Favorite Current Audio Engineers

Bill Barton · July-12th-2003, 11:09 AM

One of the most interesting threads on the old Blue Note board addressed this topic. It got really interesting when Jim Anderson started taking part. Hey, maybe we can lure him over here somehow...

Tops on my list are Peter Pfister and Jim Anderson.

Your candidates?

graypencil · July-12th-2003, 01:33 PM

I gotta throw in Tommy Vicari here .. he has a real knack with large ensemble recording ..and his stuff always sounds exceptional on the air .

Tubemeister · July-23rd-2003, 10:06 AM

I bought a Diversity Records sampler from the Elusive Disc (www.elusivedisc.com) a few months ago. They have 3 different groups on the sampler, one is a electric guitar jazz trio that has a guitarist that reminds me of Grant Green. Another group reminds me of Neil Young. The last group is 3 women singing without accompaniment.

The sound on this disc betters that of my best SACD's, no kidding, and the sampler is just a standard redbook CD. The Diversity Sampler has the best dynamics that I've heard on any disc format so far. The order taker at Elusive Disc told me that Mr. Weitzel also has 3 discs that are SACD/CD Hybrids under the Fidelis label, though it is more classical music, not jazz. I may check them out.

I can't give the Diversity Records a higher recommendation.

The Tubemeister

LeMo · July-23rd-2003, 04:31 PM

I'm a fan of Peter Pfister too, who is surely the best when it comes about remastering older stuff.
But I think that the real best actual sound engineer is a French man named Gérad de Haro. He runs from now on, his own label called La Buissonne (his studio are also called by that name and they are settled around Avignon).
He works with some of the best French label like Sketch, Emouvance, Evidence (NOT the american one) and artists like Louis Sclavis for "L'Affrontement des prétendants" (an ECM record who doesn't sound for the best like an ECM Records) or Marc Ducret for "L'Ombra Di Verdi" (who sound like no Screwgun's records has ever sound).
He mostly records classical music and it's maybe why he got this sens of space, dynamic (the dynamic in classical is much more difficult to reproduced than in jazz or rock), this quality of tone. But most of all, he gives to every instrument its REAL sonic size (on his record, a bass sound like a bass not like a cello).
He is also able to make live record sound as good as studio record as you can judge by yourself with Daniel Humair "Liberté Surveillée" (Sketch).
I will also give an "honorable mention" to Mat Maneri (yeah, the violinist & son of Joe himself) who is a very good sound engineer as he has proof many times. Check his work on the McPhee/McLellan duet "Grand Marquis" on Boxholder. It's one of the best sounding records of the last decade.

Jonathan Sutton · July-23rd-2003, 08:47 PM

LeMo, last time I listened to L'Affrontement, I was thinking "I know people complain about the sound on ECM recordings, but this is great!" Now I know why.

Tubemeister · July-23rd-2003, 10:03 PM

This is why you should check out Weitzel's job on the Fidelis SACD/CD Hybrids. There are reviews on Positive Feedback and Hi Fi Review of the Fidelis recordings. Check them out.

shrugs · July-23rd-2003, 11:08 PM

Tubemeister, are you Brian Weitzel?
manufacturer of RRL?

Tubemeister · July-23rd-2003, 11:33 PM

I am a friend of his. I met him at CES back in the early 1990's, when I took purchase of my first Tube Research Labs amps.

shrugs · July-24th-2003, 06:31 AM

nice coincidence!

Gordon B · July-27th-2003, 05:56 PM

Peter Pfister is my #1. I also like Pierre Sprey of Mapleshade.

Bill Barton · August-1st-2003, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gordon B
Peter Pfister is my #1. I also like Pierre Sprey of Mapleshade.

Yes!

You beat me to it...

Sprey has captured the air and wood sounds of the double bass better than just about anyone I can think of off the top of my head.