Post by: masterhse on May 21, 2005, 04:38:55 PM
Post by: Level on May 21, 2005, 04:48:45 PM
Transparent transfer in accordance with artists wishes.
Some do great for a while and then "blow it" so therefore, my stance is that since we don't hear the premaster, how do you know whether the mastering engineer made things "better" or "screwed them up?"
Unless you get to hear the mixdown and then the actual final, you are pissing into the wrong end of a fan. You are guessing, unless you are the artist, the mixdown engineer or a quiet observer with knowledge of both the mix and master.
Consistantly, Bernie G has not presented any eggs that I know of. As for his satt. offices, I withold comment.
Post by: Jerry Tubb on May 21, 2005, 05:41:33 PM
aha... a three-way-tie...
East Coast: Bob Ludwig
West Coast: Doug Sax & Bernie Grundman
these gentlemen are pioneers, and continue to do impeccable work !
Peace
Post by: e-cue on May 21, 2005, 07:06:13 PM
Post by: bobkatz on May 21, 2005, 08:25:38 PM
| masterhse wrote on Sat, 21 May 2005 16:38 |
I don't know if this question has been asked before, but I'm curious what the engineers here feel is their favorite mastering engineer(this is of course excluding yourself!) and influences that they may have had on your work. |
Doug Sax, Bernie Grundman and Bob Ludwig (in any order) are at the top of my list. Influences... too numerous to mention.
I hesitate to put a particular "sound" on any of the above three's work. I believe they are very versatile and roll with the flow. BL is probably the most flexible of the three. Doug Sax's "liquid" channels are probably the most identifiable or consistent.
There's a "top" number I'm sure from each of these mastering engineers in my honor roll.
BK
Post by: bblackwood on May 21, 2005, 08:36:10 PM
| Level wrote on Sat, 21 May 2005 15:48 |
The "craft" of mastering has not been around long enough to form a favorite. |
I dunno how long something has to exist to be considered a 'craft', but I would think that 30-plus years qualifies...
Consistently, Ludwig (historically), Gardner (for killer level for hip hop) and Sax (for shear body of work) are my three...
Post by: dcollins on May 21, 2005, 08:45:31 PM
DC
Post by: Arf! Mastering on May 21, 2005, 09:36:40 PM
| dcollins wrote on Sun, 22 May 2005 01:45 |
I think I'd go with Joe Gastwirt. DC |
Just based on Larry Carlton's "Renegade Gentleman" you have a good point.
Then in no particular order...what they said.
Post by: TotalSonic on May 21, 2005, 10:06:02 PM
In terms of my favorite vinyl cutting engineers -
I'd say Don Grossinger for rock stuff (i.e. Brian Wilson's "Smile"), Jim Shelton for classical (all those RCA Red Seal & Telarc releases are pretty sonically amazing), and Shane McEnhill at Heathmans and Nilz at the Exchange for house/techno/idm.
Best regards,
Steve Berson
Post by: jfrigo on May 21, 2005, 10:20:21 PM
He's one of the quietest engineers in NYC...
Post by: Jerry Tubb on May 21, 2005, 10:21:42 PM
the lathe-master Wally Traugott ! and of coure the late Denny Purcell.
Post by: Ronny on May 22, 2005, 01:16:00 AM
Yes, for sure Joe Gastwirt and I've always like Glenn Meadows on the country acts.
Post by: PP on May 22, 2005, 03:43:55 AM
Post by: aivoryuk on May 22, 2005, 04:12:20 AM
when i first got into mastering about 1998 (just b4 things got a bit stupid in levels) these were the 2 names on most of the artists that i was listening to at the time
I haven't heard much of Bernie's later stuff so i don't know how it compares in the loudness wars, but i've always liked his stuff before.
