Steve’s Bio

Steve Puntolillo is the owner and driving force behind the creation and evolution of Mastercraft Recordings, which was designed to make exciting authentic music recordings created by committed artists for committed listeners.

Steve’s first tube tape recorder, a 1950’s Webcor Model 210

Steve began the journey to opening Mastercraft Recordings at a very early age. He started experimenting with tape recorders and exploring how to play music in grade school, taped bands, began playing music professionally and discovered NY recording studios in his teens. He played on his first recording session (a demo for Rupert Holmes) before he learned to drive.

As a young adult, he learned the recording business mentored by established NY Metro recording engineers, musicians and technicians and following in their footsteps. After years of working freelance, he partnered up to build and operate his own independent recording studio where he further honed his skills at production, recording and mixing.

But the winds of change were blowing in the world of music. He sold his interest in the

First incarnation of Sonicraft — Sonicraft’s first incarnation as a full-service professional audio service circa 1998 Photo credit: Fred Malley, AT&T

studio and took an abrupt turn into the personal computer revolution, teaching himself how to program, troubleshoot and integrate computer systems. Eventually, coming full circle, he succumbed to the irresistible prospect of merging what he had learned about computers with what he knew about audio. Sonicraft was born.

At Sonicraft, Steve mastered well over 100 commercial CD projects for Warner Chappell Music, Mode Records, Koch (eOne) Entertainment, and many others. He mixed and mastered several 5.1 surround projects for Mode, and mastered almost 60 Elektra music videos for broadcast on MTV and BET, as well as distribution on VHS and DVD including projects for Metallica, Bjork, Missy Elliott, Staind, Third Eye Blind, Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Smashmouth and Natalie Merchant.

In Y2K, a disastrous experience with having a multitrack transfer done out-of-house made it clear that there was a need for a dedicated state-of-the-art transfer lab. But, what would it take to do it right?

To answer this question, Steve enlisted the help and guidance of more than a dozen industry experts and dove headlong into innumerable hours of vintage tape machine restoration and tireless experimentation. No stone was left unturned in his quest to provide the ultimate in open reel analog-to-digital transfers across the entire range of analog tape formats.

Sonicraft A2DX Lab evolved a transfer system believed to be the best on the planet. It became the first choice for a passionately appreciative clientele of artists, songwriters, music content owners, music producers, recording engineers, mastering engineers, recording studio managers, artist foundations and record labels.

In March of 2018, Steve transferred the assets of Sonicraft A2DX Lab to his long-time friend and chief transfer engineer, Kevin Przybylowski, who continues to operate it with the same meticulous standards of excellence it is so well known for.

With Steve’s creative space available once again, he gathered his resources and proceeded to build an in-house recording facility for his new record label, Mastercraft Recordings.

Today, Mastercraft is producing fun and exciting recordings featuring real music professionals playing real music on real analog instruments in real time — a return to truly excellent performance and sound, exactingly captured to audiophile standards.

You can contact Steve at: steve@mastercraftrecordings.com or call (732) 984-4111.