Ted Jensen

Jensen was born on September 19, 1954, in New Haven, Connecticut, to Carl and Margaret (Anning) Jensen, both of whom were musicians.{{cite web|last1=Jensen|first1=Margaret|title=Obituary Notice for Margaret Jensen|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nhregister/obituary.aspx?pid=165917127|website=legacy.com|publisher=New Haven Register|access-date=March 13, 2015}} Carl had studied at Yale University.{{cite book|title=Catalogue of the officers and graduates of Yale University|date=1921|page=654|publisher=The University|url=https://archive.org/stream/catalogueoffice02univgoog#page/n660/mode/2up}} Margaret went to Oberlin College & Conservatory and Skidmore College and was also a pilot. Carl and Margaret met on a train while going to a choral workshop. Ted has one brother, Rick, and two daughters, Kristen and Kim.

While attending high school, Jensen was building his own stereo and recording equipment and began recording local bands both in the studio and at live events. During this time, he recorded several performances for the Yale Symphony Orchestra at Woolsey Hall in New Haven, and met Mark Levinson, who was starting an audio equipment company.{{cite web|title=Ted Jensen biography|url=http://sterling-sound.com/engineers/ted-jensen/#biography|publisher=Sterling Sound|access-date=May 28, 2015}}

File:Ghost in the Machine.jpg's Ghost in the Machine, released in 1981]]

File:Jim Boyer and Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound.jpg at Sterling Sound in 1991]]

Jensen joined up with Levinson and aided in the design and manufacture some of the early products of Mark Levinson Audio Systems. In 1975, Jensen left after six years with Levinson to begin his mastering career with Sterling Sound in New York City.{{cite web|title=Interview with Mark Levinson|url=http://www.danielhertz.com/media/ml_adrian_low.pdf|access-date=June 25, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311094404/http://danielhertz.com/media/ml_adrian_low.pdf|archive-date=March 11, 2014}}

There were three mastering engineers at Sterling Sound when Jensen was hired to work in the tape copy room, George Marino,{{cite web|website=allmusic.com|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-marino-mn0000544334/credits|title=George Marino|access-date=June 27, 2014}} Lee Hulko{{cite web|website=allmusic.com|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lee-hulko-mn0001800428|title=Lee Hulko|access-date=June 27, 2014}} and Greg Calbi.{{cite web|website=allmusic.com|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/greg-calbi-mn0000189140|title=Greg Calbi|access-date=June 27, 2014}} One of Jensen's earliest mastering jobs was the first single by Talking Heads, "Love → Building on Fire" and later that year, Jensen mastered The Eagles' Hotel California. The following year, he mastered Billy Joel's The Stranger, which began a working relationship with Phil Ramone.

Jensen was promoted to Chief Mastering Engineer at Sterling in 1984, and since then has overseen several proprietary developments in mastering technology. This included working closely with Graham Boswell of Neve Electronics in the mid-1980s in developing the first all-digital mastering console, the DTC-1,{{cite web|last1=Boswell|title=Prism Sound: A brief history|website=audio-times.com|url=http://www.audio-times.com/audiotimes/2012/03/31/prism-sound-a-brief-history-of-time-amplitude-and-audio-conversion/|access-date=June 29, 2014|archive-date=July 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707112024/http://www.audio-times.com/audiotimes/2012/03/31/prism-sound-a-brief-history-of-time-amplitude-and-audio-conversion/|url-status=dead}} and as one of the consultants to Apple for Mastering for iTunes.{{cite web|last1=Smith|first1=Ebonie|title=The Masters Behind the Mix: A Behind the Scenes Glimpse Into Music Making With Mastering Engineer Ted Jensen|url=http://www.atlanticrecords.com/posts/masters-behind-mix-behind-scenes-glimpse-music-making-mastering-engineer-ted-jensen-22066|publisher=Atlantic Records|access-date=May 28, 2015|date=January 9, 2015}}

Jensen also designed some of the studio monitors at Sterling, including the ones used by Tom Coyne.{{cite web|title=Tom Coyne|website=allmusic.com|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tom-coyne-mn0001032225|access-date=June 25, 2014}} In 1998, Jensen, Greg Calbi and Tom Coyne, along with Murat Aktar (Absolute Audio co-founder) and UK based Metropolis, purchased Sterling Sound{{cite web|title=Mix Magazine|url=http://www.mixonline.com/mag/audio_sterling_sound/|access-date=June 27, 2014}} from previous owner, Lee Hulko.{{cite magazine|last=Verna |first=Paul |title=Mastering Clients Applaud Sterling Developments |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GgoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA148 |magazine=Billboard |date=26 September 1998 |access-date=31 August 2023}}

File:Ted Jensen's studio at Sterling Sound Nashville, TN.jpg]]

Sterling Sound{{cite web|title=Worlds Best Mastering Studios|url=http://blog.landr.com/the-worlds-top-13-mastering-studios/#.U9vsN4BdURa|website=Landr|date=July 18, 2014 |access-date=January 11, 2016}} was previously located in New York City, where it occupied the top floor of the Chelsea Market in the Meatpacking District. Jensen's studio was one of the three surround sound studios at Sterling Sound. It was designed by Fran Manzella, FM Design.{{cite web|last1=Manzella|first1=Fran|title=FM Design|url=http://www.fmdesign.com/2013/mastering/|access-date=March 13, 2015|archive-date=September 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914012015/http://www.fmdesign.com/2013/mastering/|url-status=dead}}

In April 2018, Sterling Sound's 20-year lease for the facility in the Chelsea Market ended, and Jensen, along with senior engineer Ryan Smith, relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where they opened Sterling Sound Nashville, which was designed by Thomas Jouanjean of Northward Acoustics.{{cite web |last1=Jouanjean |first1=Thomas |title=Sterling Sound Nashville |url=http://www.northwardacoustics.com/ |website=Northward Acoustics |access-date=December 3, 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Jensen |first1=Ted |title=Dilapidated Roxy Theater set for new life as 'premier' East Nashville music venue |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2018/11/09/east-nashville-roxy-theater-redevelopment-music-venue/1923651002/ |access-date=December 3, 2018}}

Since 1976, Jensen has mastered 16 Grammy Award winners in the categories of Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.