Alex
Post by: Ruairi O'Flaherty on May 22, 2005, 05:44:39 AM
| bobkatz wrote on Sun, 22 May 2005 01:25 |
Doug Sax's "liquid" channels are probably the most identifiable or consistent. |
Hi Bob,
it's probably obvious to others but what do you mean by this? (and I know it doesn't involve Focusrite
),cheers,
Ruairi
Post by: bobkatz on May 22, 2005, 09:39:19 AM
| Ronny wrote on Sun, 22 May 2005 01:16 |
Yes, for sure Joe Gastwirt and I've always like Glenn Meadows on the country acts. |
What Glenn did on the Steely Dan boxed set should be gilded and placed on a tall statue! As the country world started to get more and more squashed and undynamic, I fear that Glenn had to succumb to that approach as much as any others. But when he was let alone to do what Glenn did best, no one could touch him, nice, beautiful, gentle touch. I second that emotion.
BK
Post by: bobkatz on May 22, 2005, 09:44:13 AM
I was referring to the tonal character of Doug Sax's chain. It is very pure and, to use an audiophile term "liquid". Could it be his compressor? Who knows... Doug's work is very consistent.
BK
Post by: PP on May 22, 2005, 10:12:47 AM
Post by: JGreenslade on May 22, 2005, 10:20:15 AM
Didn't Rudy Van Gelder master many of his own recordings, and others?
| Quote: |
DC is good……. |
Not if you're a speaker coil :-)
Justin
Post by: Bob Olhsson on May 22, 2005, 10:46:40 AM
Interestingly, I understand they are both world-class trumpet players who could have easily had a high-profile symphonic performance career.
Post by: pg666 on May 22, 2005, 12:43:59 PM
Post by: compasspnt on May 22, 2005, 12:47:53 PM
| Poyser wrote on Sun, 22 May 2005 10:12 |
Errr…… Umm…….. Arrrrh………… http://www.audiomedia.com/archive/features/uk-0599/uk-0599-d ougsax/uk-0599-dougsax.htm |
.....whew!
Post by: compasspnt on May 22, 2005, 12:51:09 PM
| Bob Olhsson wrote on Sun, 22 May 2005 10:46 |
...Bob Ludwig was...a... world-class trumpet player |
I can't even count the times that, when Bob and I were working on something of mine, I had him do a last minute trumpet overdub, right there in the mastering room!
Post by: bblackwood on May 22, 2005, 01:47:13 PM
| compasspnt wrote on Sun, 22 May 2005 11:51 | ||
I can't even count the times that, when Bob and I were working on something of mine, I had him do a last minute trumpet overdub, right there in the mastering room! |
Hahahaha, very nice, Terry...
Post by: PP on May 22, 2005, 04:54:48 PM
Post by: Level on May 22, 2005, 06:08:25 PM
| Quote: |
Whew……..! |
Post by: TotalSonic on May 22, 2005, 07:12:41 PM
Judith Sherman, Scott Hull, Allan Tucker
and one more for my vinyl faves - for a lot of those classic dance singles - and the man with some of the coolest scribes - Herbie Powers
Best regards,
Steve Berson
Post by: Ronny on May 22, 2005, 08:34:33 PM
| bobkatz wrote on Sun, 22 May 2005 09:39 | ||
What Glenn did on the Steely Dan boxed set should be gilded and placed on a tall statue! As the country world started to get more and more squashed and undynamic, I fear that Glenn had to succumb to that approach as much as any others. But when he was let alone to do what Glenn did best, no one could touch him, nice, beautiful, gentle touch. I second that emotion. BK |
Yes, I agree, when we discuss fave mastering engineers we could draw many different conclusions if we are talking before the last 10 years or after, because just about everyone and everything sounded better before the loudness wars. In particular Glenn's work on the early Diamond Rio albums stand out as stellar in my book.
Post by: Level on May 22, 2005, 08:37:46 PM
Post by: PP on May 23, 2005, 03:30:48 AM
Post by: Bob Olhsson on May 23, 2005, 11:26:11 AM
http://www.michelcolombier.com/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.pl?board=jo kes&action=display&num=999798451
Post by: PP on May 23, 2005, 04:14:17 PM
Here’s one from Le Caf
Post by: compasspnt on May 23, 2005, 09:40:33 PM
| Poyser wrote on Mon, 23 May 2005 03:30 |
... Terry had...a definitive Red Book of Mastering Engineers Musical Abilities. He called the useful tome….. MEMA….. ... No wonder everyone thinks he’s brilliant…. I can see it all now……... But the Secret of His Success….. Is Finally Revealed…… |
Ah, the truth comes out at last. Yes, I will finally now admit to having created the aforementioned "Red Book." Included in it (and these were all my inovations, by the way, for which I will finally claim credit, and demand royalties) were:
*PQ codes (the "Playing Quality" of the ME, written in shorthand).
