Al Schmitt on the Record

Ever wonder what goes into the creation of some of the best music ever recorded? Ever wonder how someone becomes an iconic professional who is universally admired and respected? Al Schmitt on the Record: The Magic Behind the Music reveals answers to those questions and more.

In this memoir of one of the most respected engineers of all time, you'll see how a very young boy – mentored by his uncle Harry in New York – progressed through the recording world in its infancy, under the mentorship of Tom Dowd, in its heyday, becoming one of the all-time great recording engineers. And now today Al continues as an unstoppable force at the top of the recording world with his name on mega-hits from the likes of Paul McCartney, Diana Krall, and Dylan. Al's credits include a veritable who's who of the music world.

Reading the compelling accounts of Al's life in the studio, you'll see how he has been able to stay at the top of his game since the '50s, and you'll experience what is was like behind the scenes and in-the-studio during of many of his historic, impactful recordings. Schmitt also shares many of the recording techniques and creative approaches that have set him apart, including his approach to microphones, effects, and processors, and he even shares setup diagrams from many of his highly-lauded recording sessions!

Al Schmitt has worked with the best and brightest in the recording industry, including Jackson Browne, Dr. Dre, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Usher, and Neil Young, to name just a few. He has recorded and mixed over 150 gold and platinum records and earned twenty Grammy Awards and two Latin Grammy Awards for his work by such artists as Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Chick Corea, Quincy Jones, Diana Krall, Luis Miguel, Paul McCartney, Steely Dan, and Toto.

Schmitt was inducted into the TEC Awards Hall of Fame in 1997, and received a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. In 2015, he was presented with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the Capitol Records building – the first engineer to be so honored. He lives in Los Angeles.

Maureen Droney, currently Managing Director of the Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing, is a former recording engineer for artists including George Benson, Aretha Franklin, John Hiatt, Whitney Houston, Tower of Power, and Carlos Santana. Prior to joining the Recording Academy, she was the Los Angeles editor for Mix magazine, as well as a contributor to numerous other performing arts publications. She is also the author of the book Mix Masters: Platinum Engineers Share Their Secrets for Success and coauthor of The Pensado Papers, about the rise of the audio industry web phenomenon, Pensado's Place. She lives in Woodland Hills, California.