Almost 40 Years & Counting - The Finest Ears, Gear & Atmosph
The Saltmine Studio Oasis is a private, secure, dream come true for artists seeking a unique recording experience. This complex has five separate recording facilities that have everything from a 50-channel vintage Neve tracking room (Studio A) to a classic SSL 6064 E/G+ (Studio B). Clients include: DMX, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Eve, Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Timbaland, Ne-Yo, Jonas Brothers, Soulfly, Styx, Cassidy, MCA Records, J Records, Interscope Records and MUCH MORE! About 30 seconds into a conversation with Don Salter it’s clear that this guy knows old-school—the vintage discrete 36-channel custom Neve with an additional 12-channel discrete Melbourne; the restored and revered SSL 6064 E/G+ from Ben Grosse’s The Mix Room; David Foster’s SSL 4056 G Plus. Then after a couple of minutes he starts talking about a facility-wide Avid Pro Tools HDX upgrade on brand-new Mac Pros, and Gold and Platinum plaques from Lil’ Wayne, G-Unit, Swizz Beatz, MGK .
He talks about expanding his in-house video production to Live Streaming of a Master Class Series. He does ADR, VO and custom compositions for various commercial purposes, as well as making “beats” for local and national rappers. One foot in tradition, one foot into the unknown. It’s the new commercial studio business model he’s figuring out on a daily basis, and this being his 30th year, he seems here to stay. Salter’s language is peppered with Vibe, Magic and Music. He confessed more excitement to meet Rick Rubin than even a favorite Sheryl Crow when they recorded some of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” more than a dozen years ago, which garnered Song of the Year. Being a guitarist, flutist, songwriter himself, he shares his lifetime collection of 75-plus guitars, endless vintage amps, keyboards, a C-7 Grand Piano and C3 Hammond Organ with Leslie 122 speaker, Farfisa, Contempo, Wurlitzer and most modern keyboards with visiting artists.
- Mix Magazine
https://www.mixonline.com/recording/saltmine-studio-oasis-phoenix-426658
“We’ve created something so unique, so beyond what could ever be realistically financially duplicated in the future, that we expect to continue to be around for a long time - Our philosophy of combining vintage old-school analog classic tools with modern, new-world digital, housed in a private, vibe-rich, creative environment with a gluttonous supply of gear, tools and instruments, will always be in demand by the true artist that demands nothing less. We invite all artists and producers with any budgets in any genre to experience what The Saltmine has to offer.”
- DON SALTER, OWNER