*Offset (the distance the "drink" should be placed from the lathe, so as not to spill upon it while he played).
*A to D Conversion (see thread re: Wendy Carlos).
*Spiral (the day Bob L. actually Gyrated).
*Inner groove (the feeling that only an accomplished musician/ME can feel inside when the overdub is complete).
*Sampling rate (how fast the ME could imbibe before giving away his innermost musical secrets to intensive questioning).
*Neumann (what the ME would feel like having finally fulfilled his actual childhood dream of actually BEING ON a record [speaking Deutsch helps with this one]).
Post by: PP on May 24, 2005, 02:52:42 AM
Post by: Len on May 24, 2005, 01:25:01 PM
Post by: bblackwood on May 24, 2005, 01:31:20 PM
To be honest, Dave Collins is one of my all time favs too. He is to modest to toot his own horn (no, seriously. well, at least about this), but when you look at how many awesome records he mastered that just sound great, it's hard to ignore his work.
Post by: jfrigo on May 25, 2005, 12:19:43 AM
| bblackwood wrote on Tue, 24 May 2005 10:31 |
Yah, Calbi also went on record last year actually recommending everyone send him stems to work from. Was beat to death on here but that one still freaks me out... To be honest, Dave Collins is one of my all time favs too. He is to modest to toot his own horn (no, seriously. well, at least about this), but when you look at how many awesome records he mastered that just sound great, it's hard to ignore his work. |
Agreed. I've always liked Dave's work. As for Calbi, the stems thing is crazy. Don't know what he was thinking, and I didn't hear the other murder job mentioned above. What I do like about him is that he may be the only one of the top tier guys at that place that doesn't default to stun.
Apart from that, I agree with the well-deserved if unoriginal praise of the king, Bob, the man from Portland. He's certainly had his share of less than stellar albums as anybody with a catalog half that big must, but the history, the knowledge, the great attitude, and love of the work... we should all get a little statue of him and rub his belly like the Buddah before every session!
Post by: jfrigo on May 25, 2005, 12:34:33 AM
Post by: PP on May 25, 2005, 04:45:42 AM
Post by: Bob Olhsson on May 25, 2005, 07:36:29 AM
| Poyser wrote on Wed, 25 May 2005 03:45 |
... We even have some in this country, remarkable though that might seem... |
Post by: dcollins on May 25, 2005, 12:46:01 PM
| Poyser wrote on Wed, 25 May 2005 01:45 |
It’s not because his car has one of those insipid, girly sounding horns, is it? |
Heavens no! I drive a proper British car and the hooter is quite manly!
DC
Post by: Level on May 25, 2005, 02:18:23 PM
So you drive a Rolls or a Bent. DC?
I actually liked the DAF I had imported here in the early 80's. Belt drive and plenty of looks tootling down the I-state at 80 per (its top range)
Post by: turtletone on May 25, 2005, 07:19:01 PM
Post by: Arf! Mastering on May 25, 2005, 08:45:39 PM
Post by: dcollins on May 25, 2005, 10:44:21 PM
| Level wrote on Wed, 25 May 2005 11:18 |
So you drive a Rolls or a Bent. DC? |
Actually several McLaren F1's. Transported in my customised Boeing 777.
On a whim, I might decide to run the Mille Miglia. When they hear I'm coming they clear the streets.
With my contacts, the N
Post by: Len on May 26, 2005, 04:47:23 AM
Post by: JGreenslade on May 26, 2005, 05:33:40 AM
Bill,
There's a DAF variomatic specialist around the corner from me! I've always fancied one as a runabout! (he confesses)
Sneer ye not at a DAF, it was winner of its class in the '67 Rallye de Monte-Carlo
Eccentric cars always appeal to me. A link for those unaware:
http://www.classic-daf.nl/models/index.html
BTW, The only British-owned car manufacturers I know of are Noble: http://www.noblecars.com/new-noble-site/home.htm and Morgan
Rolls and Bentley are respectively owned by BMW and VW, and the Russians bought out TVR recently.
