This chapter of the virtual exhibition is dedicated to sound engineers. These are the ones who have worked to achieve the best recording sound quality. Thanks to them and their wise advice, many artists have been able to have the best possible rendering of their creation. It is therefore natural to consider these sound engineers as recording pioneers and thus include them in our exhibition.
The formula chosen to do this is that of an alphabetically classified directory in which you will find a short biography, the technical qualifications as well as the main achievements in which they have participated.
Biography and upcoming achievements.
Biography and upcoming achievements.
Biography and upcoming achievements.
At the time, this profession was called "sound engineer." He replaced Harry Bragg, an English-speaking technician who had recorded several RCA artists with Marcel Leblanc, the artistic director.
Between 1960 and 1967, he collaborated with several important figures in the industry, including John D'Amant (Disques Select), Gilles L'Écuyer (Disques Trans-Canada), Yvan Dufresne (Disques Apex), Marcel Leblanc (RCA), as well as Tony Roman, Pierre Nolès, and numerous advertising agencies.
Here are some of the artists he had the privilege of recording during this period, according to the Discogs website:
Richard Verreau, Ginette Reno, Jean-Pierre Ferland, Raymond Lévesque, Fernand Gignac, Donald Lautrec, Pierre Lalonde, Paolo Noël, André Gagnon, Clémence Desrochers, Ginette Ravel, Les Jérolas, Les Classels, Tony Roman, Margot Lefebvre, Tony Massarelli, Joël Denis, Anita Ortez, Les Feux Follets, Les Three Bars, Max-Eric Trio, Les Baronets, Daniel Guérard, Thérèse Deroy, Jacques Auger, Guy Godin, Paul Davis, Raymond Berthiaume, Micheline Cantin Bégin, Cathy Carr, Brian Terry, Dany Aubé, Denis Pantis, and Paul Baillargeon.
In 1967, he joined RCA's marketing department as director of French products, working with Marcel Leblanc to discover new talent to enrich the company's catalog.
In 1970, thanks to his experience, he was offered the management of the recording studio. He then worked under his supervision, including Paul-Émile Mongeau, Pierre Tessier, Gaétan Desbiens, and Lionel Parent. The latter was hired while they were all still on Guy Street. He initially worked as a recording technician before specializing in cutting master records on the Neumann recorder—a field in which he excelled.
He had the opportunity to visit several new studios in Montreal, many founded by musicians. His friend André Perry was preparing to move his studio to Morin-Heights. These new studios were well-equipped, with modern consoles, and represented significant investments.
In 1975, he suggested closing the Montreal studio. RCA producers were then encouraged to use the many other available studios in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and New York.
Biography and upcoming achievements.
Biography and upcoming achievements.
Peter worked on the Harmonium group's album "Les cinq saisons".
Biography and upcoming achievements.
Claude worked at André Perry's studio.
Biography and upcoming achievements.
Biography and upcoming achievements.
He worked at Studio Marko from 1963 to 1973.
He was considered one of the best sound engineers of the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1973, he founded Studio Fontaine, which later became Studio La Majeure. The studio is still in operation today at the same address, 1110 Bleury, 4th floor.
In fact, Studio B, La Majeure, is the former Studio Fontaine. Same room, but more modern equipment, of course.
In his early years at the former Studio Marko, next to the former Forum on Atwater Street, Michel Fontaine was Jean-Marc Audet's protégé and quickly became his right-hand man. They were initially friends as mentor and student, and often socialized and spent New Year's Eve with each other's wives and other industry friends.
Studio La Majeure was founded by Luc Fontaine and three friends in 1984.
Biography and upcoming achievements.
As many other recordist/mixers, Michel Lachance began in the music industry as the member of a band. His was called called the Mike Jones Group and he was its leader. In 1967, he began his career as a sound recordist at Stereosound. Two years later, after a short time working for Tony Roman, he joined André Perry’s organisation in Ville Brossard. There he was involved in numerous major Quebec recordings with artists including Robert Charlebois, Louise Forestier, Jean-Pierre Ferland, Stéphane Venne, Les Alexandrins, L’Infonie, Gilles Vigneault, Diane Dufresne and Pauline Julien among others. From 1972 to 1976, he was chief recordist/mixer and technical director for Studio Tempo and then became a free-lance producer/recordist. His major recordings include all of the albums of Beau Dommage, Harmonium and Vos Voisins. He has also recorded albums with Michel Rivard and Marie-Michelle Desrosiers
Since 1992, Michel Lachance and colleague Louis Valois have owned and operated Le Groupe Post-M, an audio and video post-production house in Montreal.
