Jim Anderson: Working with Reverbs

For nearly 50 years, Jim Anderson has set the standard for acoustic audio engineering and production, capturing pristine, high definition stereo and surround sound recordings that have garnered thirteen Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, two Peabodys, and a pair of Emmy nominations among countless other accolades. 

Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Anderson attended Duquesne University on a musical performance scholarship, and it was there that his passion for sound and technology first collided in the music school’s on-campus recording studio. 

After graduation, he took work at the local public radio station, WDUQ-FM, and one year later, he made the leap to NPR in Washington, DC, where he engineered broadcast sessions for everything from news and documentaries to performances by jazz icons, classical orchestras, folk singers, and contemporary composers. 

In 1980, Anderson moved to New York to launch his career as a freelance engineer and producer, and over the next several decades, he would go on to record studio albums, live concerts, and film scores across a diverse array of genres with the likes of McCoy Tyner, Christian McBride, Arturo Sandoval, Petula Clark, Patricia Barber, John Zorn, and hundreds more. 

In 2003, he became a professor at the prestigious Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music in the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. In 2008, he was elected President of the Audio Engineering Society. 

Today, Anderson and his wife/production partner Ulrike Schwarz are widely hailed as industry leaders operating at the cutting edge of the immersive audio field, and their world-class recordings are regular fixtures at the Grammy Awards and on critics’ annual Best Of lists.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• Recording with limitations
• How to handle high stakes pressure when you’re working with the best of the best
• Helping artists achieve their vision for their albums
• Adapting to new recording environments
• Adding reverb to your mixes
• Using pink noise to calibrate your reverb levels
• How to create and use Impulse Responses
• Tips for starting your day with a fresh perspective
• How to record piano, horns, upright bass, and jazz drums
• Being intentional with mic placement and selection
• Using mics to create depth
• How the impedance of your DI can drastically change the sound quality

To learn more about Jim Anderson, visit: http://andersonaudiony.com/

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