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{{More citations needed|date=November 2024}}{{Short description|American mastering engineer (1936–2015)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist {{Infobox musical artist
| name = Doug Lionel Sax | name = Doug Lionel Sax
Line 5: Line 7:
| birth_name = Douglas Sax | birth_name = Douglas Sax
| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|4|26}} | birth_date = {{birth date|1936|4|26}}
| birth_place = ], ], U.S. | birth_place = ], ], U.S.{{cn|date=May 2023}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2015|4|2|1936|4|26}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2015|4|2|1936|4|26}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| occupation = Mastering engineer | occupation = Mastering engineer
| associated_acts = Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Leonard Cohen, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa
| website = {{URL|http://themasteringlab.com/engineers/doug-sax}}
}} }}
'''Doug Lionel Sax''' (April 26, 1936 – April 2, 2015) was an American ] from ], ]. He mastered three of ]' albums, including their ]; six of ]'s albums, including '']''; ]' multiple-] winner '']'' in 2004, and ]'s 36th studio album '']'' in 2015. '''Doug Sax''' (April 26, 1936{{cn|date=May 2023}} – April 2, 2015) was an American ] from Los Angeles, California. He mastered three ]' albums, including their ]; six ]'s albums, including '']''; ]' multiple-] winner '']'' in 2004, and ]'s 36th studio album '']'' in 2015.


==Early life== ==Early life==
Sax was born in Los Angeles on April 26, 1936 to Mildred and Remy Sax. While attending ] in West Los Angeles, Sax played the trumpet alongside trumpeter ]. Upon graduation, Sax attended ] and then was drafted into the Army where he played trumpet in the ] from 1959-1961.<ref>{{cite web|title=7th Army Symphony|url=http://7aso.org/htmldocs/asbiosps.html#ss|access-date=30 March 2015}}</ref> Sax was born in Los Angeles on April 26, 1936, to Mildred and Remy Sax.{{cn|date=May 2023}} While attending ] in West Los Angeles, Sax played the trumpet alongside trumpeter ]. Upon graduation, Sax attended ] and then was drafted into the Army where he played trumpet in the ] from 1959 to 1961.<ref>{{cite web|title=7th Army Symphony|url=http://7aso.org/htmldocs/asbiosps.html#ss|access-date=March 30, 2015}}</ref>


==Career== ==Career==
] ]
From an early age, Sax was interested in recorded sound, and although he had established a career as a symphonic trumpeter, on December 27, 1967, along with ], a friend from junior high who had become a music arranger and pianist for Capitol Records, and Sax's older brother Sherwood (Bert), an engineer, he opened The Mastering Lab. One of the first big albums Sax mastered at The Mastering Lab was ]' debut album which was inducted into the Library of Congress on March 25, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=New Entries to National Recording Registry|url=https://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2015/15-041.html|access-date=27 March 2015}}</ref> From an early age, Sax was interested in recorded sound, and although he had established a career as a symphonic trumpeter, on December 27, 1967, along with ], a friend from junior high who had become a music arranger and pianist for Capitol Records, and Sax's older brother Sherwood (Bert), an engineer, he opened The Mastering Lab. One of the first big albums Sax mastered at The Mastering Lab was ]' debut album which was inducted into the Library of Congress on March 25, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=New Entries to National Recording Registry|website=] |url=https://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2015/15-041.html|access-date=March 27, 2015}}</ref>


