Who is Dave Vanderploeg?
Dave Vanderploeg is chief engineer and owner of Naturally Digital, an innovative mixing and mastering studio located just outside Toronto, Ontario. He is an accomplished mastering engineer, loudspeaker designer and musician who also dabbles in carpentry and web design. A long time member of the Toronto Audio Engineering Society, Dave is also a regular contributor to the online forum at www.sawstudiouser.net.
In 1997 Dave established Naturally Digital to provide location recording and full-length CD production for independent artists. 5 years and numerous albums later, Dave recognized that he could offer outstanding value by focusing on the critical, final stages of music production. In April of 2002 he began construction of a dedicated mastering studio while still balancing on-going audio production work. The studio was unveiled in February of 2006 specializing in mixing and mastering for a world-wide clientele. Dave shares his knowledge and expertise with the community through his consulting work and offers articles and advice on his website at www.naturallydigital.ca.
As is the case with many of the best audio engineers, Dave is also a committed musician. Born and raised in North Bay, Ontario he was inspired at an early age by his drum teacher and mentor Bob Ahern. During high school, Dave immersed himself in music by playing in bands, practicing, recording and operating the sound system for assemblies and concerts. Dave went on to study music full time in 1986, spending a year at Canada’s highly acclaimed Humber College Jazz program. Dave began his audio career the following year with Paradigm Electronics, a world-class loudspeaker manufacturer based in Toronto. During his 16 years with the company, Dave held positions in logistics, marketing, management, and research and development. While in R&D he was responsible for all elements of system design including cabinets, drivers and crossovers. He oversaw the design and construction of two large anechoic chambers and implemented an extensive IT backbone to track projects and facilitate communication. He was promoted from design engineer to project manager and subsequently R&D manager, where he led a team of fifteen acoustic and industrial designers while reporting directly to the owners of the company.
Dave has a natural affinity for all things technical. An undaunted problem solver and ardent perfectionist, he is both meticulous and patient. He insists on maintaining a high standard of excellence in his work and is always dedicated to serving the needs of his clients. When he's not behind the mixing console, Dave can be found racing mountain bikes, skiing or playing ice hockey.
About Naturally Digital
Naturally Digital delivers high-quality audio production services. We specialize in mixing and mastering for the independent music community and offer a wide range of additional services including recording, editing, forensic audio, analysis, duplication, live sound, consulting and loudspeaker design. We provide custom digital audio workstations, software, training and project management for artists, engineers, producers and studio owners. Naturally Digital was established in 1997 by mastering engineer and former loudspeaker designer David Vanderploeg.
Naturally Digital is a resource for independent musicians and studio owners. Through our consulting, project management, advice and support we provide a level of personal service that is second to none. At Naturally Digital we offer safe, secure file storage on our dedicated servers and fast, reliable FTP file upload/download via one of the largest and most secure servers available. We maintain a dynamic website and blog at www.naturallydigital.ca and provide countless articles, advice, tips and support, freely available to the online world.
As a showcase for the exciting new digital audio workstation known as SAWStudio, Naturally Digital represents a new paradigm for computer-based audio production. SAWStudio (a.k.a. Software Audio Workshop) is a lightning-fast and ultra-reliable software-based multitrack recorder and mixing console with sonic qualities that rival the most expensive hardware available. By offering sales and support of SAWStudio we help our clients achieve a new level of creativity and productivity, free from the typical frustrations of competing audio applications. Through our workshops, demonstrations and hands-on training sessions we help to spread the word about this fantastic new development in the world of digital audio.
Finally, Naturally Digital is more than a studio, company or business, it is a community. A community made of family, friends, clients and vendors; people who have been so generous and giving of themselves that it defies description. We are very grateful to our community, as were it not for the enduring support and encouragement from these people, Naturally Digital simply would not exist, let alone, be what it is today.