I was very recently turned onto Coil Audio amplifiers and Tony Buchen was the recommended user that I talk with to hear more about their amazing products. So when we had the opportunity to visit Tony Buchen we couldn’t pass it up!
Tony is currently using two Coil Audio amplifiers, the CA-70 and the CA-286. It was a pleasure meeting with Tony Buchen at his studio, “Kingsize Soundlabs” located in North East LA. We had a wonderful chat with Tony and learn all about his huge collection of vintage instruments and gear.
Tony Buchen is an Australian, ARIA (Australian Grammy) nominated producer/writer/mixer/engineer/string arranger/composer based in Los Angeles.
Tony began his musical career as the bassist and frontman of the Baggsmen (formerly known as The Hive). In the early 2000’s the band achieved great success in Australia and became the featured artist on Australia’s esteemed Triple J Radio. During this time the band played at all of the country’s major festivals: The Big Day Out, Sydney Festival, and the Falls Festival.
Around this time Tony saw an opportunity and started to produce his band’s records on his own. He began collecting vintage instruments and recording gear and now boasts an impressive collection.
By 2008, trips to produce and mix records at Electric Lady Studios in New York and Henson Studios in Los Angeles were a regular occurrence. During his time in the US, Tony fell in love with the American pace of life and depth of musicianship.
As a result, Tony decided to relocate to Los Angeles, bringing his collection of gear with him. He is currently based out of his studio “Kingsize Soundlabs” located in North East LA.
Tony’s discography of work is emblematic of his eclectic musical taste. Tony loves the raw whit of the Beastie Boys, the masterful songwriting of the Beatles and Dylan, the gritty soul of James Brown, the experimentalism of Jimi Hendrix, and many more. In the studio, Tony brings together guitars, dum machines, synthesizers, and samplers to create the unique sounds that have made him one of Australia’s most versatile producers. This versatility has provided him with the opportunity to a wide variety of artists including The Preatures, Courtney Barnett, James Iha, Montaigne, Robyn Hitchcock, G-Flip, Mick Flannery, The Falls, The Silver Lake Chorus, Loon Lake, Spookyland, The Church, Mansionair, Tim Finn, and Thelma Plum.
As an active songwriter published by BMG Publishing, Tony works to incorporate writing into the production process and vice versa. In addition to his extensive songwriting and music production credits, Tony has written for theatre, film, and television. He has composed for major TVC campaigns by Telstra and Toyota Scion, as well as the score for The Wider Earth, a play commissioned by the Queensland Theatre Company, for which Tony was awarded the Queensland Theatre Award for Best Score.
Please check out the full interview below to see Tony show off all his gear!
CA-70 MODULAR MIC/LINE AMPLIFIER
The CA-70 preamp module pays homage to the classic American two-stage circuit invented by Western Electric™ in 1913 and manufactured by multiple companys from the 1930s through the 1950s – most notably RCA™, Gates™, and Langevin™. This old octal tube circuit has a huge thick tone and is what many consider to be the quintessential “old tube preamp” sound.
CA-286 MODULAR MIC/LINE AMPLIFIER
The CA-286 preamp module is a tribute to the classic 1950’s and 60’s European two-stage amplifier made popular by Telefunken™, Langevin™, Collins™, and Gates™. The CA-286 excels in HI-FI recording applications and provides the rich and detailed midrange often associated with vintage EF86 tube based preamps.
