Hamilton S Altstatt
Assistant Professor of Audio Technology
Contact
Department of Performing Arts
Email: haltsta@clemson.edu
Prof. Hamilton Altstatt is a veteran composer, sound designer, and digital media specialist who teaches in the department’s audio engineering program. With degrees in both engineering and music, Prof. Alstatt is intrigued by the convergence of entertainment and technology. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia and a guitar performance degree from the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood. Formerly the director of audio production for such companies as Disney Interactive and Knowledge Adventure, and more recently director of media services at Idealab, Prof. Altstatt has music and sound credits on over 80 interactive titles, including best sellers such as “SpongeBob Squarepants,” “Dinosaur Adventure,” “101 Dalmatians,” “Casper,” “Descent,” and Steven Spielberg’s “MovieMaker.” He has produced music for some of the top music libraries in the entertainment industry, such as APM, Sonoton, and 5 Alarm Music. Prof. Altstatt’s work has been placed in nationally syndicated shows, such as ABC’s “Lost,” The Speed Channel’s “Behind the Wheel,” and G4’s “Tech TV.” He has served as a contributing composer for popular animated TV series, such as “The Sitting Ducks” and “Jimmy Neutron,” and his music is regularly featured on radio and television throughout the world. “Stoned Cold,” “We R Family,” and “Half-Caste” are among the independent films that showcase Prof. Altstatt’s music. An accomplished guitarist, he often contributes his instrumental talents to both recording sessions and live performances. He is partnered with friend and mentor, award-winning composer Charlie Brissette and his company, Music by the Metric Ton, and is digitally linked to their studios in the Los Angeles area. Clients include Discovery Channel, Disney, ABC, and Warner Bros. Besides music and sound production, Prof. Altstatt is deeply involved in digital media production, and is extremely well versed in audio/video compression technologies, webcasting, encoding, and streaming media. He often serves as a speaker/panelist at the annual Streaming Media Conference. In addition to his teaching duties at Clemson, Prof. Altstatt operates Greatwaves Digital Media, Inc., a state-of-the-art ProTools HD based recording studio. The company provides a wide range of production services to businesses and individuals, including music composition, custom soundtracks, radio spots, TV commercials, band demos, voiceover, sound design, audio sweetening, encoding, and more
