David Merkl
Sound Engineer & Record Producer
www.davidmerkl.com
www.msm-studios.com
discography
Audio professionals:
Could you describe what you do as an audio engineer in words that are understandable to an audiophile?
I shape sound in a way that makes people feel something - even if they can't quite explain why. Think of it like building architecture out of air: capturing performances, carving frequencies, playing with space and silence, and making sure the final result translates from the world's finest playback systems to the average pair of earbuds in the wild. It's equal parts obsession, intuition, and detail work - and yes, the occasional miracle.
Were you an audiophile before you became an audio professional? What led to this career choice?
Not even close. I didn't grow up soldering cables or debating converters - I came in completely blank. But something clicked the first time I sat in front of a real mix - when I realized that sound could sculpt space, shape emotion, even manipulate memory. From then on, I couldn't not do it.
Do you still enjoy listening to music for leisure these days?
Yes - and no. I enjoy it deeply, but differently. Listening for leisure sometimes turns into an uninvited frequency analysis session, but that's part of the deal. That said, some pieces still manage to completely disarm the engineer in me. Those are the holy grail moments - when music is so good you forget how it was made.
What are some of your favorite works that inspired you when you were an aspiring audio engineer?
Here we go:
• Bruckner – Symphony No. 9
Herbert von Karajan & Berliner Philharmoniker (Deutsche Grammophon)
Monumental, introspective, and recorded with frightening elegance. This is the kind of music that reshapes your sense of time.
• Arvo Pärt – Tractus
ECM Records
A lesson in patience and purity. Arvo Pärt makes silence louder than sound. It taught me that minimalism doesn't mean less - it means essential.
• Trivium – Shogun
Roadrunner Records
Controlled chaos. Layers upon layers of complexity, and somehow still musical. This album reminded me that brutal and beautiful aren't mutually exclusive.
What are some of your own works that you're most proud of?
Tough to choose, but here are a few productions that stayed with me - for very different reasons:
• Boris Blank – Resonance
• Tetra Brass – Metall
• Schumann: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54 & Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major
Wiener Philharmoniker, Martha Argerich, Zubin Mehta
All audio professionals use headphones at one point or another in their workflow. How do you use headphones?
Headphones are my survival kit - especially during location recordings and sound restoration. Headphones help me zoom in, tune out, and occasionally, avoid existential crises during restoration work. They're not just tools - they're my tiny, padded sanctuaries of focus.
Has Hifiman headphones informed your production decisions or the way you listen/mix/master?
Without question. HIFIMAN's planar magnetic headphones don't flatter - they reveal. They (HE1000 Unveiled, Sundara) let me hear the things I wish I hadn't missed... and occasionally things I didn't know I'd nailed. That level of detail changes how you mix, and even how you listen. It's like having a brutally honest best friend in your signal chain.
What are some of the exciting upcoming works you would like to share with us?
I'd love to - but I don't. Ongoing projects stay behind the curtain until they're ready to speak for themselves. I work hard to create a safe, distraction-free space for the artists I collaborate with. That means no teasers, no spoilers - just trust, time, and good work in progress.