Meet Kent Hooper: The Sound Architect Behind Double Keyed’s LSO/Abbey Road Project
As part of Double Keyed’s “Postcards from Abbey Road” Series; Postcard #4
By Kirstin Myers
Kent Hooper; producing our upcoming album at Abbey Road Studios
📸 Ben Ealovega
A great recording is about far more than playing the right notes. It's about capturing warmth, nuance, space, and emotion. It's about making listeners feel as though they're sitting in the room with the musicians.
In our first Postcard from Abbey Road (found in our newsletters) we introduced you to Andrew Dudman, a senior recording engineer for Abbey Road Studios. But what does a sound engineer actually DO, though? When it comes to putting an album together, there are essentially three phases;
Recording - in our case, that means setting up the mics for the orchestra and soloists and managing the acoustics of each.
Mixing - blending all the recorded tracks to create a polished, cohesive final stereo or spatial audio track. This includes equalization and compression to make sure there aren’t volume spikes and to make sure that the soloists are heard. They also help create an acoustic environment that makes sure the miked soloists sound as if they are in the same room as the orchestra (for our 2022 Midwinter’s Gift album, while Frances and I were playing at the same time, we were in different rooms, but you would never know that when you listen to the album)!
Mastering - this ensures tonal consistency across all the tracks on the album, optimizes the overall volume, and prepares the files for distribution on streaming platforms (mixing and mastering for vinyl is actually a different process than for streaming and CDs).
Now that you know all of that, it might give you a deeper sense of all that it will take for Kent Hooper to lend his remarkable talent to our album when he puts it together this summer. So let us introduce you…
Kent Hooper
Sound Engineer & Producer
Andrew Dudman & Kent Hooper in the Studio One control room of Abbey Road Studios
April 9, 2026 📸 Ben Ealovega
As stated on his website, "A pianist since the age of four and a self-proclaimed audio nerd, Kent possesses the rare ability to be equal parts artist and technician. This unique combination allows him to uncover the authentic voice of each musician he works with", while skillfully navigating the countless technical details that bring a recording project to life. Whether recording in his beautiful Franklin, Tennessee, studio or from his fully equipped mobile recording rig, Kent is known for delivering exceptional results on time and on budget.
Kent was recommended to us by Phillip Keveren, our producer, when the original engineer unexpectedly retired a few months before we were to record Midwinter’s Gift. When we heard the surprising news, Frances and I were really concerned. Maybe this album wasn’t meant to be; maybe we’d have to do this at another time.
But in true Phillip fashion, he told us not to worry. “I know a guy,” he said.
Well, in fact, he knew and had worked with “this guy” for many, many years. Once we learned that Kent was on board, Phillip assured us, “Don’t worry, he’s incredible. You’re gonna like him.”
We eventually also learned he was right.
Now, Kent has worked with a LOT of artists. Who? Well, to name just a few: Amy Grant, Kristin Chenoweth, Carly Simon, Vince Gill, The Piano Guys, Travis Cottrell, Michael W. Smith ... and that’s just to name a few.
But what’s (also) amazing to me is that when we recorded Midwinter’s Gift, Kent immediately understood something I feel many engineers often don’t master: how to capture the unique voice of the oboe and English horn. Rather than sounding thin or harsh, he helped support the best qualities of the instruments: depth, color, warmth, and life.
There's a reason an oboe's voice is akin, and often compared, to that of a duck ... oftentimes that is dependent on the reeds we make, but there are times we can certainly struggle with how we sound.
Take this meme, for example:
I cannot tell you how many people have sent this meme to me over the past decade! But sadly, it's true. In a millisecond, oboists can go from a purely heavenly sound to (if the reed splits or we accidentally bite it because our accompanist just told us a terrible joke ...) a horrendous noise that rivals nails on a chalkboard.
That's why we get other memes like this:
Thankfully, though, our upcoming Christmas album will not need a mute! And while an oboist’s sound relies heavily on their instrument, their reed, and the person playing it, a beautifully recorded sound is accomplished in large part through the skill of the audio engineer - and we have certainly (and immediately!) developed a trust in Kent Hooper. That trust has only grown over time.
Kent actually served as producer for our London Symphony Orchestra sessions at Abbey Road this past April (while Dudman took over the role of sound engineer), and in July Kent will once again be behind the microphones as we record the oboe and piano tracks for the new album. From the first microphone placement to the final mix and master, Kent helps shape every aspect of the listener’s experience.
From the beginning, I was incredibly grateful for Kent. Back in 2022, when I heard the very first take of O Come, O Come Emmanuel (the first song we recorded for the album), I knew our trust in this process (and Phillip and Kent) was built on a solid foundation.
Maybe it’s luck, maybe it’s serendipity, or maybe even a godsend ... but looking back, I’m pretty grateful for that unexpected retirement of our originally scheduled engineer. To me, Kent has a gift, as he seems to be blessed with ears that are attuned to the details with incredible discernment. He doesn't just record the music - he truly listens, hears all the details, and helps build the world in which it lives.
Kent Hooper in the foreground of the Studio One control room of Abbey Road Studios
April 9, 2026 📸 Ben Ealovega
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