Biography
Wally Traugott has lent his expertise to well over three hundred albums, yet the questions interviewers pose in private often center on narrow technical points such as whether overdubs were employed. Performers whose names dominate the front cover frequently cannot recall such minutiae about their own landmark recordings, while Traugott retains every detail. His own credit usually appears in minuscule print on the rear sleeve or booklet, yet the industry has repeatedly singled him out; one release was even advertised with the phrase “Cut by the very hands of legendary lathe-master Wally Traugott.” Listeners unfamiliar with behind-the-scenes processes might picture a lathe-master as a heavy-metal guitarist wielding a custom instrument, but the title denotes mastery of either traditional lacquer cutting on a precision lathe or contemporary digital mastering and remastering across every format from vinyl to future carriers.
For many years he served as a staff mastering engineer at Capitol, earning accolades that include the 1985 TEC Award for best mastering engineer. His name graces more hit albums than those of most session players, and his command of technology extends beyond any single musical style. Where mid-’60s musicians absorbed Delta blues slide techniques and Indian ragas, Traugott concentrated on directives such as “. . .roll off high frequencies above 12 kHz and low frequencies below 47 Hz when cutting 45s.” Far from being indifferent to musical content, he has occasionally taken an active role in editing, most notably on Bob Seger’s “Night Moves.” The original track ran five minutes; after Traugott’s editing it was trimmed to three-and-a-half minutes to suit radio programmers, although some disc jockeys preferred the longer version for breaks.
Mastering engineers often argue that the title “producer” is misleadingly broad and that hands-on editing and mastering should qualify for primary production credit. In practice the designated producer may simply be the person who engaged Traugott for the technical labor. On “Night Moves,” Jack Richardson held that role, yet the initial single credited Punch Andrews alone. Richardson reportedly reacted with fury upon seeing the erroneous listing, and although the credits were later amended to list both Richardson and Andrews, Traugott receives mention only as mastering engineer. “Punch wasn’t even at the sessions,” Richardson remarked in an interview.
For many years he served as a staff mastering engineer at Capitol, earning accolades that include the 1985 TEC Award for best mastering engineer. His name graces more hit albums than those of most session players, and his command of technology extends beyond any single musical style. Where mid-’60s musicians absorbed Delta blues slide techniques and Indian ragas, Traugott concentrated on directives such as “. . .roll off high frequencies above 12 kHz and low frequencies below 47 Hz when cutting 45s.” Far from being indifferent to musical content, he has occasionally taken an active role in editing, most notably on Bob Seger’s “Night Moves.” The original track ran five minutes; after Traugott’s editing it was trimmed to three-and-a-half minutes to suit radio programmers, although some disc jockeys preferred the longer version for breaks.
Mastering engineers often argue that the title “producer” is misleadingly broad and that hands-on editing and mastering should qualify for primary production credit. In practice the designated producer may simply be the person who engaged Traugott for the technical labor. On “Night Moves,” Jack Richardson held that role, yet the initial single credited Punch Andrews alone. Richardson reportedly reacted with fury upon seeing the erroneous listing, and although the credits were later amended to list both Richardson and Andrews, Traugott receives mention only as mastering engineer. “Punch wasn’t even at the sessions,” Richardson remarked in an interview.