Ian Shepherd
{{Short description|British mastering engineer (born 1971)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Ian Shepherd
| image = Ian Shepherd.jpg
| alt = Ian Shepherd, Mastering Engineer
| caption = Ian Shepherd, Mastering Engineer
| image_size = 200px
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1971}}
| death_date =
| origin =
| instrument =
| genre =
| occupation = Mastering Engineer, DVD and Blu-ray author
| years_active = 1994–present
| label =
| associated_acts = Keane, Tricky, Deep Purple, Tina May, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Culture Club, Christine Tobin, King Crimson
| website =
}}
Ian Shepherd (born 1971) is a British mastering engineer, Blu-ray and DVD author. He runs the Production Advice website and is the founder of Dynamic Range Day, an annual event raising awareness of the Loudness War."The MTM Interview: Ian Shepherd". (September, 2012). Music Tech Magazine, [http://www.musictech.net/2012/03/ian-shepherd-interview/ Issue 114] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020145930/http://www.musictech.net/2012/03/ian-shepherd-interview/ |date=20 October 2013 }}, p.40-43{{cite web
|title = Loudness Wars Coming to an End?
|publisher = Cepro.com
|date = 2012-06-25
|url = http://www.cepro.com/article/loudness_wars_coming_to_an_end/
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120627225920/http://www.cepro.com/article/loudness_wars_coming_to_an_end
|url-status = dead
|archive-date = 27 June 2012
|accessdate = 2012-11-01
}}
Career
Shepherd first trained and worked at Sound Recording Technology, near Cambridge in the UK, from 1994 to 2010. He started by copying tapes but was working as a mastering engineer by the end of the first year. He later developed SRT's Enhanced CD and DVD services, including mixing and mastering in surround-sound. Shepherd left SRT in 2010 to form Mastering Media, Ltd. His recording, mastering, re-mastering and authoring credits include Keane, Tricky, Deep Purple, Tina May, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Culture Club, Christine Tobin and King Crimson amongst others.{{cite web
| title = Ian Shepherd - Credits
| publisher = AllMusic
| url = http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ian-shepherd-mn0001774886
| accessdate = 2012-11-01
Dynamic Range Day
In 2010 Shepherd founded Dynamic Range Day to raise awareness of the negative impact that the so-called Loudness Wars have had on audio quality. The event was a success and has grown in popularity each year, with industry support from Solid State Logic, Bowers and Wilkins, and TC Electronic.{{cite web
| title = DRD goes global for latest skirmish in the loudness war
| publisher = ProSoundNewsEurope.com
| date = 2012-03-06
| url = http://www.prosoundnewseurope.com/broadcastnews-content/full/drd-goes-global-for-latest-skirmish-in-the-loudness-war
| accessdate = 2012-11-01
Press
Shepherd has been interviewed in Music Tech magazine and has been quoted by the media for his commentary on music production issues in the news.
In 2008 he was the first person to provide detailed analysis of the production and mastering of Metallica's Death Magnetic album, the sound of which was widely criticised. Shepherd argued that the music was excessively compressed and distorted, and suffered as a result. His opinions of the album's sound were widely reported, and his comments were echoed and amplified by the band's fans. Over 20,000 people signed a petition calling for the album to be remixed and remastered.{{cite web
| title = Heavy Metal Mix-Up - Fans threaten to send back Metallica album
| publisher = Bbc.co.uk
| date = 2008-10-09
| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/items/01/2008_41_fri.shtml
| accessdate = 2012-11-01
}}
{{cite web
| last = Kreps
| first = Daniel
| title = Fans Complain After "Death Magnetic" Sounds Better on "Guitar Hero" Than CD
| publisher = Rolling Stone
| date = 2008-09-18
| url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/fans-complain-after-death-magnetic-sounds-better-on-guitar-hero-than-cd-20080918
| accessdate = 2011-03-15
}}
{{cite web
| last = Van Buskirk
| first = Eliot
| title = Analysis: Metallica's Death Magnetic Sounds Better in Guitar Hero
| publisher = Wired
| date = 2008-09-16
| url = http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/09/does-metallicas.html
| accessdate = 2008-09-17
}}
{{Cite news
| last = Michaels
| first = Sean
| title = Metallica album latest victim in 'loudness war'?
