BLUES  IN BROOKLYN: JOE LAMBERT MASTERING USES LAVRYBLUE CONVERTERS FOR BLACK CROWES, DEERHUNTER

Boutique Mastering House Gets Maximum Results Via Total D/A and A/D Accuracy of LavryBlue Modular Conversion System From Lavry Engineering

NEW YORK: When it comes to music production, Brooklyn is done with being Manhattan’s little brother. Now, the borough whose name means “Broken Land” has become the home base for a whole new generation of indie bands that have fled the crowded conditions and high rents of The Big Apple.   

Rising up around this tidal wave of independent artists and labels are an influx of tracking, mixing and mastering facilities on call to meet their needs. Step off of the “F” train at York -- the first stop in Brooklyn – and you find yourself in the DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) district, where old warehouses have been reborn as advanced music factories for rock, hip hop, electronica and DJs.

Step into one such waterfront location, wind through the industrial hallways, and you’ll find Joe Lambert of Joe Lambert Mastering. This top engineer with a passion for sound is one of the latest to make the move from Manhattan to Brooklyn’s thriving scene, and equipped with his own world-class room featuring LavryBlue A/D and D/A converters, he’s never been happier.

Lambert has started off 2009 with a long list of high-profile projects, including the Black Crowes’ double-CD live album Warpaint Live, Deerhunter’s Microcaste, and Annimal Colletcive’s Merriweather Post Pavillion. Whether the release is from a major icon or an indie band on a shoestring, however, Lambert’s philosophy remains the same.

“To me, there’s only one way to work: Make the record as magical and great-sounding as you can,” says Lambert. “When an artist comes in here, their record is the most important record to me. It has nothing to do with how much you pay. We’re set up to deal with the modern recording industry where a lot of people are working on their own, or on labels with budgets that are much smaller.

“We’re set up to take advantage of that, be helpful to them and get them the best quality in an affordable way. At the same time, there haven’t been any corners cut in this facility – this was a very expensive room to build, and we’ve got the best gear in the world.”

Before opening his own room Lambert engineered in globally-recognized rooms including Classic Sound and Trutone. In each facility he was exposed to the difference that elite gear – and converters in particular – can make on a mastering project. “I always stress how important conversion is to the mastering process-- the converters are the entry way to every other piece of gear,” Lambert stresses. “When you do conversion right it’s not what you hear, it’s what you don’t hear: the low end, mid range and upper mids stay intact.”  

Accustomed to the extreme transparency of the industry-standard LavryGold line from his previous facilities, Lambert looked to the LavryBlue to bring him the famed Lavry performance in a more cost-effective package. “The LavryBlue sounds wonderful, and I don’t have to break the bank to get them,” explains Lambert. “They’re incredibly accurate, and that’s what I need. When I’m evaluating converters I ask, ‘Does the stereo image hold up? Does the low end hold up? Does the top end sound the same as if it were on tape?’ Dan Lavry really understands conversion, and with the LavryBlue I can trust my ears.”

The LavryBlue Modular A/D D/A Conversion System provides 44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96kHz sampling frequencies. Featuring Lavry’s exclusive αβC αcoustic βit Correction®, CrystalLock™, and wide vari- speed operation, the LavryBlue can be configured in 2 to 8 channels A/D, D/A  or a combination of both, and is also available along with MicPre modules in one space-saving unit. The LavryBlue’s A/D cards allow the selection of various word lengths, Analog or Digital soft saturation, and dither with αβC αcoustic βit Correction® noise shaping. Other features include LED metering, reference meter mode, peak detection and front panel gain control. Lavry’s extremely transparent conversion may use internal crystals or externally lock to Word Clock or AES signal.

The Brooklyn buzz just keeps getting louder and louder, and Joe Lambert is right at the center of it with his LavryBlue D/A always serving as the entryway into his signal path, and the LavryBlue A/D the final stop in the processing chain. “I want to get everything from every song – why else would I dedicate my life to making records?” he says. “My job is to help people make the most out of their music. It’s a challenge, it’s fun, and it’s what I love to do.”
   
About Lavry Engineering:
Lavry Engineering, located in Poulsbo, Washington, was founded by digital audio expert Dan Lavry in 1993. The company specializes in products for professional audio, broadcast, audiophile and surround markets designed to satisfy the growing demand for hi-res digital audio performance. Lavry Engineering’s Gold, Black and Blue product lines offer a range of systems accommodating a wide range of budgets and applications. For more information, please visit www.lavryengineering.com.

All referenced product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
About Joe Lambert Mastering:
For more information, please visit www.joelambertmastering.com