Vote

Joe Harley

Kenneth Wilkinson. "Wilko" was responsible for many of those wonderful Decca (London in thw US) recordings of the 1950s

I looked on the back of ten or twelve of my best-sounding vinyl records and almost all of them said "Van Gelder" or "Rudy Van Gelder" on the back. Ergo....

Eddie Offord

Tony Faulkner. Simple stereo

D. S. rings a bell, a really musical bell. I am not really good with names, though.

I've got a few that get me excited: Andy & Glyn Johns, Ken Scott, Geoff Emerick, and Eddie Kramer.

Yes, I am overwhelmed by many recodings. No, I don't care who blew which horn nor twisted and slid the controls of the recording devices. Unless they come for dinner . . . .

Whoever engineered The Clash's London Calling (I don't know the name, but should), my own "best of" for a successfully walked tightrope between warmth and impact, fullness and detail, refinement and edge. For classical it would have to be Keith Johnson of Reference Recordings, for some of of the same reasons.

Michael Bishop

My favourite mastering engineer is George Marino (Sterling Sound). His CDs really sound more dynamic, loud, clear, free from noise, and almost give the last drop of details from this 16-bit old format. Mostly rock and metal groups (the most famous ones indeed) have their CDs mastered by him. This type of music really gives a lot of noise if mastered like a regular music type but not in his CD's. Most recently I listen Super Collossal (Joe Satriani) which is really wonderful (his CDs don't surprise me any more: they are excellent, as usual). You need extra clean, extra dynamic range, high S/N ratio CD recordings. Rock music by Geprge Marino really rocks!

Rudy Van Gelder. Better than average live studio sound, consistant instrument placement, and the advantage of having the best artists of the time available.

Not for any audiophile reasons, but a happy memory is that many of the LPs I bought when I was kid have the message "Another Porky Prime Cut!" inscribed between the lead-out grooves. This is, of course, the calling card of George "Porky" Peckham.

Ry Cooder. Besides being an accomplished musician, the engineering work he did on Buena Vista Social Club is second to none. Among the best recordings I've ever heard, musically and sonically. The music industry would be a lot better if there were more guys like Mr. Cooder around.

Steve Albini isn't necessarily my favorite, but he seems to be overlooked by audiophiles. He does great work at rates any band can afford and does not try to influence the artistic choices. The industry needs to start listening to people like him if it is to survive.

Jimmy Douglass.

Just the ones who know how to get out of the way of the music. Someone like Don Was.

Pulling from my earlier prog rock days, I can easily pick Terry Brown, Rush's engineer (and producer) of choice throughout their 1970s recording efforts. These days, though, I purchase primarily classical recordings. I have yet to come across a consistent name where I favor their sound above that of others. More often I notice that I prefer particular labels during certain eras, where a particular sound was consistent throughout regardless of engineer (say, Deutsche Grammophon during most of the 1970s). Maybe it's just that '70s analog acoustic that I prefer.

I don't have any specific names. Any engineer who records live-to-two-channels, like Michael Ross does on Here's To Ben by Jacintha on Grove Note GRV 1001-2, gets my vote. I hate the flat, sterile super clean, hear-the-rosin-on-the-strings recordings most studios turn out. Recordings like that sound very good. but have no life! Down with multitracking and overdubbing! Live to two channels is the way to get music that sounds like real people playing in a real room.

Kavi Alexander.

My favorite production team would have to be Richard Mohr and Lewis Layton, the producer and engineer who made most of the classic RCA Living Stereo recordings with Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony. C. Robert Fine and Wilma Cozart Fine of Mercury would be a close second for their work on the Living Presence LPs.

Roy duNann of Contemporary Records 1956-60s and the Decca classical engineers 1958-78. Clarity , harmonic integrity and imaging. Look at those dates and sigh. There have been occasional other lps at that level but no one else has their consistency. The best shaded dogs are wonderful sounding, but not as accurate.

Eddie Offerd. He put his outstanding talents into the band Yes, which always sounded fresh.

Bernie Grundman respects music, and his fabulous mastering technique proves it. I have had the privlege of working with Bernie on numerous occasions, and can tell you that he doesn't like electronics getting in the way of recorded music. Therefore, Bernie gets my absolute (and unsolicited) vote as the master of music.

Prof. Keith Johnson of Reference Recordings. I own about 3000 CDs, and his "Minnesota Orchestra Showcase" has to be the best-sounding of the lot.

Jim Anderson is a great recording engineer. I own many jazz discs which were recorded and/or mixed by him and they are always incredible sounding. He really knows how to capture the magic in the studio!

Jim Anderson. He's recently done Patricia Barber's albums. And for years, many excellent, natural-sounding jazz discs.

Rudy Van Gelder. I grew up with his work . Want a reason? Miles Davis, any Blue Note, Verve, A&M(CTI), and CTI-Kudu. And in classical music? Robert Fine.

Brian Eno, who else?

doug sax