Tom Baker’s Bio
Tom was able to unite his skills as an accomplished musician and electronic’s technician into
successful career as a mastering engineer and further his clients mastering needs to a new plateau.
At 8 years old he began to study the trumpet and music theory with the renowned music teacher!
Theodore Dechter and was able to blossom into a principal/lead trumpet player for many years.
Having started as a kid building and modifying speakers, amplifiers and power supplies etc.
including many Heathkit projects, Tom while a student in college, was in charge of all the
phototypesetting equipment for TL Publishing. From there he was offered the position as senior
electronics technician for Electra-Print Inc. all while studying electrical engineering in college
and attending Sound Masters School of Recording Engineering, graduating with “honors”.
Tom started cutting vinyl at the young age of just 22 at the epochal mastering studio “Future
Disc Systems” under the tutelage of the legendary Mastering Engineer Steve Hall (Madonna,
George Harrison, Tom Petty, Jane’s Addiction, Alice in Chains).
Tom understands the nuances of electronics and music to further advance the sonic experience
for his clients to a new level of sophistication covering every genre with ease and high praise.
Tom’s skills can be heard on numerous Grammy and Latin Grammy Award winning albums and
most notably in the “Best Engineered” category and many Oscar Award winning soundtracks.
Here is a partial list of his discography showing his mastering prowess over a wide variety of
genres:
Beastie Boys, B.B. King, David Bowie, Count Basie, Nine Inch Nails, Ray Charles,
Charlie Haden, Ministry, Rascal Flatts, Alanis Morissette, Alice Cooper, Cher,
Ellen Degeneres, Avenged Sevenfold, Bill Medley, My Chemical Romance, Fergie,
Billy Ray Cyrus, Buckcherry, David Lynch, Marilyn Manson, Rickie Lee Jones,
Jose Feliciano, Motley Crue, Sammy Davis Jr., Social Distortion, The Four Tops,
Wolfmother, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Police,
Gustavo Santaolalla, Smashing Pumpkins, Wayne Newton, Thirty Seconds to Mars,
Tramaine Hawkins, Rob Zombie, Juanes, Stone Temple Pilots, Gaslight Anthem,
Leon Russell, Gwen Stefani, Luscious Jackson, Trent Reznor, Phoebe Snow,
Phantom Planet, Meredith Brooks, Velvet Revolver, UB40, Porno for Pyros,
Sugar Ray, Mike Oldfield, Queensryche, Rahsaan Patterson, Tech N9ne, X,
Thalia, Fu Manchu, Miki Howard, Papa Roach, Mana, Wilton Felder, t.A.T.u.,
Julietta Venegas, Tenacious D, The Living End, Randy Crawford, Paulino Rubio,
When In Rome, Rick Braun, MC Ren, Vickie Winans, Sacred Reich, Bajofondo,
Modest Mouse, Josh Gracin, Petra Haden, Mijares, John Michael Talbot.
Prior to opening Baker Mastering, Tom was the Chief Mastering Engineer at Precision Mastering
for more the 14 years, prior to that he was a mastering engineer at both Oasis Mastering and
Future Disc Systems.
Tom Baker has been a Mastering Engineer for more than 36 years and is a member of the
Audio Engineering Society and N.A.R.A.S.