Al Schmitt was a legendary recording and mixing engineer whose career shaped the sound of modern music. With over 150 gold and platinum albums to his name and an astonishing 20 Grammy Awards, Al worked with the biggest names across pop, jazz, classical, and country music.

A true pioneer, Al witnessed and mastered every major shift in recording technology—from the early days of mono to today's most advanced digital tools. But what set him apart was something no technology could replace: intuition.

Those lucky enough to attend a session with Al often describe it as magical. He placed microphones with lightning precision, relying on instinct honed over decades. Then he’d push the faders on his Neve console—and there it was: the sound everyone was chasing.

Al was known for his minimalist approach to EQ and compression, preferring to capture the perfect sound at the source rather than fixing it later. His signature? Clean, natural, and effortlessly musical.

You can watch Al’s brilliance in action as he records and mixes Cyrille Aimée—only on Puremix.