Mark Whitcomb

DNA Co-owner, Producer, Engineer, Composer, Musician

Mark has produced over 100 albums for independent artists of all genres. He has also produced thousands of loops released with Apple's Logic and Garageband and several loop libraries for Sony Creative Media including 2009’s critically acclaimed Premium Collection “What it Is!: ‘70’s Analog Funk.”

A production veteran, Mark has studied the field since his his days at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Arts. He has been involved with the audio of several films, and produced several video shorts. Mark has played and written music for the better part of his life and currently plays and writes in an all original band called Lorenzo's Music.  His natural ease with people, combined with his sturdy, detail-oriented work ethic and extensive background makes him a highly sought-after commodity in virtually any project.
Brian Daly

DNA Co-owner, Producer, Engineer, Composer, Musician

As a staff engineer at Smart Studios (owned by producers Butch Vig and Steve Marker) from 1994-1999, Brian was a vital part of one of the premiere recording studios in the Indie/Alternative music scene. 

Next, he expanded his skills into the world of audio software as a producer, composer, and sound designer for Sonic Foundry. Brian has developed loops for Sony's ACID and Apple's Garageband. He led the DNA Music Labs team on numerous projects for Apple since founding DNA with Mark in 2002.

Brian is the lead singer, guitarist, and main writer for Sunshine for the Blind, a three piece rock band. The band's hard-driving, hook-laden sound is a favorite in Madison's local music scene since they started performing in 2004. Brian also performs as a solo artist.
Scott Beardsley

Drummer, Percussionist, Arranger, Bandleader, Producer

Scott Beardsley has provided the rhythmic pulse on countless gigs and studio sessions. He is the drummer in Hometown Sweethearts, one of the most sought-after wedding bands in the country. Scott imbues his playing with a strong swing/groove factor, remarkable precision, and explosive power.

A working musician, Scott is a drummer who continues to live in a wide-open world of no expectations. He shows a Zen-like restraint with brushes and a sensitive coloristic approach to cymbals. Maintaining perfect pocket and groove in Swing, Jazz, Funk, Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop and anything in between, no session or stage is too big or too small for Scott Beardsley.
Scott Lamps

Composer, Multi-Instrumentalist and Producer

Scott Lamps is an award-winning American composer, producer, arranger and sound designer.

His music is sometimes large and sometimes small, playing a vital role in diverse projects like the Shedd Aquarium's immense One World, the Emmy-winning documentary film Kindred, the recordings of underground darling Ida Jo, and the musical language of electronic artist Chants. 

His work is informed by a vast knowledge of music history, instrumental and vocal traditions, and nearly two decades as a nationally-touring performer. Known for his chameleon-like ability to adapt to different musical styles, Lamps has “the ability to convey, the illusive gift.” (Local Sounds Magazine)

A student of Joel Naumann, Stephen Dembski, Leslie Thimmig and legendary bassist Richard Davis (Miles Davis, John Lennon, Van Morrison), Lamps earned his BM in Music Composition from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI.
Matthew Kramer

Producer, Engineer, Videographer, Video Editor

Matthew Kramer (we call him "Kramer") is an experienced media producer with a unique skill set that makes him invaluable in a wide range of projects. In addition to his independent production, Kramer was a Training and Support Specialist for Sony Media.

Kramer was a staff engineer at DNA from 2003-2006 and worked on a wide variety of music production and sound design projects and was a key engineer on several big projects for Apple.

A major formative experience for Kramer was as the drummer for alternative rock band Monovox. In 2000, Monovox earned a $250,000 recording contract through the Internet record label Garageband.com, founded by Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads.
Vaughn "Scattered Brains" Freitag

Producer, Engineer, Composer, Musician

Vaughn's production and mixing skills have been sought out by acts such as Whiskey of the Damned, Jo Flowroshus (GMG), Rob DZ, F.Stokes, Charlie and the Tree, E-Sweez, The Great Depression, The Eclectic Company, Sam Cooke, Yung Porter, Gotto, Cleobury, Grown Man, and Bad Luck Booda. Vaughn was also involved with projects for Apple, Sony, Phat Phunktion, Holly Brook, Chris Aaron, Victor DeLorenzo, Ian and the Dream, and In the Beginning.

Vaughn graduated from Madison Media Institute in 2007 and chose DNA for his production homebase. He is a consumate crafter of beats, and also keeps his musical instincts sharp through his own innovative drumming style which comes from punk and metal. Vaughn has played with such acts as For Rights (street punk), Stereotype (hip-hop), Mike Droho and the Compass Rose (acoustic/funk/pop rock), and Phonetic One (hip hop/jam).

 
Nate Gessner

Audio Engineer and Production Assistant

Nate Gessner graduated from the Recording program at Madison Media Institute in 2013. Originally from Waukesha, WI, he received his Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011.

At UW-Madison, Nate wrote for student-produced publications the Badger Herald, the Daily Cardinal and Curb Magazine. His original reporting for the Fall 2010 issue of Curb earned the cover story spot and won acclaim from the Society of Professional Journalists. All of Nate's writing and reporting focused on Madison's local music scene, which further proved he needed to pursue his true passions — music and recording. Nate viewed Madison Media Institute as Madison's epicenter of audio knowledge, and he graduated with perfect attendance and a 4.0 GPA. During the fall of 2012, he sought out a studio internship, which brought him to DNA. Nate was hired as Audio Engineer and Production Assistant in February 2013.

Since then, Nate has freelanced as an audio engineer and production assistant in Madison, WI; the Milwaukee metropolitan area; Phoenix, AZ; and Sacramento, CA. In Phoenix, Nate also worked as a production specialist at Net Transcripts, Inc., where he dubbed and converted multimedia files, then edited and enhanced the resulting audio. In July of 2018, Nate moved to Sacramento, CA and started to become involved in the Sacramento film scene while continuing to freelance. Some of Nate's recent freelance gigs include mixing Milwaukee-based funk rock band Witchdoctor's debut self-titled album, designing the print and digital layouts for that album, and assisting Brian Daly with data migration, design, and maintenance involving the upgraded DNA Music Labs website.

Nate is a multi-instrumentalist and has led several bands. His latest project is Amateur Rants. Here are some of Nate's demo reels.