Stan Ricker has passed away...

Dear Forum Members,

It's with a heavy heart that I must inform you that master mastering expert Stan Ricker has passed.

While I know I'm not the biggest audiophile in this forum, many of you have spoken very highly of him. My wife & I have decided that THIS Forum would be the perfect place to tell you a bit about him, personally.



While Tori & I had been a 'live-in' couple since '88, when the subject of her dad came up, I figured to not ask too many questions. In time, when we were married, and moved to Las Vegas, Tori had a desire to reconnect with Stan. I won't go into the family drama, but it was the beginning of a new relationship between the two of them, that I was fortunate to be a witness to.

It became obvious that we'd all become quick friends, and for the next few years, when he'd attend the CES convention, he give us a call, and we'd drive to our favorite Thai food place, eat, drink, and laugh it up for a few hours. (Mr Hoffman even came to our table, one year, to shake his hand, and say hello).

As he got older, he stopped coming to the conventions. He had had a few health problems, but, he always seemed to survive. We, then, made a few trips out to Ridgecrest, just to visit, eat, drink, and be merry. Yes! We marvelled at his mastering equipment; the lathe, the console , and the big speakers. But, instead of picking his brain, we would tell jokes, watch the Les Paul documentary, and listen to him talk about the old days. My mind goes right to an 'encounter' he had at the navel academy with a very young John McCain! ( I won't go into details about that!)

As you might've guessed, he was not a 'man of rock'! Even though, through this forum, I've discovered how many of you LOVED his mastering work on the ELO "Out Of The Blue" album! A personal 'victory' for me came in the form of a conversation we had, when he told me of a friend of his that worked at Warner Bros. Records. I brought up my recent infatuation with The Flaming Lips, and, sure enough, he was brought in to master the limited edition vinyl version of "At War With The Mystics"!! Sadly, he couldn't finagle a copy for us, but, he did manage to get us a vinyl copy of the Cream reunion show!

I feel fortunate to have known him. Even more so, that Tori & he had formed a loving bond in his last years. In closing, I'll say that I'm sure he won't be forgotten. Here's how I know:

Last year, while Tori & I met the lead singer of The Residents, we decided to go to an Indian restaurant not far from the San Francisco Amoeba Records. The young girl at the cash register was quite friendly,and, when we asked her what she was studying in college, she said, 'audio engineering'. Tori explained to her that her dad was Stan, and her eyes lit up! She explained how she was taught all about him and his work.

So, in the end, he may live on longer than most of us!

I salute him, and thank him for being a friend.

 

RIP

 

Thanks for sharing here. RIP.

 

Thank you, Scope J!!
There's Stan,
and Stan & Tori!
I'll be sending a link to this thread to his family members, to show how much he was loved by this community!

 

This is very sad to hear. Stan worked with me on a few projects in the 2000s. He even came out to Michigan to record my band.

What a fantastic, funny and generous person he was. Truly a genius in music and the recording arts.

I recall how he loved big band music and playing his sting bass.

I'd write more about Stan, but right now this news is a shock, he will be missed by so many people he touched.

 

http://www.rickermaster.com

 

A sad day for vinyl fans, "half-speed cutting" should have been his second name... R.I.P. Mr Ricker

My deepest condolences to his friends and family...

 

Wow , Saturday the news was that he had "a slight mini stroke."

RIP

 

He wasn't just good. He was a pioneer. As the OP stated, he won't soon be forgotten.

RIP.

 

RIP

 

RIP Stan, you'll missed. Thoughts and prayers for the family...

 

Sorry to hear.

 

I may actually have one of his cuttings - the Jet/UA 45 of ELO's "Turn to Stone." May I echo all the condolences pouring through.

 

RIP Stan

 

Thanks for sharing your memories with us, Vince. I am a big fan of his work and this is sad news. My thoughts go out to you and Tori at this time.

 

Very sorry to hear this. RIP Stan.

I got to work with Stan on a couple of projects back in the 70s when he was at the JVC Cutting Center. This was before Mobile Fidelity was doing any pop records.

He was a great guy and I can say I learned a few things from him .

 

RIP Stan

 

Very sorry to hear. And thank you @vince for honoring all of us by posting this notice here. My condolences on your family's loss - and the music world's loss.

 

RIP SR/2

 

SR/2.

Godspeed you and thank you for all the aural joy over the years.

 

Wonderful tribute, vince and Scope J.

Stan Ricker was one of the first mastering engineers I recognized by name. I remember seeing his credit on William Ackerman's Childhood and Memory, a record I used to sell stereos in the late '70s and early '80s. It was a super sounding LP and I wanted more of Stan Ricker's work, which I'd soon get with Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs.

RIP, sir. You enriched my life.