Gear That Wins Grammys

Sir George Martin, Quincy Jones, David Foster, Jay-Z, Al Schmitt, Judith Sherman, Roger Nichols, Bob Ludwig. These are a handful of the esteemed producers and engineers who have won Grammy Awards. Aside from their accolades, talent, and expertise, each has one thing in common: they wouldn’t have earned music’s most prestigious award without the aid of recording technology.

To spotlight the individuals and companies that have made seismic technological contributions to music, the Recording Academy instituted the Technical Grammy Award in 1994. As you’d expect, the list of recipients reads like an A-list roster of pro audio royalty.

Here at Sweetwater, we’ve carried products from many of these luminaries for years, from microphones and headphones to EQs and recording consoles to interfaces, plug-ins, and beyond. Read on as we round up 22 esteemed Technical Grammy Award recipients, the iconic gear they masterminded, and the current products you can add to your studio to polish your recordings with a golden Grammy shine.

Rupert Neve (1997)George Massenburg (1998)Sony/Philips (1998)Georg Neumann GmbH (1999)AMS Neve plc (2000)Bill Putnam (2000) & Universal Audio (2009)Dr. Robert Moog (2002)Solid State Logic (2004)Yamaha Corporation (2007)Leo Fender (2009)AKG Acoustics Gmbh (2010)Roger Linn (2011)WAVES Audio Ltd. (2011)Celemony Software GmbH (2012)Royer Labs (2013)Ikutaro Kakehashi & Dave Smith (2013)Lexicon (2014)Dr. Raymond Kurzweil (2015)Tony Agnello & Richard Factor (2018)Saul Walker (2019)Dr. Andy Hildebrand (2023)

Rupert Neve (1997)

A founding father of pro audio, Rupert Neve opened his first factory, Neve Electronics, in 1961. In 1970, he introduced the groundbreaking 1073 amplifier module. The combination of its unique transformer-driven preamp and highly musical 3-band EQ made the 1073 the go-to pre for generations of top-tier recording engineers. Neve achieved gold-standard status with the introduction in 1974 of the flagship 8048 console with an updated 1081 preamp design. Rupert Neve’s legacy of audio innovation continued under the monikers of Rupert Neve Designs and AMS Neve until his passing in 2021. Some of his later offerings, including the best-selling 500 Series modules and the 5088 recording console, are considered just as integral. Despite his monumental contributions, Neve retained an astute perspective on technology’s role in music. “Technology must always be in service of the song and performance,” he once said.

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We Bid Farewell to Industry Legend Rupert Neve

George Massenburg (1998) 

George Massenburg’s work as a recording engineer spans more than 50 years and more than 400 albums, working with artists such as Herbie Hancock, James Taylor, Billy Joel, and Earth, Wind & Fire. However, his pioneering invention of the parametric EQ arguably headlines his résumé. Launching George Massenburg Labs in 1982, the company’s 8200 parametric equalizer flaunted immaculate signal paths and extended resolution and bandwidth, emerging as the industry standard for equalization. GML continues to manufacture some of the most respected equipment in the industry, outfitting studios with top-shelf EQs, mic preamps, channel strips, and a mastering EQ. Still, the most crucial resource in the studio, according to Massenburg, might surprise you. “There is not a question that cannot be addressed, that can’t be answered, or at least discussed, with critical listening,” Massenburg said. “Critical listening tells you everything you need to know.”

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Sony/Philips (1998)

Sony/Philips’ collective technological footprint is astounding. In 1950, Sony introduced Japan’s first magnetic recording tape. Years later, the company debuted its first professional audio product with the C-37A tube condenser microphone. In 1978, the PCM-1600 processor came to recording studios as a digital mastering recorder. Subsequent digital multitrack recorder models, such as the PCM-3324 and PCM-3348, were widely used in commercial studios in the 1980s and 1990s, including Grammy-winner Bob Ludwig’s Gateway Mastering Studios. Sony and Philips codeveloped the game-changing compact disc format, introducing digital audio to the world. Whether you know musicians, audiophiles, gamers, or content creators, they probably own a Sony product.

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Georg Neumann GmbH (1999)

Peek inside the mic locker at any world-class studio, and it’s a safe bet you’ll find one or multiple Neumann microphones. And it’s no coincidence. Founded in 1928 in Berlin by Georg Neumann, the company developed everything from phonograph record-cutting machines to rechargeable batteries. Multiple Neumann microphones have become milestones of professional audio technology. The U 47 represented the first switchable-pattern condenser mic. While the U 67 is considered a studio workhorse, the U 87 is arguably the most highly regarded mic in the world. Outfitted with an innovative suite of features, such as FET technology, an onboard 10dB pad, a highpass filter, and three polar patterns, the U 87 is a crown jewel for recording everything from vocals to guitar cabs to congas.  