The Mastering Lab uses equipment designed by Sherwood, which features handcrafted electronics, from the tape machines to the equalizers, compressors / limiters, A/D - D/A converters, and monitoring amplifiers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mastering Lab CEO|url=https://www.linkedin.com/pub/doug-sax/18/938/483|access-date=21 March 2015}}</ref> That, combined with his ears and expertise, helped Sax forge a long and successful career at The Mastering Lab.<ref name=Sax>{{cite web|title=Engineers|url=http://themasteringlab.com/engineers/doug-sax/|access-date=21 March 2015}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226172437/http://themasteringlab.com:80/engineers/doug-sax/|date=2018-02-26}}.</ref> In 1970, Sax and Mayorga founded Sheffield Lab Recordings, an audiophile label which produced direct-to-disc classical and jazz albums.<ref>{{cite web|title=Oral History - Doug Sax|url=https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/doug-sax|access-date=30 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sheffield Lab History|url=http://www.sheffieldlab.com/historyofsheffield.html|access-date=20 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311025654/http://www.sheffieldlab.com/historyofsheffield.html|archive-date=11 March 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Mastering Lab uses equipment designed by Sherwood, which features handcrafted electronics, from the tape machines to the equalizers, compressors / limiters, A/D - D/A converters, and monitoring amplifiers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mastering Lab CEO|url=https://www.linkedin.com/pub/doug-sax/18/938/483|access-date=March 21, 2015}}</ref> That, combined with his ears and expertise, helped Sax forge a long and successful career at The Mastering Lab.<ref name=Sax>{{cite web|title=Engineers|url=http://themasteringlab.com/engineers/doug-sax/|access-date=March 21, 2015|archive-date=February 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226172437/http://themasteringlab.com/engineers/doug-sax/|url-status=dead}}.</ref> In 1970, Sax and Mayorga founded Sheffield Lab Recordings, an audiophile label which produced direct-to-disc classical and jazz albums.<ref>{{cite web|title=Oral History - Doug Sax|url=https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/doug-sax|access-date=March 30, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sheffield Lab History|url=http://www.sheffieldlab.com/historyofsheffield.html|access-date=March 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311025654/http://www.sheffieldlab.com/historyofsheffield.html|archive-date=March 11, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>


In the 1970s, he helped establish the audiophile record company Sheffield Lab, with his friend Lincoln Mayorga. Known for their Direct-To-Disk and Live to 2-track recordings, they recorded such artists as ], Thelma Houston, Harry James, ], Michael Ruff, Pat Coil, and ]. In the 1970s, he helped establish the audiophile record company Sheffield Lab, with his friend Lincoln Mayorga. Known for their Direct-To-Disk and Live to 2-track recordings, they recorded such artists as ], Thelma Houston, ], ], Michael Ruff, Pat Coil, and ].


By 1972, Sax was mastering 20% of the top 100 chart in '']'' magazine. Albums mastered by Sax and released in 1971 included such titles as ]'s '']'', ]'s '']'', ]' '']'' and the ]' debut album. During his career, Sax cut thousands of LP masters with his custom designed, all-tube signal path including ]'s '']'' (and all subsequent Pink Floyd releases up to 2014's '']''), the reissue of the ] thrash metal group's '']'' box set and ] vinyl reissues, the ]' ''Greatest Hits'', and ] ''Reimagines Gershwin''. By 1972, Sax was mastering 20% of the top 100 chart in '']'' magazine. Albums mastered by Sax and released in 1971 included such titles as ]'s '']'', ]'s '']'', ]' '']'' and the ]' ]. During his career, Sax cut thousands of LP masters with his custom designed, all-tube signal path including ]'s '']'' (and all subsequent Pink Floyd releases up to 2014's '']''), the reissue of the ] thrash metal group's '']'' box set and ] vinyl reissues, the ]' ''Greatest Hits'', and ] ''Reimagines Gershwin''.


==Death== ==Death==
Sax died on April 2, 2015, aged 78, from cancer in Los Angeles.<ref>, analogplanet.com; accessed April 5, 2015.</ref> Sax died in Los Angeles on April 2, 2015, aged 78, from cancer.<ref>, analogplanet.com; accessed April 5, 2015.</ref>


Recording engineer and producer ] released a statement on Sax's death: Recording engineer and producer ] released a statement on Sax's death:


