THE Cutting Edge

He also works behind the scenes like a kurogo, or the kabuki staff who ensure the show goes on. Even living national treasures would not survive without them. But kurogo don’t grandstand in the middle of the stage, and when the curtain drops they bask in the rapturous applause. They’re rewarded by the actors’ trust and appreciation. Recognized by everyone as a leading figure in next-gen media, Yamazaki is just like a kurogo. A simple yet complex formula allows him this devotion.
X times Y = completion, where X is the client’s satisfaction. “Sound that lets you leave the studio with a smile.” And Y is the end-user’s satisfaction. “Sound that embodies the piece’s and artist’s colors.” In order to determine X, you need perspicuity and engineering skill. In addition to existing stereo sound he covers a broad range from high-spec media to multi-channel. In order to determine Y, the imagination to accurately envision the end user and the perspicuity to understand the current times are required. And objectivity is essential in both. In order to complete this formula, the kurogo respects the master sound and the raw sound, and in some cases even hides his own skill.
Mastering engineers are often asked to deliver something extra, but one mustn’t overdo it. The firm resolution is to leave things as they are. The main battleground is Blu-ray and DVD. Also boldly approaching advanced and complex formats.


His reference points are the many famous songs he encountered in junior high school. Even now he sometimes plays them to soothe his heart and senses. In his career of over 30 years, he has regularly repeated a ‘cut-and-try’ process. He considers the best part of working at FLAIR（Victor Studio）the opportunity to handle an enormous quantity of sounds forming the x-axis of music from the past to the present, and being in touch with a wide range of genres forming music’s y-axis. The 213 multi-channel monitor system has earned absolute trust in the industry as the standard surround monitor and has produced many quality pieces.

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