Phil Ramone has always been known for his great production and engineering ability. He’s also famous for designing one of the best studios in New York, and possibly the world, A&R Recording studios. He’s been a teacher and a mentor to countless young engineers, including myself. Phil has always been on the cutting edge with new technology; always the first to give something new a chance. Countless manufacturers came to Phil to beta test their products. I can still remember Ray Dolby bringing in his original 301 noise-reduction unit for Phil to try. He was the first to try satellite technology to link studios around the world and record master vocals.
Illustration: Rob Kelly
With at least 50 million records sold as a producer, he proved that engineers could be more than geeks. In the ’60s, he wore apple seeds around his neck and owned a pretty good baseball team. To this day, he is still my mentor and teacher.
— Elliot Scheiner, producer/engineer