Recording & Editing

Gudrun Eder-Marquardt
Chief Editing Engineer

I inherited my love of music from my mother, a passionate musician, and my fascination with mouse-clicking and tangles of cables came from my father, an engineer. So I already had some of the qualifications required for working here. Music is the most important thing in all aspects of my life. Professionally, here at VSL, as well as privately, where I focus completely on Irish folk music; as a singer (in the band Blackbush, among others) and as a dancer in the Irish Dance Center Vienna (www.idcv.at).

Claudia Hula
Editing Engineer

I was born in 1966 right into the world of music, being the daughter of a trumpeter. Early recorder training soon enabled me to participate in the family’s music making at home. Sounds of trumpet, zither and guitar, a brother learning percussion and six years of piano training influenced my youth’s sensory perceptions – still, I decided not to become a musician.

In 1987 I graduated at the college for fashion and clothing design, dept. applied arts, passed my trade test in embroidery, and began to study art history.

In 1990 my daughter Florentina was born, followed by my son Max in 1991. In 1997 I married the artistic director of VSL.

Since 1989 I have been working as a free-lance artisan, but always with an ear on music.

In 2001 I began to work as an editor for VSL. Here I have the chance to test my hearing, and how much endurance and precision from my work as an artisan benefit me in editing.

Michael Hula
Artistic Director, Recording Director

With 6, started piano lessons at the Conservatory of the City of Vienna, with 14 founded his first music group, since 1977 participation in various band contests, first recordings from 1980 on, studied double bass at the Vienna Conservatory, from 1984 on at the Vienna Music School, 1985 founding member of the “Wiener Kammerphilharmonie” – as double bass soloist 1987 member of the “Gustav Mahler – Jugendorchester”, from 1985 on, several CD recordings (Mozart, Schoenberg, Beethoven, etc …), substitute for the “Wiener Kammerorchester”, the “Symphonieorchester der Wiener Volksoper”, the “Vienna Symphonic Orchestra” and for the “Symphonieorchester Vorarlberg”, since 1986 world-wide tours with the “Wiener Kammerphilharmonie” (Japan, USA, South America), concerts in all European musical centers (Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Brussels, etc …), subscription concert series – “Wiener Kammerphilharmonie” in the Wiener Musikverein concerts at the Salzburg Festival and the “Schubertiade”, several tours in Austria, since 1991 working in Vienna as a soloist, 1993 setting up his own studio – first compositions and arrangements, 1997 first CD production of his own, since 1999 film music projects for the McLaren-Mercedes formula-I Team, 2000 founding member of the „Vienna Symphonic Library“, working as recording manager and artistic director.

Johannes Kirsch
Editing Engineer & Support

In 1992 I saw the light of day in the Swabian metropolis of Stuttgart and grew up in a picturesque wine village called Kleinbottwar. Once I discovered classical music in the form of the cello at the age of four, about ten years later it was followed by a long-time detour into the endless widths of electronic music. The opportunity of an internship with a violin maker in St. Pölten eventually led me to Austria and back to the musical roots.

First I completed an apprenticeship as a stringed instrument builder, and later on a sound engineering training to gain fundamental knowledge apart from diverse musical projects.

Since the very beginning my life everything was about music, the possibility to be able to work for Vienna Symphonic Library came just right and in 2016 this chapter finally began, in which I now already have written some lines in terms of fades, tonal adjustments and others technical trickery.

Max Kubizek
Editing Engineer

Grown up in a family of musicians, I quickly realized that music is indispensable in my life. I collected first experiences at the “Wiener Volksoper”, where I participated in various productions over several years, as a child. This changed quickly as soon as the first guitar found the way into my hands.

From this day on there followed several years of musicalizing and the choice of a musical school branch. Beginning in the school band the first independent band projects and recording attempts soon developed. I then gained a deeper insight into sound processing on the computer, through a college at “Deutsche Pop”.

Dominik Mauss
Editing Engineer

My musical education started with an instrumental class in secondary school focusing on the piano.

After my finals in 2013 and a semester of engineering, I decided to build the fundamentals for my passion for audio technology by becoming an audio engineer.

Only a few months after I got my degree, I heard of a job advertisement of VSL and I knew: That’s my chance to turn my passion into my job and to contribute to this amazing company.

Bernd Mazagg
Chief Recording Engineer

The Technical Director of the unique Synchron Stage Vienna is a specialist when it comes to capturing the sound of delicate and glorious orchestral scores. His latest projects include recordings for ‘Ghost in the Shell’, ‘The LEGO Batman Movie’ and National Geographic’s series ‘Genius’. He also recorded the orchestral score for Ron Howard’s thriller ‘Inferno’ and the soundtrack for the Golden Globe winning Netflix series ‘The Crown’.

After a short excursion into the field of physics and astronomy, Mazagg decided to dive into the intricacies of audio engineering and quickly moved on to be chief recording engineer for the Vienna Symphonic Library. Mazagg was involved in many independent and pop music projects and is also an avid drummer.

Thomas Meitz
Head of Editing Department

Ten years at music school learning guitar (in Leibnitz, Styria). Five years in a school band, production of records. Various pop bands. One year at the conservatory in Graz (Styria), nine years studying guitar and sound recording at the University for Music and the Performing Arts in Vienna. Various guitar seminars at home and abroad.

Saša Nikolić
Editing Engineer

I was born on 21st October 1974 in Hameln (Germany) and grew up in Karlovac (Croatia). As an adult I decided to emigrate to Austria. I have been living here in Vienna for 23 years. Music accompanied me on all these ways since my childhood. My older brother was always a good example for me and when he came home one day with his drums, they made my eyes shine. Since that day, music accompanied me to the land of dreams and also woke me up every morning....

