Gebre Waddell

Last updated

Gebre Waddell
Waddell, Gebre - Juce Talk Image.jpg
Gebre Waddell at JUCE Summit, London
Born(1981-11-28)November 28, 1981
Occupation(s)Chief Executive Officer, Mastering Engineer, Author
Notable workSound Credit, Complete Audio Mastering, Refinement, ReasonRhodes

Gebre Waddell (born November 28, 1981) is an American entrepreneur, author, audio engineer, and software engineer from Memphis, Tennessee.

Contents

He is best known as chief executive officer and co-founder of Sound Credit and as author of Complete Audio Mastering: Practical Techniques published by McGraw-Hill,. [1] [2] Waddell is a 2x GRAMMY nominee, [3] with audio engineering work for musical artists including Ministry, Lil' Wayne, Rick Ross, Public Enemy and The Bar-Kays. [4] [5]

Early life

Waddell was born in Memphis, Tennessee, into a family with a history of involvement in the civil rights movement. His father, James Waddell Jr., an esteemed civil rights era sculptor, created the first-ever sculpture of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, following his service in the Vietnam War. Eight family members attended Dr. King's final speech, including one that sang in the SCLC choir that night. Lucious Matthews, Waddell's uncle, was prominently featured in several significant photographs from the civil rights movement, notably identified as the 'man in the brimmed hat' during the Memphis sanitation worker strike. These photographs depict a line of peaceful strikers confronted by National Guard soldiers with weapons on one side and a line of tanks on the other. [6]

Waddell attended the University of Memphis, earning a degree in Accounting and Music. [7]

Career

Entrepreneurship and Industry

In March 2024 the State of Tennessee enacted the Ensuring Likeness, Voice, and Image Security Act, also known as the ELVIS Act, the first U.S. state bill regulating artificial intelligence with a focus on publicity rights. Drawing on his expertise in attribution, gained through his work with Sound Credit, Waddell played a pivotal role in the origination of this legislation, personally drafting its initial version. [8] [9] [10]

In June 2023, Waddell was elected as one of the four national officers of the Recording Academy/GRAMMYs, together with Tammy Susan Hurt (chair), Dr. Chelsey Green (vice chair), and Christine Albert (chair emeritus), in the role of Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Trustees. [11]

In February 2023, Waddell, as founder and CEO of Sound Credit, announced a $30 million advance facility from the GRAMMY red carpet in Los Angeles, and a partnership with UK-based music licensing company PPL aimed at enhancing international royalty collection services for American performers. [12]

In 2020, Waddell was elected to the national Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy/GRAMMYs which includes Yolanda Adams, John Legend, PJ Morton [13] and others comprising the 40-seat board. [14] He was also appointed by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to the Tennessee Entertainment Commission in late 2019 and was later appointed as chairman of the board. [15] [16]

Waddell appeared with supermodel Karlie Kloss in 2020 for the CSForAll Commitments Summit, for a discussion around the expansion of access to computer science education. [17]

On March 17, 2019, Waddell appeared on 60 Minutes, in a feature on the Revolution Fund and its investment in Sound Credit. [18] [19] It also covered the connections fostered by Revolution between industry leaders such as Eric Schmidt of Google and their consulting with entrepreneurs in the fund. [18]

In 2018, Waddell was one of eight winners of the Revolution Fund's Rise of the Rest tour and funding for seed stage capital. [20] The Revolution Fund investors include Jeff Bezos, Jim Breyer and Eric Schmidt, [21] and its funding of Sound Credit was matched by VC, Innova Capital. [22] Later that year, Inside Memphis Business magazine selected Waddell as 2018 Innovator of the Year. [23]

In 2016, Waddell became co-founder and chief executive officer of Sound Credit (Soundways), a music industry technology corporation based in Memphis, TN. [24]

In 2013, Waddell developed Refinement, an audio processor for controlling the sensation of harshness in audio signals, and licensed it to Brainworx Germany, who then developed a commercial product called bx_refinement (based on the Refinement prototype). Brainworx sells bx_refinement via Plugin Alliance and Universal Audio. [25] [26] bx_Refinement was released in 2014 as the first audio plugin simultaneously released across the Plugin Alliance and UAD platforms. [25]

