Annette Cisneros: A Female Powerhouse in Music Production

The Los Angeles recording industry has had a long history of being a male-dominated industry. This has been especially true when it comes to the areas of sound engineering and production; that is, until women like Annette Cisneros came onto the scene. A well-respected sound engineer and studio manager, Annette has had a career in the business for over 30 years.

Annette got her start at Eldorado Studios where she worked as an assistant engineer to Dave Jerden. “I think I was just at the right place at the right time,” Annette shares. “They had a female assistant leave the studio and were looking for a replacement.”

Annette and Jerden worked together for two years before meeting Bryan Carlstrom, who was working at Track Record Studios. While working at TRS, Jerden noticed Carlstrom’s talent for the craft; after a few months, he invited Carlstrom to join him and Annette at Eldorado’s new branch, which was opening on Sunset Boulevard. As a trio, they were unstoppable. The three of them worked together on records with big names such as The Offspring, Alice in Chains, and Social Distortion.

During this time, Annette and her team transitioned from analog to digital recording. “When I first started recording we were using a 24-track analog, but when Pro Tools was introduced everything changed to digital,” says Annette. With the ability to adapt to new ways of recording, Annette continued her work as a sound engineer for 19 years until Eldorado Studios shut down.

The closing of the Eldorado marked a shift in Annette’s career. She decided to branch out on her own and opened up Tranzformer Studios with Jerden and Carlstrom. It was here that Annette took on the role of studio manager. The studio continued to work with artists like Billy Ray Cyrus, Armored Saint, and Atlantis Awaits until they shut their doors in 2015 after the passing of Carlstrom. “At Tranzformer, I realized how much I enjoyed managing a studio, and I think that’s what led me to other opportunities, like with Evergreen”.

For the next few years Annette worked as an engineer and assistant studio manager at Burbank’s Evergreen Studios. The studio, formerly owned by Nova Scotia’s DiaDan Holdings Ltd, has a rich history of over 40 years in the recording industry. In 2016, DiaDan Holdings Ltd. sold the Evergreen stage and studio.

“In my time at Evergreen I saw an opportunity to mentor some of the young talent they had on staff,” Annette explains. For the next few years she worked with emerging sound engineer Eva Reistad who has gone on to make a name for herself in the world of film scoring.

With the number of professional female sound engineers growing over the years, it is easy to see how Annette Cisneros helped pave a path for them. “I am definitely aware that this is a male-dominated industry. My love for music and hard work got me to where I am today. It’s exciting for me to see so many young women following that path. I am really excited to see what the industry looks like in 10 years,” says Annette.

Annette’s story is a testament to her perseverance and passion in an industry where women have historically been underrepresented. Her contributions extend beyond her technical skills; she has become a mentor and role model for the next generation of female engineers. As more women step into roles of leadership and technical expertise, the recording industry is slowly evolving into a more inclusive and diverse space, where talent and dedication are the true measures of success.