Any up and coming Mastering Engineers we should know about?

[Johnny Vinyl]

With the recent passing of George Marino and with none of the other more celebrated ones getting any younger, I was wondering if any of you knew about a few that show promise? Did George have a protege or apprentice and do the others, like SH and KG have one? I'd like to think that their knowledge and experience is being passed along to a new generation. It would be a true travesty if this was lost.

Are there any particular ME's who's work you seek out? I'm hoping to hear from Bruce on this issue and offer up his insights.

 

[Bruce B]

There are a few off the top of my head.

Brad Blackwood - Grammy for Paper Airplane
Sangwook "Sunny" Nam - Past Grammy nominee (under Doug Sax)
Silas Brown - Grammy for best classical album 2010
David Kutch
Brian Gardner
Gavin Lurssen - past Grammy winner

just to name a few

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Paper Airplane is pretty yummy. Now somebody tell me it's compressed. If it's compressed like Blue Country Heart, well, what can I say? I can live with that.

Tim

 

[rbbert]

Paper Airplane is not peak-limited; there may be some gentle compression but it's not apparent in the waveform. IMO, it's also one of those albums where the 24/96 version is clearly better sounding than the CD.

 

[Andre Marc]

All good choices Bruce.

There are a few off the top of my head.

Brad Blackwood - Grammy for Paper Airplane
Sangwook "Sunny" Nam - Past Grammy nominee (under Doug Sax)
Silas Brown - Grammy for best classical album 2010
David Kutch
Brian Gardner
Gavin Lurssen - past Grammy winner

just to name a few

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Paper Airplane is not peak-limited; there may be some gentle compression but it's not apparent in the waveform. IMO, it's also one of those albums where the 24/96 version is clearly better sounding than the CD.

Have you compared the waveforms? I wonder if they're the same master?

Tim

 

[rbbert]

Have you compared the waveforms? I wonder if they're the same master?

Tim

The waveforms look the same, and the amplitude stats appear to be the same as well. I think the fact that it is well-mastered to begin with makes a difference, but don't actually know that.

 

[Andre Marc]

Paper Airplane is not peak-limited; there may be some gentle compression but it's not apparent in the waveform. IMO, it's also one of those albums where the 24/96 version is clearly better sounding than the CD.

Several issues ago of Sound On Sound, producer Mike Shipley said Paper Airplanes was done 100% to Pro Tools with no zero compression used during the mix or mastering.

However, compression and limiting was obviously used during tracking.

In my opinion, the 96/24 download yields very, very little dividends over the CD. The bottom line is that music recorded on computers in many cases is DOA.

 

[Andre Marc]

Same master according to Mike Shipley. I find the CD and 96/24 download to be virtually indistinguishable.

Have you compared the waveforms? I wonder if they're the same master?

Tim

 

[rbbert]

Interestingly enough, a number of listeners claim the LP sounds better than either digital version...

 

[rbbert]

Same master according to Mike Shipley. I find the CD and 96/24 download to be virtually indistinguishable.

Which is nearly always the case for some listeners when the mastering is identical. For others...

 

[Andre Marc]

Interestingly enough, a number of listeners claim the LP sounds better than either digital version...

It's a full generation removed on the LP. "Better", or more pleasing? Certainly not as transparent to the source.

 

[Andre Marc]

At CES. I the albums in both versions. I put it on in the Soulution room with Magico Q3 with a Soulution server. The Soulution rep and several other listeners really had a hard time telling them apart.

Which is nearly always the case for some listeners when the mastering is identical. For others...

 

[rbbert]

It's a full generation removed on the LP. "Better", or more pleasing? Certainly not as transparent to the source.

That seems obvious to me, but apparently not to everyone...