John Holbrook began his recording engineering career in the 1960s at IBC studios, where he worked on masters for The Who’s “Tommy” and Jimi Hendrix’ “Electric Ladyland,” among many others. He has also worked for analog synth manufacturer EMS, designed several well-regarded recording rooms in New York, and maintains an active freelance engineering schedule.
Holbrook’s work has earned him five Grammy Awards and innumerable gold and platinum albums for work with such acts as Natalie Merchant, Elton John, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, B.B. King, and The Isley Brothers, and he recently upgraded the monitors in his personal studio to a pair of Klein + Hummel O 300Ds.
The Klein + Hummel O 300D is a modestly-sized active monitor with eight-inch, three-inch, and one-inch drivers, and Holbrook brought a pair home to audition for a week. “They sounded fantastic,” he enthused, “but I called my engineering friends over to make sure I wasn’t crazy. Across the board, everyone who sat down said, without prompting, ‘I could listen to these all day.’ That, of course, is hugely important.”
After mixing several projects, Holbrook has a handle on the qualities he likes about the Klein + Hummel monitors. “Midrange is incredibly important,” he explains, “and these seem to translate very well. They help me place a vocal in the mix with greater confidence. At the same time the low-end on the O 300Ds is really smooth and extended. It’s been a refreshing change.”
Klein + Hummel is a Sennheiser Group company