He was a sound engineer, mixer, and arranger. He was behind the console for the recording and mixing of Daniel Bélanger's album Rêver Mieux, Jean Leloup's Paradis City, Ariane Moffat's Le coeur dans la tête, and dozens of other albums. He made us all shine with his immense talent, his passion, and his dedication. A career of luminous shadows that was sadly cut short by illness.
Biography and upcoming achievements.
Quentin Meek had a huge influence on the Quebec music scene and popular culture of the 1970s and 1980s. Originally from Ontario, he says, "I was born in Ottawa, grew up in Ottawa, then went to university, and I guess I never came back. I ended up in Montreal making records... in 19... I guess it was 1970. I just fell in love with Quebec."
Quentin Meek, a recording engineer/producer, helped shape the musical landscape and pop culture of Quebec in the 1970s and early 1980s. He was involved in the production of 80 albums during his time in Montreal, helping establish the careers of greats such as Les Séguin, Gilles Valiquette, Plume Latraverse, Walter Rossi, George Thurston (Boule Noire), and others. He now lives in Foster, Quebec, and works from home.
We are pleased to present Quentin at home, talking about his life and performing music from the heart.
STOP! would like to extend a special thanks to Daniel Faille for devoting long hours to recording this show. We greatly appreciated his technical support.
STOP! - Quentin Meek - At home in Foster, Quebec - April 2, 2016
Biography and upcoming achievements.
Biography and upcoming achievements.
Biography and upcoming achievements.
Biography and upcoming achievements.
Biography and upcoming achievements.
With colleague Nelson Vipond and others, Ian Terry was responsible in 1966 for the opening of a demo studio called Popcycle in Outremont. When this studio closed three years later, Terry joined Vipond at Studio Six. In 1971, he joined the staff at Les Studios André Perry, moving again two years later to Studio Tempo where he became the technical Director in 1976. He held that post for twenty years. Now living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, he continues to work as a recordist/mixer/producer.
Over the years, Terry has been involved in many important record projects including almost all of the productions for Just in Time Records. Artists for whom he served as recordist/mixer include Celine Dion, David Bowie, Peter Frampton, Diana Krall, Leonard Cohen, April Wine, Mahogany Rush, Johnny Haliday, Cirque du Soleil, Oliver Jones, World Saxophone Quartet, Oscar Peterson, Montreal Jubilation Choir, DD Jackson, Andre Gagnon and hundreds of others in the jazz and pop fields.
After playing with a rock band called Chuck Darnell & the XL’s in the early1960s, Pierre Tessier began his career as a recordist at Stereosound in 1967. Two years later, he left the studio to go to work for RCA Victor in their news studios on de la Gauchetière Street.
In 1973, he joined the staff at Les Studios de Son Québec, where he went on to record and mix “Saint Chrone de Néant” by Offenbach, “Neiges” by André Gagnon, as well as many productions for artists such as Morse Code, Claude Valade, Michelle Richard, Ginette Reno, and others.
In 1976, he left Son Québec to become one of the founding partners of Studio St-Charles. There he recorded “Le Saint-Laurent” (winner of a Felix award in 1979), “Virage à gauche” and “Comme dans un film” by André Gagnon, as well as the soundtrack to “Starmania” among many other productions. In the mid-1980s, the Studio St-Charles was acquired by the TVA television network and he continued working there primarily recording music for their television shows. In 1996, TVA closed Studio St-Charles and Pete went to work in their audio/video postproduction department, Sonolab, first as a mixer and later on, as manager of the department. He continued to work there until 2002, shortly before his untimely death from cancer.
After having opened a demo studio called Popcycle in Outrement with Ian Terry and others, Nelson Vipond went to study Sound recording in 1969 at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester NY. Upon his return, in 1970, he joined the staff of newly opened 8-track facility Studio Six. Shortly thereafter, he moved on to Les Studios André Perry. In 1972, he became a free-lance recordist and since then has worked in every major Montreal studio, as well as studios elsewhere in Canada and the USA. He continues to work in the industry as well as teaching sound recording at the Trebas Institute.
Some of the recording artists he has worked with include Geraldine Hunt, Harmonium, Jean Leloup, Mahogany Rush, Ian Tamblyn, Toulouse and Rhythm Mercenaries.