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Home , Al Schmitt

`What we were dealing with in those

days was a performance and a feel,

and I have to tell you, as much as :: sound is important to me as an

engineer, iris the performance and v

. _

Rooms that seem to stretch in during a career that stretches back to the that they wouldn't make a noise when they early 1950s. were stomping... Back in the early 1940s 'One of the nice things about being successful the studio was recording onto acetate with a the night; recording without in this business is that you get to work with glass base. They couldn't use aluminium successful people,' he says, and he has: Elvis because all of the aluminium was going shoes; and monitoring without Presley, , , towards the war effort' , , , By the age of eight Schmitt was spending listening, are just some of the , and The Jefferson entire days at the studio, cleaning patch Airplane are just a few of the big names who cords, watching Art Tatum rehearse at the things that are discussed when have benefited from his skills. 'Successful piano, and meeting anyone from Duke people have the finances to hire the best Ellington to Orson Welles. After returning talks musicians and work in the best studios with from the forces in the early 1950s he then RICHARD BUSKIN the best equipment,' he adds, 'and so after worked full -time at Apex Studios, recording that you've got to be stupid not get the best Atlantic acts with his mentor Tommy Dowd to Al Schmitt, the legendary sound. At the same time there are kids starting through a 6 -input Raytheon mono board, out working with a guy who doesn't know enhanced by a single Cinema equaliser. producer and engineer, including how to tune his drums, they're using this 'When I was first there we would record little schlocko board and a bunch of cheap direct to 16 -inch transcription disc,' Schmitt his microphones, and then they wonder why work with such artists as Dan's is one more their stuff doesn't sound as good as Al Schmitt's. Steely Aja yet Grammy award -winning album for , Connie Francis, Well, there's an obvious reason; I've got all of the benefits' Al Schmitt as Best Maybe, but that is only part of the story. Engineer and The For, like most people, Schmitt still had to serve his apprenticeship in the time- honoured 'HAVING BEEN TAUGHT to do every- fashion, running and assisting, before scaling thing mono and directly to disc before the the aforementioned heights. Still, it also has advent of tape machines, I learned all about to be said that he did get off to a flying start, miking techniques and how to balance visiting his uncle's New York studio, Harry quickly,' says Al Schmitt. It all had to sound Smith Recording, at the age of seven to see right at the same time because you couldn't big bands being captured with just one fix it in the mix, and I still prefer to work microphone. HSR was the first independent that way. My idea of a good time is to be in facility on the East Coast, and Schmitt would the studio with 65 musicians or more' look and learn as the musicians would be The winner of six Grammy Awards as Best moved around for the best results. Engineer for 's Aja and FM George 'Soloists got up, came down and played Benson's Breezin'; Toto's Toto IV; Henry their solos in front of the mic, and then went Mancini's Hatari; and 's back and sat down,' he recalls with a smile. Unforgettable, AI Schmitt has recorded and 'I can also remember looking out there and mixed over 140 gold and platinum albums seeing all of the guys with no shoes on so

42 Studio Sound December 96

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