{{quote|Sorry to say but one of my dearest friends and in my opinion the greatest mastering engineer in the world passed away this morning. He mastered all of my recordings and I don't know what I will do without him. He taught me so many things. I will miss his silly jokes and the great lunches we had whenever I was mastering with him. I love you Doug Sax, mastering in heaven just got a lot better.}} {{blockquote|Sorry to say but one of my dearest friends and in my opinion the greatest mastering engineer in the world passed away this morning. He mastered all of my recordings and I don't know what I will do without him. He taught me so many things. I will miss his silly jokes and the great lunches we had whenever I was mastering with him. I love you Doug Sax, mastering in heaven just got a lot better.{{quote needs citation|date=May 2023}}}}

⚫ ==Awards==
⚫ ''']s'''
⚫ *2004 - ]<ref>{{cite web|title=Technical Grammy winners 2004|url=http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/technical-awards|access-date=21 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116183245/http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/technical-awards|archive-date=16 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
⚫ *2005 - Grammy Award for Best 5.1 Surround Sound Album for '']''<ref>{{cite web|title=Best Surround Album|url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=&field_nominee_work_value=&year=2004&genre=All|access-date=March 21, 2015}}</ref>
⚫ *2005 - Grammy Award for Album of the Year for '']''
⚫ *2005 - Grammy Award for Record of the Year for '']''

⚫ ''']'''
⚫ Sax has been nominated seven times for the Mix Foundation TEC Awards for Creative Achievement, winning twice for:

⚫ * 2002 - Record Production/Album - ''Look of Love,'' ]<ref name="Record Production">{{cite web|title=Mix Foundation TEC Awards 2002|url=http://legacy.tecawards.org/tec/2002.html |access-date=March 20, 2015}}</ref>
⚫ * 2005 - Record Production/Album - ''Genius Loves Company'', ]<ref name="Winners">{{cite web|title=Mix Foundation TEC Awards for 2005|url=http://legacy.tecawards.org/tec/05winners.html |access-date=March 20, 2015}}</ref>

⚫ AES (Audio Engineer Society) Lifetime Honorary Membership Award<ref>{{cite web|title=Oral History - Doug Sax|url=https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/doug-sax |access-date=March 20, 2015}}</ref>


==Selected works== ==Selected works==
{{unsourced section|date=May 2023}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* 1967 ''Lincoln Mayorga and Distinguished Colleagues'' - ] * 1967 ''Lincoln Mayorga and Distinguished Colleagues'' - ]
* 1967 '']'' - ] * 1967 '']'' - ]
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* 1972 '']'' - ] * 1972 '']'' - ]
* 1972 '']'' - ] * 1972 '']'' - ]
* 1973 ''Crazy Eyes'' - ] * 1973 ''Crazy Eyes'' - ]
* 1973 '']'' - ] * 1973 '']'' - ]
* 1973 '']'' - ] * 1973 '']'' - ]
* 1973 '']'' - ] * 1973 '']'' - ]
* 1973 '']'' - ] * 1973 '']'' - ]
* 1974 ''Seven'' - ] * 1974 ''Seven'' - ]
* 1974 '']'' - ] * 1974 '']'' - ]
* 1975 '']'' - ] * 1975 '']'' - ]
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* 1975 '']'' - ] * 1975 '']'' - ]
* 1975 '']'' - ] * 1975 '']'' - ]
* 1976 '']'' - ] * 1976 '']'' - ]
* 1976 '']'' - ] * 1976 '']'' - ]
* 1976 '']'' - ] * 1976 '']'' - ]
Line 96: Line 83:
* 1981 '']'' - ] * 1981 '']'' - ]
* 1982 '']'' - ] * 1982 '']'' - ]
* 1982 '']'' - ] * 1982 '']'' - ]
* 1982 '']'' - ] * 1982 '']'' - ]
* 1982 '']'' - ] * 1982 '']'' - ]
Line 114: Line 101:
* 1986 '''Round Midnight with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra'' - ] * 1986 '''Round Midnight with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra'' - ]
* 1986 '']'' - ] * 1986 '']'' - ]
* 1986 '']'' - ] * 1986 '']'' - ]
* 1986 '']'' - ] * 1986 '']'' - ]
* 1986 '']'' - ] * 1986 '']'' - ]
Line 168: Line 155:
* 1992 '']'' - ] * 1992 '']'' - ]
* 1992 '']'' - ] * 1992 '']'' - ]
* 1992 '']'' - ] <small>(2012 reissue)</small>
* 1993 '']'' - ] * 1993 '']'' - ]
* 1993 '']'' - ] * 1993 '']'' - ]
* 1993 '']'' - ] * 1993 '']'' - ]
* 1993 '']'' - ] * 1993 '']'' - ]
Line 179: Line 167:
* 1993 '']'' - ] * 1993 '']'' - ]
* 1993 '']'' - ] * 1993 '']'' - ]
* 1993 '']'' - ] * 1993 '']'' - ]
* 1993 '']'' - ] * 1993 '']'' - ]
* 1994 '']'' - ] * 1994 '']'' - ]
Line 204: Line 192:
* 1997 '']'' - ] * 1997 '']'' - ]
* 1997 ''Artist of My Soul'' - ] * 1997 ''Artist of My Soul'' - ]
* 1997 '']'' - ]
* 1997 '']'' - ] * 1997 '']'' - ]
* 1997 '']'' - ] * 1997 '']'' - ]
Line 259: Line 248:
* 2006 '']'' - ] * 2006 '']'' - ]
* 2006 '']'' - ] (with ]) * 2006 '']'' - ] (with ])
* 2007 '''' - with * 2007 ''Grapefruit Moon, the Songs of Tom Waits'' - Southside Johnny with LaBamba's Jazz Orchestra
* 2007 '']'' - ] * 2007 '']'' - ]
* 2008 '']'' - ] * 2008 '']'' - ]
Line 279: Line 268:
* 2014 '']'' - ] (vinyl edition) * 2014 '']'' - ] (vinyl edition)
* 2015 '']'' - ] * 2015 '']'' - ]
{{div col end}}

