building a world-class studio back home in Buffalo, NY: Inner Machine Studios.

Justin started with an internship and soon was hired as an in-house engineer. Here he worked closely with the Goo Goo Dolls at their private facility for nearly two years. In 2009, the studio name was changed to GCR Audio and opened as a commercial recording facility. Justin was hired as studio manager and chief engineer - remaining studio manager until January of 2018, when he changed his focus strictly to producing and engineering.

Justin’s list of credits from GCR is impressive: Goo Goo Dolls, James Taylor, Spyro Gyra, Andra Day (Marshall Movie Soundtrack),Michael Franti, Najee, Shonen Knife, Jessie J and B.O.B, Lil Wayne, Aqueous, Vinnie DeRosa, Uncle Ben’s Remedy, The Reign of Kindo, Drea D’Nur, Brothers McClurg, University at Buffalo, New Era Cap, Independent Health, and many more. He continues to push his craft forward each day, with every session and artist he works with.

JAY ZUBRICKY

Jay Zubricky began his career path at a young age, recording at Bishop Timon St. Jude high school in their Center for Media and Arts studio. As a teenager, the school's studio allowed him to gain experience in a low-pressure environment, giving him his first exposure to professional studio equipment.

Eventually, his experience lead him to interning and working as an assistant at Audio Magic Recording Studios in Buffalo, NY. Audio Magic was the first real recording studio that Jay had access to and is also the first place where he truly began to learn about the recording process from industry professionals. Over time, Jay was promoted from assistant to staff engineer, allowing him the opportunity to work on the more serious projects that came through the doors.

The quality of Jay's work became noticed around Buffalo, and he was approached by the manager at Inner Machine Recording Studios (now GCR Audio) about recording in their newly renovated studio. In January of 2009, Jay started to work on sessions at Inner Machine and has been here ever since. In July of 2009, Jay took over the lease to Studio C at GCR Audio and it is still his personal studio to this day.

Jay is always striving to create unique sounds on each and every project he works on. Over the years he has amassed a vastly impressive collection of new and vintage musical instruments, amplifiers, and gear - which he is always willing to share with clients.

Since working at GCR Audio, Jay has had the opportunity to work with many local, regional, and national bands and artists. Some of these artists include Every Time I Die, James Taylor, Michael Angelakos of Passion Pit, Save Face, Super American,Watermedown, Head North, Pentimento, Malfunction, Del Paxton, Trail of Lies, The Traditional, Casey Bolles, and many more. Jay always aims to be a conduit to help each and every artist bring their musical visions to reality.

BRAD LAUCHERT

Brad Lauchert's recording career began in Washington D.C., where he earned his B.A. In audio production from American University. Brad joined the GCR team in 2012 as an intern, but his hard work and talent elevated him to staff engineer in no time at all. During his tenure at GCR, Brad has worked on hundreds of projects, most notably including two albums with national recording artists Passion Pit (Merry Christmas Mr. Fields, Tremendous Sea of Love). He also helped Passion Pit's Michael Angelakos launch his artist support services company, The Wishart Group.

Brad's resume is both eclectic and extensive. He has had the pleasure of working with many talented bands and artists, including Droyd, Truey V, Mona Haydar, Aqueous, FolkFaces, Tiny Rhymes, Mindy Davey, Alberto Alaska, Uncle Ben's Remedy, Autumn Hill, Nikki's Wives, Lance Diamond, Pinky Doodle Poodle, The Molice, and DJ Sashimi.

He has also been hired to work on many non-musical projects, including films (Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, Walking with Dinosaurs in 3D, All at Once), advertising (New Era's Colin Kaepernick Cap Series), pod-casts (Serial Season One, Norma Kamali), and audio-books (the Sochi Winter Olympics audio dictionary).

Brad is an accomplished drummer and the co-founder and owner of BadTone Productions: a company specializing in music production services, including originally written music specially tailored to the artist.

Brad's wealth of experience and knowledge allow him to tackle any project that comes through GCR's doors, always striving to capture the vision of each and every artist that he works with.

ELIJAH HOOKS

Elijah Hooks, also known by ElijahThinkalot, is an American audio engineer and music producer from Buffalo, New York. His career began as a teenager, working alongside his father’s company Unity Productions in marketing and concert promotions. The company teamed up with Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam and became the official promoters for Western New York and Canada. During that period, Elijah worked with All-Star comedians such as Kevin Hart, Mike Epps, DL Hughley, and many more.

