Michael “Stav” Stavrou is a world renowned producer, recording and mix engineer with an illustrious career spanning almost five decades. His passion for recording music sprouted from the tender age of three when he asked for a tape recorder for Christmas – by the age of ten he was obsessed.

This passion flourished in his teenage years and into early adulthood with a flurry of jobs in different radio stations around his hometown of Yorktown, Virginina, but it didn’t quite scratch his recording itch. Through a series of extraordinary events, Stav landed the job of a lifetime at George Martin’s AIR Studios in London – what he calls “the biggest hit factory in the world” – in 1974, and the rest is history. 

Stav has worked with the cream of England’s finest, including Sir Paul McCartney alongside Martin himself. Upon deciding that he had worked with all the famous names he could never have dreamed of, Stav decided to dedicate his life to discovering and fostering up-and-coming artists and more established acts who could benefit from his keen ear and extensive skill set more than anybody, something he continues to do today. 

See the original piece on Enmore Audio: Michael Stavrous best mics of all time