James Stewart

James in Studio A

Hi there. I’m James. I’m an audio engineer in Nashville, TN (originally from the Philadelphia area, Go Eagles!). I work for The Sun Record Company, the record label that discovered Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Conway Twitty, and countless other stars. I manage and care for the Sun Records archive, one of the most revered collections of recordings in the world. It’s been said that if Rock ‘n Roll was a religion, then Sun Records would be it’s most holy shrine, and it’s archive would be something like original holy writings.

At Sun, I’m in charge of everything audio and technology related. I create and manage all of our websites and web presence. I also remaster the original releases from the 50s for release in today’s formats. I manage & distribute our catalog on iTunes, Amazon.com, and all of the other major digital music sites.

I transfer a TON of old analog tapes. I’ve learned form some of the engineers who were around before tape and I treat each tape like a newborn baby… or maybe a really old fragile person. That’s probably much more accurate.

Sun Records Out-Takes

I have a really good understanding of the different tape compositions and conditions and I can transfer nearly all formats. I have access to tape machines ranging from mono full-track, 3-track, 4-track, 8-track, 16-track, and 24-track. I do bake tapes if necessary, but not when it’s not necessary or appropriate. I also restore vinyl with true pop & click removal (not just EQ adjustments).

I engineer independent projects when time permits, mostly Christian or Bluegrass records with the occasional rock album thrown in for good measure. I’m a certified Pro Tools operator, and I stay up to date with all the latest audio technology, so if you’ve got any questions about why Pro Tools or Cubase just crashed on you, feel free to drop me a line and I’ll lend a hand.

Ampex 440

You can email me at: james at 761mph dot com

Or friend me on Facebook, connect on Linkedin, and follow me on Twitter.

761mph = The speed of sound at Sea Level on an average temperature day (59° Fahrenheit).