Bonzai Beat with Frank Filipetti
In the latest episode of the Bonzai Beat, Mr. Bonzai connects with producer, engineer, and mixer Frank Filipetti to discuss his collaborations and projects, gear, and how the process of mixing and engineering has changed over time.
Filipetti is a seven-time Grammy® Award winner and a ten-time nominee, world-renowned music producer, engineer, and mixer. Born in Bristol, Connecticut, Filipetti has called New York home since 1971 and is known as one of the first engineers to embrace digital mixing. His credits include Foreigner’s Agent Provocateur and Inside Information, KISS’s Lick It Up, Courtney Love’s Celebrity Skin, Carly Simon’s Coming Around Again, Rod Stewart’s The Great American Songbook, Volumes 1 and 2, and The Bangles’ Eternal Flame.
Filipetti’s credits extend into film and theater, where his work as a producer, engineer, and mixer can be seen on projects like the Grammy-awarded album Aida (Original Broadway Cast Recording) and with his work on productions like Disney’s Aladdin, Spamalot, The Book of Mormon, The Color Purple, and Wicked. Filipetti’s film work includes soundtracks for Across the Universe, August Rush, Pixar’s Cars, Disney’s Enchanted, Postcards From the Edge, The Pirates of Penzance, and Mike Nichols’ Working Girl.
Beyond his prowess behind the board, Filipetti further influenced sound in the 1980s by designing the acoustics for the three Right Track rooms in New York. In 1999, Filipetti joined Simon Andrews to design and build New York City’s premier orchestral recording studio, Studio A509. In 2005, Filipetti became a founding partner of METAlliance, a collaborative community of globally recognized audio engineers and producers that work alongside technology manufacturers to ensure the highest standards of audio production.
For more on Filipetti, please visit https://frankfilipetti.com/.
Mr. Bonzai is an award-winning photographer, author, and interviewer. He has written more than 1,000 articles for outlets in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He has published numerous books, including Studio Life (Mix, 1984), Hal Blaine and The Wrecking Crew (Mix, 1992), The Sound of Money (Focal, 2000), Faces of Music (Cengage, 2006), Music Smarts (Berklee Press, 2009), and John Lennon’s Tooth (BookBaby, 2012). His photos and articles have appeared in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Billboard, Mix, EQ, Keyboard, Daily Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Magazine, Disney Channel Magazine, Sound & Recording, and Relix, among others. http://www.mrbonzai.com.