Al Schmitt

Ever wonder what goes into the creation of some of the best music ever recorded? Ever wonder how someone becomes an iconic professional who is universally admired and respected? Al Schmitt on the Record: The Magic Behind the Music reveals answers to those questions and more. In this memoir of one of the most respected engineers of all time, you'll see how a very young boy – mentored by his uncle Harry in New York – progressed through the recording world in its infancy, under the mentorship of Tom Dowd, in its heyday, becoming one of the all-time great recording engineers. And now today Al continues as an unstoppable force at the top of the recording world with his name on mega-hits from the likes of Paul McCartney, Diana Krall, and Dylan. Al's credits include a veritable who's who of the music world. Reading the compelling accounts of Al's life in the studio, you'll see how he has been able to stay at the top of his game since the '50s, and you'll experience what is was like behind the scenes and in-the-studio during of many of his historic, impactful recordings. Schmitt also shares many of the recording techniques and creative approaches that have set him apart, including his approach to microphones, effects, and processors, and he even shares setup diagrams from many of his highly-lauded recording sessions!

Ever wonder what goes into the creation of some of the best music ever recorded? Ever wonder how someone becomes an iconic professional who is universally admired and respected? Al Schmitt on the Record: The Magic Behind the Music reveals answers to those questions and more. THIn this memoir of one of the most respected engineers of all time you'll see how a very young boy a mentored by his uncle Harry who owned Apex Recording Studio in New York a progressed through the recording world in its infancy under the mentorship of Tom Dowd in its heyday becoming one of the all-time great recording engineers. And now today Al continues as an unstoppable force at the top of the recording world with his name on mega-hits from the likes of Paul McCartney to Lady Gaga and Diana Krall to Dylan. Al's credits include a veritable who's who of the music world. THReading the compelling accounts of Al's life in the studio you'll see how he has been able to stay at the top of his game since the '50s and you'll experience what is was like behind the scenes and in-the-studio during of many of his historic impactful recordings. Schmitt also shares many of the recording techniques and creative approaches that have set him apart including his approach to microphones effects and processors and he even shares setup diagrams from many of his highly-lauded recording sessions! THU

In Al Schmitt on Vocal and Instrumental Recording Techniques, legendary producer and engineer Al Schmitt takes us into the studio and shares his process of selecting a microphone and shows us how to get the best sounds. Considerations such as song style, instrumentation, and the recording space itself are taken into account when making mic choices and determining the best placement for each. Schmitt demonstrates how to achieve the best sounds for a number of instruments – including drums, bass, piano, guitars (both acoustic and electric), organs, and horns – across many genres of music. Drawing on decades of experience in the studio, Schmitt brings a unique and invaluable perspective to not only making mic choices and their placement, but also the importance of interacting with musicians – taking their vision and preferences into account to create the most comfortable and effective recording experience for all involved. Also featured in Vocal and Instrumental Recording Techniques is an interview of Schmitt conducted by fellow METAlliance producer and engineer Ed Cherney.