Ain't the new Morgan a beauty?:
Justin
Post by: jfrigo on May 26, 2005, 10:46:52 AM
| thermionic wrote on Thu, 26 May 2005 02:33 |
Before I go completely off-topic (he started it , I just wanted to say that it's good to see Herb Powers figure in the list. Sitting as I do at the moment, surrounded by racks of vinyl, Mr Powers's name seems to figure on numerous quality pressings. |
So you like mainly his vinyl work? Which ones are good? On the CD side of things I've mainly seen over-processed hip hop/R&B stuff from him, but it's an admittedly limited sampling. I got a project years ago when I was still in Atlanta to do the singles, master a bunch of remixes, and TV tracks for an album he had done. They brought his work as a reference and even that many years ago I was struck by the 2x4 nature of the sound files and the aggressive EQ. Again, this is by no means an extensive sampling of his work, and he's reportedy a great guy. I just haven't been impressed by the CDs I've heard with his name on them.
Post by: Level on May 26, 2005, 10:51:14 AM
All that killer mixing that Bruce did took a back seat in mastering. It did not seem to hurt sales though.
Post by: TotalSonic on May 26, 2005, 10:58:11 AM
| jfrigo wrote on Thu, 26 May 2005 15:46 | ||
So you like mainly his vinyl work? Which ones are good? |
All I know of his work is his vinyl stuff from the 70's-90's which for the time really set the bar as far r&b/disco/dance/hip-hop go. The 12" single of Run DMC's "Rock Box" is a nice example of "slamming" for example. To me he's one of the "fathers" of modern vinyl mastering where people really started pushing the envelope of level - Herbie was one of those who knew how to do this while still maintaining clarity.
A really nice page in tribute to Herbie (and his ultra-cool scribes) is at http://www.disco-disco.com/tributes/herbie.html
Best regards,
Steve Berson
Post by: bblackwood on May 26, 2005, 11:00:00 AM
Post by: TotalSonic on May 26, 2005, 11:03:53 AM
| bblackwood wrote on Thu, 26 May 2005 16:00 |
Aren't there two Herb Powers? Father and son? We should clarify which one we are discussing, methinks... |
I'm talking about Jr.
Best regards,
Steve Berson
Post by: Greg Reierson on May 26, 2005, 11:13:36 AM
| dcollins wrote on Wed, 25 May 2005 21:44 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
With my contacts, the N Post by: compasspnt on May 26, 2005, 12:57:43 PM
Your main beef with a J-Lo album is TECHNICAL? Post by: Level on May 26, 2005, 01:27:37 PM When I want to really enjoy music, I will go to a live acoustic venue, the opera or even the local University orchestra. This is when I really enjoy music most. The J-Lo production has some very good talent on it and the mixdowns by Bruce paint a nice picture..it is just too loud for me..is all. I can hear the compression and that in itself is a waste of good art. J-Lo is a lot better singer than many give her credit for. Put it this way, if the mastering gets in the way of the music, I have an issue with that..plus, a little birdy told me just how stellar the captures and mixdowns were. Post by: Thomas W. Bethel on May 26, 2005, 02:18:23 PM I have heard good mastering from a number of different mastering engineers. Sometimes, when a certain name is on the album as mastering engineer, I use to cringe a bit before I listened to the CD since I had heard other work from this person that I did not like. I now usually listen to the material first and then see who mastered it. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised to find someone I did not originally like had mastered an album I really like. Maybe the stuff I heard before was done on a "bad day" I know there are certain people that are known for their "sound" or lack thereof and you can almost always spot their work simply by listening to it. Mastering is an Art and a Science. It is done by professionals who should know what they are doing. Why they make some bad sonic decisions is beyond my understanding. I assume that most times they are left to their own judgment but sometimes someone else is pulling the strings (usually the purse strings) so maybe they are being driven by monetary needs. Or maybe by an overly pushy client or their record company. In most cases it is hard to tell what the material sounded like coming in so one really never knows what