Interview with Don Grossinger, Longtime DMM Cutter, Mastering Engineer, and Radio Host

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I spoke with the venerable Don Grossinger about mastering vinyl records, with an emphasis on his 15+ years cutting Direct Metal Mastering (DMM) coppers, first at Masterdisk, then at Europadisk.
After years of doing FOH sound for the likes of Ron Carter, McCoy Tyner, Joe Pass and Elvin Jones in Washington, DC, Don returned to his native New York in the early 80s and started working at Frankford/Wayne Mastering where he learned the trade from mastering innovator Dominick Romeo (Phil Spector, Tina Turner, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones).
Don then moved on to Masterdisk, where he started as Bob Ludwig's production engineer, but then had his own clients such as Mariah Carey, The Police, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, N.W.A. and Run-DMC. There Don also learned to cut on the DMM lathe.
From Masterdisk, Don moved on to become the head of mastering at Europadisk for 9 years, cutting copper DMM masters for Guided by Voices, Variations on a Theme by Om, Apple O' by Deerhoof, the Perspectives Musicales series by Sonic Youth, The Soft Bulletin by the Flaming Lips and countless others.
Don reveals that he cut the world record longest single side of an album (30 minutes), that his cut of Brian Wilson's Smile from 2004 is all analog, and much more.
Don's mastering studio: www.dongrossinger.com
Don's "Morning Dew" radio show:
Saturdays 10pm-1am Eastern on WFDU 89.1 FM, streaming at WFDU.fm
Tunedinradio/iHeartRadio/Alexa
More videos of Don Grossinger:
/ @dongrossinger5409
• Don Grossinger PT1 Int...
• Don Grossinger Pt2 Int...

Опубликовано:

18 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 16

@rodders215 Год назад

This is such a document. Thank you. The best DMM pressings were with Don at the helm.

@brokewithaudiophiletaste6076 Год назад

Thank you! I'm glad he was willing to talk to me. He had some great things to share.

@djjoeykmusic 2 года назад

Great interview. Wonderful video Thank you

@michaeltrochalakis6526 2 года назад

GZ Media still runs at least 4 DMM lathes for their in house mastering. They run their lathes 24/7, around the clock.

@brokewithaudiophiletaste6076 2 года назад

I didn't know that, but yeah, it's right there on their website

@AndreasSchmidtHappens 2 года назад

yes, you did it again ! great insights in the life of DG. and i got many informations on DMM. beside i have not too many DMM LP´s. now spinning a 1985 DMM johnny griffin BLUE NOTE, which sounds wonderful. ( i bought that in 1985, as i wanted a johnny griffin LP, sure could not afford an original blue note ). the DMM came from TELEFUNKEN in germany. i have a book with some pictures from a DMM production series i just looked at ....... i guess you made don happy with your enthusiasm and i could feel your joy in doing the interview. .... more to come ! alles gute und bis bald ....... falls du mal tonmeister interviewen magst, die im jazz zu hause sind .... sascha von oertzen kenne ich noch aus berlin. bei michael brobry in Brooklyn hab ich mal aufgenommen. ich habe eine CD mit Max Bolleman aufgenommen, der hunderte von jazzplatten machte. und bei TRAUMTON mit Wolfgang Loos, der auch professor an der UDK ist. ... vielleicht hast du mal lust auf Tonmeister und deren welt, dann grüss die von mir .......

@brokewithaudiophiletaste6076 2 года назад

Thanks again, Andreas. Yes, of course, Telefunken... I remembered it was a German innovation but couldn't remember who. The engineers you mention I'm sure would be interesting to talk to. I just don't have a connection to their work, which is what I need for enthusiasm and motivation. I would, however, be curious about anyone who is still working with analog equipment in the German-speaking world. I played in a band in Vienna 10 years ago and when it came time to record an album, I wanted to do it all analog. But my (Viennese) bandmates said it just didn't exist there anymore. I wonder if anyone is doing anything similar to Electrical Audio or Tiny Telephone (each small, independent, analog studios) in Europe?

@costume5922 2 года назад

I love these interviews with the mastering engineers. Don seems really cool. I'll check out the stuff he worked on.

@brokewithaudiophiletaste6076 2 года назад

Glad you're digging them. This interview with Don has gotten less attention than some of the others because he isn't as well known these days, but I thought he had a lot of interesting things to say.

@costume5922 2 года назад

@@brokewithaudiophiletaste6076 This one and Kevin Gray have been my two favorites so far. The views will continue to go up. This is great content that will still be relevant and watched in 50 years. Don't worry about the view count right now my friend. Just keep putting in the work. I like DMM cuts. Especially those Nirvana ones of In Utero and Incesticide.

@rainbowheart2728 2 года назад

"... the speeches of L . Ron Hubbard and a few Slayer records!!!! " 🤭🤭🤭🤭 That's so good! Awesome interview, Ian. I've got some jazz DMM pressings that sound pretty good and a ton of DMM New Age / Ambient that sounds fantastic! Really seems to shine with chimes, and harps and synthesizers ... i.e. little to no bass. I've got the 2013 mix of In Utero which is DMM and 45 rpm, but I really don't think it sounds very good, unfortunately... quite compressed. But in general DMM is not a turn off for me. Thanks for this!

@brokewithaudiophiletaste6076 2 года назад

He's a sweet guy and it was cool to hear about DMM from someone who was actually doing it. On my list of questions for Kevin Gray was to ask him what he doesn't like about DMM. I imagine it's what you're talking about here and that it imparts a certain sound. But I wish I would have asked so that I could have presented his response to Don to see what he had to say. Oh well, missed opportunity. But, yeah, he provided a lot of insight here into how it all worked for the 15-20 years that it was viable in the US.

@rainbowheart2728 2 года назад

@@brokewithaudiophiletaste6076 wow, I didn't know that KPG dislikes DMM, (I knew about his deal with Half speed mastering). I would be interested in hearing some of that rap and hip-hop Don has cut. Like I said the jazz DMM I've got still sounds quite good. Super curious about The Soft Bulletin press you talked about. I have the Vinyl Me Please version which sounds absolutely incredible ( cut by RKS). P.S. I've just revisited my copy of In Utero 2013 mix... That thing sounds great! I don't know what I thinking about!

@benrankins4446 2 года назад

Sorry it took me so long to get to this one Ian. Fascinating stuff. Yet again you're a natural interviewer with interesting questions and give your subject plenty of space to answer in detail. Much prefer your style than the regular sound bite kiss arse interviews.

@brokewithaudiophiletaste6076 2 года назад

Thanks, Ben. It's a lot to ask of people, to watch an hour-long interview with someone they may or may not care much about. But definitely don't feel pressure to watch my stuff. What you see, you see, what you don't you don't. Don was a disarmingly sweet guy. There was an edit towards the end that went awry and I don't know how to undo it. What was partially lost was him talking about setting a world record for most minutes of music on one side of an LP with ~30 on a Journey best-of album, which could only really be done with DMM. I've got another hum-dinger (is that said in Oz?) of an interview scheduled for a week from Friday... hopefully it actually happens 🤞

@benrankins4446 2 года назад

@@brokewithaudiophiletaste6076 I have been watching it in increments at morning tea & lunch breaks. I don't feel pressure mate. I honestly really like your vid's & I squeeze them in when I can. We would say a ripper, but I think I first heard hum-dinger in a Bob Dylan song and new exactly what it meant by the context 😂