Testimonials
To my good fortune, I met Hal Winer several months before his prospective relocation to southern California. BiCoastal Music, his recording studio in Ossining, NY met my fancy for elegant acoustic space, one in which a singer and instrumentalist could invoke musical reverence just upon entering. As photos and memories of places go, however, they become much more beautiful when someone we care about inhabits them. Hal Winer inhabits his proud corner of the music recording industry not as a fixture, but as a surprising variable.
Hal’s keen musical ear, his ability to read and follow the written score make him initially a friend of any recording musician, but it’s his affection for bended notes and dissonant harmonies, odd cadence, and the unpredictable ride with those of us who dare to make a lasting, joyful noise that win for him complete trust.
Hey Hal, The trax sound really good! I was very impressed with the sound of the converters and how together and smooth it all went! Everyone was very happy!!! Would love to do some more work there!
Dear Hal,
Thank you for helping us to be able to work in your gorgeous space. The work you have done to create it – the love, the sweat and the passion and expertise – is infused into the vibe. It’s an ideal place to create and capture sound. You think that ETHEL lights up your studio and I say your studio’s beautiful acoustic lights us up!! The more we played in the room the more relaxed and inspired we became. Having that kind of sonic support is a bit new to us and quite an adjustment. It allows the group to explore a lighter and more subtle way of playing which has been a pet peeve of mine. You’ve created a monster- a little like seeing what it’s like to play on a Strad, having made do with what you have and saying “it’s ok!, I can make this work!” Now that you’ve introduced us to the Strad we sure do appreciate you working with us !!!!
Hal Winer has put together a first-rate recording studio in the woods of Westchester County that holds up to any of the rooms (those that are left) in New York or Los Angeles. I’ve done several major projects at BiCoastal Music, and always came away feeling like it was a wonderful experience. The room sounds and feels great, the studio is in an incredibly beautiful setting, and Hal and company are a total groove to work with. I highly recommend this studio, and look forward to the next time I have an opportunity to work there!
BiCoastal Music is one of the great “secret weapons” in the New York area. It is designed and built to the highest technical standards, and provides a really nice combination of cutting-edge digital and old school analog gear. The SSL C200 Desk sounds great and is just about the most versatile console I’ve ever worked on. BiCoastal is a quiet, serene and creative environment where work gets done quickly and efficiently. Hal’s energy and precision is awesome, and is reflected in every aspect of this excellent place. The Russ Berger designed rooms are among some of the greatest sounding rooms I’ve ever worked in.
When this room was booked for the Yellowjackets’ “Lifecycle” project I was concerned since I didn’t know the room at all, and I was on the West Coast and there was no way for me to personally scope it out ahead of time. I needn’t have worried:
First off, BiCoastal has an incredible piano, a fantastic sounding recording space, a wonderful sounding and very comfortable control room, a solid mic collection, quality outboard gear, and a lovely location that contributes to a relaxed, focused, and creative session – the room is built to a level of quality that rivals the finest studios I’ve ever been in. On top of all that, Hal is extremely organized, a pleasure to deal with, and absolutely went way beyond the call of duty to make sure that everything was in place well ahead of time to ensure a successful session. Really, I can’t say enough nice things about BiCoastal – I’d record there again at the drop of a hat!
Oh, and did I mention the nice dogs?
Hal Winer has got something so special going on at BiCoastal Music. I wish I had discovered this state of the art studio three or four CD’s ago. There is efficiency built into every aspect of the place- sonically, artistically it all came together for me. A great experience from the moment I pulled in the driveway!
I have had the pleasure to work at BiCoastal on a lot of projects and the experience has been amazing every time. My idea of amazing: the gear works, the engineer has great ears, skills, and can work quickly. I like the recording process to be as invisible as possible so everyone can concentrate on their job without delays or extraneous conversation. Hal Winer has engineered almost every session I have done there, and as the owner he knows every inch of the room, gear, has huge ears, and a high degree of integrity. He seems to only want one thing which is to make everyone involved happy, comfortable, and leave with the knowledge that the work sounds as good as it can, and he works endlessly to get it great, and why not: its a great sounding room, with great gear, manned by someone who knows what to do with it.
Consider me a very happy customer.