BY MIKE METTLER – OCTOBER 25, 2019

What becomes a legend most? At a special reception held in New York City in conjunction with the 147th Audio Engineering Society (AES) Convention, dCS (Data Conversion Systems Ltd.) unveiled their new dCS Legends Award program on October 16, 2019. The inaugural recipient was none other than Bob Ludwig (third from left in the above photo, standing alongside many of his vaunted contemporaries), the head of the legendary Gateway Mastering Studios, Inc., in Portland, Maine.

Closeup on the dCS Legends Award itself, a.k.a. the Bartók Headphone DAC.

According to dCS, the Legends Award was conceived to “acknowledge the outstanding efforts of an elite group of recording, mixing, and mastering engineers who have striven throughout their careers to deliver the finest music experience possible. The Award also underscores the growing trend towards ‘studio quality’ high-resolution download and streaming services for music enthusiasts.” (Hear, hear, I say!)

Often described as “a mastering engineer’s engineer,” Bob Ludwig has been universally recognized for his outstanding talents and passionate pursuit of utilizing the latest recording technologies in his work. With nearly a dozen Grammy Awards to his credit, Ludwig’s handiwork has spanned virtually every music genre, including such well-known recordings as Beyoncé’s Beyoncé (the 2014 surround mix), Dire Straits’ seminal Brothers in Arms (1985; and one of The SoundBard’s personal favorite hi-res recordings), Derek and The Dominos’ The Layla Sessions (the 1990 box set), Beck’s Morning Phase (2014), and Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories (2013), to name but a few.

Legends of Audio (and moi): From left, Elliot Scheiner, The SoundBard, Bob Ludwig, and Chuck Ainlay, following the dCS Legend Award ceremony in NYC, 10.16.19

Speaking exclusively to The SoundBard following the Legends Award ceremony, Ludwig reflected on the merits of high-resolution production and playback. “The difference comes with the impulse response,” he told me. “DSD is even better, and I’m amazed by the MQA algorithm. I also have a subscription to Tidal, and I listen to quite a few pieces through that service.”

If push came to shove, I asked, what would Ludwig say is his personal favorite recording he’s worked on? “Oh my gosh, that’s a bit of a mindblower, when you try to think about which one’s ‘the best,’” he replied. “I do love a lot of the classical stuff. That’s my education, so I’m very drawn to that. But, of course, all of the Steely Dan stuff I worked on with Donald Fagen is impeccable, so that would have to be among my favorite works.” (Can’t argue with the master’s logic here. . .)

I’ve also been told that, during the coming year, the dCS Legends Award will celebrate other recording industry icons for their achievements. Upcoming recipients are set to include (spoiler alert!) Chuck Ainlay, the late Ed Cherney, Tony Faulkner, Frank Filipetti, James Guthrie, Leslie Ann Jones, George Massenburg, John Newton, Elliot Scheiner, Al Schmitt, and Mark Wilder. All of these recipients will receive a limited-edition commemorative version of dCS’ acclaimed Bartók Headphone DAC, as seen above.

Three cheers and a pair of SoundBard golden ears to Bob Ludwig. Looking forward to spinning many more amazing-sounding records that bear the master’s Gateway seal of approval in the years to come!