Doug Sax

Early life

Sax was born in Los Angeles on April 26, 1936 to Mildred and Remy Sax. While attending Fairfax High School in West LA, Sax played the trumpet alongside trumpeter Herb Alpert. Upon graduation, Sax attended UCLA and then was drafted into the Army where he played trumpet in the 7th Army Symphony from 1959-1961.

Career

From an early age, Sax was interested in recorded sound, and although he had established a career as a symphonic trumpeter, on December 27, 1967, along with Lincoln Mayorga, a friend from junior high who had become a music arranger and pianist for Capitol Records, and Sax's older brother Sherwood (Bert), an engineer, he opened The Mastering Lab. One of the first big albums Sax mastered at The Mastering Lab was The Doors' debut album which was inducted into the Library of Congress on March 25, 2015.

The Mastering Lab uses equipment designed by Sherwood, which features handcrafted electronics, from the tape machines to the equalizers, compressors / limiters, A/D - D/A converters, and monitoring amplifiers. That, combined with his ears and expertise, helped Sax forge a long and successful career at The Mastering Lab. In 1970, Sax and Mayorga founded Sheffield Lab Recordings, an audiophile label which produced direct-to-disc classical and jazz albums.

By 1972, Sax was mastering 20% of the top 100 chart in Billboard magazine. Albums mastered by Sax and released in 1971 included such titles as The Who's Who's Next, Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Schmilsson, The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers and the Eagles' debut album. During his career, Sax cut thousands of LP masters with his custom designed, all-tube signal path including Pink Floyd's The Wall (and all subsequent Pink Floyd releases up to 2014's The Endless River), the reissue of the Slayer thrash metal group's Vinyl Conflict box set and Pantera vinyl reissues, the Eagles' Greatest Hits, and Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin.

Death

Sax died on April 2, 2015, aged 78, from cancer in Los Angeles.

Recording engineer and producer Al Schmitt released a statement on Sax's death:

Awards

Grammy Awards

2004 - Technical Grammy Award

2005 - Grammy Award for Best 5.1 Surround Sound Album for Genius Loves Company

2005 - Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Genius Loves Company

2005 - Grammy Award for Record of the Year for Genius Loves Company

TEC Awards

Sax has been nominated seven times for the Mix Foundation TEC Awards for Creative Achievement, winning twice for:

