Joseph Tarsia

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Philadelphia-based recording engineer Joe Tarsia's skills can be heard on an amazing number of classic pop music sides, earning him over 150 gold and platinum record awards. He is also the founder and owner of the legendary Sigma Sound Studios which besides being a state of the art recording studio, was the recording base of Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia International Records. Listening to those recordings,one marvels at the clarity and aural definition that Tarsia achieved several decades before the digital era.

Tarsia took technical courses in high school before taking a position with the research department of Philco Corporation which lasted for a decade. Later,he became a service technician for various Philadelphia recording studios. Hungry for knowledge, Tarsia would trek to New York City to mix with top audio engineers. Around 1961, he took an audio engineering position with Cameo Parkway Records whose artistes included Chubby Checker, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Rydell, The Orlons, Dee Dee Sharp, The Dovells and Bunny Sigler. In the fall of 1967, the aspiring studio owner sold his car, house and other personal possessions and purchased a lease on the second floor of the 212 Building and built a studio. Operating as a one-man operation, Sigma Sound opened its door for business on August 5, 1968. During the 1970s gold and multi-platinum laced heyday of 'The Sound Of Philadelphia', the facility became a 24 hour operation as 'everybody' wanted to record there.^{[citation needed]} The success prompted Tarsia to open another studio in nearby New York named Sigma Sound Studios of New York with a client list that included Whitney Houston, Madonna, Billy Joel, Steely Dan, Ashford and Simpson and Paul Simon. In 1990, Tarsia's son Michael Tarsia became president of Sigma. Recently, Joe Tarsia is sharing his vast wealth of knowledge and experience as lecturer and as a participant in such educational programs as GRAMMY In The Schools.