Originally from Dublin, Ireland where John was Head of Production for a major Advertising Agency. He moved to San Francisco in 1992 to work in Advertising and in 1994 he founded and opened One Union Recording Studios. More recently John worked again with famed studio designer Carl Yanchar to design 5 New State of the Art Recording Studios in One Union’s beautiful historical San Francisco red-bricked building. In 2017, under his guidance, One Union completely rebuilt the entire facility down to bare bones and back again designing a totally new ATMOS facility; completed in September 2018. Since 2010 John has also served on the Board of Directors of San Francisco Fleet Week, John is an avid collector of Tequila and a Tequila Master.

Joaby Deal started working at One Union just months after it opened its doors in 1995. He came on as an intern and rose through the ranks to assistant, and eventually Senior Engineer. At this point, he’s been at One Union for more than half of his life! When asked how he feels about working at one place for so long, Joaby says, “I kind of grew up here; it’s like a second home to me. To be honest, I really can’t imagine working anywhere else.”

David Michel-Ruddy brings over a decade of distinguished post-production experience to One Union. Formerly of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, David’s career blends immersive mixing, technical sound design, and high-level music production. While his work for brands like BMW, Sam Adams, and Comcast has earned the industry’s highest honors—including Cannes Lions, CLIOs, and The One Show—his reach extends into original scoring and arrangement, having composed for Chevrolet, the NBA, "Got Milk?", and more.

With an MA in Music Composition from NYU, David’s technical expertise is informed by his musical roots. He remains an active force in the Bay Area jazz scene, leading his own piano trio and collaborating with esteemed improvisers. At the console, he approaches every mix with a meticulous, musical ear, treating every fader move with a composer’s sense of story and a pianist’s touch for texture. As Senior Audio Engineer, David bridges the gap between technical precision and creative intent, ensuring every project is as sonically rich as it is narratively precise.

Michael Swarce

Executive Producer &
Studio Manager

Michael received a dual Bachelor of Music degree in Sound Recording Technology & Music Business from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and secured an internship at One Union; flying across country to start his professional career. After completing his internship, and after taking a brief hiatus, Michael returned to One Union as assistant engineer. Two years later Michael continues as Executive Producer and Scheduler. Most avid about audio post production, Michael is excited to be surrounded by world class engineers and facilities.

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