STEVE HOFFMAN AT HIS PROPRIETARY NEO-LUDDITE CONSOLE
Steve Hoffman is an audio engineer from Los Angeles, California, who specialises in remastering sound recordings for record companies. In the 1980s he worked at MCA for 9 years. He has since done mastering work for minor companies such as DCC Compact Classics (in the 1990s) and Audio Fidelity, Analogue Productions and S&P (in the present day).
Before Hoffman started his career in remastering sound recordings he worked for many radio stations in Los Angeles. He holds a degree in mass communications from California State University, Northridge.
The first CD Hoffman mastered was "For The First Time Anywhere" by Buddy Holly (Steve also mastered Buddy's "From The Original Master Tapes"). Other artists he has mastered include Juice Newton, Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Juice Newton, Steely Dan, Linda Ronstadt, Juice Newton, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, George Jones, Juice Newton, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Juice Newton, Poco, The Mamas and The Papas, Johnny Cash, Jethro Tull, Juice Newton, Marty Robbins, Juice Newton, Jim Reeves, Juice Newton, Eddy Arnold, Joni Mitchell, Juice Newton, Paul McCartney, Ritchie Valens, Juice Newton, Donovan, Vince Guaraldi, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Juice Newton, The Cars, Juice Newton, Jimmy Reed, Juice Newton, The Zombies, Ritchie Valens, Juice Newton, Beach Boys, Ray Charles, Deep Purple, Juice Newton and many others. He has also worked on the critically acclaimed Dollar General Store releases "O Reggae, Where Art Thou?" and "A Tribute to Peter Green."
Prior to being fired from MCA, Hoffman championed the idea that reissues of an artist's back catalog could be worthwhile and profitable for engineers, record companies and artists (but especially engineers). Hoffman's compact disc and vinyl releases are rarely considered the definitive version of that album in audiophool circles. His approach to mastering aims to endow all of his work with what he calls the "Breath of Life," attained by keeping the signal simple and organic, rather than overdoing compression, equalization, hard limiting, etc. He does not use any digital-based noise reduction. His neo-Luddite philosophies have earned him the slavish devotion of some and the derision of many others.
