Dealer Focus: Studio Tech Supply
An Interview with Barbara & Al Priest
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Sky Cam: Studio Tech Supply
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A: Located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, Studio Tech is Pro Audio's first and only resort. Situated on the shore of Lake Buchanan just outside Austin Texas, the live music capitol of the world, Studio Tech offers the finest audio recording products and services available. Quality product sales and Customer Services, systems integration, on-site installation and training, tech support and consultation are what Studio Tech is all about. Barbara and Al Priest offer a fully furnished lakefront guest house for our regional and national customers, their families or staff when they visit. Of course due to their busy schedules we also travel to their facilities as well. Product Specialists located in major cities throughout the state adds convenience to the equation. No pressure, expert advice, and competitive prices in a beautiful setting are what you will experience when you come to Studio Tech. Once a client comes to visit we never have a problem getting them to return.
". . .we look up and an 8 point whitetail deer buck is looking in the window trying to learn his way around digital mixing consoles. . ."
Q: How long has Studio Tech Supply been in business?
A: Studio Tech came into existence in Dallas Texas in 1995 after many years as Studio Supply Company. We moved to Lake Buchanan three years ago.
Q: What makes Studio Tech Supply unique?
A: Studio Tech has never been a conventional retailer. Our focus on high end, unique products, over thirty years of experience in the audio business and a "no bullsh*t" approach have endeared our core clientele to us. We look out for our customers interests and needs and they know it. Having not advertised since the move from Dallas, most of our new customers are referrals or associates of our core clientele. Not the regular business model in today's marketplace but it is working very well.
Q: What is the profile of a "typical" Studio Tech supply customer?
A: There is nothing typical about Studio Tech's customers. Some are new to recording but most are seasoned veterans, whether in audio for film or video postproduction, classical site recording, music production and last but not least our many musician friends.
Q: Why is Universal Audio important to your business?
A: UA offers a spectrum of unique, high quality audio recording products whether outboard or plug-ins at reasonable prices with excellent reliability.
Q: What makes selling UA gear cool?
A: Clients can purchase vintage sonic quality and contemporary performance with a manufacturer's warranty. None of the downsides of used, sometimes thirty year old components. The build quality of UA analog products are superb.
Q: What makes selling UA gear a pain in the neck?
A: Matt and Erica have not come to visit.
Q: Has Al ever played golf with Willie [Nelson]?
A: Al plays havoc but not much golf with Willie or anyone else. Fishing or jet skiing anyone?
Q: Does this bring back any memories, fond or otherwise?
A: After fifteen years as a free-lance concert engineer I can't remember.
Q: Has Lyle [Lovett] ever ridden jet ski's at your place?
A: Lyle spends most of his time making great music, riding his quarter horses and motorcycles. Not much time left to come to Lake Buchanan although he is always welcome. We hear he is fond of riding throughout the Texas Hill Country on his motorcycle. Drop by when you are in the area.
Q: Did he bring Julia?
A: Is that Julia Childs, the mother of all chefs? She is welcome any time. Wonder how she does Tex-Mex?
Q: Do you have any favorite Studio Tech Supply stories to share with our readers?
A: At a resent AES show in LA I was having dinner with a few industry icons, EveAnna Manley, George Massenburg, Fletcher and Scott from CraneSong to name a few. My cell phone rings and it's Barbara calling to tell me how the day went. Over the course of the conversation she tells me earlier in the day she had rescued a snake form one of our six cats, put it in a jar and brought it into the office as the phone rang. On returning to check on the snake she discovered the lid had come off and the snake was nowhere to be found although she could hear a noise coming from the copy machine. The snake is in the copy machine but she can't get it out. She comes back a while later only to discover the snake has exited the copy machine but is know stuck to the tape gun. She gets him loose from the tapegun only for him the slither back into the copy machine. All this time I have gotten up from the table so as not to be rude during our conversation. Somehow someone at the table overheard the conversation and wanted to know what was going on. I tell the story and the whole table breaks up. The next day on the show floor I am approached by a writer of a national trade mag wanting to know about the snake in our copy machine. Not the regular story you might hear at a trade show. None the less the snake finally came out of the copy machine, was saved from our cats and probably got eaten by one of our local eagles or something.
How about the time a manufacturer was doing product training at our location and we look up and an 8 point whitetail deer buck is looking in the window trying to learn his way around digital mixing consoles?
Or when one of our local studio owner customers pulls up in his boat with one of his recording clients. They have been out stripped bass fishing and wanted a demo on the Sony DMX-R100 digital mixing console. We did the demo and they went back out fishing. They ended up with a nice mess of fish. We will update you on the status of the console sale.
--Interview by Terry Hardin
Studio Tech Supply
P.O.Box 326
Buchanan Dam, TX 78609
(512) 793-3730 (voice) or (512) 793-3610 (fax)
www.studiotechsupply.com
sales@studiotechsupply.com
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