Robert Margouleff

Robert Margouleff is an American record producer, recording engineer, electronic music pioneer, audio expert, and film producer.

Career The Birth of TONTO Margouleff was an early customer, friend and collaborator of fellow New Yorker and music instrument pioneer Robert Moog, contributing early insight toward Moog's musical instrument development for artists to routinely program and use synthesizers. He also was an early creative resource at Andy Warhol's "factory", eventually co-producing Ciao! Manhattan (1972), a semi-biographical cult film tale of 1960s counterculture film actress and socialite Edie Sedgwick, one of Warhol's "superstars".

In 1968, Robert Margouleff purchased a Moog Series IIIc, which was intended to be the "first orchestra of synthesizers". He soon went on to meet well-known bassist Malcolm Cecil, who approached him to learn more about this synthesizer. In exchange for Cecil teaching Margouleff how to use the recording console, Margouleff taught Cecil how to use the Moog. In just two weeks, the duo set to build the largest synthesizer in the world.

Stevie Wonder Beginning in 1972, Margouleff and Cecil worked with Stevie Wonder on a string of award-winning albums, including Music of My Mind (1972), Talking Book (1972), Innervisions (1973) and Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974), all of which featured Margouleff and Cecil as associate producers, engineers and synthesizer programmers.

TONTO was pivotal in the duo's relationship with Wonder because it allowed him to arrange his own tracks and to be involved in each step of the recording process.

In 1980, Margouleff produced the Freedom of Choice album for American new wave band Devo. On working with Margouleff, Devo's co-founder and principal songwriter Gerald Casale said, "He just brought the right kind of tone and energy to the fact that we [were] using mini-Moogs". In an interview for Rhino Records, Casale described how Devo's demos for the album, which featured extensive usage of the Moog Bass, convinced Margouleff to work with them.

1995–present Margouleff is currently a partner in Safe Harbor Pictures LLC. in Los Angeles, California, where he has developed a fully tape-less 2D / 3D High definition production workflow, from shooting to editing. As an avid sailor and documentary filmmaker, Margouleff is producing Tall Ships of the World, a 13-episode series about America's greatest sailing ships, which will be available on Blu-ray in 3D.

In 1997, Margouleff was a principal founder of Mi Casa Multimedia in Hollywood, California, a leading boutique surround sound (multi-channel audio) mixing studio specializing in home theatre DTS and DVD / HD DVD releases for major motion picture studios. Mi Casa Multimedia studios is located in a former home of actor Béla Lugosi.

Margouleff was invited to present as the Keynote Speaker for the 129th AES Convention on November 4, 2010, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. His lecture was titled "What the Hell Happened?", which examined the influence of fast-paced technological developments on creativity in the music industry and the recording arts.

In 2013, the National Music Centre acquired TONTO.

Personal life Margouleff is the son of Great Neck Estates mayor Jean Margouleff and Ruth Margouleff. He also has one sister and one brother.

Discography With Malcolm Cecil 1971: Zero Time – Tonto's Expanding Head Band 1975: It's About Time – Tonto's Expanding Head Band

Engineering, production, programming credits with Cecil 1970: A Moog Mass – Caldara 1971: The Great Blind Degree – Richie Havens 1972: Music of My Mind – Stevie Wonder 1972: Talking Book – Stevie Wonder 1973: Innervisions – Stevie Wonder 1973: The Captain and Me – The Doobie Brothers 1973: 3+3 – The Isley Brothers 1973: Kindling – Gene Parsons 1974: Fulfillingness' First Finale – Stevie Wonder 1974: Good Old Boys – Randy Newman 1974: Live It Up – The Isley Brothers 1974: Shankar Family & Friends – Ravi Shankar 1975: It's My Pleasure – Billy Preston 1975: The Heat Is On – The Isley Brothers 1975: Join Me and Let's Be Free – Wilson Pickett 1975: Tale Spinnin' – Weather Report 1977: Motivation Radio – Steve Hillage

Credits with other artists (see also Malcolm Cecil Discography, Margouleff and Cecil (together) Discography) 1966/1985: Original Television Soundtrack Star Trek From the Original Pilots "The Cage" & "Where No Man Has Gone Before" – Alexander Courage 1968: Presenting... – Lothar and the Hand People 1973: Hat Trick – America (synth programming) 1976: Billy Preston – Billy Preston 1976: 2nd Resurrection – The Stairsteps 1977: Ready for the World – Inner Circle 1978: Introducing the ARP Avatar – Ned Liben 1980: Minimum Wage Rock & Roll – The BusBoys 1980: Freedom of Choice – Devo 1982: As We Speak – David Sanborn 1982: The Innocents – The Innocents 1982: Rumor Has It EP – Avalon 1983: Good for Your Soul – Oingo Boingo 1986: "All I Need" – The Manhattans (additional producer, remix) 1986: "But Not Tonight" – Depeche Mode (additional producer, remix) 1987: Renaissance – Branford Marsalis 1987: American Soul Man – Wilson Pickett 1990: The Odd Get Even – Shadowfax 1991: Live in Concert – 2 Live Crew 1992: Freedom to Fly – Tony MacAlpine 1994: Alternative NRG – various artists 1995: Conversation Peace – Stevie Wonder (mixing)

Awards and recognition Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical – 1974 Malcolm Cecil & Robert Margouleff (engineers) for Innervisions performed by Stevie Wonder