Zed Brookes is the director and main operator at Brookes Audio Design. He has a wide range of experience across the music industry, encompassing work in studio production, short film, radio, music retail, record labels, audio education, acoustics and studio design, electronics, studio consultancy, live sound and performance.
Although most of his recording career has been based around recording indie acts, he also loves the challenge of striving to improve the craft of recording and mixing popular music.
His current focuses are on songwriting and production for independent artists, to help them develop their own sonic identity and improve their production standards, consultancy and individual DAW-based training, and developing VR/AR-based interactive audio apps.
Production, tracking, mixing, or mastering work includes; Franklin Rd Post, Mikaela, Kingsley Spargo, Harry Himself, Sheree Veysey, Fuzz Factor, Trip, Brookes and Johnstone, The Commercial Branch, Yuko3, Jaz Caitcheon, The Sad Yeti Society, Buster Caitcheon, The Duke Landsford, Katchafire – Revival album, The Babysitters Circus – Everything’s Gonna Be Alright single, The Narcs – Push the Boat Out album, Ritchie Pickett – All Strung Out in an Bunch album, Midge Marsden and Bullfrog Rata, The Datsuns, Darkelle, Shed, Malevolence, Backyard Burial, Maitreya – Aio album, Nina McSweeney, Alan Brown Trio, The Twitch, Dead Flowers, Hoola Troupe, Goon, Trillion, Liam Ryan, Matthew Bannister, The Drongos, Rattler, Knightshade, Blackjack – Deal and Kicasso d’Muse albums, Moofish, Book of Martyrs – Purified 7x, The Boogadagas, John Michaelz & The Stone Babies, Rumpus Room, Kokomo Blues, Scooter, Moofish, Tweeter, Love and Violence, Tim Armstrong, Bad Jelly, King Biscuit, Tetnus, Calamari Bushmen, Exploding Poppies, Bilge Festival, Davey Beige, Andrew Johnstone, Silken Blue, Jacqui Keelan, Merenia – Maiden Voyage album, Step Chant Unit, Neil Nooyen, Road to Amber, DMZ, Schrodinger’s Cat, Wonderbug, Adult Mayflys, PD Corp, Jim ‘an’ Joe, Broken English, Pretty Belinda, Second Helping, Te Tapu, Zooper, Enshrine, Dead Pan Rangers, Daisy Chain Halo, 5 Girls, Bitumus, Bruce Dennis, Brendan Dugan, Cygnet Committee, Datura, Desperate Chaps, Henderwood, Inchworm, J Harry Long, Joe 90, Leithe, Loose New Romans, No Thrills, Pieces of Cod, Pregnant Hippies, Psyclops, Somersault, St Lucy, Step Chant Unit, Subliminal Warfare, The Crawfords, Three Men Missing, Valhalla, Whisperscream.
Qualifications: Master of Arts in Music (Distinction) – Dissertation on the Limitations and Creativity in the Home Recording Studio, Grad Cert Music (Film) Griffith (Distinction).
Radio: Production for Rock93FM, The Edge, The Buzzard FM, MaiFM, RedFM.
Labels: Manager and in-house producer for Just Teasing Records, Hark Records, Rhythmstick Records.
Retail: Manager of various Tandys Record Stores NZ.
Technology Reviews: NZ Musician magazine, NetGuide magazine, dBzeebee Audio blog, NZ Rockshop web site.
Studio design and construction: Tandys Studio, Zoo Studios, Waikato, NZ.
Audio Education: 30+ years. (Teaching and/or curriculum development) Waikato School of Audio Engineering, Wintec, MAINZ, University of Auckland.