Elliot Scheiner

Elliot Scheiner
Name	Elliot Scheiner
Birth date	1947
Birth place	Newark, New Jersey
Occupation	Record producer, audio engineer, mix engineer
Years active	1960s–present
Notable works	Aja (album), Toys in the Attic, Hotel California (album), MTV Unplugged (series)

Elliot Scheiner is an American record producer, audio engineer, and mix engineer known for his work across rock, pop, jazz, and film soundtrack projects. Renowned for multi-channel mixing and immersive audio approaches, he has contributed to landmark albums and live recordings while collaborating with prominent artists and studios. His career spans five decades and includes multiple Grammy Awards, contributions to film and television soundtracks, and innovations in surround and Dolby Atmos mixing.

Early life and education

Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1947, he grew up in the New Jersey music scene and developed an early interest in audio technology and recording. He attended local programs and apprenticed with engineers at regional studios influenced by the rise of RCA Records, Columbia Records, and Atlantic Records production practices. Exposure to artists associated with labels such as Capitol Records and Warner Bros. Records shaped his practical education in analog console operation and multitrack tape recording.

Career

He began professionally in the late 1960s and established a reputation through engineering work at studios connected to producers from A&M Records and Asylum Records. Over the 1970s and 1980s he moved between major studios and remote live recording environments, contributing to projects tied to acts on Elektra Records, Arista Records, and Island Records. His career includes transitions from analog to digital recording technologies, collaborations with post-production facilities used on Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures soundtracks, and work in music mixing for MTV broadcasts and concert films.

Notable collaborations and productions

He is best known for long-term collaborations with artists and groups on seminal albums and live releases, working with acts associated with Steely Dan, Aerosmith, The Eagles, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Fleetwood Mac. Additional partnerships include sessions for singers and bands with ties to Prince, Paul Simon, Beyoncé, Eric Clapton, and The Rolling Stones. He has mixed for jazz and fusion artists connected to Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, and Herbie Hancock, and handled live concert recordings for tours involving Billy Joel, Tom Petty, and Eric Johnson. His film and television credits link him with productions from Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and soundtrack releases for Academy Awards-nominated films.

Awards and recognition

His work has been recognized with multiple Grammy Award wins and nominations across categories including Best Engineered Album, Producer of the Year, and surround-sound mixing awards. He received accolades from organizations such as the Audio Engineering Society and industry bodies connected to Dolby Laboratories for contributions to immersive audio. Projects he mixed have earned platinum and gold certifications administered by Recording Industry Association of America and entries into halls of fame or retrospective lists by outlets like Rolling Stone and Billboard.

Production style and technical innovations

Known for meticulous attention to sonic detail, he championed multi-track layering, discrete channel panning, and hybrid analog–digital signal chains used in SSL (Solid State Logic) and Neveconsole setups. He adopted and advanced techniques for 5.1 surround mixing and later immersive formats such as Dolby Atmos, contributing to standards employed by post-production houses servicing Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment releases. His approach emphasizes fidelity, phase coherence, and spatial imaging; he often integrates outboard gear from manufacturers like Universal Audio and API and collaborates with mastering engineers associated with Gateway Mastering and industry mastering facilities.

Selected discography and filmography

- Albums: projects linked to Steely Dan's Aja (album), Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic, The Eagles's Hotel California (album), and various sessions for Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Fleetwood Mac members. - Live releases: mixes for MTV Unplugged (series) episodes and concert films for Billy Joel and Tom Petty. - Film/TV soundtracks: mixing and post-production for soundtracks associated with films by Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino; projects nominated in Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards contexts. - Compilation and remaster projects for catalogs managed by Capitol Records, Columbia Records, Rhino Entertainment, and Geffen Records.

Personal life and philanthropy

He has participated in educational programs and masterclasses affiliated with the Audio Engineering Society and music production departments at institutions such as Berklee College of Music and NYU's music technology programs. Active in charity events and benefit concerts tied to organizations like Save the Music Foundation and music-related relief efforts, he supports initiatives that preserve recording heritage at archives connected to Library of Congress collections and museum exhibits celebrating recording history.

Category:American record producers Category:American audio engineers Category:People from Newark, New Jersey