⚫ ==Awards==
⚫ ''']s'''
⚫ *2004 - ]<ref>{{cite web|title=Technical Grammy winners 2004|url=http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/technical-awards|access-date=March 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116183245/http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/technical-awards|archive-date=January 16, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
⚫ *2005 - Grammy Award for Best 5.1 Surround Sound Album for '']''<ref>{{cite web|title=Best Surround Album|url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=&field_nominee_work_value=&year=2004&genre=All|access-date=March 21, 2015}}</ref>
⚫ *2005 - Grammy Award for Album of the Year for '']''
⚫ *2005 - Grammy Award for Record of the Year for '']''

⚫ ''']'''
⚫ Sax has been nominated seven times for the Mix Foundation TEC Awards for Creative Achievement, winning twice for:

⚫ * 2002 - Record Production/Album - ''Look of Love,'' ]<ref name="Record Production">{{cite web|title=Mix Foundation TEC Awards 2002|url=http://legacy.tecawards.org/tec/2002.html |access-date=March 20, 2015}}</ref>
⚫ * 2005 - Record Production/Album - ''Genius Loves Company'', ]<ref name="Winners">{{cite web|title=Mix Foundation TEC Awards for 2005|url=http://legacy.tecawards.org/tec/05winners.html |access-date=March 20, 2015}}</ref>

⚫ AES (Audio Engineer Society) Lifetime Honorary Membership Award<ref>{{cite web|title=Oral History - Doug Sax|url=https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/doug-sax |access-date=March 20, 2015}}</ref>


==References== ==References==
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==External links== ==External links==
*{{Allmusic|id=mn0000198526|label=Doug Sax}} *{{AllMusic|id=mn0000198526|label=Doug Sax}}
*{{Discogs artist}} *{{Discogs artist}}
* NAMM Oral History Library (2012) * NAMM Oral History Library (2012)
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] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]

Latest revision as of 20:32, 3 December 2024

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American mastering engineer (1936–2015)

Doug Lionel Sax
Sax in 2014Sax in 2014
Background information
Birth nameDouglas Sax
Born(1936-04-26)April 26, 1936
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedApril 2, 2015(2015-04-02) (aged 78)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationMastering engineer
Musical artist

Doug Sax (April 26, 1936 – April 2, 2015) was an American mastering engineer from Los Angeles, California. He mastered three The Doors' albums, including their 1967 debut; six Pink Floyd's albums, including The Wall; Ray Charles' multiple-Grammy winner Genius Loves Company in 2004, and Bob Dylan's 36th studio album Shadows in the Night in 2015.

