One of the last great mastering engineers has passed away

LP cutting genius Stan Ricker has died, aged 79.

The loss of Stan Ricker, within months of the death of fellow mastering engineer Doug Sax, is sad news for the music industry.

Stan became known for his mastering and engineering achievements on landmark vinyl releases by The Beatles, Frank Zappa, Electric Light Orchestra, Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd and countless others.

He was a pioneer and strong advocate of half-speed mastering, a technique where the cutting lathe turns at exactly half the intended playback speed. This enables the cutting head double the time to cut complex analogue grooves into the lacquer, thereby maximising sonic accuracy.

Ricker refined the process, helping to usher in hi-fi labels like Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Reference Recordings and Windham Hill. [via Acoustic Sounds]

A genius in his field, Ricker continued to cut lacquers until his passing.

Watch our short film ‘Sculpting Sound: The Art of Vinyl Mastering’