About

J Franze (Franzē, Fran-ze)

J has engineered projects for a host of legendary artists including Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Williams, Jr., and Dolly Parton, as well as produced and engineered projects for such Indie Artists as Matty McRee, Tristin Burke, and Allison Piccioni. He has also collaborated with many top-notch producers like Bob Bullock, Matt McClure, and Chas Sandford, and worked extensively in studios across the country including The Tracking Room, Metronome, and Blue Sky. A number of production companies have also benefited from J's expertise, including Spin Red Productions, Pitt/Penn Productions, and Cristaldi Music. J's work has also been published by DSM Producers, and secured airtime on NBC, Comedy Central, and Saturday Night Live.

J earned his certification in Recording Engineering and Music Production at The Recording Workshop, in Ohio. He also obtained a certificate in Music Business from Boston's renowned Berklee College of Music, and an Accounting Degree from a Massachusetts State College. Later, in Nashville, he attended the Pro Tools Training Center and received his certification in Digidesign's Pro Tools. J also received a diploma in Audio Technology at SAE Institute of Technology and graduated with high honors. He later became the head instructor of their entire program adding to his credits as an instructor at numerous other audio programs across the country.

J is frequently invited to speak at industry events and colleges including CDIA Boston University, The New England Institute of Technology, and Tennessee State University. He also serves as the Vice Chair of the Audio Engineering Society's Boston Chapter, 2008-2009. Prior to the position of Vice Chair, he also sat on the board of the Audio Engineering Society's Nashville Chapter, 2005-2008. J also volunteers his time Beta Testing Digidesign's software Pro Tools before its release to the public.

Recently, J has penned two books, which have received high marks throughout the audio engineering community. The first, entitled "Pro Tools A...Z,"  gives a comprehensive look into Digidesign's industry-standard software presented as a textbook in an easy to follow format. The second, "Mixing A...Z,"  demystifies critical mixing techniques, and is a wonderful companion to mix engineers at all levels and experiences.

A number of projects that J has been a part of have won substantial recognition including:

Allison Piccioni
A Season For Change
The Peoples Music Awards
Best Female Solo Artist, Nominee 2009

Kevin Chase
I Won’t Fall
ECMA Country Album of the Year, Nominee 2008

Justin Honaman
Saturday Night In The South
IMA Country Album Of The Year, Nominee 2007

Katie Mission
Give Me A Little Something
#2 LA Hot Country Chart, April, 2007

Jeannie Kendall
You Just Don’t Get Me (Golden)
#1 AC/Hot AC Main Chart, July, 2005

Marie Martin
Maybe
#1 World Country Charts, June 2001

“J has helped me with several of my recording projects, and has always gone the extra mile. I know if J is on the project things will go well. Which allows me to be more creative as a music producer.”
– Bob Bullock

“Mr. Franze's expertise in the studio is invaluable. From producer to engineer, from mixing to mastering, J is an undiscovered gem. His common sense in the studio has saved me much needed time and energy.”
– Richard Pittman

"J Franze is an extremely talented producer, and working with him on my album 'A Season For Change' has been the most wonderful and exciting past few months of my life. He is creative, insightful, professional, and has really gone the extra mile. He has surpassed all expectations of a musical producer."
– Allison Piccioni

Franze Music

J's privately owned studio, Franze Music, is a State-of-the-Art facility designed by Carl Tatz of Carl Tatz Design, modified with the Roostertail Modification and built around Digidesign's exceptional hardware/software audio recording system Pro Tools.

Design:

"Utilizing an amalgam of techniques, protocol, hardware and software, the CTD PhantomFocus™ Near-Field System is a powerful tool in designing monitor systems. It concentrates first on "reach out and touch the vocalist" imaging where pinpoint detail is spread out before the listener in holographic panorama. Secondly, full and accurate frequency response is achieved by incorporating several elements that can include: speaker/listener position calculations; proper speakers stands; damping and isolation devices; subwoofer systems; laser alignment; 360 degree phase control (all- pass filter); crossovers; and corrective equalization. The success of the system will be limited by the room acoustics evaluation that must precede the process."

Platform:

"For over 20 years Digidesign has been the industry leader in digital audio production, providing the professional music, broadcast, multimedia, and film industries with tools for audio creation, post production, collaboration, and distribution. Our innovative core technologies, which continue to revolutionize the audio profession and the art of recording, have earned us a Grammy® award for Outstanding Technical Achievement, and an Oscar® statuette representing the Scientific and Technical Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the design, development, and implementation of the Digidesign® Pro Tools® digital audio workstation."