the mastering engineer did or did not do to the material unless you were present at the session or can hear the before and after tracks. Good mastering should do no harm but should only enhance the music. If in the process of mastering the music is changed in a negative way or destroyed then I think the mastering engineer has not done his/her job and should not be paid or asked to work on future albums....but that unfortunately does not seem to be what is currently happening in the music business. MTCW Post by: PP on May 26, 2005, 03:02:41 PM Post by: Jerry Tubb on May 26, 2005, 07:12:36 PM what's the conundrum with the D13b9b5 chord ? it's a simple polychord, much in the Stravinsky sense, basically an Ab7 chord with a D in the bass, with the 13th (a B) thrown in for flavor. As an old Jazz Guitar geek... I'm curious. Peace Post by: bblackwood on May 26, 2005, 07:27:55 PM
Read this... Post by: Jerry Tubb on May 26, 2005, 10:48:34 PM
thanks for the tip Brad... looks like some heavy reading... I'll have to postpone that til this weekend, when I have free time! Oh Yeah, and there's the part about how two dominant seventh chords, spaced a tritone apart represent the duality of the universe... yin/yan, two sides of a coin, good/evil, male/female, etc. and that the two sounded together display the very dance of life itself! D13b9b5 = Ab7#9b5 Personally I like to resolve it to a G 6/9.... or Db 6/9 ok enuff Off Topic conundrum ... Peace Post by: PP on May 27, 2005, 03:43:00 AM Post by: JGreenslade on May 27, 2005, 05:55:37 AM
Firstly, it would be Herb Jnr. Secondly, I made a slightly candid post... I was at a very impressionable age when I first came across records with "Powers @ Frankford / Wayne" scrawled across them... I would have to do some listening in order to cite my favourites, and I'm not 100% sure my affinity for them would entirely be due to "fidelity", but partly because they constituted the dawn of a new era / sound. Powers mastered many of the classic West-End releases, and a particularly clean pressing (very sweet, undistorted HF - the cleanliness of the hats puts most of today's pressings to shame IMO) would be Brenda Taylor's "You can't have your cake and eat it too". Powers has made some extraordinary cuts, but there's a lot to choose from, and I'd have to spend time listening to state which ones really stood out. Maybe my judgement of Powers is slightly with rose-tinted spectacles as so many of the West-End releases (Loose Joints / Peach Boys etc) are still played today, and to me, sound more futuristic than most "electronic" records today, even after 20 years. I think he did implement a fair amount of compression on some of those early "electro funk" records, but it worked, and certainly wasn't squashed by modern standards. Powers was responsible for many of the Arthur Russell productions on West-End, and a fair amount of Todd + Martinelli recordings. Russell's releases are a particular favourite of mine, with an immensely deep low-end (even by today's standards). I hope you can excuse the somewhat vague post, but it will require a fair amount of listening to cite favourites from Powers - if I get time over the weekend I'll see if I can dig up more suggestions. I stand by the Brenda Taylor comment though - that's a good record to check your TT with, on account of the HF cleanliness. Powers mastered some records that completely changed my musical tastes, and a few that I know very well (Forcce - a pioneering production!) are listed here: http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:8EEYnx4YKXQJ:www.black-mu sic-collectors.com/labels/west_end_12.htm+arthur+russell+her b+powers&hl=en
Sorry for the OT, but I couldn't disagree more... What about the six-figure bonuses for the directors, when the firm was losing several million a month? Do you pay yourself a bonus like that if the books are losing? I'm no industry-insider, but it didn't take a genius to see that the old models (200 + 400) were dead in the water, and Alchemy's proposal of concentrating on the viable models (i.e. 75 + MG), although sacrificing 2,500 jobs, would have resulted in the firm still being alive today. They simply didn't have the R+D budgets to compete with Toyota / Honda etc, and should have focused on the unique models that don't compete head-on with the Japanese cars.
