Not many small businesses can say they have stood the test of time for nearly a half a century. Theta Sound Studio, however, will be celebrating 48 years in business this August, and we would like to celebrate with them.
Randall Michael Tobin started his own studio back in 1977 and has not looked back since. Theta Sound Studio has had a few locations over the years, but settled into its decades-long home in Burbank in 1988. Although he described the property as a definite “fixer-upper,” Tobin created a one stop shop where he has everything he needs to produce right in his own backyard.
Randall is a lifetime member of the Recording Academy and has spent decades honing his craft as a producer. But before he had established himself and won industry awards, Randall was just a kid who built his own stereo (which still lives in the studio) and got himself into electronics.
“I built my first stereo from a kit around 1968. I’d whip out my Doors LP and I’d crank the doors on my Koss headphones. They had the fluid filled ear cups back in the day where you put these things on and you were completely isolated, and you got this wonderful stereo soundfield. That was the beginning of my love affair with hi-fi.”
Working with innumerable musicians, actors, and artists, Randall has used the studio he built at his Burbank house to record with many great people. Some of his personal favorites include, Ray Manzarek (co-founder of The Doors), Rodney Dangerfield, Dick Van Dyke, John Wooden, and Mel Carter.
His collaborations with Mel Carter have special significance to Tobin because Carter’s music influenced him as a child.
“When I was growing up, there was a song on the radio called Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me that Mel had a huge hit with. I remember hearing that song as a kid and going ‘I don’t know what it is, but it’s like I’m feeling something. It really locked in with me”
Years later, Tobin’s wife, Cyndie, made a connection at a Peace Day conference and got Randall’s card into Mel’s hand. After mixing one song together, Tobin went on to work with Carter several times.
I’ve known Randall for nearly two years now thanks to his support of The Tolucan Times via his other business Random Acts of Breadness where he bakes artisanal sour dough bread. This is the second time I’ve covered Tobin, the first focusing on his bakery, but I am always intrigued by people like Randall – Renaissance men who do not confine themselves to just one discipline. In a world that increasingly pushes people to find their “niche,” it’s refreshing to speak with someone who has never settled for one niche.
Randall is a producer, composer, musician, baker, business-owner, typesetter, web designer, proofreader, and more. Moreover, he largely does it by himself. His wife Cyndie helps him with both of his businesses, and he has employees at the bakery, but Theta Sound Studio is more-or-less a one man operation.
With 48 years in the books, Randall has no intention of slowing down. In fact, considering his second business (Random Acts of Breadness) is celebrating its fourth anniversary this August, you could say Tobin is still just beginning.
His enthusiasm for both music and baking is palpable. Whenever I visit him at his bakery, he is always in the midst of lively conversation with his customers, sharing detailed information about his product and preparation. When I visited his studio for the fist time, I was met with the same generosity of spirit. We talked for over an hour and could have easily talked for a few hours more because Randall has so many great stories to share. We may just need to interview him for a third time.