Early life

Sax was born in Los Angeles on April 26, 1936, to Mildred and Remy Sax. While attending Fairfax High School in West Los Angeles, Sax played the trumpet alongside trumpeter Herb Alpert. Upon graduation, Sax attended University of California, Los Angeles and then was drafted into the Army where he played trumpet in the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra from 1959 to 1961.

Career

Doug Sax with 4 Lathes

From an early age, Sax was interested in recorded sound, and although he had established a career as a symphonic trumpeter, on December 27, 1967, along with Lincoln Mayorga, a friend from junior high who had become a music arranger and pianist for Capitol Records, and Sax's older brother Sherwood (Bert), an engineer, he opened The Mastering Lab. One of the first big albums Sax mastered at The Mastering Lab was The Doors' debut album which was inducted into the Library of Congress on March 25, 2015.

The Mastering Lab uses equipment designed by Sherwood, which features handcrafted electronics, from the tape machines to the equalizers, compressors / limiters, A/D - D/A converters, and monitoring amplifiers. That, combined with his ears and expertise, helped Sax forge a long and successful career at The Mastering Lab. In 1970, Sax and Mayorga founded Sheffield Lab Recordings, an audiophile label which produced direct-to-disc classical and jazz albums.

In the 1970s, he helped establish the audiophile record company Sheffield Lab, with his friend Lincoln Mayorga. Known for their Direct-To-Disk and Live to 2-track recordings, they recorded such artists as Dave Grusin, Thelma Houston, Harry James, James Newton Howard, Michael Ruff, Pat Coil, and Clair Marlo.

By 1972, Sax was mastering 20% of the top 100 chart in Billboard magazine. Albums mastered by Sax and released in 1971 included such titles as The Who's Who's Next, Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Schmilsson, The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers and the Eagles' self-titled debut album. During his career, Sax cut thousands of LP masters with his custom designed, all-tube signal path including Pink Floyd's The Wall (and all subsequent Pink Floyd releases up to 2014's The Endless River), the reissue of the Slayer thrash metal group's Vinyl Conflict box set and Pantera vinyl reissues, the Eagles' Greatest Hits, and Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin.

Death

Sax died in Los Angeles on April 2, 2015, aged 78, from cancer.

Recording engineer and producer Al Schmitt released a statement on Sax's death:

Sorry to say but one of my dearest friends and in my opinion the greatest mastering engineer in the world passed away this morning. He mastered all of my recordings and I don't know what I will do without him. He taught me so many things. I will miss his silly jokes and the great lunches we had whenever I was mastering with him. I love you Doug Sax, mastering in heaven just got a lot better.

Selected works

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Awards

Grammy Awards

TEC Awards Sax has been nominated seven times for the Mix Foundation TEC Awards for Creative Achievement, winning twice for:

  • 2002 - Record Production/Album - Look of Love, Diana Krall
  • 2005 - Record Production/Album - Genius Loves Company, Ray Charles

AES (Audio Engineer Society) Lifetime Honorary Membership Award

References

  1. "7th Army Symphony". Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  2. "New Entries to National Recording Registry". Library of Congress. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  3. "Mastering Lab CEO". Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  4. "Engineers". Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2015..
  5. "Oral History - Doug Sax". Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  6. "Sheffield Lab History". Archived from the original on March 11, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  7. Legendary Mastering Engineer Doug Sax Has Passed Away, analogplanet.com; accessed April 5, 2015.
  8. "Technical Grammy winners 2004". Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  9. "Best Surround Album". Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  10. "Mix Foundation TEC Awards 2002". Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  11. "Mix Foundation TEC Awards for 2005". Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  12. "Oral History - Doug Sax". Retrieved March 20, 2015.

External links

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