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The History of the Legendary Neumann U 87

AMS Neve plc (2000) 

Established in 1992, AMS Neve merged Advanced Music Systems and Neve Electronics in an effort to leverage the former’s cutting-edge digital expertise and the latter’s renowned analog reputation. AMS was formed in 1976 by electronics engineer Mark Crabtree, who helmed innovations like the Logic 1, the first dynamically configurable, fully automated digital mixing console for professional applications. Today, AMS Neve consoles such as the 8424 and Genesys offer producers and engineers an opportunity to leverage golden-age-of-analog aesthetics with modern digital functionality. Aside from its Technical Grammy, AMS Neve has received two Technical Oscars and an Emmy for pioneering digital audio achievements in film and television.

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Bill Putnam (2000) & Universal Audio (2009) 

Among the first to use reverberation and echo for commercial recordings, United Western Recorders founder Bill Putnam is considered a trailblazer in recording studio acoustics. He developed the first multiband equalizers, designed consoles, conceived ambient microphone techniques, and pioneered stereophonic recording, making the breadth of his impact challenging to measure. Universal Audio, also founded by the late Putnam, is now overseen by his sons James and Bill, Jr. Keeping the legacy of Putnam, Sr., alive and well, the company applies the same quality and attention to detail to their digital realm offerings. Indeed, Universal Audio plug-ins and hardware offer the best of old-world hardware and modern convenience, evidenced by offerings like the 1176 Classic Limiter Collection and the 6176 Vintage Channel Strip.

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Dr. Robert Moog (2002)

Though his original aspirations centered around the theremin, Dr. Robert Moog would go on to make waves in another musical arena. At the 1964 AES Convention, Moog demonstrated the first modular synthesizer, a precursor to the Moog I, II, and III modular synthesizers. And the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. As the mid-1960s unfurled, the palette of pop music expanded with the new sonic possibilities being explored by Moog, Don Buchla, and others. The Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, Wendy Carlos, and the Beatles were just a few artists evoking more sonic colors via a Moog synthesizer. But if the instrument had one drawback, it was its impractical size. Dr. Moog answered with the minimoog in 1970. This portable — and more affordable — iteration had a monumental cross-genre impact, garnering the embrace of everyone from Chick Corea and Miles Davis to Keith Emerson and Kraftwerk, cementing the Moog synthesizer as an expressive instrument in the process.

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Solid State Logic (2004)

When Solid State Logic debuted its SL 4000 B Series console in 1976, it revolutionized the music industry by integrating computer-automated mixing. In 1979, the SL 4000 E Series took automation to yet another plateau with its Total Recall system. The award-winning SL 8000 G Series was introduced for music and film surround sound work, and the SL 9000 J Series mixing console incorporated SuperAnalogue technology, utilizing a capacitor-free signal path to achieve very high bandwidth with extremely low distortion. So ubiquitous was the SSL brand that a 1996 Billboard magazine reported that 83% of the #1 singles that year were created using an SSL mixing console. Today, with a current footprint extending into plug-ins, audio interfaces, and controllers, the company’s revolutionary creations reflect unerring sonic quality.

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Yamaha Corporation (2007)

Since 1887, product offerings from Yamaha have run the gamut, from pianos, drums, and guitars to amplifiers, speakers, woodwinds, synthesizers, and recording equipment. Regarding pro audio, the company’s benchmarks include the REV-1 digital reverb unit, introduced in 1984, which accurately re-created three-dimensional ambient effects for the first time. NS-10 studio reference monitors became a studio mainstay in facilities worldwide. The Yamaha 02R recording and mixing console emerged as the template for the next generation of music recording in the digital realm, with digital interface capability to all popular audio formats. Having expanded its line of powerful consoles and mixers, including the DM1000, DM2000, 01V96, and 02R96 systems, Yamaha has continued to advance technology with innovative offerings, stretching into live performance with multifaceted mix consoles, such as the landmark PM1D.

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Leo Fender (2009) 

As popular music exploded in the 1950s and 1960s, Fender fueled the instrumental momentum with its range of seminal instruments and amplifiers. The man behind the magic? Clarence “Leo” Fender. And his creations? The company’s Fender Twin-Amp and Fender Twin Reverb are still considered by many to be the benchmark of guitar tone. The Stratocaster and the Telecaster stand among the most influential instruments ever made, wielded by everyone from Buddy Holly to H.E.R. Leo Fender’s impact extended into the 4-string realm, too, with the P and J Basses and the Fender Bassman amp. While Leo’s tenure with his namesake company secured legendary status, his impressive legacy extended further to Music Man (currently Ernie Ball Music Man), where he oversaw the StingRay bass, and G&L, a company he founded with George Fullerton to leverage guitars with enhanced electronics.

