Robert C. Ludwig (born c. 1945 in Savannah, Georgia) is a retired American mastering engineer. He mastered recordings on all the major recording formats for all the major record labels, and on projects by more than 1,300 artists, including Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed,[1] Metallica, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, Bryan Ferry, Paul McCartney, Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen, TOOL and Daft Punk,[2][unreliable source?] with more than 3,000 credits.[3] He is the recipient of 13 Grammy and other awards. Ludwig retired in 2023.
Biography
editAt the age of eight in South Salem, New York, Ludwig was so fascinated with his first tape recorder, that he used to make recordings of whatever was on the radio. Ludwig is a classical musician by training, having obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester in New York. He was also involved in the sound department at Eastman, as well as being principal trumpet of the Utica Symphony Orchestra.[4] Inspired by Phil Ramone when he came to Eastman to teach a summer recording workshop, Ludwig ended up working as his assistant. Afterwards, he was contacted and offered work with Ramone at A&R Recording.[5]
After a few years at A&R, Ludwig received an offer from Sterling Sound, where he eventually became a vice president. After seven years at Sterling, he moved to its competitor, Masterdisk, where he was vice president and chief engineer. In December 1992, Ludwig left Masterdisk to start his own record mastering facility, Gateway Mastering Studios, in Portland, Maine.[5]
Work
editLudwig's mastering credits include albums for classical artists such as the Kronos Quartet, and rock acts, including Jimi Hendrix, Phish, Rush, Mötley Crüe, Megadeth, Metallica, Gloria Estefan, Nirvana, the Strokes, Queen, U2, Sting, the Police, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Beck,[6] Guns N' Roses, Richie Sambora, Tool, Simple Minds, Bryan Ferry, Tori Amos, Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, the Bee Gees, Madonna, Richard Wood,[7] Supertramp, Will Ackerman, Pet Shop Boys, Radiohead, Elton John, Daft Punk,[2] Avenged Sevenfold[8] and Alabama Shakes.[6] Ludwig occasionally undertook larger projects, such as remastering the back catalogues of Rush, Dire Straits, Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Rolling Stones.[9]
As a judge for the 8th and 10th-14th annual Independent Music Awards, Ludwig's contributions helped assist the careers of upcoming independent artists.[10] Ludwig is active in the Audio Engineering Society and is a past chairman of the New York AES section. He was co-chair of the Producers and Engineers Wing for 5 years and is presently on the Advisory Council of the P&E Wing of National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.[11]
On July 2, 2023, Ludwig announced that he had retired and had closed Gateway Mastering: "Music has always been my love. I’ll miss you and the whole music community with whom I’ve worked. I wake up every day enjoying what I do, which has been such a blessing. It’s been an extraordinary experience to work with you all these years."[12]
Awards and recognition
editGrammy Awards
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Rising | Album Of The Year | Nominated |
| 2005 | Avalon | Best Surround Sound Album | Nominated |
| 2006 | Brothers In Arms - 20th Anniversary Edition | Won | |
| In Your Honor | Nominated | ||
| 2008 | Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2009 | In Rainbows | Album of the Year | Nominated |
| Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (Super Deluxe Edition) | Best Surround Sound Album | Won |
| Music Is Better Than Words | Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical | Nominated | |
| 2013 | Ashes & Fire | Nominated | |
| Love Is a Four Letter Word | Nominated | ||
| Babel | Album of the Year | Won | |
| Blunderbuss | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Random Access Memories | Won | |
| Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical | Won | ||
| Annie Up | Nominated | ||
| "Get Lucky" | Record of the Year | Won | |
| Charlie Is My Darling - Ireland 1965 | Best Historical Album | Won | |
| 2015 | G I R L | Album of the Year | Nominated |
| Morning Phase | Won | ||
| Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical | Won | ||
| Bass & Mandolin | Nominated | ||
| Beyoncé | Best Surround Sound Album | Won | |
| 2016 | Sound & Color | Album of the Year | Nominated |
| Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical | Won | ||
| 2017 | Are You Serious | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Is This the Life We Really Want? | Nominated | |
| 2020 | Scenery | Nominated | |
| Riley: Sun Rings | Best Engineered Album, Classical | Won | |
| Kverndokk: Symphonic Dances | Best Immersive Audio Album | Nominated | |
| The Savior | Nominated | ||
| 2021 | Black Hole Rainbow | Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical | Nominated |
| 2022 | Clique | Best Immersive Audio Album | Nominated |
| The Future Bites | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2022 Remaster) | Best Historical Album | Won |
APRS
edit2012: Association of Professional Recording Services Sound Fellowship - received 27 October 2012[14]
Audio Engineering Society
edit2015: AES Gold Medal[15]
References
edit- ^ Alan Licht, Common Tones: Selected Interviews with Artists and Musicians 1995-2020, Blank Forms Edition, Interview with Lou Reed, p. 163
- ^ a b "Bob Ludwig". Gateway Mastering. 28 October 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-11-09.
- ^ "Bob Ludwig". All Music Guide. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ Anderman, Joan (2001-11-08). "Sound judgment - Music stars find a master's touch in Maine". The Boston Globe. pp. D1. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2006-09-09.
- ^ a b Gottlieb, Gary (2010). How Does It Sound Now? Legendary Engineers and Vintage Gear. Boston: Course Technology. pp. 53–72. ISBN 978-1-59863-852-3.
- ^ a b Milner, Greg (2019-02-07). "They Really Don't Make Music Like They Used To". The New York Times.
- ^ "REVIEW: Gordon Belsher's new album a historical musical journey". saltwire.com. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
- ^ "::: Mastering Interview with Bob Ludwig :::". xbs111.wordpress.com. 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ Murphy, Steve (December 2002). "Remastering the Rolling Stones" (PDF). Pro Audio Review. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
- ^ PRLog
- ^ "Recent Activities". McGill University. Archived from the original on 2006-08-23.
- ^ "Bob Ludwig, Legendary Mastering Engineer, Retires". BestClassicBands.com. June 30, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ "Bob Ludwig". Recording Academy. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ "Sound Fellowship Awards 2012". Retrieved 2020-05-23.
- ^ "AES Gold Medal Award » Bob Ludwig". Audio Engineering Society. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
External links
edit- Bob Ludwig discography at Discogs
- SoundStage! interview