A friend of mine works as a stylist at the VAG design facility in Stuttgart. He reckons that the new Bentley Coupe and the Porsche "Cayenne" represent the most "vulgar" cars he's ever had the misfortune to work on... (don't shoot the messenger if you disagree!). Seeing as the link went down, here's another to the new Morgan: http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/motorshows/geneva2005/03- large/morgan-r3q.jpg Morgans have never appealed to me one bit, but the Aeromax changed my attitude completely - very reminiscent of the '30s streamliners such as Delahaye / Delage etc. I want one, but I'm guessing the music / audio industry is probably not the job for me if I aspire to such luxury  Justin Post by: Gold on May 27, 2005, 08:56:09 AM
I've never seen the Bentley but I figured the Cayenne was for the US market only. I'm sorry it's not. It's like an Escalade for someone who is embarrassed to wear a gold chain and a pinky ring. Post by: PP on May 27, 2005, 02:43:04 PM Post by: masterhse on May 27, 2005, 02:45:52 PM Post by: Level on May 27, 2005, 02:49:52 PM
Oh my dear Peter, speak..and speak it does. Whale songing has a reported 500 mile range! We all know that the speed of sound underwater is roughly 4 times as fast as in the air as well. The whales speak. We just fail to undestand the language. Post by: dcollins on May 27, 2005, 11:06:28 PM
It's actually much more. The SOSUS system has heard "conversations" at least 1000 miles away! It's the loudest animal sound. But high powered sonar may be killing them... http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp/SoundsBlueWhale.html DC Post by: dcollins on May 27, 2005, 11:17:57 PM
Only if the dreaded paparazzi have their way. After many bad experiences, this year we're enlisting the aid of some chaps from GSG-9 to deal with any interlopers. We are also considering converting one of the 777's to a tanker for those extra long journeys. We already have the other three modifed for air-air refueling, but outside of the CONUS, it's hard to find a unscheduled KC-10 when you really need it. DC Post by: Jerry Tubb on May 27, 2005, 11:49:22 PM Poyser, Speaking of Ted Green, did you ever hear that Great record he did back in the late 70's? So you're an Oxford man ! ... in 99' we got so lost driving thru Oxford on our way back to London. Do you know Chris Blair or Peter Mew over at Abbey Road? Peace
Post by: Level on May 27, 2005, 11:59:12 PM (Just remembering the old days) Post by: Jerry Tubb on May 28, 2005, 12:14:06 AM
Yo Bill We drove in and around Oxford for 2 hours looking for an exit to London! Finally dead-ended on campus... the tweed-clad denizens just looked at us like "silly colonists"...of course driving "left" didn't help any. anyway back On Topic: Who's the best UK ME ?
Post by: TotalSonic on May 28, 2005, 12:17:11 AM
I think Chris Blair at Abbey Road is definitely worthy of some props. There's some great stuff coming out of Heathmans and the Exchange also. Best regards, Steve Berson Post by: Level on May 28, 2005, 12:23:08 AM I would wager, it is Pete Poyser, except he has yet to email me or send me any MP3's to cretique. Mastering sometimes can be beyond a mastering engineer. Some recordings are the beyond, and no mastering is sutible at all. The Man has done some deep works..I am waiting to listen. Touch them with a signal path, and feel the wrath of deterioration. I love them raw and real myself, in many cases, for arts sake. Post by: Jerry Tubb on May 28, 2005, 12:25:19 AM
Yes !... got to meet Chris in 99' at Abbey Road... same trip as the Lost-in-Oxford incident. 
Post by: Jerry Tubb on May 28, 2005, 12:36:27 AM
I'll post it again... sometimes... the tailor that cuts the best, cuts the least... (cloth not cheese)!
Post by: Level on May 28, 2005, 02:33:11 AM Post by: PP on May 29, 2005, 01:17:44 PM Post by: Jerry Tubb on May 29, 2005, 02:20:12 PM Peace
Post by: masterhse on May 29, 2005, 05:25:22 PM
No offense taken
Post by: bblackwood on May 29, 2005, 06:09:11 PM Post by: Level on May 29, 2005, 10:08:48 PM Of course..then at 600 baud, each letter counted and was a testiment of your connection and hipness. Methinks it is a habit of usernet. Some of us are truly 'old school,' Post by: dcollins on May 29, 2005, 10:23:53 PM
http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/96q1/usenet.html Post by: PP on May 30, 2005, 04:05:26 AM Post by: masterhse on May 30, 2005, 07:44:42 AM
There was a "tongue in cheek" point that I guess wasn't so obvious. If you've ever seen the Who movie The Kids Are Alright, an interviewer goes into about a 10 minute question asking Townshend about the existential ramifications of Tommy. Townshend simply answers "Yes". Poyser is a great guy, and I enjoy his posts. There does seem to be a tendency to "free-associate" in his writing style, or maybe he really likes to drink coffee.
