Stow, OH (November 8, 2019)—Audio-Technica, the Recording, Radio and Film Connection (RRFC) and Clyne Media recently hosted the third annual Csaba Petocz Master Class Scholarship at Peter Frampton’s Studio Phenix in the Berry Hill district in Nashville.
The scholarship, which has become an annual audio education event created to honor the legacy of the producer/engineer, was held on November 2. The scholarship winners were selected by the Recording Connection to attend the advanced audio workshop conducted by four-time Grammy Award-winning mix engineer Chuck Ainlay. Four students attended the all-day session. Frampton donated the use of his studio for the day.
Master Class Looks Back, Encourages Next Gen Engineers
A three-time Grammy nominee with 37 number-one record credits and 32 platinum or multi-platinum albums, Petocz lived and recorded in Los Angeles and Nashville while working closely with artists including Metallica, Larry Carlton, John Michael Montgomery, Alanis Morissette, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello, Morrissey, Al Stewart and others.
The day began with Frank Wells, a past president of the Audio Engineering Society and the former chief of technical services for Glenn Meadows’ Masterfonics Studios who worked with Petocz regularly. He addressed the students about Petocz: his work ethic, his dry sense of humor, his quest for perfection in his work, his ability to choose the right tools/equipment for the job, and how his vision to contribute to a project made him a great engineer and an important collaborator with each artist he worked with.
The sessions began with Ainlay, with assistant engineer Todd Tidwell, taking the students into the control room to dissect The Peter Frampton Band’s recent release of the Willie Dixon-penned blues classic, “I Just Wanna Make Love to You,” on which Ainlay was credited as co-producer and mixing engineer. The session continued after lunch, with students getting a chance to do their own mix. The session wrapped up around 5 p.m. with parting gifts from Audio-Technica and the Recording Connection, followed by dinner at a nearby eatery.
“Csaba was a dear friend of mine, and I feel honored to have been chosen to teach this masterclass and help keep his legacy alive,” stated Chuck Ainlay. “I spent a good deal of time talking to the students and trying to emphasize the importance of interaction with the artist – a quality that Csaba always brought to his projects. I also want to thank Peter [Frampton] for donating the use of his studio for this worthwhile event and thank Audio-Technica and Recording Connection for putting this together.”
Roxanne Ricks, Audio-Technica artist relations manager, stated, “We are once again honored to hold this annual event that celebrates and furthers the legacy of Csaba Petocz. When I think of Csaba, I always think of his eagerness to help students and young engineers with advice and encouragement, so this event is a testament to his spirit.”
Audio-Technica • www.audio-technica.com
