CJ Antol
CJ Antol
I grew up in Phoenix, AZ, playing percussion in my school concert and jazz bands. My mom would argue I’ve been tapping on things since birth. I love finding and tapping into a rhythm. It makes it easy to relate to any style of music.
When I started playing out in my first bands, I instantly grew curious about live sound. I am now, and have always been, the guy standing as close to the mixer as possible, eyeballing the mixer and outboard gear. I attended the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Tempe, AZ, in 2008–2009, where I gained a wealth of knowledge in live sound and recording.
From there, I landed a gig as a runner in California for Glenwood Place Studios, where artists like the Black Eyed Peas, Sheryl Crow, and Ariana Grande have recorded. This position helped me gain experience in the recording industry by taking care of the artists to make sure their time in the studio was as comfortable as possible and sometimes getting to assist on smaller sessions.
Then I made my way onto the touring scene running live sound and tour managing The Word Alive from 2008 to 2011. Touring the country was an amazing experience that allowed me to fulfill my dream of going on the Vans Warped Tour in 2010. I was able to mix several large festivals, including Bamboozled (2010) in New Jersey and Never Shout Never (2009/2010) in Texas.
I left the road when I had my daughter and pursued more local work in live sound and recording. I’ve spent the last six years working in my own home studio recording local artists and my own musical endeavors. Through it all, I’ve had my love for gear. I’m constantly reading online reviews and getting my hands on as much as I can to make whatever sounds cool. I’m confident with my experience in the industry and love for gear that I’ll be able to help you along your journey.
As your personal contact here at Sweetwater, please let me know anytime I can offer help or advice.
(800) 222-4700 ext 3037
E-mail CJ-
Where are you from originally?
Peoria, AZ
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What was your occupation before coming to Sweetwater?
Customer service manager in the MI industry and professional audio engineer
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Technical strengths:
Recording, Live sound, Drums, Guitar, MIDI, Lighting
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Instruments you play:
Drums - 20 years
Guitar - 9 years -
Gear you own:
Universal Audio Apollo X4 and UAFX pedals, PreSonus Digimax LT and Eureka preamp, ART MPA preamp, Heritage Audio 500 Series chassis, Hairball Audio Lola, TC Electronic M-One effects processor,
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Family info:
I moved to Fort Wayne with my wife and two children. My daughter is seven, and my son is four.
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Other stuff we should know about you (hobbies, talents, interests, etc.):
I have a big sports trading card and TCG collection.
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What in your background prepared you most to help your customers with their audio needs?
My willingness to always learn and have patience is my biggest asset to my customers. I love teaching and educating my customers on the newest equipment and making sure that they’re getting the most from their gear.
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What do you enjoy most about being part of the Sweetwater team?
Everything. Sweetwater puts an amazing amount of focus on its customer service and community involvement. They truly have a Midas touch on everything they do.
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Who are some of the notable artists you've worked with?
The Word Alive, We Came As Romans, Alesana, Of Mice & Men, Black Bottom Lighters
Interview with CJ...
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Cj is such a great friendly person, very helpful on all realms of service and beyond. thank you Cj!
Bradley from Napa, CA
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I've been a (I'd call it loyal!) customer of Sweetwater (SW) for many years now, and although I've left a review or two on equipment I've purchased, I realized that I'd never written a review specifically calling out one of the main reasons I continue to remain with you folks; that is, one of your sales engineers: C.J. Antol. CJ has helped me at times in choosing the right (for me) equipment, be it guitars, amps, or even most recently, guitar tuning keys. He has followed up with phone calls and/or e-mails on even the smallest purchases I've made and has made shopping for musical equipment even more enjoyable than it already is! When a good friend of mine had a specific need for a portable, battery-powered PA system, I referred him to CJ. I received a call from my friend, thanking me for putting him in touch with CJ, who had guided him to purchasing a system which performed exactly how he wanted it to. The next day I unexpectedly received a call from CJ, thanking me for sending my friend his way, which I thought went way beyond what I would have expected. SW has a valuable asset in CJ Antol, and I look forward to working with SW and CJ in the (near) future. Thanks to both of you for being there!!!
Eric from FL
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Excellent customer service, excellent product, excellent staff! I love that I can always reach a live person with questions. I always get individual treatment.
Kathy from Wilmington, NC
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Absolutely amazed by the personal service on our order! It is obvious customer satisfaction is a priority. Your company would be the first place we would look for music related items. Great prices, great service and BTW, even the little touch of adding some candy made my kids very pleased! Thank you!
David from Renton, WA
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I have to say it's the most personal order I've ever made from the pre-ship phone call, to the email, and finally the candy in the box. Thanks! I don't think I could beat the customer service even in a local shop
Chrystal from McMinnville, TN