2002 - Record Production/Album - Look of Love, Diana Krall

2005 - Record Production/Album - Genius Loves Company, Ray Charles

AES (Audio Engineer Society) Lifetime Honorary Membership Award

Selected works

1967 Lincoln Mayorga and Distinguished Colleagues - Lincoln Mayorga

1967 The Doors - The Doors

1967 Absolutely Free - Frank Zappa

1970 Morrison Hotel - The Doors

1971 Fillmore East: June 1971 Frank Zappa

1971 L.A. Woman - The Doors

1971 Sticky Fingers- The Rolling Stones

1971 Who's Next - The Who

1971 Songs for Beginners - Graham Nash

1972 Exile on Main St. - The Rolling Stones

1972 No Secrets - Carly Simon

1972 Will the Circle Be Unbroken - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

1973 Crazy Eyes - Poco

1973 Living in the Material World - George Harrison

1973 Muscle of Love - Alice Cooper

1973 Ringo - Ringo Starr

1973 Takin' My Time - Bonnie Raitt

1974 Seven - Poco

1974 The Way We Were - Barbra Streisand

1975 Ambrosia - Ambrosia

1975 Andrew Gold - Andrew Gold

1975 Equinox - Styx

1975 Prisoner in Disguise - Linda Ronstadt

1975 Toys in the Attic - Aerosmith

1975 The Who by Numbers - The Who

1976 Breezin' - George Benson

1976 Glow - Al Jarreau

1976 Silk Degrees - Boz Scaggs

1976 The Art of Tea - Michael Franks

1977 A Place in the Sun - Pablo Cruise

1977 Running on Empty - Jackson Browne

1978 David Gilmour - David Gilmour (the 2006 remaster)

1978 Studio Tan - Frank Zappa

1978 You Don't Bring Me Flowers - Neil Diamond

1979 The Glow - Bonnie Raitt

1979 The Wall - Pink Floyd

1980 Mad Love - Linda Ronstadt

1980 Stand in the Fire - Warren Zevon

1980 The Jazz Singer - Neil Diamond

1981 A Collection of Great Dance Songs - Pink Floyd

1981 The Brothers Johnson - Winners

1981 El Rayo-X - David Lindley

1981 Mistaken Identity - Kim Carnes

1982 All Four One - The Motels

1982 Desire - Tom Scott

1982 Get Closer - Linda Ronstadt

1982 It's Hard - The Who

1982 Toto IV - Toto

1982 Voyeur - Kim Carnes

1982 Win This Record - David Lindley & El Rayo-X

1982 ...Famous Last Words... - Supertramp

1983 Caught in the Game - Survivor

1983 The Final Cut - Pink Floyd

1983 What's New - Linda Ronstadt

1984 Building the Perfect Beast - Don Henley

1984 Love Language - Teddy Pendergrass

1984 Lush Life - Linda Ronstadt

1984 About Face - David Gilmour

1984 The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking - Roger Waters

1985 Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston

1986 'Round Midnight with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra - Linda Ronstadt