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AKG Acoustics Gmbh (2010) 

AKG microphones have helped shape the sound of music for more than seven decades. Dr. Rudolf Goerike and Ernst Pless worked on transducers in a Vienna basement after World War II, and their microphones were soon utilized in radio stations, theaters, and jazz joints. Flagship products have included the C 12, the world’s first remote-controlled large-diaphragm, multi-pattern capacitor mic. Meanwhile, the D 12 represented the first dynamic microphone with cardioid characteristics, making it a favorite for kick drums. The C414 heralded a shift from tube to solid-state technology. More innovations followed, including the D202 and D224 microphones, CMS modular condenser mic system, and AKG Transversal Suspension system. Meanwhile, AKG headphones, led by the company’s legendary K series, represent impeccable quality, making their way into recording studios and the homes of discerning audiophiles.

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Roger Linn (2011) 

There was a time when artists were reticent to incorporate programmed drums into their music. No stranger to defying convention, Roger Linn introduced the LM-1 Drum Computer in 1979, the world’s first programmable sampled-sound drum machine. The sounds generated by his machines were used on countless classics, including albums and hits by Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Peter Gabriel. He also developed the cutting-edge AdrenaLinn for guitarists, an effects processor spanning filter sequences, random filter patterns, synced modulation, and delay effects. Likewise, the Roger Linn Design LinnStrument, an expressive MIDI controller for musical performance, enables musical expression rivaling that of fine acoustic instruments. Linn also had a stint with Akai Professional, where he presided over the MPC60 and MPC3000, machines that would help give rise to hip-hop and further establish his indelible impression on music technology.

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WAVES Audio Ltd. (2011) 

Since its founding in 1992, Waves Audio has leveraged technology with analog roots. That same year, it offered its first audio plug-in, the Q10 paragraphic EQ. The company has become synonymous with digital technology as a leading developer of plug-ins and signal processors. Waves’ cutting-edge software and hardware processors are heard on smash records, major motion pictures, and popular video games worldwide. They are used in every aspect of audio production, from tracking to mixing to mastering. So impressive are Waves Audio digital re-creations of units — such as the SSL G-Equalizer and API 550B 4-band equalizer — that many producers and engineers comparing the Waves version to the real version can’t tell the difference. Or, as Sir George Martin once said more succinctly, “Waves is synonymous with excellence.” 

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Celemony Software GmbH (2012) 

Since its introduction at the NAMM Show in the winter of 2001, Melodyne has been recognized for its innovation and steadfast contribution to the recording process. While nothing can replace a human voice or an actual instrument, Melodyne is a window into what is possible when technology and artistry intersect. Melodyne can correct out-of-tune notes on a piano track, change chords in a harmonic accompaniment, or manipulate timing. Founded in 2000 by Peter Neubäcker in conjunction with his wife, Dr. Hildegard Sourgens, and software developer Carsten Gehle, Munich-based company Celemony serves thousands of users worldwide. With tools like Melodyne at their disposal, artists, producers, and engineers are empowered to achieve the exact level of musical perfection they desire and save hundreds of hours in the process.

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Royer Labs (2013)

Led by founder Dave Royer, Royer Labs emerged in 1998 with a singular purpose: to reintroduce ribbon microphones to the recording industry. At the time, most music makers had no interest in ribbons. But Royer Labs’ offerings changed many opinions on the topic. The R-121 was the first compact, lightweight, high-sound, pressure-level-capable ribbon mic that could be used as a close mic on a loud guitar cabinet without fear of blowing up the ribbon element — a significant breakthrough that caught the ears of studio pros. The R-121 also became a standard for brass instruments and drums. Royer also developed the world’s first phantom-powered ribbon mic — the R-122 — and the R-122V tube ribbon mic. No mic locker is complete without a ribbon mic. Royer Labs claims its mics allow you to “hear like your ears.” Set one up on your track, and you’ll be inclined to agree.

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Ikutaro Kakehashi & Dave Smith (2013) 

With more than 50 years of innovation that continues to shape the sound of modern music, Roland — initially spearheaded by founder Ikutaro Kakehashi — has set standards with its keyboards and synthesizers, guitar products, electronic percussion, digital recording equipment, amplifiers, and audio processing devices. Meanwhile, Sequential has been a driving force in synthesizers and electronic instruments since being founded by Dave Smith in the mid-’70s. Aside from each company’s integral contributions, the founders cooperated to yield one of the biggest technological breakthroughs in music: MIDI. Prior to 1983, hours, days — sometimes weeks — were required in recording studios to get synthesizers and drum machines in alignment with each other. At the NAMM Show in the winter of 1983, Kakehashi and Smith “connected” the Roland JP-6 and Sequential Circuits Prophet 600, enabling them to “talk” to one another via MIDI. Four decades later, this global standard continues to be used by thousands of musicians worldwide.

