Joseph Tarsia

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Joe Tarsia is a Philadelphia recording engineer credited on many classic pop music tracks, earning him over 150 gold and platinum record awards. He was also the founder and owner of the Sigma Sound Studios, which was the recording base of Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia International Records. Tarsia's recordings of that time were noteworthy for their clarity and aural definition, achieved years before the digital era.^{[according to whom?]}

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. He traveled to New York City to mix with top audio engineers. Around 1961, he took an audio engineering position with Cameo Parkway Records. Cameo Parkway's artists included Chubby Checker, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Rydell, The Orlons, Dee Dee Sharp, The Dovells and Bunny Sigler.

In the fall of 1967, Tarsia sold his car, house and other personal possessions, purchased a lease on the second floor of the 212 North 12th Street Building (formerly Sound Plus Studios), and upgraded the studio equipment from 2-track to 8-track. Operating as a one-man operation, Sigma Sound opened its doors for business on August 5, 1968.^[1] During the 1970s' gold and multi-platinum-laced heyday of 'The Sound Of Philadelphia', the facility became a 24-hour operation, in order to meet the great demand for its services.^{[citation needed]} The studio's success prompted Tarsia to open another studio in nearby New York, named Sigma Sound Studios of New York. Its client list 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. More recently, Joe Tarsia became a lecturer and participant in educational programs including GRAMMY In The Schools.

Tarsia closed the New York studio in the early 1990s and sold the original Philadelphia studio in 2003.

In 2016, Tarsia was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.

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