Vanessa Fernandez Records All Analog Audiophile Project
Pictured (L-R) in the cutting room are producer Ying Tan, producer/engineer Michael C Ross, and mastering engineer Bernie Grundman. Photo by David Goggin.
Top engineer/producer Michael C Ross has completed a pure analog audiophile project with mastering engineer Bernie Grundman featuring recording artist Vanessa Fernandez. For the collection of Led Zeppelin songs co-produced by Ying Tan, the tracks were recorded to 2-inch tape at United Recording and mixed to quarter-inch 2-track tape, which went direct to the lathe at Bernie’s.
Ross has a credit list that includes Christina Aguilera, David Sanborn, Pussycat Dolls, Lisa Loeb, Queen Latifah, and Vanessa Carlton, among scores of others. “The project with Vanessa is a recording dream come true,” Ross commented. “From the superb Studio B at United to the incredible mastering suite at Bernie’s, it is a return to the golden age of recording. It was an honor to work with Bernie, who actually started his career with vinyl.”
Recording artist Vanessa Fernandez is covering a selection of Led Zeppelin songs performed in mostly “unplugged” acoustic arrangements, with a few hard rock surprises. Tim Pierce, the guitarist/arranger of Fernandez’s debut album “Use Me” provided the guitar and arranging honors once again. Top LA-based session musicians included Jim Keltner on drums, Chris Chaney (Jane’s Addiction) on bass), Luis Conte (James Taylor, Santana, Eric Clapton, Al Di Meola) on percussion), and Jim Cox on keyboards.
Led Zeppelin numbers covered by Fernandez include “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You,” “Kashmir,” “Lemon Song,” “Immigrant Song,” and the title cut “When The Levee Breaks.” The triple LP package will include a 12-inch bonus LP with an extended rock version of “Whole Lotta Love” for a total music program of 11 tracks spread over 6 sides.
In attendance at the mastering sessions was Michael Fremer, analog guru and senior writer/reviewer at Stereophile magazine. He has posted needle drop video of one of the LP tracks, “Kashmir.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whlf9PEONGM
The triple LP 180g Groove Note Records “When The Levee Breaks” is scheduled for June release and debuts at T.H.E. Show in Newport Beach, CA. June 3rd-5th
– Also available on Hybrid Dual Layer SACD format
– Available from www.elusivedisc.com
ABOUT BERNIE GRUNDMAN MASTERING
The name Bernie Grundman is synonymous with Mastering. His world-renowned facilities, responsible for a consistently large percentage of chart recordings, were launched in 1984. In 1997, Grundman opened his Tokyo mastering studios and in 1998 relocated to expanded facilities in Hollywood. Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood operates six studios, including a 5.1 mastering room. All processing devices can be completely bypassed, resulting in sonic quality that is unsurpassed in the mastering industry. Virtually all digital and analog formats are accepted for mastering, with the facility providing high quality disk masters, and sub-masters for CD. Grundman’s custom consoles are built in-house with all discrete electronics.
http://berniegrundmanmastering.com
