Steve Crimmel: Creative Cow Audio Pros forum host


	COW Leaders : Steve Crimmel

Creative COW Forum Host, Web Writer, Contributing Editor

Steve Crimmel
Painted Sky Studios
Cambria, California USA

Steve Crimmel is an audio engineer whose work over the years has spanned an amazing career. He has worked with everyone from Quincy Jones and Frank Sinatra, to the Doors and Supertramp. He has engineered sessions for Ry Cooder and Jackson Browne. Many of Lionel Ritchie's hits, both with and without the Commodores, were engineered by Steve Crimmel and the walls of his Cambria, California-based Painted Sky Studios are adorned with Gold Records like the one for Neil Diamond -- whose E.T. classic, ''(Turn On Your) Heartlight'' -- was engineered by Steve. He has also engineered sessions for artists such as Kenny Loggins, with whom he worked for a couple of projects. But don't let the big names fool you, Steve enjoys working with smaller and independent artists that he can help get just the right sound for their project -- whether it's pop, jazz, blues, rock, metal, country or any of the other forms of music. Steve loves music.

But you'll have to talk to his wife to find out about the artists with whom Steve has worked, she'll tell you, whereas Steve probably won't...

"Steve is one of the quietest and most unassuming people you will ever meet. I had known him for quite some time before I ever found out some of the things he'd worked on," says Creative Cow's Ron Lindeboom. "It was only after I had a chance to speak with his wife that I learned some of the projects with which he'd been involved. Steve's a genuinely nice guy but he's not one to put on 'airs' or play the part of the braggard. He's one of those rare individuals that listens to you -- really listens. Maybe it's why he's such a great engineer. Steve's so mellow, in fact, if he ever reads this bio -- he'll cringe to read all this effusive prose about himself. But I'm pretty safe as he'll probably never get around to clicking on his own stuff." ;)

"Whereas he's quiet about himself and his accomplishments, Steve has boundless enthusiasm when it comes to music, Sometimes, if I see the door to his studio open when I have to make a run downtown, I'll stop by to show him a new CD I just bought featuring some great producer or 'room.' It never fails to start up a conversation as Steve is about the only person I've ever met who's as into music as I am," says Ron. "I can stop by with the most obscure projects -- some that maybe sold 15,000 units or less in their initial release -- and he still knows about them. He has a wonderful sense of music history and his own is quite remarkable, owing in part to a great beginning he had while working as a staff engineer at the famed Ocean Way Recording Studios in LA."

Steve has engineered projects as diverse as the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics special with Lionel Ritchie and the Doors remake where they re-recorded new music using Jim Morrison's original vocal tracks. "The Doors project had to be one of the wierdest ones I've ever worked on," says Steve. "But it was really an honor to work with those guys and see how they worked. Quite an unforgettable session."

Steve brings an incredible wealth of experience to the sessions he engineers and you never know who'll be hanging out with Steve working on a project. Artists like The Byrds' Chris Hillman have worked with Steve, as have such noted artists like Trisha Yearwood, Jennifer Warnes and Bonnie Raitt. He also engineered the Charlie Shoemake jazz project "Uncrowned Kings" that recently made the Top 20 in the Billboard jazz charts. Even 'Wheel of Fortune' host, Pat Sajak, pops into Painted Sky from time to time.

About his contributions to the Creative Cow site, Steve says: "Please be aware that I don't answer a lot of questions here at the Cow," says Steve, "because I am still pretty analog in the way I work. I have begun experimenting with many of the new digital tools and I'm learning as I go. I find the other Cow leaders like Douglas, Peter and Mark -- along with the members themselves -- to be a great source of information. I am not a video guy, so I hope that some of what I contribute to the group is of value -- even if I'm not really an expert on things like Avid Xpress, Media 100 or Adobe After Effects."

Trust us, Steve -- your input definitely brings some great ideas to the Cow and its members. ;)

You can find Steve helping members in the following Creative Cow forums:

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Articles by Steve Crimmel

Audio Professionals

Steinberg Nuendo 2: A Report by Steve Crimmel

Steve Crimmel looks at Nuendo 2 from Steinberg. Steve comes from a pro audio engineer background and his personal experience includes working as a staff engineer for a number of years at Hollywood's famed Ocean Way Studios, where Steve engineered many of the top-selling records of all time -- including hits like those from Lionel Richie, Talking Heads, Neil Diamond and many others. From this rich bed of experience, Steve reports that ''...Nuendo goes deep in its capabilities and has spoiled me in many ways.'' In this article, Steve examines some of these reasons and shows why he's been so favorably impressed by Nuendo 2, so much so in fact that he gives it a 4 Cows rating.

Review