PETER COBBIN
Summarising Peter’s 35 years behind the glass is a challenge and with his foot to the floor for the whole ride the task is made more difficult - it is extraordinary how much he has accomplished.
In 1995 Pete attained engineering nirvana when he was invited to become senior engineer at Abbey Road Studios. Until setting up Such Sweet Thunder some 21 years later he was often heard saying "this has got to be the best job in the world!"
At Abbey Road, Peter pioneered mixing music for surround and was the first engineer ever to undertake remixing works for The Beatles. A surreal and career altering experience as he has described it: “imagine - many months of having the master tapes of THE catalogue laid before you” (it’s the only time apparently he has worn white gloves). His skill for reworking existing masters quickly led to other successful collaborations like that with Yoko Ono remixing John Lennon’s catalogue. His ability to straddle pop and rock and to combine classic analogue techniques with the best of digital also gave Peter the opportunity to create dynamic works for artists such as U2, Amy Winehouse, Freddie Mercury, Air, Bjork, Kanye West and The Eurythmics.
Before London, Peter had a whole life as a mix specialist. His training in native Sydney (EMI/Studios 301) landed him a Tape Op job to die for. On reflection he recalls how amazing it was to assist on sessions with Duran Duran, Elton John, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan - to sit in and watch Prince and David Bowie jam. With the cream of local talent at his feet Peter absorbed how to inject passion, vibe and grit into the record making process. Countless hours went into those early years listening, experimenting and slowly developing skills that helped lock his ear into the art of detail. His quest has always been to "get inside a mix".
As a classically taught musician and a lover of pop some of his early years meant editing repertoire by day and recording rock and roll by night. He was a studio sponge! Pete developed an appreciation for fine analogue equipment and with this an intuitive understanding of which tools to employ helped him to develop a natural ease when working with artists of different genres. Ed Sheeran, Sting, Annie Lennox, Luciano Pavarotti, Kate Bush, Gotye, Janet Jackson, Paul McCartney, Florence and the Machine, Mick Jagger, Emeli Sandé and Mark Knopfler being some of the many.
What started as a means to an end, Peter's experiences and love for acquiring classic gear with his friend Jim Taig, eventually turned into the most prestigious rental company in Australia. The equipment infatuation continued in London with his desire to help make Abbey Road aware of its own legacy during the emerging digital revolution. In partnership with the EMI archive trust he was responsible for rediscovering many of the company’s legendary (but forgotten) innovations and equipment, restoring them to their former glory and celebrating their unique qualities by using them in his contemporary projects. He also spent time researching the legacy of A.D. Blumlein and the other EMI research and development team, and brought awareness to how their achievements have shaped the face of audio today. His passion for the studios helped shape a vibrant culture for the ongoing development for training, research and learning.
With increasing pressure on recording facilities, behind the scenes Peter spent considerable time and effort to ensure the great studio’s future was protected and preserved. On the audio front he worked closely with Waves and Chandler Ltd to help recreate successful software and hardware reproductions of Abbey Road’s unique equipment and with Bowers and Wilkins on the longstanding partnership with their outstanding speaker development. His photography skills were often called on to help create new memorable images for the studio.
Abbey Road were to honour his initiatives by creating a new bespoke role for him, “Director of Engineering” , in which his vision for new business opportunities were linked to an understanding of the studio’s heritage, and acknowledged his role as mentor and inspiration to a new generation of Abbey Road engineers.
But it was destiny that Peter's love for music, image and cinema collided creatively. Working on film scores with director/composer collaborations was to enrich his career irreversibly. Many a composer has come to rely on his calm, innate musicality to help bring their artistic visions to fruition, whilst modestly contributing his own creative ideas to enhance the story-telling. From intriguing dramas, quirky animations, fantasy worlds to epic tales, Pete has helped create some of the most memorable soundtracks in recent times, such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Star Wars, Shrek, The King’s Speech. He was the first engineer to record a symphonic score for a computer game and has always pushed to be on the technical edge. He has won multiple grammies and other industry awards, been nominated for a BAFTA, produced a British number 1 and has played on Top of the Pops, written some film scores and composed a successful children’s album on the rhymes of Beatrix Potter. His reputation as an innovator has led to collaboration and consultation with manufacturing designers whose goals align with excellence.
Peter takes much pride in applying imagination to his work and as you can see his achievements are exhaustive. But when pushed to state his biggest thrill, it is being in the chair with the incessant challenge of making his next project perfect.
It is with a huge smile that Peter's current focus on Such Sweet Thunder allows him to concentrate his commitment, vision and undying enthusiasm to the craft he most loves - and where it all began - making music.