RSR500 - David Glasser - Mastering Grateful Dead at Airshow Mastering in Boulder CO

Recording Studio Rockstars

Lij Shaw

Music

4.8 • 543 Ratings

🗓️ 4 April 2025

⏱️ 125 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Join host Lij Shaw as he dives into the sonic journey of audio engineering with Dave Glasser, founder of Airshow Mastering, revealing the secrets behind mastering timeless records like those of the Grateful Dead. In this episode of Recording Studio Rockstars, Dave shares his rich 35-year experience—from tape transfers using the Plangent Process to his days at NPR—while exploring the delicate balance of preserving the essence of live music and adapting to modern audio standards. Tune in for insights on the intricacies of mastering jazz records, the evolution of sound quality, and the magic of Phil Lesh's iconic bass. Whether you're a seasoned engineer or just starting out, Dave's passion and curiosity will inspire you to elevate your own audio projects.

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My guest today is David Glasser, founder and chief engineer at Airshow Mastering.

David has over 35 years of experience in audio engineering and has mastered thousands of records, including more than 80 GRAMMY nominees. He's a three-time nominee himself, earning two Grammys for mastering and restoration work on the Anthology of American Folk Music and Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton.

David's career began with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, followed by eight years of recording and production for NPR. He founded Airshow in 1983 and transitioned to full-time mastering in 1990. In 1997, he expanded to Boulder, Colorado, and later built a new state-of-the-art facility in 2016, where he continues to lead a busy mastering practice.

Special thanks to Matt Boudreau for the introduction! And this episode is dedicated to the memory of Phil Lesh.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode of Recording Studio Rockstars is brought to you by Isotope, Native Instruments,
0:06.5	Adam Audio, and S-A-E Institute, Nashville.
0:10.4	You're hearing my voice right now mixed through Isotope, R-X, Ozone, and Neutron on atom-audio monitors and headphones.
0:19.7	Please check out our awesome sponsors using the links in the show notes below and like
0:24.6	and subscribe to our YouTube channel and leave us a comment.
0:27.8	It's a great way for you to help support this show.
0:30.3	Now get ready to rock.
0:32.0	Remastered all the Grateful Dead Studio albums, and it was a fairly, fairly quick job in 2013 for HD tracks.
0:40.3	Rhino and HD tracks wanted to get these records up there.
0:43.3	We mastered all 13 of the studio albums.
0:45.3	Use Plangent. You have to work from the original tape, so I was working from the original master tapes.
0:50.3	I put Working Man's Dad up on the tape machine.
0:52.3	I pressed play, and Uncle John's band
0:54.5	comes out of the speakers and I cried. It was just so emotional for me. It's such a great
1:01.2	record and it really sounds so beautiful listening to your remaster of it. I appreciate that. Thank you.
1:19.8	Welcome to Recording Studio Rockstars.
1:27.6	I'm Lid Shaw, and this is the podcast created to help you become a rock star of the recording studio.
1:35.5	Dreaming of a career in audio or the entertainment business?
1:42.5	SAE Institute, Nashville, in the heart of Music Row, offers hands-on programs where you'll learn on professional grade gear with industry pros, learning
1:46.2	through real projects, not just lectures.
1:49.4	Explore studio production, live sound, audio for film, and a whole lot more.
1:53.7	Or take the entertainment business program to learn about contracts, promotion, and more.
	...

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