High-resolution audio manufacturer and advocate Data Conversion Systems (dCS) continues to expand its year-long Legends Award effort recognizing a dozen leading individuals in the field of high-quality digital music engineering and production through its global communications and educational outreach efforts.

The dCS Legends Award first announced last fall was conceived to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of a select group of recording, mixing, and mastering engineers who strive throughout their careers to deliver the finest music listening experiences possible. Next up to receive the Award is Mark Wilder (pictured at top) a six-time Grammy winner behind such digital treasures as The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 11 by Bob Dylan and The Band.

The program also underscores the growing industry trend toward “studio quality” high-resolution streaming services that best preserve the artistic intent.

Last fall the dCS presented its first in a series of Legends Awards to renowned engineer Bob Ludwig of Gateway Mastering and has since continued to recognize a succession of engineers in the ensuing months for their digital music selections.

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The program was designed to dovetail with the 7-year-old industry focus on the creation, advancement and promotion of high-resolution audio production and distribution. This has helped establish new high-resolution digital audio streaming services such as Amazon Music HD that offers high-resolution uncompressed lossless streaming music to subscribers.

The dCS Legends Award program celebrates the creation of such music by telling the stories behind its producers.

In addition to Ludwig, the dCS Legends Award has been or soon will be presented to such industry icons as Chuck Ainlay, Ed Cherney, Tony Faulkner, Frank Filipetti, James Guthrie, Leslie Ann Jones, George Massenburg, John Newton, Elliot Scheiner, Al Schmitt and Mark Wilder. (See a list of each recipients achievements below).

All of the recipients’ stories have been told over much of the past year through a global campaign employing consumer and trade advertising vehicles, dealer materials and event signage highlighting album artwork from the digital titles they engineered. The campaign also leveraged interviews with the dCS Legends recipients and music clips of their recordings on a variety of podcasts, web sites and social media.

“dCS is overwhelmed by the positive response that our dCS Legends Award campaign has received from both music professionals and enthusiasts alike,” said David J. Steven, Managing Director of dCS. “We have been working closely with the Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing  to identify and tell the incredible stories behind a diverse group of legendary engineers, and we plan to continue this effort through the remainder of this year.”

Since the Audio Engineering Society (AES) Convention last Fall, dCS has launched supporting print and digital ads featuring the award recipients. The late Ed Cherney was also honored by dCS with a contribution to the COVID-19 Relief Fund established by the Recording Academy and MusiCares.

The campaign is also expanding to other supporting media including website banners, video clips, in-store materials, and exclusive audio interviews as part of podcast series titled ‘The Other Side of the Glass’, available from the dCS Legends microsite (www.dcslegends.com) and services such as Apple Music and Spotify.

Each dCS Legends Award recipient also receives a limited-edition, commemorative version of dCS’ acclaimed Bartók Digital-Analog Converter.

The dCS Legends Award program has been embraced by both major and independent music labels; along with leading specialty audio dealers from across the globe whose missions are aligned with the dCS Legends message.

A list of all of the celebrated award winners and their Grammy Winning musical titles is presented here:

DCS Legends Award Recipients and Their

Grammy Winning Recordings

Al Schmitt
Henry Mancini – Hatari!
George Benson – Breezin’
Steely Dan – Aja
Toto – Toto IV
Diana Krall – The Look of Love
Ray Charles – Genius Loves Company

Bob Ludwig
Mumford & Sons – Babel
Beyoncé – Beyoncé (surround mix)
Dire Straits – Brothers In Arms
Derek and the Dominos – Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Beck – Morning Phase
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories

Chuck Ainlay
Miranda Lambert – Platinum
George Strait – Troubadour
Peter Frampton – Fingerprints
Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms – 20th Anniversary Edition (surround mix)

Ed Cherney
Bonnie Raitt – Longing In Their Hearts
Buddy Guy – Blues Singer
Willie Nelson – Summertime: Willie Nelson SingsGershwin
Willie Nelson – My Way

Elliot Scheiner
Steely Dan – Aja
Steely Dan – Gaucho
Steely Dan – Two Against Nature
Donald Fagen – Morph The Cat (surround mix)
Derek and the Dominos – Layla And Other AssortedLove Songs (surround mix)
Beyoncé – Beyoncé (surround mix)

Frank Filipetti
Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida
Wicked
Monty Python’s Spamalot
The Book of Mormon – Original Broadway Cast
The Color Purple
James Taylor – Hourglass

George Massenburg
Linda Ronstadt – Cry Like A Rain Storm, Howl LikeThe Wind
Linda Ronstadt – Dedicated To The One I Love
Patty Loveless – Mountain Soul II

James Guthrie
Pink Floyd – The Wall
Roger Waters – Amused To Death (surround mix)

John Newton
Grechaninov: Passion Week
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson:Neruda Songs
Spotless Rose: Hymns to the Virgin Mary
Ravel: Daphnis Et Chloe
Aldridge: Elmer Gantry
Life & Breath – Choral Works by Rene Clausen
Rachmaninoff: All-Night Virgil
Duruflé: Complete Choral Work

Leslie Ann Jones
Kronos Quartet – Alban Berg: Lyric Suite
Dianne Reeves – Goodnight and Good Luck
Quincy Porter Complete Viola Works
Laura Karpman’s Ask Your Mama – The San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
Kronos Quartet – Terry Riley Sun Rings

Mark Wilder
Bob Dylan – The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: TheBootleg Series, Vol. 12
Bob Dylan – The Basement Tapes Complete: TheBootleg Series, Vol. 11
Bill Withers – The Complete Sussex and ColumbiaAlbums
Billie Holiday – Lady Day – The Complete BillieHoliday on Columbia 1933-1944
Louis Armstrong – The Complete Hot Five & HotSeven Recordings
Miles Davis and Gil Evans – The Complete ColumbiaStudio Recordings

Tony Faulkner
Evgeny Kissin – Scriabin, Medtner, Stravinsky

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By Greg Tarr

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