Post by: bigaudioblowhard on June 03, 2005, 02:30:47 AM Hate to be a party pooper here and get back ON TOPIC...but Greg Calbi totally kicked my ass last year with Grandaddy's "Sumday" album, a reference pop rock record of mine. I havent found anything that it sounds bad on, from my shitty factory Honda system, to my 12" Powerbook's Chicklet sized speakers, NS-10's, you name it. Just gorgeous and not too loud. Post by: turtletone on June 03, 2005, 07:56:01 AM Post by: Phil Demetro on June 03, 2005, 01:48:58 PM There's a snipit of Michael mixing on the new Ben Folds DVD. Surprisingly 'mobile" at the console (do any of the ME's on this board dance while they're mastering?). I also like the Idlewild and Athlete records that he also mixed. All mastered by Chris Athens - also from at Sterling. Being aware of the "disenfranchise" remark made earlier, I'll comment anyway. For me, Tom Coyne and Chris Athens are my fav's simply by having made the biggest influence on my direction and approach to mastering so far. I'm fairly new to the business and having watched these guys run a session has been hugely inspiring. Even in Toronto, Canada (where I'm from) their influence is sizeable with labels and artists routinely going to NYC to work with them. Both engineers have a well rounded combination of experience, great sounding discography, attitude, session style, equipment/studio,etc. The generosity these guys show me always makes me look forward to the time that I can visit again. They've imparted a lot to me with no favour asked in return. Tom Coyne is justifiably legendary (check the new Common CD "BE"). Chris Athens IMO is the next generation of ME's to keep an eye on. Phil Post by: bobkatz on June 04, 2005, 12:28:45 PM
Very funny. Who (or what) is Dave Rhodes? BK Post by: masterhse on June 05, 2005, 09:31:40 AM
A notorious spammer, http://daverhodes.etee2k.net/ Post by: masterhse on June 06, 2005, 03:20:35 PM Post by: jason goz on June 14, 2005, 12:39:09 PM  .My favorite is Stuart Hawkes (Metropolis).
Post by: Phil Demetro on June 14, 2005, 05:26:01 PM I visited numerous places in the UK - Metropolis, Unity, Townhouse, 360, Abbey Road, some vinyl joints and the Soundmasters. each had something cool. Some memories... - Unity had this futuristic "metallic" console. - 360 had some Fairman gear which I hadn't seen up close before. - Metropolis was total jealousy time. Big studios, big windows, a restaurant, lots of stuff custom and the whole mastering thing there seemed very well implemented. Their technical director was a suitably proud and opinionated chap but rightfully so. I got a lot of "no comment" that day! he gave me one of their AES cables to "figure out". - Soundmasters had the loosest vibe and friendliest enginers/vibe. I stole my analog cable choice from those guys, too. Not as spectacular $$$ wise as Metropolis but Soundmasters mastering to my ears is, by far, the best in the UK. Translates better on most systems than the Metrolpolis output. Listen to Zero 7's "when it falls" mastered by Kevin Metcalf. Ridiculously good. Of course, London is a PMC town. The big BB5's everywhere. I didn't see The Exchange. This is the studio owned/built by Tim DeParavicini. I can only imagine. Their vinyl is always super loud! Maybe Brad would allow some future guest discussion moderated by Tim? Oh yeah, it was Leif Mases who hosted my little tour. He was generous and candid with his clientele. I recall that he was a fan of the work being put out by Stephen Marcussen and that the Sontec had a BIG impact on the direction of his designs. Phil Demetro Post by: jason goz on June 20, 2005, 01:13:26 PM
Post by: jason goz on June 20, 2005, 01:23:05 PM Post by: carlsaff on June 30, 2005, 03:31:26 PM John Golden Post by: jazzius on June 30, 2005, 03:36:28 PM
