Now entering its ninth year at the Dearborn & Wacker location, CRC55 is the audio post production studio staffed by Michael Coyle and Paul Grajek. Here they create sound design and final mixes for TV and radio commercials produced by the best advertising agencies in the country.
Our Sound Effects don't just sound good, they look good too!
So many of the tools we use to create sound effects for commercials are beautifully crafted instruments or tools, so we've decided to put some on display in the voice over booth.
In the future, we'll add to the collection as we find new items that not only sound great, but look great too.
We apologize in advance for any lost session time due to voice talent playing with our toys!
Click the preview image for a larger version.
Is that Toucan Sam's Mummy?
Toucan Sam's adventures with his Nephews continue in the most recent Froot Loops commercial titled, "Raiders".
Produced for Leo Burnett by Kimberly Cyrille and the creative team of Anthony Cozzolino and Christopher Giangreco, the spot has our heroes exploring a temple and getting chased by a mummy!
Of course, in the end they make a clean getaway and enjoy a wonderful 3 second breakfast.
Michael handled the final mix and sound design. As usual, Pepper Films did a great job on the animation and CG effects, and our buddies at Ear Hole contributed music.
Also new to the Video Gallery is a reboot of the classic Corona holiday commercial, "Tannenbaum".
Danielle Langevin from Cramer-Krasselt contacted Michael about recreating the audio track in 5.1 surround sound for the 2009 Holiday Season.
When the original elements arrived from storage, the ten year old mix was on a mono mag stripe! Working from scratch, Michael and Paul captured the essance of the original classic, but with all new surround sound goodness. The version in the Gallery is the stereo mix. Compared to the original on YouTube, we think it sounds great!
This year instead of sending Holiday cards, CRC employees Nikki Piazza and Mark Wilkening had a great idea to create a video instead! The shoot took several days culminating with the group photo one evening where all the employees enjoyed a good time. Checkout the video below - it's awesome!
Checkout Our New Client Area!
What started as a blueprint and a dream on Michael's computer has been built and installed at CRC55.
Our beautiful new credenza features a glass cantilevered surface where clients can enjoy working during a session.
Frank Ponzo of Riis Borg was responsible for the construction and when it was all assembled, Michael couldn't believe how stunning it looked.
There is a cool stop action movie showing the removal of the old desk and installation of the new, plus we have new pictures of the studio featuring the credenza. Click here.
New Porsche Campaign Brought to CRC55
CRC55 appreciates the fact that when Cramer-Krasselt was looking for a facility to mix their first Porsche TV spot, they gave Michael Coyle the nod.
The fast paced commercial, "Excuses", was produced by Danielle Langevin and the excellent creative team of Gary Doyle and Tom Lichtenheld.
Like most of the commercials mixed at CRC55 in 2009, this was an HD release with a rockin' surround sound mix. We hope you got to hear it on the air, but if not, you can catch the stereo version on this Gallery page.
Where's all the chewing gum? Paul at Wrigley Field!
As part of the same project that featured Ozzie Guillen, Paul went to Wrigley Field today to record "Sweet Lou" Piniella, manager of the Chicago Cubs.
While Ozzie and Lou probably go together in person about as well as water and oil, we had the privilege of "mixing" them together in a commercial (which shall still remain nameless because it has yet to air).
I think that's about all the celebrity interactions we can handle for this week, plus we've run out of MLB ballparks to record in around Chicago. And, no, that's not a picture of Lou. Sadly we couldn't grab him for a photo op, he's faster than he appears.
It's Me and Freakin' Ozzie Guillen! by Michael Coyle
Today I was at Comiskey Park to record White Sox manager, Ozzie Guillen for an upcoming commercial. Sorry, don't ask which commercial 'cause I can't tell ya.
Ozzie couldn't have been cooler. I went to a souvenir shop on Michigan Avenue and bought a White Sox baseball for him to sign.
Rather than autograph my crappy ball, he got an official Major League ball and signed it, "To Coyle, Thanks for all your wise advice. Moving Konerko to DH and Kotsay to 1st is just the kind of move that will get us the pennant! I don't know how I missed it."
Actually, he wrote, "To Mike. Best of Luck! Ozzie Guillen #13", which is just as cool.
Run Spot Run!
Some very cool spots have been heard in the halls at CRC55!
It would have been difficult to surf the internet or watch TV without seeing one of the recent Blackberry spots produced by Ellie Simcoe and Nicky Furno for Arc Worldwide. Originally tagged as a web only project, the client liked the spots so much that the entire series was finished in HD with Michael providing the surround mix. Featured in our Video Gallery is "Feel Life" written by Melinda Roenisch.
The gang of Stump Mahoney, Stefanie Lyons and Ann Sedgwick from DraftFCB stopped by to finish a very cool Cool Whip commercial with Michael. "Who Says" features a great music track by Earhole Music.
Michael Coyle just mixed the second spot in the Corona concerts series featuring Kenny Chesney. In "Encore", our guitar-playing friend is spends the evening on a beach near a fire to keep warm while he strums the strings. Robyn Boardman produced the spot for Cramer-Krasselt with Emily Sander and David Levy as copywriter and art director.
LeMay Partners continues its great "Everything Matters" campaign for Northwestern Memorial Hospital with the latest collection of TV spots. Featuring desaturated images and great copy, these really pull at the heart-strings. It's always a treat when producer Kim Kubiak stops by with Jennifer LeMay and Barbara Arthur to work on this account with Michael. Give one a listen in our Gallery.
"You Shouldn't Have" Short Mixed at CRC55.
Larry Ziegelman from DDB recently mixed his newest short film, "You Shouldn't Have", with Michael Coyle.
Meg Kubicka from Whitehouse handled the picture edit for the 19 minute dark comedy which stars Malcolm Rothman, Nancy Baird, Lacy Katherine Campbell, and Aaron Walters.
Keep an eye open for it on the independent film circuit and in the meantime, you can view the trailer.
Coyle Interviewed for Post Magazine.
As part of a large article covering perceived loudness in broadcast, Michael Coyle was one of three engineers interviewed for the story.
How Loud is Loud by Ron DiCesare looked at the perception that commercials are louder than the surrounding TV content.
Interviewed were representatives from from Film, TV, and Commercial Post with Coyle representing the latter.
"For my industry, I feel that my job is to maximize the frequency range and the voltage I am given to work with," he says. "In other words, to make my commercial as loud as possible when it's on the air.
I don't feel that about the music I purchase or the movies that I watch, but I think that advertising is a different animal. A client comes to me for their :15 or :30 commercial to make an impression.
No one wants to get that call from the client saying, 'Hey, I heard my spot on the air and it wasn't as loud as everything else.'"
Toucan Sam's adventures with his Nephews continue in the most recent Froot Loops commercial titled, "
Also new to the Video Gallery is a reboot of the classic Corona holiday commercial, "
What started as a blueprint and a dream on Michael's computer has been built and installed at CRC55. 
CRC55 appreciates the fact that when Cramer-Krasselt was looking for a facility to mix their first Porsche TV spot, they gave Michael Coyle the nod.
As part of the same project that featured Ozzie Guillen, Paul went to Wrigley Field today to record "Sweet Lou" Piniella, manager of the Chicago Cubs. 
Larry Ziegelman from DDB recently mixed his newest short film, "You Shouldn't Have", with Michael Coyle. 