The comedy and music worlds are closely interwoven and shortly after, Elijah started booking Hip Hop and R&B acts such as Notorious B.I.G., Das EFX, Nas, and Common, just to name a few. In 2010, he co-founded ThinkAlot Recording Studios and began working with local artists and teaching music programs in several schools and community organizations. In 2014, his production helped land a recording contract for Quadir Lateef with the infamous Ruff Ryders label, with Quadir touring through 2016 with flagship artist DMX.

After much consideration, Thinkalot Recording Studios decided to close its doors and Elijah was welcomed into the GCR Audio family. Since then, he has worked with many prominent recording artists, most notably Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, A Boogie wit da Hoodie and Buffalo’s own Griselda Records: Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, and Benny the Butcher. Elijah Hooks is a staple in the local music community providing world class audio engineering and production to up and coming talent.

RICH ELLS

"Rich Ells started off his recording career as a student at the State University of New York at Fredonia where he earned a B.S. in Audio Production as well as a B.S. in Business Administration with a Concentration in Music Industry. During his final two years of schooling, Rich joined the GCR Audio team as an intern. In this period he was able to gain valuable knowledge and experience by having the opportunity to assist with sessions spanning over all musical styles and genres. After graduating and completing his internship he began working as an engineer in 2019.

Rich is also a drummer/percussionist and utilizes his background as a musician in the way he approaches recording in the studio in order to help guide artists in finding their true sound. As a mixing and mastering engineer, he always seeks to help artists reach their full creative potential while offering to add his own unique flair and originality throughout the process.

During his career he has worked with artists such as Benny the Butcher, Shyheim, Che Noir, Rick Hyde, Damone Tyrell, Hefe Bossup, and many others. Rich dedicates himself to constantly furthering his skill set and knowledge, taking pride in the hard work and high attention to detail that is necessary with engineering and producing."

FRED BETSCHEN

Fred Betschen is a recording engineer and producer originally from Elmira, NY. The son of a school music educator, he was trained in music at an early age. Studying drums, percussion, french horn, and vocal singing, Fred performed in concert bands, jazz ensembles, choirs, and musical theatre throughout his scholastic career.
After dabbling with cassettes and reel-to-reel tape recorders as a youngster, Fred began his formal audio training in the Tonmeister program at The State University of New York at Fredonia in 1980. There, under the tutelage of his audio guru David Moulton, he began crafting both the technical and personal skills necessary to succeed at the professional level.

In 1984, Fred started his professional career at Mark Custom Recording in Clarence, NY. After a five month internship, Fred became chief engineer and studio manager of a state-of-the-art 24-track analog studio. In addition to the studio, the company also had an ambitious remote recording operation as well as a vinyl mastering facility known as The Groove Shop. Not only did that provide Fred with a diverse audio skill set, it gave him the opportunity to work with a laundry list of internationally known artists, some of which are listed here: Denny Laine (Moody Blues, Paul McCartney & Wings), Ginger Baker (Cream), Richie Havens, Bobby McFerrin, Dave Brubeck, Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen & the Tonight Show Band, Allen Vizzutti, Doyle and Jerry Only (Misfits), Snapcase, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, John Valby (Dr. Dirty), Yellowjackets, Lionel Hampton, Clark Terry, and the Count Basie Orchestra

From 1996 to 2006, Fred worked as a mastering engineer and audio quality control supervisor at ESP, Inc., a Compact Disc and media manufacturer in Amherst, NY. There, he mastered a multitude of projects in a vast range of genres. Some compilation discs that Fred mastered include Megadeth, System of a Down, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Incubus, Kid Rock, Static-X, Sevendust, Machine Head, Biohazard, and Type O Negative.

After a second stint at Mark Recording from 2006-2016, Fred decided to begin working for himself, launching the Underground Pound. This service offers to match clients to the appropriate studio for tracking, and then allow for affordable mixing and mastering at Fred’s home studio.

Fred began his affiliation with GCR Audio in April of 2019 as a freelance engineer, when studio manager Bryon Federick (who had worked with him years before on a Mexican Cession project) reached out to extend an invitation. Due to Fred's vast experience, deep knowledge of every genre, commitment to quality, and his easy-going & friendly manner, GCR Audio soon offered Fred an official staff engineer position. Fred has been a welcome and invaluable addition to the GCR Audio family.

