Electric Canyon: Making musical masterpieces

Originally published April 05, 2007 in The Buzz.

Away from city noise, up in the canyons that surround Chico, is Electric Canyon Studios, which successfully makes its own musical masterpieces.

The ears behind the preponderance of Chico’s recorded gems belong to owner and founder Dale Price, who has worked with hundreds of Chico musicians over the past decade.

Price moved to Chico from San Carlos in the 1980s to attend Chico State University. In a program that is now impacted, he graduated with a degree in music with an option in recording arts. Price was one of the first to graduate from the program and has been using those skills ever since.

Price’s love for music started well before he attended school in Chico.

“My sister says some of my first words were ‘tape recorder,’” he said.

Music was always around while Price was growing up, he said. Both of his parents were musicians and one of his grandparents was a bandleader in the Big Band era.

He learned how to play drums at a young age and was in numerous bands throughout high school, Price said. When the four-track recorder was invented, he began recording his friends’ bands.

Once in college, Price started another band in Chico. As the band played more and more shows, the need of owning a PA sound system grew.

In 1988, Price started a live sound company, ProSound, which he still operates.

A year later, he graduated from college and had the option to move to any of the musical capitals of the world in attempt to further his recording career, he said. But instead of moving to fast-paced cities like Los Angeles, New York City or Nashville, Price decided to stay in Chico and provide a unique service to the small community. He prefers the more relaxed and close-knit lifestyle that Chico has to offer.

However, just because Electric Canyon is located in a smaller city, does not mean it cannot offer the quality of a big-city studio. Price has worked hard over the years to acquire top-notch equipment and to create a good working atmosphere for musicians.

For about eight years, Price recorded bands at his home on Glenn Street, but in 2001 he moved up to Butte Creek Canyon, where he hired a designer to construct the aesthetically pleasing studio.

Price wanted to build a studio where a full band could comfortably spread out all their equipment to record, he said. Not only did he want the rooms to sound good, but also look good. The studio has one huge room to accommodate a full band and four isolations booths. The rooms look out into the beautiful canyons, in case musicians are ever lacking inspiration.

The scenery and quiet environment sets Electric Canyon apart from any of the studios in large cities. The location is also beneficial for Chico musicians who cannot afford to go out of town to record their music.

Musicians can save money and spend more time on the creative process by recording a project over several months, Price said. Several small recording sessions can be booked when the studio is close by as opposed to traveling to spend just one weekend recording.

Both Chico musicians and nationally known musicians have taken advantage of the location and expertise at Electric Canyon. Price’s Web site lists over 100 projects, including recordings for the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s television series, “Sierra Center Stage.” Artists who were part of that series include The Brubeck Brothers, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones and Marcia Ball, who was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2006.

The list of Chico musicians that Price has worked with is endless, but includes Electric Circus, Mystic Roots and Mother Hips.

Even with the growth of technology and ability for musicians to record themselves at home, Price is constantly guiding musicians. Even if a band records the music on its own, the group will turn to Price to master the project. He is more than happy to help any musicians at any point of the process.

“I want all the recordings to come out of Chico to sound good,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who records it.”

Price’s willingness to share his knowledge shows his commitment to the Chico community. The only thing he looks for in return is a simple “thank you.”

“Rock and roll doesn’t have a lot of thank yous,” Price said.