Waddell released a multi-sampled software instrument named ReasonRhodes that mimicked the classic Fender Rhodes piano. ReasonRhodes was featured on the cover of Keyboard magazine in 2006, together with a story that covered Waddell's work in developing the instrument. [7] [27]

Audio engineering

Waddell was elected President of the Recording Academy Memphis Chapter in 2017. [28] He was elected to the Recording Academy Memphis Chapter Board of Governors in 2016, and became a co-chair of the Producers & Engineers Wing. [29] [30]

In 2013, "Complete Audio Mastering: Practical Techniques", authored by Gebre Waddell was published by McGraw-Hill Professional. [4]

Waddell created a printed frequency chart in 2010 that displays the frequency energy of common musical instruments with standardized spectrograms. The spectrograms were created from recordings of each instrument playing each note of their range. The print, titled The Frequency Domain is now found in studios and institutions including Stanford University, Harvard University, and in the office of audio icon, Rupert Neve. [31]

He received his first breaks with a project produced by John Tesh in 2005, and Public Enemy in 2006 on their album, "How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul". [1] [32] [7]

In 2003, Waddell established a mastering studio, Stonebridge Mastering, located in downtown Memphis, TN. [7]

Boards and organizations

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Record producer</span> Individual supervising a musical project

A record producer is a music recording project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions: ensuring artists deliver acceptable and quality performances, supervising the technical engineering of the recording, and coordinating the production team and process. The producer's involvement in a musical project can vary in depth and scope. Sometimes in popular genres the producer may create the recording's entire sound and structure. However, in classical music recording, for example, the producer serves as more of a liaison between the conductor and the engineering team. The role is often likened to that of a film director though there are important differences. It is distinct from the role of an executive producer, who is mostly involved in the recording project on an administrative level, and from the audio engineer who operates the recording technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FL Studio</span> Digital audio workstation

FL Studio is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by the Belgian company Image-Line. It features a graphical user interface with a pattern-based music sequencer. It is available in four different editions for Microsoft Windows and macOS.

The Memphis Horns was an American horn section, made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. The duo consisted of Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor saxophone. An "offshoot of the Mar-Keys", they continued to work together for over 30 years. They lent their sound to 83 gold and platinum awards and over one hundred high-charting records, including Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", and Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waves Audio</span> Professional audio company

Waves Audio Ltd. is an Israeli developer and supplier of professional digital audio signal processing technologies and audio effects, used in recording, mixing, mastering, post production, broadcast, and live sound. The company's corporate headquarters and main development facilities are located in Tel Aviv, with additional offices in the United States, China, and Taiwan, and development centers in India and Ukraine. In 2011, Waves won a Technical Grammy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Kennedy (musician)</span> American musician

Gordon Scott Kennedy is an American songwriter, musician, and record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee whose most successful composition is the international hit song "Change the World", recorded by Eric Clapton, for which Kennedy and his co-writers received a Grammy Award for Song of the Year (1996). Kennedy also received a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album (2007), co-producing, composing, and performing on Peter Frampton's Fingerprints album. He was a member of the Christian rock band White Heart for six years in the 1980s. Kennedy has written 15 songs recorded by Garth Brooks, and has done projects with Frampton and Ricky Skaggs. Kennedy's songs have been recorded by artists including Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss, Stevie Nicks, Faith Hill, and Carrie Underwood. His compositions have been heard in the film soundtracks of Tin Cup, For Love of the Game, Where the Heart Is, Almost Famous, Summer Catch, Someone Like You, The Banger Sisters, Phenomenon and Disney's The Fox and the Hound 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Porter (musician)</span> American record producer, songwriter and singer

David Porter is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

George Y. Massenburg is a Grammy award-winning recording engineer and inventor. Working principally in Baltimore, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Macon, Georgia, Massenburg is widely known for submitting a paper to the Audio Engineering Society in 1972 regarding the parametric equalizer.