JEREMY COCHISE BALL

Jeremy Cochise Ball is a Multi-Platinum Record Producer, Engineer, and DJ from Buffalo, NY. Cochise has decades of major label experience. As a young man, his hip hop group, Poverty, landed a deal with Polygram Records. The group was signed to Payday Records alongside Jay-Z and Gangstarr who collaborated on his 1993 project. After moving to NYC, Cochise was offered an engineering job at Battery Studios and Jive Records. In this world class studio, he mentored under some of the top engineers and producers in the music industry. Long nights were spent assisting sessions with Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Jaheim, Dead Prez, and Big Pun, just to name a few. It wasn’t long before Cochise’s talent was noticed. Legendary group Naughty by Nature asked him to produce and engineer a session, which catapulted him to another level of professionalism. Cochise later teamed with his protégé, now multi-Grammy winning producer Emile Haynie, and they began selling beats between sessions. Soon they were hired for projects working with Michael Jackson, Eminem, Notorious B.I.G, The Beatnuts, Remy Ma, and many others. Branching into the film industry, Sony Pictures licensed one of his songs for their hit movie Superbad. Cochise started his own company and embarked on a freelance career that would take him around the world. He Executive Produced and Engineered New Zealand’s top Hip Hop album “The Weekend” by MTC/Universal Records artist, Smashproof. They shattered music sales records that stand unrivaled to this day.

Coming full circle, Cochise returned to Buffalo and was recruited by Griselda Records to engineer projects for Hip Hop sensations Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine. Eager to give back to the community that set him on his illustrious musical path, Cochise re-launched Quiet As Kept Records and signed unique artists such as pop-rock singer Blaise Mercedes and jazz crooner Curtis Lovell. In a return to the DJ booth, Cochise has performed alongside Shaggy, Pete Rock, Afrika Bambaata, and many other Hip Hop legends. Always looking to give back, he took on AVA & Telly Award winning production projects for Buffalo’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), and spent time teaching at the University of Buffalo and the BAVPA performing arts high school. In 2022, GCR Audio was thrilled to welcome Cochise to our team. He has dedicated himself to empowering the next generation of artists, and continuing his message of unity, love, and community.

MARC HUNT

Marc Hunt: has performed on, produced and engineered hundreds of projects including the Goo Goo Dolls, Ian Gillian, Johnny Revolting and more. Marc studied guitar and piano at Berklee College of Music in Boston. As a performer, he has also been nominated for several Buffalo music awards.

Marc is an educator and has been published in numerous musical education magazines and journals. In addition to studio engineering, he spent time as an Audio Technician for Walt Disney World Entertainment in Orlando and as a floor producer for WGRZ TV.

Marc was owner and chief engineer of EarCandy Audio, a studio that catered to local artists. He was Chief Engineer for Chameleonwest Recording Studios. He is a member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and is a certified ProTools engineer.
Marc is active in the community and is a founding board member of Music is Art.

ROBBY TAKAC

Robby Takac is a founder of multi-platinum, multi-grammy nominated rock band, The Goo Goo Dolls, owner of J-Rock record labelGood Charamel Records, founder of The Music is Art Organization/Festival in Buffalo, NY, and owner of GCR Audio Recording Studios.

Robby began his career 30+ years ago with Goo Goo Dolls, while graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Media Communications from Medaille College. While in college, Takac began a career in radio; working as an on-air personality on WUWU 107.7FM, WUFX “103.3 THE FOX”, WLKK “107.7 THE LAKE”, WEDG “103.3 THE EDGE,” and doing club DJ gigs at venues around WNY. This led to some semi-regular voice-over work, including contributions to American Dad, The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, andThe PEZ Movie.

In 1984, Takac began as an Intern at Trackmaster Audio under the watchful eyes of Kim Ferullo, Alan Baumgardner, and Mike Sak. He spent the next 10 years recording The Goo Goo Dolls early releases, as well as being involved in many of the indie records that shaped the sound of Buffalo music. Takac spent countless hours in the studio with Buffalo bands such as Snapcase, The Pinheads, Them Jazzbeards, Mark Freeland’s Electroman, The Quakes, The Fems, Tugboat Annie, The Steam Donkeys, Monkey Wrench, The Razzels and many, many more.