I founded my first band at the age of 18 and for 28 years I have been a guitarist, bassist and drummer in more than 30 bands. At some point I wanted to know how to make music with the big pocket calculators (read computers) and so I started producing my own music and editing the recordings myself. Because I still find this exciting, I ended up at VSL. I have the feeling I have arrived.

Andreas Olszewski
Editing Engineer, Notation Specialist, Support

College studies in MultiMediaArt (majoring in audiovisual engineering) in Salzburg. Graduated in 2000. Eight years of percussion and three years of composition at the music school Musikschulwerk in Salzburg. Played with various rock bands, percussion ensembles and a youth orchestra. Composition studies at the Vienna Conservatory, graduated in 2010. PC hardware editor for the computer magazine E-Media, 2000–2002. Editing and support engineer, as well as "notation appointee" for the Vienna Symphonic Library since 2002. Composer, arranger and producer. www.andreasolszewski.at

Martin Pauser
Chief Editing Engineer

Martin Pauser was born in 1981 in Vienna and had his first encounters with sampling and MIDI when he was 13; however, he was somewhat disappointed with the limited possibilities and the quality of the sounds. Still, he stayed true to music and graduated in sound engineering at the technical university and the art university in Graz/Styria. At the beginning of 2012 he mastered in innovation and technology management in Vienna. He has been a team member of the Vienna Symphonic Library since 2002. Being a guitarist, he also recorded a major part of the “Overdrive” Collection. At the Silent Stage, nearly all recorded samples go through his hands (or ears) before being released for further processing.

Apart from his work for the Vienna Symphonic Library he regularly goes on stage, playing guitar and bass for the bands “Zweitfrau” and “Friek”, with some success in Austria as well as abroad, e.g., as a support act for Pink, Silbermond, Revolverheld, Mia, Sunrise Avenue and Mika. Apart from that, he teaches acoustics, electrical engineering, MIDI and sampling at a school for sound engineers.

Günter Schiebeck
Editing Engineer

• School band BG Mürzzuschlag/Styria
• Music school guitar/bass
• Studied jazz bass in Vienna

Orchestra tours in China, various recording productions, musical productions at Volkstheater, Stadttheater, Casanova Revuetheater

Patrick Weber
Editing Engineer

The interest in music has existed since my childhood. At first I only listened to it, then I began to write songs by myself and finally I wondered how the technology behind it works.

At the age of 13 I learned to play the guitar and two years later I played in my first band. In the course of time I became increasingly interested in music software, particularly in software synthesizers and virtual instruments. I learned the basics with the help of tutorials and free music courses on the internet. In order to enhance my knowledge on analog equipment, too, I decided to attend the sound engineering course at the SAE Institute in Vienna.

By working as an editor at the Vienna Symphonic Library I am able to take a glimpse behind the scenes of the development of software instruments. Besides the work for VSL I’m producing music for other bands. Furthermore I play the guitar in my band called “Hardram".

Martin Weismayr
Chief Editing Engineer

Martin Weismayr entered into this world in the middle of the car lot of a second-hand car dealer in Hoechst, Vorarlberg, Austria, near the tranquil shores of lake Constance.

At the age of four he set his sights on becoming a famous musician. However, sadly his first attempts were hampered when his parents forced him to join the local football club instead. Fortunately though (for both sides) this foray was short lived. At 15 he was reunited with his desires and actually went as far as getting his first guitar, an instrument which soon became a much needed creative outlet, as once again he was coerced, under threat of starvation, into becoming an apprentice car mechanic. Having learned very little about cars and to this day unable to tell the difference between a spanner and a jar of peanut butter, a sigh of relief could be heard from many car owners when he made the final decision to dedicate his life to music at the age of 20.

At this point he packed his bags and headed for Vienna, the capital of music!

Martin went on to play with various bands, from pop to funk, soul and jazz and in clubs and venues throughout Europe, on cruise ships and – on the streets. He is also passionate about sound engineering, which due to its nature often gets him depressed enough to write songs! Though fortunately for the rest of mankind it has been some time since this has occurred.

Erwin Wonisch
Editing Engineer

At the age of 6, I started to attend piano lessons in my hometown in Kirchbach in southern Styria where my musical career first began. Since my big brother plays the trombone as long as I can think, it was natural for me to learn a brass instrument as well. First I wanted to play the trumpet but after many discussions with my brother I finally chose the trombone, which I have since been using to join many competitions such as prima la Musica, etc. largely successful.

Also in my focus at a young age was playing music with other musicians in bands, which allowed me to gain early experience in several areas of the music industry. Not only did I learn to play several instruments such as guitar, bass and drums, but also had an early opportunity to form skills in songwriting and arrangement.

As my school career took me to Graz at the age of 14, I switched to the local (Johann Josef Fuchs) Conservatory for music lessons. At the age of 16, I took the entrance exam at the University of Music in Graz, where I was allowed to enjoy lessons from a renowned trombone player and play in orchestras amongst other, mostly older and better skilled players what made me learn essential skills within little time.

Since my tutor retired after one year and I got in the final year of school, there were two options after finishing school: staying in Graz and continue to study classical trombone, or sound engineering, which became more and more interesting the longer I participated in bands which brought me to experience the technical and musical aspects of recordings.

After visiting the multi media school SAE Vienna focusing on audio, I decided to follow this path and graduated with the bachelor title.

Always fascinated by the comparison between genuinely recorded and digitally re-enacted instruments, I was and still am very happy to have been accepted into the editing team of the Vienna Symphonic Library in 2016.