Tom Coyne (music engineer)
Thomas J. Coyne (December 10, 1954 – April 12, 2017)[1] was an American mastering engineer.[2]
Tom Coyne
Thomas J. Coyne
December 10, 1954
Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.
April 12, 2017 (aged 62)
U.S.
Mastering engineer
Early life and education[edit]
Coyne was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby Union, where he graduated from Roselle Catholic High School in 1972.[3]
He attended Kean College where he received a degree in Commercial Design.
Career[edit]
Following college, Coyne's first job was at Dick Charles Recording where Lee Hulko, former owner of Sterling Sound, got his first job in the states after arriving from Thunder Bay, Ontario.[4] In the six months Coyne worked at Dick Charles,[5] he watched Dick master records on the lathe and soon began cutting his own after hours. Coyne then was hired at Frankford/Wayne Mastering Labs,[6] assisting under Dominic Romeo,[7] known for cutting 45s for The Rolling Stones, The Four Seasons, Frankie Valli, Dionne Warwick, and others.
Over the following decade, Coyne primarily cut records for dance bands with his first big record being "Ladies Night" by Kool & the Gang. In 1989, Coyne was hired by The Hit Factory where he spent another five years mastering mostly Hip-Hop and R&B records by artists such as Billy Ocean, A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. In 1994, Coyne was offered a job by Lee Hulko who now operated Sterling Sound.[8] In 1998, Coyne, Ted Jensen, Greg Calbi, Murat Aktar (Absolute Audio co-founder), and UK-based Metropolis bought Sterling Sound from Lee Hulko.[9][10]
Death[edit]
Coyne died on April 12, 2017, from multiple myeloma at the age of 62.[11][12][13]
Studio[edit]
Sterling Sound is located in New York City, occupying the top floor of the Chelsea Market in the Meatpacking District. It was designed by Fran Manzella, FM Design.[16]