After a time relocated to Los Angeles, 1999 saw Takac returning to Buffalo to open a new recording facility with the former owners of Trackmaster Audio, called Chameleonwest Studios. At the same time, Takac starting his Good Charamel Records label. During this period, the studio was involved in many projects, including releasing and producing albums for area bands such as Last Conservative, The Juliet Dagger, Terry Sullivan, and Amungus, as well as recordings of the Music is Art Festival (which was first held in the studios parking lot in 2001).

In 2007, The Goo Goo Dolls returned to the bones of Trackmaster Audio and rebuilt the studio as Inner Machine Studios, re-imagining and re-designing the facility for modern recording. Two years later, The Goo Goo Dolls used their new studio to produce their Something for the Rest of Us album with producer Tim Palmer. In the same time period, Good Charamel Records began releasing music for pioneering all-girl Japanese punk rock band, Shonen Knife. Subsequently, they became a conduit for J- Rock in North America, working with Tokyo-based bands such as Pinky Doodle Poodle, The Molice, and DJ Sashimi.

Today, Takac and his Good Charamel Records label continue to focus on producing, releasing music, and providing a life-line for these unique acts in North America through the city of Buffalo. In 2010, Robby Takac decided to share his newly redesigned recording facility with the musicians of Buffalo and beyond, opening the doors of GCR Audio for all to enjoy.

Through all of this, Robby has continued to tour the world with The Goo Goo Dolls, selling over 14 million records as well as produce music for others including recent tracks by Philadelphia's Beach Slang, Mom Said No, WGRZ TV and Buffalo favorites Sunday Reign.

To this day, the Goo Goo Dolls continue to make new music and remain a vibrant touring act in a truly trying time in popular music.

Robby Takac Discography

ROD BONNER

Buffalo, NY native Rod Bonner has been destined for a career in music from an early age. Classically trained at the age of 4, and a homegrown product of his church, Rod began his illustrious music career in middle and high school, participating in all bands and receiving a number of musical achievement awards. However, Rod’s true passion for music and desire for his own musical voice began when he was introduced to the genres of Jazz, R&B, Funk and Neo-Soul. These addictive styles ignited a flame that has guided Rod’s 20+ year music career, both as a touring musician, producer, and solo artist.

Since the tender age of 17, Rod has had the privilege to not only tour with 3-time Grammy Nominated Saxophonist Najee, but to also hold the position of Najee's musical director over his 11 year tenure. Rod has had the opportunity to travel the world with Najee, as well as songwriter/singer Will Downing, and to perform with various artists including Pieces of A Dream, Noel Gourdin, Alissia Benveniste, Jon B, H-Town, Alex Bugnon, Phil Perry, Meshell Ndegeocello, Meli’sa Morgan, The Voice’s own Cami Clune, American electronic producer and DJ, Grabbitz, and Howard Hewitt (just to name a few). Rod's impressive touring resume has allowed him to obtain the knowledge, experience, and maturity necessary to excel in almost any role in the ever-changing music industry.

Recently, he was given the opportunity to be a part of national recording artist Doja Cat’s Grammy performance in which he played talk box, which was an electrifying and memorable experience. Throughout his 11 years of touring, Rod earned his bachelor’s degree in Music Business at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. There, he embedded himself in the study of performance through ensembles, master classes, recordings, and even traveling to represent the school.

An incredible producer and writer, Rod’s production style and credits have formed a vast catalog that far exceeds his age. He is currently on two albums nominated for an NAACP Image Award for production in the genre of “Best Smooth Jazz Album,” and has production credits for gospel artist Alexis Spight’s first single, “Steady,” which topped gospel charts and even received recognition on BET’s “106 & Park.” One of his recent accomplishments was co-producing a song entitled “Focus” off K-Pop super-group NCT 127’s latest album, “Sticker.” The album set records when it went double platinum in one day and is still breaking the charts with numerous #1 accolades across various categories. Rod has recorded countless live albums, singles, and features throughout a wide span of genres, proving that he was born to create, whether on a stage or in a studio.
Over the past 3 years, he has performed as a contemporary R&B and smooth jazz pianist and has even made a reputable name as a Talk box artist. Rod has recently formed his own unit, “Rod Bonner & Co,” which highlights the roots of funk, R&B, neo-soul, and jazz.

In early 2021, GCR Audio was thrilled to welcome such an accomplished musician, producer, and engineer to our team. Rod's drive to be better each and every day, his humility, and his hunger for excellence have proven to be both inspiring and essential to our GCR Audio family. We know that Rod's story is just beginning and are so excited for the artists of Buffalo and beyond to have access to such a talented and accomplished engineer, musician, and producer.

