AL SCHMITT (1930-2021). On the first session we ever did together, I came into the control room to listen to a playback. Although it was only the first take, the board mix felt like a finished record already. What was Al doing to make it sound so good?? I checked out the Neve: the faders were at Zero and he was barely using any eq. I looked under the board - surely there was a hidden compressor and some outboard gear that was hyping the sound but, no.....what I soon learned was that Al started mixing when he placed the microphones in front of the instruments - the recording sounded finished before it even hit the tape. He had a profound sense of both the physics of sound and the mystical, intuitive nature of music. The breadth of his discography is unparalleled - Al could glide from Sam Cooke, Eddie Fisher and The Jefferson Airplane to Sinatra, Elvis and Bob Dylan without missing a beat. His genius was exceeded only by his kind heart, generous spirit and humility. He was the greatest of em all and nobody can fill his shoes. 📷 Earl Gibson III. #alschmitt