Dave Collins is an American Grammy Award winning mastering engineer. He has worked with numerous artists and musicians, including Alice in Chains, Metallica, Soundgarden, Weezer, Grateful Dead, Madonna, Linkin Park, The Police, Porno for Pyros, Oingo Boingo, Alice Cooper, KMFDM, Sepultura, Dethklok, Puscifier, Chris Cornell, Bon Jovi, Buckcherry, Monster Magnet, Sting, Flogging Molly, Bad Religion, Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Chevelle, Beren Saat and Bruce Springsteen.
Collins has also mastered motion picture soundtrack albums such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Passengers, Jurassic Park, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Schindler's List, and Braveheart.
Life and career Dave Collins was born and raised in Hollywood Hills, California. Collins started his career in 1983 as an assistant to Armin Steiner, the American sound engineer and mixer. He worked with Steiner on the 20th Century Fox Scoring Stage until he was hired to work for Digital Magnetics, a new company created by Armin Steiner and his business partner Bruce Botnick, the American sound engineer and record producer. Collins worked as a recordist with the Sony Compact Disc Mastering System for Digital Magnetics in Hollywood from 1983 until 1988. In 1988, Collins was hired by Shelly Yakus, American recording engineer and mixer, to manage the mastering department of A&M Studios in Hollywood. In 1995, Dave Collins was promoted to oversee the four studios as Chief Mastering Engineer at A&M. Collins worked there as Chief Mastering Engineer for 14 years for until the studios were acquired by PolyGram Entertainment in 1999. After A&M’s closure, Dave Collins opened his own mastering studio on Western Avenue, Hollywood, California. In 2016, Collins moved to Pasadena after building two custom studios with Thomas Jouanjean by utilizing the principles of architectural acoustics. This location was also home to Hinge Studios owned by Craig Bauer the American mixing engineer. Collins is married to Christina Preston.
Awards and recognition During his career, Collins has worked on 9 Grammy award winning projects and over 30 Grammy award nominated projects. Recently, Collins received two Grammys at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards for his mastering of D’Angelo’s 2016 record Black Messiah which won the Best R&B Album and Record of the Year.
Grammy awards YearArtistAlbum or SongCategoryResult1989Danny Elfman Batman Movie Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television The Batman Theme Best Instrumental Composition 1991 James Horner Glory Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television Danny Elfman Edward Scissorhands Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television 1992 John Barry Dances with Wolves Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television 1993 Danny Elfman Nightmare Before Christmas Best Musical Album for ChildrenLuther Vandross How Deep is Your Love Best R&B Male Vocal Performance Heaven Knows Best Rhythm & Blues Song Little Miracles (Happen Every Day) Best Rhythm & Blues Song Sting Demolition Man Best Rock Vocal Performance 1994 Barry White Practice What You Preach Best Male R&B Vocal Performance John Williams Jurassic Park Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television 1995 John Williams Schlinder’s List Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television Soundgarden Spoonman Best Metal Performance Black Hole Sun Best Rock Performance Barry White Baby’s Home Best Male R&B Vocal Performance The Icon is Love Best R&B Album 1997 Bruce Springsteen The Ghost of Tom Joad The Best Contemporary Folk Album 1999 Chris Cornell Can't Change Me Best Male Rock Vocal Performance 2006 Buckcherry Crazy Bitch Best Hard Rock Performance 2010 Barry Manilow The Greatest Love Songs of All Time Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album 2012 Avett Brothers The Carpenter Best Americana Album 2016D’Angelo and The Vanguard Black Messiah Best R&B Album Really Love Best R&B Song Seth Macfarlane No One Ever Tells You Best Traditional Pop Vocal John Daversa Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of the Beatles Best large Jazz Ensemble Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Best Arrangement, Instrumental or a Cappella Do You Want to Know a Secret? Best Arrangement, Instrument and Vocals 2017Metallica Hardwired Best Rock Song Hardwired...To Self Destruct Best Rock Album 2018 Metallica Atlas, Rise Best Rock Song Nomination Anita Wilson Sunday Song Best Gospel Album Seth Macfarlane In Full Swing Best Traditional Pop Vocal 2019 Alice in Chains Rainier Fog Best Rock Album
Selected discography 2024: The Linda Lindas, No Obligation — Mastering 2023: Dethklok, Dethalbum IV — Mastering 2019: Anita Wilson, Here’s to Life — Mastering 2018: American Aquarium, Things Change — Mastering 2018: Alice in Chains, Ranier Fog — Mastering 2018: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald-Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — Mastering 2018: Passengers-Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — Mastering 2018: Victoria & Abdul-Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — Mastering 2018: Bad Religion, The Kids Are Alt-Right — Mastering 2017: Brendon Small, Galaktikon II: Become the Storm — Mastering 2017: Seth MacFarlane, In Full Swing — Mastering 2016: Bruce Springsteen, Chapter & Verse — Mastering 2016: Metallica, Hardwired... to Self-Destruct — Mastering 2016: D’Angelo, Black Messiah — Mastering 2016: Chevelle, The North Corridor — Mastering 2015: Puscifier, Money $hot — Mastering 2015: Seth MacFarlane, No One Ever Tells You — Mastering 2015: Buckcherry, Rock 'n' Roll — Mastering 2014: Chevelle, La Gargola — Mastering 2014: Maleficent, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — Mastering 2014: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — Mastering 2013: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — Mastering 2013: Nancy Sinatra, Shifting Gears — Mastering 2012: Avett Brothers, The Carpenter — Mastering 2012: Soundgarden, The Classic Album Selection — Mastering 2011: Chris Cornell, Songbook — Mastering 2010: Weezer, Death to False Metal — Mastering 2010: Toadies, Feeler — Mastering 2010: Gin Blossoms, No Chocolate Cake — Mastering 2010: Alain Johannes, Spark — Mastering 2010: Barry Manilow, The Greatest Love Songs of All Time — Mastering 2008: Sepultura, Against/Nation — Mastering 2008: Flogging Molly, Float;— Mastering 2007: Linkin Park, Minutes to Midnight — Mastering 2008: Weezer, Red Album — Mastering 2006: Superman Returns, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — Mastering 2006: Pink Panther, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — Mastering 2005: Blink-182, Greatest Hits — Mastering 2002: Sting, At the Movies — Mastering 2000: Alice Cooper, Brutal Planet — Mastering 2000: Mötley Crüe, New Tattoo — Mastering 1999: Chris Cornell, Euphoria Morning — Mastering 1999: Perry Farrell, Rev — Mastering 1998: Black Sabbath, Reunion — Mastering 1997: Duran Duran, Medazzaland — Mastering 1997: The Police, The Very Best of Sting & The Police — Mastering 1997: Soundgarden, A-Sides — Mastering 1996: Soundgarden, Down on the Upside — Mastering 1996: Porno for Pyros, Good God's Urge — Mastering 1996: Evita, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — Mastering 1994: Soundgarden-Superunknown — Mastering 1993: Jurassic Park, Original Motion Film Soundtrack — Mastering 1993: The Nightmare Before Christmas — Mastering 1992: Batman Returns-Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — Mastering 1991: Luther Vandross, Power of Love — Mastering 1990: Edward Scissorhands, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — Mastering
References
External links Official website