MICHAEL BRIDGES

Michael Bridges began his audio journey as an independent producer in the 'underground bass music' scene. Following multiple label releases and international collaborations, he decided to formalize his training and career by enrolling in the Audio Recording & Production program at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music in Pittsburgh.

Michael spent the next two years under the guidance and mentor-ship of Riccardo Schulz and Wei Lim as he gained experience at the school’s Vlahakis Recording Studio. During this time, Michael worked with numerous local musicians across genres ranging from hip-hop to classical and everything in between. As an active member of the School of Music's recording crew, Michael also developed skills in performance recording, live sound, and video production. During his spare time, he began to collaborate with artists in visual mediums, including film and video games. These collective experiences motivated the creation of SoundTruss Productions, a company offering recording, mixing, and sound design services which Michael has since owned and operated.

Upon his completion of the program in 2018, Michael was invited to join the School of Music as a full-time staff member where he served as Lead Engineer & Coordinator of Recording Services. Michael continued to collaborate with prominent figures within the Pittsburgh music community during his three years in this role, including many members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, visiting artists to the School of Music, and local up-and-coming bands. He also provided support and services to the students of Carnegie Mellon through the multitude of recording services offered to performing musicians, audio training opportunities provided to members of the student recording crew, and direct mentor-ship to new enrollees in the school’s Audio Production program.

After relocating back to Buffalo in the summer of 2021, Michael found the next step in his audio career as he was welcomed by the team here at GCR Audio. Michael's hard work, knowledge, and friendly personality have made him an invaluable addition to our GCR Audio family. We are excited for our clients to get to know him as he begins to establish himself within the Buffalo music community.

JENNA RUTOWSKI

Jenna Rutowski is an Audio Engineer from the greater Buffalo area. From an early age, she took great interest in the fields of music, mathematics, science, and technology. Jenna was able to combine those interests when she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Sound Recording Technology from SUNY Fredonia’s storied Tonmeister program. During her time in the School of Music, she received a conservatory-level music education while focusing her studies on the theory and practice of audio recording. Her primary instrument there was clarinet, though she has studied classical piano and jazz guitar her whole life.

At Fredonia, Jenna spent four years gaining experience in the fundamental and advanced facets of audio recording while learning from engineers like legendary producer/engineer Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, MGMT, OK Go, Weezer). During this time, Jenna worked with the School of Music and other local musicians to record and mix works across multiple genres, including projects from Beach Tower, Grace Mingoea, Fredonia Jazz Flextet, Some Like it Hot Acapella, John Bacon, Hillman Opera, and Tsunami Tsurprise. As a member of several Executive Boards, she also gained extensive experience in radio broadcast, live sound, studio installation, live-streaming, and video production.

During her senior year at Fredonia, Jenna began an internship with Dr. Bernd Gottinger as the Assistant Audio-Visual Engineer of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO). Upon graduation, Jenna was hired to continue work for the orchestra as an Audio Engineer. She records concerts for many different BPO series, such as BPOnDemand, BPO Out of the Box, Naxos, CD releases, and radio broadcasts.

In November of 2021, Jenna started an internship at GCR Audio. Due to Jenna’s hard work, commitment to quality, talented ear, and a never-ending thirst for knowledge, GCR soon offered her a position as a staff engineer.
As a passionate and motivated professional, Jenna is constantly striving to improve her techniques, expand her skillset, find new opportunities to grow, and work with others to bring their projects to life with each session. Jenna is excited to work in her home city and establish a career within the Buffalo music community.

BRYON FEDERICK

Bryon Federick joined the GCR team in January of 2018. Prior to working at GCR, Bryon was the manager of Airport Music for many years. During his time there, Bryon worked with musicians of all ages and skill levels, providing them with instruments, gear, rentals, repairs, lessons, and advice.

Bryon is also an accomplished bass player, songwriter, and producer, having worked with many Buffalo artists over the years, including Mexican Cession, David Kane's Them Jazzbeards, and the legendary Lance Diamond. In addition to his producing and session work, he has also worked on advertising campaigns. His vast experience of working with musicians and artists in so many different capacities brings him a unique understanding of the recording process - from inception to completion.

Bryon strives each and every day to make every artist's experience at GCR as relaxed, productive, and enjoyable as possible. Whether you are a seasoned vet or a new band, Bryon is here to answer every question you have and to help guide your project to success.