I didn't know that the Ex was owned by Tim P.....that would explain why their stuff always sounds rude. My favorite ME's are Bob L and Herb P. Post by: JGreenslade on June 30, 2005, 05:16:16 PM Graeme may well have a partner I'm not aware of, but he is the "owner" to all intensive purposes. If you visit the place you'll see interesting pieces of vintage hardware procured by Graeme strewn across the office - such as large valve limiters etc. I haven't had a chance to check out their studio yet, but if the mastering-rooms are anything to go by it should be pretty cool. Although I have immense respect for Nilz, and would opt for him every time on a club cut, Mike would be the man if "faithful transcription" is what you're after - Mike tends to handle the LP work, whereas Nilz is booked up weeks in advance for 12s. Graeme can cut as nigh-on as loud as Nilz btw. Justin Post by: TotalSonic on June 30, 2005, 06:32:46 PM
His son JJ is very talented ME also - obviously you have a nice head start if your Dad is a great engineer! JJ's work on the Rachel's CD "Systems/Layers" from 2003 definitely gets my vote for the "Honor Roll." Best regards, Steve Berson Post by: Jerry Tubb on July 01, 2005, 02:54:08 AM
Then I guess John really does have "Golden" ears ! I agree, John's one of the finest ! Post by: carlsaff on July 01, 2005, 06:48:24 AM
I'm sure they don't like to be thought of as interchangeable, but I think that many people do! Both of them have very consistent, high-quality output. Also agreed on that Rachels record -- one of my favorites from that year. Post by: Streaky on July 09, 2005, 05:27:23 AM Just to let you know you can now use kevin and I online @ www.emasters.co.uk cheers streaky.... Post by: Chris Cavell on July 15, 2005, 02:51:03 PM 1) Bob Ludwig I've heard a small handful of before/after comparisons of his work over the past few years...entirely aware of what pressures and outside influences there are governing final product in some circumstances. It's been an overwhelming eye-opening experience: that regardless of one's talent/name/top-billing/etc., we're still here to deliver something that exceeds the clients expectations...and in some cases, as an opinionated ME, you have to put aside your creative differences to pull this off. The key is in making the best possible compromise b/w preserving the original engineers and artists' ideals for the project, applying your own ideals for the project, and delivering to the client (the one who'll actually for all real intents and purposes "own" the end result) their ideal for the project...however misinformed or contradictory that last one might be. I can say with utmost certainty that he's as expert as expert gets in the department of remaining faithful to all of these ideals as faithfully as is functionally possible. 2) ChrisJ (not sure of your full name) I only know ChrisJ through his posts on various forums and a few mp3's I've heard via an online collaboration project. We all at times find ourselves trying odd/new/off-the-wall/"different" techniques at times to get the desired result out of our, albeit expensive or fancy, limited equipment...sometimes with and sometimes without success. I dig ChrisJ's work because he doesn't let that get in the way...breaking right through that wall of limitation by writing up his own processors...sometimes just to see if the resulting processor might have some fruitful use down the road. This willingness to experiment and push the boundaries of ability I find very admirable. 3 and 4) Brad Blackwood and Bob Olhsson No, I'm not trying to kiss butt here... Both Brad and Bob impress me immensely for their presence in this and other forums. Their work is as top-notch as anyone's in my book, but it's this online presence that is what places them in my list of favorites. Both Brad and Bob freely give of their time and knowledge to such an extent that it goes so far as not only educating, but also creating online environments that promote fruitful collaboration, discussion, and education. To me this comes across as a dedication to this craft that goes well beyond the norm, and will with any luck lead to the continued preservation of this craft despite/in spite of the immense forces that purvey in this industry on the homefront: namely the promotional forces behind a myriad of new products making hugely innacurate claims to the throngs of new generations creating recorded music that threaten so many of our businesses on a constant basis. For this, I not only put them on my list, but also thank them: Thank you. Cheers, Chris |