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MIDI: 40 Years of Changing the World

Lexicon (2014) 

With a rich, 50-plus-year history, it’s no hyperbole to say Lexicon established a new lexicon of digital effects processing electronics. The company’s 224 digital reverb debuted in 1978; it represented arguably the most advanced processing device, spanning enhancements such as echo, delay, time shift, and reverb. Armed with this tool, engineers now possessed superpowers for controlling ambience and spatial elements. The PCM series offered smaller options, including the PCM70, which added multi-effects. In the ’90s, Lexicon continued the PCM series with two new units: the PCM80 reverb/multi-effects unit and the PCM90 digital reverb. Today, Lexicon offers a variety of plug-ins, allowing studio professionals of all stripes to add a dash of the distinctive “Lexicon Sound” to their recordings.

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Dr. Raymond Kurzweil (2015) 

Remarkably, at age five — when most children learn the alphabet — Raymond Kurzweil already dreamed about becoming an inventor. By 15, he wrote his first significant computer program, and by 25, he launched his company, Kurzweil Computer Products. Later, Kurzweil crafted the K250 under his Kurzweil Music Systems company. This landmark synth revolutionized music with re-creations of the sounds of grand pianos and brass, percussion, string, and woodwind instruments. Later digital instruments continued to push the boundaries and unlock creativity, including K2000, PC88, K2600, PC3, and Forte. Dubbed the “rightful heir to Thomas Edison,” Dr. Kurzweil and his creations are seen and heard everywhere, from basement studios to Super Bowl stages.

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Tony Agnello & Richard Factor (2018) 

It’s hard to imagine the modern recording studio without the boundary-pushing advancements of Eventide. The company was founded in 1971 in a New York City basement, and Richard Factor and Tony Agnello presided over such ingenuities as the original H910 Harmonizer, the world’s first commercially available pitch-changing device. The SP2016, launched in 1982, was one of the first digital reverbs, armed with natural-sounding algorithms that offered complex early reflection patterns, realistic density, and smooth tails. The Omnipressor, which debuted in the early 1970s, comprised a compressor, limiter, gate, and expander in one. In the ’80s and ’90s, units like the H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer further pushed the capability of sound, depth, and dimension within the recording process. More recently, Eventide’s impressive suite of plug-ins spans re-creations of its classic gear, helping legions of musicians to shape the sound beyond the scope of imagination.

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Saul Walker (2019)

API‘s lineage dates back to World War I, when Saul Walker worked as an electrical engineer for the United States Navy. One of his earliest innovations was the 2520 discrete circuit op-amp, a historic design still utilized in virtually all of API’s products to this day. Walker also invented the groundbreaking 500 Series module, which served as the building block for all future API consoles, allowing preamps and equalizers to fit interchangeably into uniform-sized slots on the desk. Walker helmed many other API innovations, including the 312 mic preamp, 325 line amp, 512 mic preamp, 1604 console, and the 550A equalizer. In 2006, API launched the VPR Alliance, an open-source program to standardize the 500 Series platform for third-party companies. This initiative further cemented Walker’s modular vision as a modern engineering mainstay.

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API Founder Saul Walker Passes Away at 89

Dr. Andy Hildebrand (2023)

In the mid-’90s, geophysics engineer Dr. Andy Hildebrand had a lightbulb moment when he realized that the algorithms he created to map the earth’s surface by sending out sound waves and recording their reflections could be used to detect audio pitch. Little did Hildebrand know his resulting Antares Auto-Tune software, released in 1997, would become synonymous with automatic pitch correction. Beyond its groundbreaking technology that helped vocalists achieve an immaculate vocal take, Auto-Tune became a pop culture fixture when it debuted on Cher’s heavily processed vocal on her 1998 #1 smash, “Believe.” Subsequently, T-Pain incorporated Auto-Tune on many of his hits in the aughts, bringing the technology into rap and presaging future usage by artists like Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott, and Lil Uzi Vert. While Auto-Tune can be a hot topic of discussion in the music community, its longevity and scope of influence have proved its mettle as a viable studio tool.

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What Grammy-winning Gear Do You Need to Add to Your Studio?

Whether it’s a plug-in, a pair of headphones, a microphone, or a new interface or console, Sweetwater is your number one resource for all your studio needs. Moreover, Sweetwater’s Gear Exchange has an array of amazing used gear to browse. Have any questions? Call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700, and they’ll be happy to show you how you can add some Grammy magic to your recordings!
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