| newspaper= The Guardian
| date = 2008-09-17
| url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/sep/17/metallica.guitar.hero.loudness.war
| accessdate = 2012-11-01
| location=London
}}
Shepherd also contributed to the intense debate following allegations that Beyoncé mimed the American national anthem at President Obama's second inauguration. He assessed her performance and concluded that Knowles had in fact sung alongside a pre-recorded "safety" version, citing a video where her live performance can be heard at the same time as the backing.{{cite web
| title = Beyonce Inauguration Performance: Audio Engineer Says 'No Question' She Was Singing
| publisher = Mtv.com
| date = 2013-01-24
| url = http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700725/beyonce-inauguration-lip-singing-audio.jhtml
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130126212129/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700725/beyonce-inauguration-lip-singing-audio.jhtml
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 26 January 2013
| accessdate = 2013-01-25
| title = Beyonce May Have Been Live And Pre-recorded
| publisher = Npr.org
| date = 2013-01-24
| url = https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/01/23/170064728/beyonce-may-have-been-live-and-pre-recorded
| accessdate = 2013-01-25
}} His findings were confirmed several days later at Knowles' press conference prior to the 2013 Super Bowl.{{cite web
| title = Beyoncé admits singing 'with my prerecorded track' at inauguration
| publisher = CNN
| date = 2013-02-01
| url = https://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/31/showbiz/beyonce-super-bowl/index.html
| access-date = 2013-02-02
}}
Educational work
Shepherd runs an online course called the Home Mastering Masterclass.{{Cite web|url=https://homemastering.com/hmm-closed/|title=The Home Mastering Masterclass|website=Homemastering.com|accessdate=23 August 2020}} He has written for Future Music magazine "The Pro Producer's Guide to Compression". (July, 2011). Future Music, p. 36-44."The Pro Producer's Guide to EQ". (September, 2011). Future Music, p. 32-40. and also regularly writes on the Production Advice website covering issues related to audio quality, mastering and the loudness wars.{{cite web
|title = Don't Blame the Format for Bad Sound, Blame the Suits
|publisher = CEPro.com
|date = 2012-11-29
|url = http://www.cepro.com/article/dont_blame_the_format_for_bad_sound_blame_the_suits
|accessdate = 2012-11-01
|archive-date = 2 December 2011
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111202030910/http://www.cepro.com/article/dont_blame_the_format_for_bad_sound_blame_the_suits/
|url-status = dead
In April 2013 Shepherd spoke at the AES Convention in Mexico City, giving a talk called "Lust for Level - Audio perception and the battle for great sound".{{Cite web|url=http://www.aesmex.org/cms/index.php/Conferenica-Anual-AES-Mx/conferencistas-ca-aes-mex.html|title=Conferencistas Conferencia Anual AES Mex|website=Aesmex.org|accessdate=23 August 2020|archive-date=29 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629091011/http://www.aesmex.org/cms/index.php/Conferenica-Anual-AES-Mx/conferencistas-ca-aes-mex.html|url-status=dead}} The presentation focused on the crucial role that audio levels play at every stage of music performance, recording, production and mastering. Shepherd went on to speak about the use of levels to measure "loudness", and demonstrated a beta version of his 'Perception' plugin. The talk was well-received, with many members of the broadcast industry attending.{{Citation needed|date=April 2013}}
Perception plugin
In 2014, Shepherd announced the release of a new audio plugin, 'Perception', developed by MeterPlugs.
Described as a 'one click reality check' for mastering and mixing, Perception allows synchronised, realtime "before and after" comparisons of any audio processing chain, loudness-matched using the new EBU R128 standard. The intent is to allow users to objectively assess the effects of mastering processing without changes in loudness biasing their opinion.{{cite web
| title = Ian Shepherd and MeterPlugs release Perception Plug-in
| publisher = kvraudio.com
| date = 2014-06-10
| url = http://www.kvraudio.com/news/ian-shepherd-and-meterplugs-release-perception-plug-in-with-intro-offer-26287
| accessdate = 2014-06-22
}} (This kind of bias is widely accepted as the driving factor behind the Loudness War.)
Perception was well-received, with Music Tech magazine giving it a 10/10 review and an Excellence Award, commenting that "Perception won't suddenly make your mixes or masters sound better, but it might make you a better engineer, and that has far more value. If this plug-in helps point the way towards more dynamic mixes, then... we all will benefit.""Review - MeterPlugs Perception" (July 2014). MusicTech Magazine, p. 97. Hugh Robjohns, writing in Sound on Sound magazine, said the plug-in was "a very clever idea, and works extremely well in practice – so well, in fact, that I found myself wondering how I coped beforehand!", and concluding that "Perception is recommended without reservation for anyone involved in mastering at any level".{{cite web
| title = Product Review - MeterPlugs Perception
| publisher = soundonsound.com
| date = 2014-06-20
| url = http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul14/articles/perception.htm
| accessdate = 2014-06-22
}}