The musician/audio engineer still operates the analog recording studio he opened at 1953 E. Third St. in Dayton in 1969. The warm, wood-lined space remains a true link to the history of music, with vintage microphones and gear, including the Electrodyne console Mehaffey purchased from Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia in the late 1970s.
Mehaffey, 71, has used this equipment to record artists as diverse as funk acts Sun and Ohio Players, rockers Brainiac and Guided by Voices and bluegrass legends Ralph Stanley and Don Reno.
“It gets tough at times, because there aren’t many actual professional groups in the area,” Mehaffey said. “I’ve probably made 3,000 albums. For about 20 years, we were doing about 350 sessions a year. A lot of times we were doing two or three a day. I was working seven days a week. I never took a vacation.
“That has ruined more than a few relationships,” he said. “I kept working because I was scared of losing everything. I still do that. I live real small and keep things tight.”
Mehaffey, who grew up in Dayton’s Belmont neighborhood, never planned on running a studio. He started playing music in 1953. His earliest recording experiences were as session pianist for local country artists. He was completely untrained when he and business partner, Howard Davis, opened Cyberteknics.
“I don’t even know if there were places to study recording at the time,” Mehaffey said. “When we bought the place Howard didn’t put in any money. He had audio experience, so I learned some stuff from him, but he left after a couple of years. I had to adjust my head and learn how to engineer. I’m better at it now, because this will be my 46th year there. I’m still picking up chops as I go.
“A lot of musicians shoot themselves in the foot because they record at home,” Mehaffey said. “The sound is everything, but they spend way too much time on the computer trying to get things to sound right. I’m not saying it’s terrible, but there’s a place right here in Dayton with a pro board and 2-inch tape recorder. As long as the band comes in here tight, I can knock out a whole album in a day.”
Mehaffey credits his sound to the Electrodyne mixing board he purchased from Joe Tarsia’s Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. Between 1968 and the late 1970s, the console was used on classic tracks by Aretha Franklin, John Lennon, The O’Jays, David Bowie and other legends. Mehaffey was recently contacted by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame about purchasing the Electrodyne. He has resisted.
“The Hall of Fame has offered to replace it, but there isn’t anything as powerful. I couldn’t get that sound anymore. I don’t want to lose my sound because if I did, I’d be just like everybody else.”
Musicians interested in recording can contact Mehaffey at 937-258-2463. For more information, go online to
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