Michael Fay

Michael Fay is owner/principal at GraceNote Design Studio, a pro audio and acoustic design consultancy. He is a member of SynAudCon (SAC); the Audio Engineering Society (AES); the Acoustical Society of America (ASA); AVIXA; the Miramar College Audio Program Advisory Board, and former member of the Art Institute Audio Program Advisory Board.

Mike's experience includes more than 45 years of professional AV and Acoustical systems design, systems engineering, recording studio engineering, live audio mixing, and technical writing. Now semi-retired, he spent the last 25 years of his full-time career as a senior-level systems design engineer, acoustician, executive project manager, technical integration manager, and sales engineer.

His background started with a foundation of classical music training and performance (trumpet) in his youth, and continued to develop in college with an emphasis on music theory, broadcasting, and electronics. From an early age he was drawn to the quality (or lack thereof) of the recordings he listened to. So much so, that at the age of about 12 he was convinced he could do a better job mixing most of the pop records he heard. At that time his favorite recordings were motion picture soundtracks.

His passion for music and sound eventually led him into the recording studio where he worked primarily on corporate, industrial, and commercial recordings for TV, radio, film, and theme park shows. Within just a few years he was considered the “first call” independent studio engineer in San Diego. While working in some of the top studios in Southern California he also developed a fascination for studio design and acoustics, which ultimately led him into the field and study of architectural acoustics.

In 1987 Mike became the editor of Recording Engineer/Producer (RE/P) magazine, a highly regarded, internationally distributed, trade magazine servicing both the recording and touring sound industries. In the early '90s, he moved back into the applications side of pro audio - making the transition into systems design and integration.

His work history includes time as: Owner of Michael Fay & Associates; Technical Director at College Avenue Baptist Church; Director of Engineering at Audio Associates; and Senior Design Engineer and General Manager of Sound Image’s Integration Division, which was and continues to be listed as one of the country’s top 50 AV integration firms.

In late 2017 he retired from full time employment and launched GraceNote Design Studio. From here he continues to design, consult, write, and mentor the next generation of audio and acoustical professionals, architects, owners, and end users.

For the past three and a half decades he’s considered his deep knowledge, understanding, appreciation, and commitment to music and sound technology to be his “spiritual gift” from God.