In 2002, Mastering Engineers became eligible to win Grammys in those categories.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jQ0EAAAAMBAJ|title=Billboard|date=April 26, 2003|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|language=en}}

Grammy Nominations

• 2003 – Album of the Year – Norah Jones' Come Away with Me{{cite web|title=Grammy Nominations 2003|url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Complete-list-of-Grammy-nominees-ceremony-set-2687689.php|website=SFGate|date=January 8, 2003 |access-date=January 11, 2016}}
• 2004 – Album of the Year – Evanescence's Fallen
• 2005 – Album of the Year – Green Day's American Idiot{{cite web|title=Grammy Nominees 2005|url=http://www.music-slam.com/complete-list-of-2005-grammy-nominees/|website=Music Slam|access-date=January 11, 2016}}
• 2014 – Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical – Alice in Chains' The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here{{cite news|title=Grammys 2014 Nominees|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-grammy-nominations-winners-list-story.html|newspaper=LA Times|date=December 7, 2013 |access-date=January 11, 2016}}
• 2016 – Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical – James Taylor's Before This World{{cite magazine|title=Grammy Nominations 2016|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/grammys/6785974/grammy-nominations-2016-full-list|magazine=Billboard|access-date=January 11, 2016}}

Grammy Awards

• 2003 – Jensen received a Grammy Award – Norah Jones, for Come Away with Me, which won Album of the Year for 2002.{{cite web|title=45th Annual Grammy Awards Winners|url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=Norah+Jones&field_nominee_work_value=&year=2002&genre=All}}

Latin Grammy Nominations{{cite web |last1=Jensen |first1=Ted |title=Latin Grammy Nominations |url=https://www.latingrammy.com/en |website=The Latin Recording Academy |access-date=30 September 2020}}

• 2007 Album of the Year – Ricky Martin – MTV Unplugged
• 2010 Album of the Year – Alejandro Sanz for Paraíso Express
• 2016 Album of the Year – Andrés Cepeda for Thousand Cities
• 2017 Album of the Year – Residente – Residente
• 2020 Album of the Year – Residente – René

Jensen has garnered 23 Mix Foundation TEC award nominations, winning 6 of them.{{cite web|title=Tec Awards Past Winners|url=http://legacy.tecawards.org/tec/past_winners.html}}

• 1999 – Outstanding Creative Achievement
• 2005 – Outstanding Creative Achievement for Record Production/Single or Track for Green Day – “American Idiot", American Idiot{{cite web|title=TEC Awards 2005 winners|url=http://tecfoundation.com/tec/05nomineescreat.html|access-date=June 25, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602120614/http://tecfoundation.com/tec/05nomineescreat.html|archive-date=June 2, 2012}}
• 2008 – Outstanding Creative Achievement for Surround Sound Recording for James Taylor – One Man Band{{cite web|title=TEC Awards 2008 Winners|url=http://tecfoundation.com/tec/08winners.html}}
• 2010 – Outstanding Creative Achievement for Record Production/Single or Track for Green Day – “21 Guns”, 21st Century Breakdown{{cite web|title=2010 TEC Awards Winners|url=http://tecfoundation.com/tec/10nomineescreat.html|access-date=June 25, 2014}}
• 2010 – Outstanding Creative Achievement for Record Production/Album for Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown
• 2016 – Outstanding Creative Achievement for Record Production/Album for James Taylor – Before This World{{cite web|title=NAMM Tec Awards|url=http://www.thestreet.com/story/13433605/2/creative-technical-achievement-winners-announced-at-the-31st-annual-namm-tec-awards.html|website=The Street|access-date=January 24, 2016}}

{{Main|Ted Jensen discography}}

Ted Jensen has mastered thousands of albums for more than 1,100 pop and rock artists.{{cite web|website=allmusic.com|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ted-jensen-mn0000022180|title=Ted Jensen|access-date=June 26, 2014}}{{cite web|title=Artist|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/259758-Ted-Jensen?page=1|website=Discogs|access-date=June 12, 2015}} In November 2018, Bring Me the Horizon's album That's the Spirit mastered by Jensen, scored 1 billion streams.{{cite web |title=BMTH That's the Spirit Scores 1 Billion Streams |url=http://loudwire.com/bring-me-the-horizon-thats-the-spirit-one-billion-streams/ |website=Loudwire |access-date=December 3, 2018}} Additionally, Jensen has been involved in the soundtrack or music departments on several major motion pictures including Daredevil and The Circle.{{IMDb name|0421700}}

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Category:1954 births

Category:Record producers from Connecticut

Category:Living people

Category:Grammy Award winners

Category:Mastering engineers

Category:People associated with Guns N' Roses