Archive for Prof Keith O. Johnson
The Absolute Sound Reviews All-Night Vigil LP
The February 2022 issue of The Absolute Sound gives high marks to our release of Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil, Op. 37 on LP: “This 2017 recording may seem like unlikely material to get the half-speed mastered, 45rpm, 180-gram virgin vinyl treatment, but LP partisans should be glad it did. Reference provides further evidence that Keith O. Johnson’s range as a recording professional knows no limits. … The choral sound has the low center-of-gravity that serves this…
The Guardian Features Fiona Boyes
Order Now Fantastic new feature and interview with Fiona Boyes about her Professin’ The Blues recording in The Guardian! “Fiona Boyes, one of the world’s best fingerpicking blues guitarists, had wanted to record an album with engineer and recording alchemist “Professor” Keith O Johnson for ages. She didn’t expect it would involve rubber chickens. … The result? That album, Professin’ the Blues, has just won best acoustic album for 2017 at the Blues Blast music…
Making A Scene on Professin’ The Blues
Order Now Making A Scene reviews the new Fiona Boyes release, Professin’ The Blues: “Fiona Boyes has a new album release, Professin’ The Blues, and on it, she does just that. Produced by the legendary Professor Keith O. Johnson of Reference Records and recorded at Skywalker Sound studios in California, this is a perfect match of space, producer and artist. Also, Boyes is joined by two master musicians, drummer Jim Bott and bassist Danny Croy.…
Living Blues Reviews Professin’ The Blues
Order Now Living Blues Magazine reviews Fiona Boyes’ new Professin’ the Blues recording in their latest issue: “Fiona Boyes continues to make superlative music grounded in the various styles of the blues. … A master of audio engineering, [‘Prof’ Keith O.] Johnson creates a sound that is warm, present and balanced so that the instruments and vocals can be heard clearly and distinctly. Boyes uses four different guitars throughout the album’s 16 songs…and she coaxes…
The Daily Examiner Interviews Fiona Boyes
Order Now Australia’s Daily Examiner has a fantastic new interview with Fiona Boyes about her latest recording, Professin’ The Blues: “Fiona Boyes is new to the Clarence Valley, but she isn’t new to the world of blues. Her tenth album under her name, Professin’ The Blues, is a showcase of acoustic blues that was recorded in Skywalker Sound studios live, in real-time with no overdubs or effects by legendary audiophile producer the ‘Professor’ Keith O…
RR at San Francisco GRAMMY Nominee Party
Last week Sean Royce Martin and Keith O. Johnson represented Reference Recordings at the San Francisco Recording Academy Chapter’s GRAMMY® Nominee Celebration! Find out more about the celebration and event on GrammyPro.com!
HiFi+ Names Kansas City’s Saint-Saëns a Favorite
HiFi+ Magazine names the Kansas City Symphony’s new Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 recording one of their favorites: “Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 with organ, know as the Organ Syphony, is filled with virtuoso flourish, making for a sure fire showpiece for a hi-fi system. … Of the audiophile labels recording new works no label has ddone more for so long as Keith Johnson’s Reference Recordings. This is the fourth of Reference’s recordings with the Kansas City…
ThrowbackThursday — J. Gordon Holt Interviews Keith O. Johnson
Stereophile Magazine recently republished a wonderful interview between Keith O. Johnson and J. Gordon Holt from the 1984 Winter CES in Las Vegas. Read the entertaining lead note from J. Gordon Holt below, and click the link to read the full interview (Note: The much-mentioned Däfos recording has been out of print for many years): “ After a couple of scheduling foul-ups, I managed to corner Reference Recordings’ Keith O. Johnson at the 1984 Winter…
Pioneers Unite on The Banner Saga Soundtrack
“Prof” Keith O. Johnson & The Banner Saga Recording Team Multi-faceted, multi-media composer Austin Wintory and Reference Recording’s Chief Engineer, audio wizard, inventor and entertainment technologist Keith O. Johnson have combined their talents in the production of the official soundtrack for The Banner Saga video game created by Stoic Studios. Austin’s previous game score, Journey, is noteworthy as the first video game soundtrack nominated for a Grammy® (2013), charting in the Billboard Magazine Top 200…
Photos from The Banner Saga Recording Sessions
Some absolutely fantastic pictures (taken by Scott Rosenkrantz) from The Banner Saga recording sessions with the Dallas Wind Symphony and Austin Wintory, courtesy of Stoic Studios! Post by Stoic. First 100 CD Orders get copies signed by Austin Wintory and Keith O. Johnson! Pre-Order Today!
Some RR History from the Audio Engineering Society
In this short video from the Audio Engineering Society, Prof. Keith O. Johnson talks about the beginnings of he and Tam Henderson working together and their first RR LP, Professor Johnson’s Astounding Sound Show! Watch the full interview here:
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Conversation with Keith O. Johnson
Recently, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra hired our own “Prof” Keith O. Johnson to record their orchestra for their own “DSO Live” label. During his time the Dallas Symphony’s own Chris Shull interviewed Keith, and published a wonderful interview with him. Here is the full article with the permission of the Dallas Symphony and Chris Shull: By Chris Shull It’s easy to think making a recording is a passive process. You set up a microphone or…
Keith Johnson talks High Resolution
From Keith’s talks at the Rocky Mountain Audio Festival: Click to watch on YouTube
The Hot Club of San Francisco in Dangerously High Resolution
The original liner notes from The Hot Club Of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Bounce read “Beware: The small plastic disc you hold in your hands is one dangerous item.” But now, this “dangerous” recording is available as more than just a “small plastic disc.” Not only did Yerba Buena Bounce come out on LP as a part of our new Reference Mastercuts Series last month, it’s also available in our HRx format, which just so…
Behind the Scenes of The Bowie Variations
Mike Garson and The Bowie Variations are featured on the December 2011 cover of Keyboard Magazine. The story takes readers into the “Recording Chain” that was used by RR’s own “Prof” Keith O. Johnson. The Recording Chain: Coles 4038 Ribbons, matched pair, probably early 1970 manufacture Sennheiser MKH 405 FM directional condenser, modified 1960s manufacture Sennheiser MKH 105 FM non-directional condenser, modified, 1960s manufacture Spectral DMC-10 Preamplifier, all discrete circuit with cascode upgrades, RIAA phonograph…