Engineer/producer/inventor and long-time friend of Sweetwater, Roger Nichols, passed away on April 9. Nichols was born in 1944 in Oakland, California. His family moved to Cucamonga, California, and he began experimenting with recording on a reel-to-reel tape deck there, working with his high school friend, Frank Zappa. He attended Oregon State University, where he studied nuclear physics, and worked for a time at the San Onofre nuclear plant. (A field he shared in common with the late engineer/producer Tom Dowd.)
In 1965, Nichols and friends opened Quantum Studios in Torrance, California, where he worked with Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, and recorded spots featuring Larry Carlton and Karen Carpenter. He went on to work at ABC Records studios, which led to a connection with Walter Becker and Donald Fagen who were songwriters for ABC at the time. When no one else wanted to stay to engineer a demo for the duo, Nichols took the gig. This resulted in him recording Steely Dan’s first album and his nickname “The Immortal” for his ability to work seemingly 24 hours a day. (At one point he was simultaneously recording various artists all day, Steely Dan at night, and Johnny Winter on weekends.) He won six Grammys for his work with Steely Dan over the next 40 years.
In 1978, Nichols invented and began manufacturing the Wendel, Wendel II, and Wendel Jr., digital samplers designed for drum replacement. He also invented a rubidium nuclear clock for studio sync applications and manufactured it through his company Digital Atomics. In 2005, he launched a company called Roger Nichols Digital to manufacture and distribute plug-in software. He was also a long-time columnist and product reviewer for EQ magazine.
He worked for over 20 years with John Denver, with whom he shared a passion for airplanes and flying, winning a Grammy with Denver in 1997. Nichols was given a NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. His incredible list of credits as an engineer, producer, and mastering engineer ranges from Rosanne Cash to Placido Domingo, Rickie Lee Jones to Jimmy Buffett, Take 6 to Bela Fleck, the Four Tops to the Beach Boys.
Our condolences to his family and friends. He will be missed.