WOWW is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Germantown, Tennessee, and serving the Memphis metropolitan area. WOWW carries an adult album alternative radio format and calls itself "Radio Pig". It is owned and operated by Flinn Broadcasting Corporation. The station's studios and offices are in Southaven, Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Farish</span> Musical artist

Ryan Farish is an American composer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentist. Hailing from Norfolk, Virginia, and based in Los Angeles, California, Ryan is known for his downtempo electronica, chillout, and uplifting dance music. His sound is a combination of anthemic melodies layered with organic downtempo grooves along with a collection of releases that infuse dance rhythms with uplifting themes. Ryan established his self-owned record label in 2008, RYTONE Entertainment, as a home to his own releases as well as those of other collaborative artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manny Marroquin</span> American mixing engineer (born 1971)

Manny Marroquin is an American record mixing engineer. He has worked with artists and acts in the pop, R&B, hip hop and rock genres, including Rihanna, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Rosalía, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Post Malone, Bruno Mars, John Mayer, 2Pac, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Sia, Lana Del Rey, Troye Sivan, and Linkin Park.

John Edward Fry was the founder of Ardent Records in Memphis, Tennessee, which includes Ardent Studios; two record labels, Ardent Records and Ardent Music ; and a production company, Ardent Film Department. The business was founded in 1959. It moved into commercial spaces at 1457 National Street in 1966.

Emily B. Lazar is an American mastering engineer. She is the founder, president, and chief mastering engineer of The Lodge, an audio mastering facility that has operated in New York City's Greenwich Village since 1997. She won a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for Beck's album Colors, becoming the first female mastering engineer to win in this category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F. Reid Shippen</span> American record producer

F. Reid Shippen is a mixer, engineer and producer, currently based in Nashville, Tennessee. He has mixed a wide variety of records including "Cosmic Hallelujah" by Kenny Chesney, "Lights Out" by Ingrid Michaelson, "The Mountain" by Dierks Bentley, "When I Was Younger" by Colony House, and "Eye On It" by TobyMac. Shippen has mixed nine Grammy Award winning projects and received the Audio Engineer of the Year award at the 54th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Ross-Spang</span> Musical artist

Matt Ross-Spang is an American Grammy award winning record producer, engineer, and mixer. His credits include such artists as Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Al Green, John Prine and Elvis Presley.

Tammy Hurt is an American drummer, producer, and music advocate. Hurt's music project, Sonic Rebel, was featured as the cover story for the June 2021 print and digital edition of Atlanta's Creative Loafing. She is also known for her work with the Recording Academy.

Rafael Sardina, known professionally as Rafa Sardina, is a basque recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer known for his work with Alejandro Sanz, Luis Miguel, Calle 13, D'Angelo, The Clare Fischer Big Band and Lady Gaga.

Sound Credit is a music credits platform with computer software applications for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. It includes the Sound Credit Publisher cross-platform desktop application, the Tracker cross-platform digital audio workstation (DAW) plug-in, physical kiosks, smart card check-in system, and online database.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Bell (recording engineer)</span> Musical artist

Brandon Bell is a Grammy Award winning record engineer, mix engineer and producer based in Nashville. His credits include Alan Jackson, Sarah Jarosz, Joni Mitchell, Steep Canyon Rangers, Zac Brown Band, The Highwomen, Foo Fighters, Tanya Tucker, Parker McCollum, Brandi Carlile, Earl Scruggs, Reba McEntire, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Allison Russell, and Blackberry Smoke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ELVIS Act</span>

The ELVIS Act or Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act, signed into law by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on March 21, 2024, marked a significant milestone in the area of regulation of artificial intelligence and public sector policies for artists in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI alignment. It was noted as the first enacted legislation in the United States of America specifically designed to protect musicians from the unauthorized use of their voices through artificial intelligence technologies and against audio deepfakes and voice cloning. This legislation distinguishes itself by adding penalties for copying a performer's voice without permission, a measure that addresses the sophisticated ability of AI to mimic public figures, including artists.

