We believe the best recordings capture inspired performances by real people playing real instruments.
We provide a collection of lovingly maintained classic instruments in a space tailored for music-making so you can give your best performance.
Designed to facilitate an enjoyable playing and recording experience for personal use, visitors routinely asked if they could use the space for their own projects and Upfront Audio was born. Watching the comfortable, relaxed atmosphere inspire our clients to be more productive, we found our primary mission: To serve the audio needs of our creative community. To accomplish this, we brought in renowned studio designer Bob Hodas (who designed private studios for Eddie Van Halen, Flea, Walter Becker, and countless others) to treat our control room and we established a relationship with RetroLinear (who services keyboards for Phish, Steely Dan, Beck, and more) to keep our vintage instruments ready to record. We installed a monitoring system to ensure each performer would have the precise headphone mix they need to achieve their best take. Our equipment and procedures are all determined by what our clients need to deliver inspired performances.
Tom Bernath, founder of Upfront Audio, is a multi-instrumentalist whose fascination with recording goes back to early childhood. Starting with his father’s reel to reel deck, graduating to borrowed cassette four-tracks, and much, much later to digital recording, Tom was always the band member who wanted to record rehearsals and gigs. He pursued a degree in music performance, graduating from Webster University near St. Louis, and garnered a broad array of performing and recording experience.
Tom's heart is also invested in teaching music. He offers lessons in bass, piano, guitar, and music theory. He is proud to have recorded and mixed albums for Washington DC guitar luminaries including Paul Pieper and Dan Leonard, and enjoys an ongoing recording relationship with the amazing children’s performers, Rocknoceros. Owning Upfront Audio provides Tom with the perfect opportunity to use his skills, experience, and talent to bring his clients' creative projects to life.
From seasoned professionals making full-length albums to hobbyists creating family keepsakes, we treat every project as our highest priority. We offer:
Music recording and mixing
Podcast recording, editing, and mixing
Voiceover recording
Tape syncs and interviews
Remote/location recording
At this time, Upfront Audio offers only basic video services, suitable for behind-the-scenes footage or social media. We are happy to refer professional videographers or work with your own.
Hammond C3 Organ with Leslie 145
Memorymoog Plus Analog Synthesizer
Rhodes 73 Stage Piano
Wurlitzer 200 Electric Piano
Hohner Clavinet D6
Realistic Concertmate MG-1 Analog Synthesizer
Roland Juno-6 Analog Synthesizer
Leslie 722HL Speaker
Vibraphone
Marimba
DW Drum Set
Upfront Audio’s services are available at an affordable hourly rate. It is central to our mission to create professional work at a cost that encourages the productivity of our clients.
Please contact us to schedule a studio tour and describe your project. We will provide an estimate of how many hours we expect will be needed to complete your project.
