John Baffa has been in the professional audio business for more than 20 years; primarily as a recording engineer. He founded TV Tray Recording Studio in 2003, working literally from the top of a TV tray as he learned the ins and outs of recording. From those humble beginnings, the studio grew and developed over the years; building an impressive list of clients and projects spanning a huge range of genres.

Simultaneously continuing to mix live sound, he honed his chops in such places as the Alex Theater in Glendale and West Hollywood’s legendary Troubadour, as well as in venues all over the world, including the Sydney Opera House. John has held positions on both the faculty and staff at the Herb Alpert School of Music at California Institute of the Arts since 2000.

In 2014, John was recognized with his first Grammy award for his work recording and mixing Partch on Plectra and Percussion Dances.

Over his career, John has worked with a diverse set of performers, mixing such artists as Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Trio, Johnny Cash, Mike Patton, Henry Rollins, The Melvins, Pulley, Ten Foot Pole, Vinny Golia, Ullrich Krieger, Vicki Ray, David Rosenboom, Plotz, Dr Mint, the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, Anne Hall, Towse, and Aukland.

In addition to working from the home base of TV Tray, John has developed working relationships with a variety of spaces throughout Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, including Brotheryn, the Bridge, Westlake Recording, Kingsize Soundlabs, Firehouse, and CalArts. This greatly expands the production opportunities for your project, whether because of distance, the scale of your production, or specific requests for instruments or gear.