Play Me My Song: Mike Rutherford Opens Up About Genesis’ R-KIVE, Mike + The Mechanics & More

BY MIKE METTLER — SEPTEMBER 25, 2014

And then there were… five? The photo above is no trick of the tale, for you’re indeed seeing the five key members of Genesis — from the top of the stairs down, Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Steve Hackett, Peter Gabriel, and Mike Rutherford — together again for the […]

Damn the Two Channels: Tom Petty Producer Ryan Ulyate on How He Mixed Hypnotic Eye in Hi Res and 5.1

BY MIKE METTLER — AUGUST 1, 2014

“This band is so efficient, it’s scary.” It was November 16, 2012, and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers were already hard at work on the follow-up to 2010’s muscular Mojo. Petty was calling from an office adjacent to the control room at The Clubhouse, the longtime Los Angeles rehearsal space […]

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Taking the HD Reins: Steve Lukather on Sound Quality and the Second Coming of Toto

BY MIKE METTLER — JULY 23, 2014

“Our music has stood the test of time,” observes Toto guitarist/vocalist Steve Lukather. “We’ve had this long ride, and now it’s starting all over again.” Luke, as he’s known to his friends, has an excellent point. Toto, whose members past and present honed their impressive chops as studio musicians, have […]

John Hiatt on the Terms of His Surrender to the Art of Intimate Recording and Honest Songwriting

BY MIKE METTLER — JULY 9, 2014

“We don’t want to shut the door, we want to open it.” John Hiatt has just described the up-close and personal vibe that’s spread all across his new album Terms of My Surrender,  out July 15 on New West. Surrender was cut live with Hiatt and his bandmates ensconced around […]

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I’m Going to Give You Everything: Giles Martin on Mixing The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night in Surround Sound — and What Fab Album He Might Tackle Next

BY MIKE METTLER — JUNE 25, 2014

“I’m just into the ethos of having great sound,” says Giles Martin, describing his surround sound mixing philosophy. “The intention of what we do is to make the journey as seamless as possible. I want people to enjoy what they’re listening to without thinking about it.” Martin’s “natural […]

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Heart of the Surround Rise: Steve Howe on Relishing Yes in 5.1, Playing Full Albums Live, And What to Expect From Heaven & Earth

BY MIKE METTLER — APRIL 30, 2014

“Yes likes challenges.” So says Yes guitarist Steve Howe, and the proof is in the output. The band has been out on the boards in the U.S. and Canada playing a set comprised of three full albums: The Yes Album, Close to the Edge, and Going for the One. On their July and […]

Building the 5.1 Wall: Producer James Guthrie Discusses Pink Floyd and Roger Waters’ Surround Sound Plans at Academic Conference

BY MIKE METTLER

Pink Floyd and music academia don’t usually mix. But that didn’t deter Gilad Cohen and Dave Molk from organizing the amazing “Pink Floyd: Sound, Sight, and Structure — Interdisciplinary Conference,” the first ever academic conference devoted to the mighty Floyd at Princeton University on April 10-13. In addition to scholarly discussions and live music, […]

Total 5.1 Mass Retain: Steven Wilson on Mixing Yes’ Close to the Edge in Surround Sound

BY MIKE METTLER

“On the surround mix, it sounds just like you’re in the room with Steve Howe while he’s playing those guitar harmonics.” Steven Wilson is describing the clarity of the gorgeous acoustic intro to “And You And I,” the second track on Yes’ groundbreaking 1972 LP, Close to the Edge. (Said intro is […]

The Only Way to Travel: Flying Solo with Former Moody Blues Mellotron Maven Mike Pinder

BY MIKE METTLER

“We would have done surround sound at the time if it had been available.” Original Moody Blues keyboardist Mike Pinder is discussing the always-enveloping signature orchestral sound of the band he was a part of for its first 15 years. Much of the Moodies’ core “Classic Seven” catalog has since seen a […]

King of Hertz: The Continuing Saga of Tony Levin’s Low-End Progressions in the High-End World

Above, an exclusive YouTube clip of Levin Minnemann Rudess jamming on “Marcopolis”

BY MIKE METTLER — OCTOBER 25, 2013

“I work hard on the music end of things, and record my bass parts as high quality as I can.” That, in a nutshell, is the mission statement for Tony Levin, noted bassmaster and Chapman Stick innovator […]

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