References

  1. 1 2 Waddell, Gebre. "Complete Audio Mastering: Practical Techniques". McGraw-Hill Professional, NY. 2013.
  2. ↑ Dorsey, Scott. "Comeplete Audio Mastering: Practical Techniques". Recording Magazine, January 2016: 72. Print.
  3. ↑ "Grammy Awards: GloRilla, HitKidd, Eric Gales among Memphis artists earning nominations". Commercial Appeal. USA Today Network. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Gebre Waddell – Credits – AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Tito Jackson To Release "Under Your Spell" on August 6 with Special Guests including George Benson, Joe Bonamassa, Marlon Jackson, and Stevie Wonder". California Rock News. June 9, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  6. ↑ James Waddell, Jr. Exhibition Videos and Placards. Waddell, Withers, Smith A Requiem for King. Lorraine Motel (at the site of the MLK Assassination: National Civil Rights Museum.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Boone, Joe. "Kick Out the Jams" Memphis Business Quarterly, September 2013: 55–56. Print.
  8. ↑ "Tennessee bill targeting AI is first of its kind in the US". Daily Memphian. January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Tennessee governor unveils legislation targeting use of artificial intelligence in music". USA Today. January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  10. ↑ "The ELVIS Act: Gebre Waddell leads efforts for law aimed to curtail AI fakes of recording artists". Memphis Flyer. February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Recording Academy Elects Tammy Hurt, Dr. Chelsey Green, Gebre Waddell, And Christine Albert As National Officers And 19 Leaders To 2023-2024 Board Of Trustees". Recording Academy. June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  12. ↑ Paul Resnikoff (February 7, 2023). "Sound Credit Partners With PPL — North American Creators Can Now Collect Neighboring Rights Royalties". Digital Music News. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  13. ↑ "One Third of the Recording Academy Trustees are Grammy Winners". billboard.com. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  14. 1 2 "Trustees List". grammy.com. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  15. 1 2 "TN Boards and Vacancies". tnsos.net. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  16. ↑ "INDUSTRY EXPERTS SHARING THEIR EXPERTISE". Nola Music Tech. May 15, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  17. ↑ "First Round of Speakers Announced for the 2020 CSforALL Commitments Showcase". CSForAll. November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  18. 1 2 "Billionaire on the Bus". Targeting Americans/Billionarie on the Bus/Monaco. Season 51. Episode 22. March 17, 2019. CBS.
  19. ↑ "IMDB". imdb.com. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  20. ↑ "AOL founder Steve Case is traveling the US investing in local businesses through his $150 million seed fund". businessinsider.com. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  21. ↑ "RISE OF THE REST SEED FUND". revolution.com. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Memphis startup wins $200K to ensure musicians receive royalties". wmcactionnews5.com. May 15, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  23. 1 2 "2018 Innovation Award Winner: Gebre Waddell, Sound Credit". insidememphisbusiness.com. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Start MMT:
    Soundways 1st Music startup funded via Consortium/StartCo partnership"    . venturetennessee.com. May 20, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  25. 1 2 "bx_refinement harshness control plug-in". tapeop.com. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Universal Audio Launches Chandler Limited Guitar Amp Plugin, Brainworx bx_refinement & bx_saturator". sonicscoop.com. April 15, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  27. ↑ Vail, Mark. "ReasonRhodes Sample Set". Keyboard Magazine, August 2006: 78. Print.
  28. ↑ "Memphis Chapter". grammypro.com. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
  29. ↑ "Bruce Barielle, Gebre Waddell, Ben Blackwell, Jeff Powell and Eric..." gettyimages.com. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  30. 1 2 "Memphis Chapter". grammypro.com. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Frequency Chart – Stonebridge Mastering". stonebridgemastering.com. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Trep Talk: Gebre Waddell of Soundways". makememphis.org. June 6, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Staff and board". memphisrocknsoul.com. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  34. ↑ "Haslam Makes Appointments to State Boards and Commissions". tn.gov. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.