About Cian Hamilton

Recording Studio Central Coast of California. LA San Francisco San Luis Obispo Paso Robles Fresno

Cian Hamilton is a producer, mix & record engineer and live sound engineer from Sligo, on the west coast of Ireland. After relocating to the Central Coast of California in 2021, Cian set up Middle Ridge Studio with his wife, Lauren. Nestled in a log cabin on the Diablo Mountain Range of the V6 Ranch, Middle Ridge Studio is a hidden gem, fully equipped with an array of both modern and vintage, analog and digital recording equipment.

Middle Ridge Studio was established in 2022, but Cian’s studio experience and expertise was honed over several years before this. Coming from a background of the live punk scene in his native Sligo, Cian fell in love with recording through experimenting in the studio of the Model Arts Centre. The free-minded, DIY approach he learnt there continues to influence his practice to this day, and he’s gone on to work with some of Ireland’s premier folk musicians; such as Anna Mieke, Ultan O’Brien and Antoni O’Breskey, Alannah Thornburgh, Alfi, Seánie Bermingham and many more. He was also the lead audio engineer for ‘This Ain’t No Disco’, an Irish music program that focused on live music and visuals, discussion and collaboration, featuring various artists from Ireland’s Folk and Alternative scenes. 

Cian brings a unique perspective to the studio, drawing on a diverse range of experience; in 2019 he recorded and mixed a collaborative tour of Glen Hansard and Footsbarn Travelling Theatre titled Come On Up To The House. The tour featured performances from several renowned artists, including Glen Hansard, The Swell Season, Lisa O’Neil, Ye Vagabonds and many more. The audio was then also used for a documentary on the tour by director Myles O’Reilly. In 2019 Cian also featured as a studio engineer for Anna Mieke’s critically acclaimed album Idle Mind, which earned a nomination for an RTE Folk Award. 

Cian’s distinction as a producer/engineer comes from his fascination with unique combinations of sounds. He is drawn towards atmospheres and sounds that move between the natural and the surreal within acoustic spaces. In a live setting, Cian has done monitors for Steve Vai, Tommy Emanuel, Shena Easton, Fog Hat and countless others, and is a regular Front of House and Monitor Engineer for BGA of San Luis Obispo, CA and R&R Sound of Lodi, CA.