1986 Double Vision - Bob James

1986 Every Beat of My Heart - Rod Stewart

1986 For Sentimental Reasons - Linda Ronstadt

1986 Innocent Eyes - Graham Nash

1986 Lives in the Balance - Jackson Browne

1986 Nine Lives - Bonnie Raitt

1986 Tutu - Miles Davis

1987 A Momentary Lapse of Reason - Pink Floyd

1987 Canciones de Mi Padre - Linda Ronstadt

1987 Collaboration - George Benson & Earl Klugh

1987 In My Tribe - 10,000 Maniacs

1987 I Prefer the Moonlight - Kenny Rogers

1988 Back to Avalon - Kenny Loggins

1988 Everything - The Bangles

1988 Old 8×10 - Randy Travis

1988 One More Story - Peter Cetera

1988 Other Roads - Boz Scaggs

1988 Power - Tower of Power

1988 Delicate Sound of Thunder - Pink Floyd

1988 See the Light - Jeff Healey

1988 Slow Turning - John Hiatt

1988 The Seventh One - Toto

1988 This Note's for You - Neil Young

1988 Very Greasy - David Lindley

1989 Amandla - Miles Davis

1989 New Pants - Flim & the BB's

1989 Nick of Time - Bonnie Raitt

1989 Spellbound - Joe Sample

1989 World in Motion - Jackson Browne

1990 Ashes to Ashes - Joe Sample

1990 The Language of Life - Everything but the Girl

1990 Blue Pacific - Michael Franks

1990 Heroes and Friends - Randy Travis

1990 Inside Out - Chick Corea Elektric Band

1990 Neck and Neck - Chet Atkins

1990 Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band - Ringo Starr

1990 Some People's Lives - Bette Midler

1990 That's What - Leo Kottke

1991 Back Home Again - Kenny Rogers

1991 Carry On - Patti Austin

1991 Divinyls - Divinyls

1991 For the Boys - Bette Midler

1991 Great Big Boy - Leo Kottke

1991 Hard at Play - Huey Lewis and the News

1991 Leap of Faith - Kenny Loggins

1991 Luck of the Draw - Bonnie Raitt

1991 Monster on a Leash - Tower of Power

1991 Shake Me Up - Little Feat

1991 The Prince of Tides - James Newton Howard

1991 Warm Your Heart - Aaron Neville

1992 Amused to Death - Roger Waters

1992 Home for Christmas - Amy Grant

1992 Joshua Judges Ruth - Lyle Lovett

1992 Shine On - Pink Floyd

1993 Across the Borderline - Willie Nelson

1993 A Single Woman - Nina Simone

1993 Breaking Silence - Janis Ian

1993 Duets - Frank Sinatra

1993 I'm Alive - Jackson Browne

1993 Live - James Taylor

1993 Stepping Out - Diana Krall

1993 Thousand Roads - David Crosby

1993 Time for Mercy - Jann Arden

1993 Traffic from Paradise - Rickie Lee Jones

1993 Unknown Road - Pennywise

1993 Unplugged…and Seated - Rod Stewart

1993 What's Love Got to Do With It - Tina Turner

1994 After the Storm - Crosby, Stills & Nash

1994 Cohen Live - Leonard Cohen

1994 The Division Bell - Pink Floyd (with James Guthrie)

1994 Crimson and Blue - Phil Keaggy

1994 Have a Little Faith - Joe Cocker

1994 I Love Everybody - Lyle Lovett

1994 Pink Floyd back catalog remastering

1994 Peter Frampton - Peter Frampton

1994 Rhythm of Love - Anita Baker

1994 This is Me - Randy Travis

1995 Feels Like Home - Linda Ronstadt

1995 Only Trust Your Heart - Diana Krall

1995 PULSE - Pink Floyd

1996 In My Lifetime - Neil Diamond

1996 Jo Dee Messina - Jo Dee Messina

1996 Peace on Earth - Kitaro

1996 Signs of Life - Steven Curtis Chapman

1996 The Road to Ensenada - Lyle Lovett

1996 Broken China - Rick Wright

1997 1+1 - Herbie Hancock

1997 Across from Midnight - Joe Cocker

1997 American Landscape - David Benoit

1997 Artist of My Soul - Sandi Patty

1997 Everywhere - Tim McGraw

1997 Love Among the Ruins - 10,000 Maniacs

1997 Love Scenes - Diana Krall

1997 Message for Albert - Five for Fighting

1997 So Long So Wrong - Alison Krauss & Union Station

1998 Faith - Faith Hill

1998 Gaia - Kitaro

1998 Hell Among the Yearlings - Gillian Welch

1998 I'm Alright - Jo Dee Messina

1998 Sittin' On Top of the World - LeAnn Rimes

1998 Trio II - Emmylou Harris

1999 Breathe - Faith Hill

1999 Forget About It - Alison Krauss

1999 One Guitar, No Vocals - Leo Kottke

1999 The Grass Is Blue - Dolly Parton

1999 The Song Lives On - Lalah Hathaway

1999 The Whole SHeBANG - SHeDAISY

1999 Tight Rope - Brooks & Dunn

1999 Twenty Four Seven - Tina Turner

2000 In the Flesh – Live - Roger Waters

2000 Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81 - Pink Floyd

2000 Live at Yoshi's - Dee Dee Bridgewater

2000 More Songs from Pooh Corner - Kenny Loggins

2000 Nickel Creek - Nickel Creek

2001 Big Wide Grin - Keb' Mo'

2001 Love, Shelby - Shelby Lynne

2001 Outside Inside - The String Cheese Incident

2001 Set This Circus Down - Tim McGraw

2001 This Way - Jewel

2001 Trouble in Shangri-La - Stevie Nicks

2001 Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd - Pink Floyd (with James Guthrie)

2002 Alice - Tom Waits

2002 At the Movies - Sting

2002 Cry - Faith Hill

2002 Home - Dixie Chicks

2002 Songs for Survivors - Graham Nash

2002 This Is New - Dee Dee Bridgewater

2003 A Thousand Kisses Deep - Chris Botti

2003 Live - Béla Fleck

2003 Smile - Lyle Lovett

2004 Crosby & Nash - Graham Nash

2004 Genius Loves Company - Ray Charles

2004 Heart & Soul - Joe Cocker

2004 The Chronicles of Life and Death - Good Charlotte

2005 Hillbilly Deluxe - Brooks & Dunn

2005 Hope and Desire - Susan Tedeschi

2005 Jagged Little Pill Acoustic - Alanis Morissette

2005 Jann Arden - Jann Arden

2005 Overtime - Lee Ritenour

2005 The Great American Songbook - Rod Stewart

2006 Like Red on a Rose - Alan Jackson

2006 Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing - Keith Urban

2006 On an Island - David Gilmour (with James Guthrie)

2007 Dirt Farmer - Levon Helm

2008 Solo Acoustic, Vol 1&2 - Jackson Browne

2008 Live in Gdańsk - David Gilmour

2008 Still Unforgettable - Natalie Cole

2009 Anything Goes - Herb Alpert

2009 Breakthrough - Colbie Caillat

2009 Electric Dirt - Levon Helm

2009 Free - Jann Arden

2009 Love Is the Answer - Barbra Streisand

2010 Live at the Troubadour - Carole King

2010 Songs from the Road - Leonard Cohen

2011 Midnight Sun - Dee Dee Bridgewater

2011 Pink Floyd vinyl remasters of The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall

2012 Kisses on the Bottom - Paul McCartney

2013 Back to Brooklyn - Barbra Streisand

2014 Live in Dublin - Leonard Cohen

2014 Croz - David Crosby

2014 The Endless River - Pink Floyd (vinyl edition)

2015 Shadows in the Night - Bob Dylan