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PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Clyne Media, Inc.
Tel: (615) 662-1616
Fax: (615) 662-1636FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE RECORDING ACADEMY® TEXAS CHAPTER AND THE PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS WING® HOST P&E WING RETREAT AT THE ROCK
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 24, 2010) — On Saturday, June 19, 2010, The Recording Academy® Texas Chapter and the Producers & Engineers Wing® presented "P&E Wing Retreat at the Rock" at Blue Rock Artist Ranch & Studio in Wimberley, Texas.
Blue Rock, founded by songwriter/guitarist Billy Crockett and his wife Dodee, is a destination studio dedicated to audio excellence situated on 19 pristine acres in the Texas Hill Country outside of Austin. At "Retreat at the Rock," 100 guests were treated to a full day of presentations by recording luminaries, professional development workshops, networking, and a special musical performance from GRAMMY®-nominated singer-songwriter Ruthie Foster. Presenters included Steve Lamm, owner of Cryptic Globe Recording (CGR); legendary producer/engineer/designer George Massenburg; platinum producer/mixer Tim Palmer; Shadow Hills Industries president and founder Peter Reardon; and keynote speaker Rupert Neve, founder of Rupert Neve Designs Incorporated.
The day opened with Massenburg's presentation, which explored the evolution of quality standards in recorded music since 1992 from technical, artistic and business points of view. Demonstrations showcased an eye-and ear-opening look at what MP3s really sound like and the audible effects of over-compression. The conversation detailed how a generation of listeners has grown accustomed to the destructive artifacts inherent to inferior forms of digital coding and the resulting loss of emotional impact in music that has dynamics curtailed by over-compression.
Also covered were various theories related to how sound affects the perception of a music recording's value, as well as the marketplace evolution from label-driven to artist-driven incentives and revenue concentration. Audio excerpts of classic and modern artists were compared and contrasted as Massenburg explored the phenomenon of the 20-year de-evolution of the modern record business and the resulting abandonment of substantive quality criteria.
Lamm, a GRAMMY® Award winner for engineering rap gospel album Alive And Transported by TobyMac, discussed how producers and engineers currently work with digital and analog gear and how to get the best productivity out of the combination.
Palmer's hit list of topics ranged across the expanse of his career as he delighted the audience with "The Song is King," "Don’t Trust the A&R Guy," "Letting Things Go," and "Don’t Bring Your Analog Multi-tracks Home." One of alternative rock's unsung heroes and a GRAMMY nominee for his work on U2’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind, he has produced artists such as David Bowie, Robert Plant, Switchfoot and Tears for Fears, written songs with Ozzy Osbourne and the Goo Goo Dolls, and mixed albums for artists including Pearl Jam and The Cure.
Reardon's segment, "Beyond Fidelity: The Studio as an Engine of Inspiration," discussed the challenges of facilitating exceptional performances in the studio. The president and founder of Shadow Hills Industries and the former president of Waxploitation Records, Reardon is a producer/engineer/remixer with credits including Choclair, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Chris Vrenna, Barenaked Ladies, Coolio, The Cult, Fear Factory, The Geto Boys, Scarface, and Josh Wink.
Keynote Speaker Neve, who was awarded a Technical GRAMMY Award in 1997, provided both inspiration and basic technical knowledge in his presentation. He discussed how the sound created by vacuum tubes, integrated circuits, the medium of the CD, and many other sonic anomalies, all affect the perception of music and how the resulting effects on a listener can range from frustration — and even anger — to satisfaction and relaxation. Since founding NEVE Companies in 1961, Neve has designed and manufactured professional equipment for the recording, TV, film and broadcast Industries worldwide, including the legendary Neve 8078, 8068 consoles and 1073 and 1081 modules. In 1985, he founded Rupert Neve Designs Incorporated, based in Wimberley, Texas, with a new range of high performance audio equipment that retain his original transformer and EQ traditions but incorporate circuitry to take account of recent discoveries about the way we hear music.
"Our Texas Chapter always thinks big, but they’ve outdone even themselves this time," said Maureen Droney, Senior Executive Director of the P&E Wing. "To be able to spend a day with some of the recording industry's finest talent in this beautiful, relaxed, and creative environment has been a remarkable experience. 'Retreat at the Rock' was, simply, an extraordinarily special event."
Photo File 1: PE_Texas10_Photo1_RupertNeve.JPG
Photo Caption 1: Rupert Neve shows off his Technical GRAMMY® Award at The Recording Academy® Texas Chapter event P&E Wing: Retreat at the Rock. Photo by Gary Miller/WireImage.com. Photo Courtesy of The Recording Academy®/WireImage.com. © 2010.Photo File 2: PE_Texas10_Photo2_RuthieFoster.JPG
Photo Caption 2: GRAMMY®-nominated artist Ruthie Foster performs at P&E Wing: Retreat at the Rock in Wimberly, Texas. Photo by Gary Miller/WireImage.com. Photo Courtesy of The Recording Academy®/WireImage.com. © 2010.Photo File 3: PE_Texas10_Photo3_NeveMassenburg.JPG
Photo Caption 3: Pictured L-R: Rupert Neve and George Massenburg at The Recording Academy® Texas Chapter event P&E Wing: Retreat at the Rock. Photo Courtesy of The Recording Academy®. © 2010.Photo File 4: PE_Texas10_Photo4_MassenburgJenkinsNeve.JPG
Photo Caption 4: Pictured L-R: George Massenburg, The Recording Academy® Texas Chapter Executive Director Theresa Jenkins and Rupert Neve at P&E Wing: Retreat at the Rock. Photo Courtesy of The Recording Academy®. © 2010.
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization's social networks as a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/thegrammys, MySpace (www.myspace.com/thegrammys), a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/thegrammys, and a YouTube channel subscriber at www.youtube.com/thegrammys.
Currently more than 6,000 professionals comprise The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing, which was established for producers, engineers, remixers, manufacturers, technologists, and other related creative and technical professionals in the recording field. This organized voice for the recording community addresses issues that affect the craft of recorded music, including the development and implementation of new technologies, technical guidelines and recommendations, and archiving and preservation initiatives. For more information, please visit www.producersandengineers.com.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Robert Clyne/Clyne Media, Inc./615.662.1616/robert@clynemedia.com
Lisa Roy/310.463.1563/lisaroyaudio@mac.com
Jennifer Keppel/The Recording Academy/310.392.3777/jenniferk@grammy.com
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