{{Short description|American audio engineer}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Lenise Bent | image = | image_size = | landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank --> | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|09|11}} | birth_place = | origin = United States | genre = Rock, Pop | occupation = Engineer, producer | instrument = | years_active = 1976–present | label = | associated_acts = | website = }}
'''Lenise Diane Bent''' is an American audio engineer who has worked in both the music and film industry. She was one of a handful of women working in the Hollywood recording studio business in a technical role during the 1970s, and was the first woman to receive an RIAA Platinum album for her engineering of ''AutoAmerican'' by Blondie.
== Early years == Bent grew up in Los Angeles. At age 8, Bent and her brother were in the Screen Children's Guild and worked as an extra for tv and film.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.aes.org/events/141/presenters/?ID=5560|title=AES Los Angeles 2016 » Presenters: Lenise Bent|website=www.aes.org|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref> She later recalled being "more fascinated with the process and the production [...] as opposed to the acting."<ref name=":6">{{Cite interview |last=Bent |first=Lenise |interviewer=Lisa Machac |title=Lenise Bent: Fascinated With the Process |url=https://tapeop.com/interviews/146/lenise-bent/ |work=Tape Op |issue=146 |date=November 2021}}</ref> Her family was musical, and her eldest brother often brought home gear to repair from his job at an electronics store.<ref name=":6" /> She owned her first tape recorder before her 8th birthday. Bent studied piano and flute and made her first recording at 9 years old (with the Compton Youth Festival Orchestra). Growing up, she was interested in seeing films and watching live music.
Bent studied Film & TV and radio production at the University of Southern California (USC) and California State Long Beach. She then studied audio engineering at SoundMasters Recording School,<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal|date=March 1999|title=The Mix|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ac7AQAAIAAJ&q=%22lenise+bent%22|journal=The Mix|volume=23}}</ref> which was one of the only recording schools at the time.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.studioexpresso.com/profiles/lenisebent.htm|title=studioexpresso – producer Lenise Bent|website=www.studioexpresso.com|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref>
== Music career == Bent worked as an assistant engineer at The Village Recorders studio in Los Angeles.<ref name=":7" /> She was hired in August 1976 and was one of four women on engineering staff.<ref name=":5">{{Cite magazine|date=February 18, 1978|title=More Women Sound Engineers Succeeding|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> Her credits included Aja by Steely Dan;<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jim|first=McCullaugh|date=November 13, 1976|title=Studio Track|journal=Billboard Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Aja|last=Don.|first=Breithaupt|date=2007|publisher=Continuum|isbn=9780826427830|location=New York|oclc=86090412}}</ref> Breakfast in America by Supertramp; Tusk by Fleetwood Mac.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/lenise-bent|title=Lenise Bent|website=NAMM.org|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref> She worked her way up to engineer (her first session in April 1977)<ref name=":4" /> and became chief engineer for Mike Chapman. She engineered ''AutoAmerican'' by Blondie and other of Chapman's artists such as The Knack and Suzi Quatro. Bent engineered at other major studios such as United Western, The Record Plant, and Air London.<ref name=":1" /> She is known for being the first woman to receive an RIAA Platinum album for engineering (for AutoAmerican by Blondie).<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://soundgirls.org/giving-back-to-the-audio-community-lenise-bent/|title=Giving Back to the Audio Community – Lenise Bent|website=SoundGirls.org|date=January 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref> Bent is also recognized for being one of a handful of women working in the Hollywood recording studio business (in a technical role) during the 1970s.<ref name=":5" />
For Aja, Bent studied Steely Dan's previous albums (including who played on them and engineered). She says that level of study paid off. One of her mentors was the engineer on that album, Roger Nichols. She learned from Donald Fagen to make things right versus making things perfect.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.audio-technica.com/interview-lenise-bent-nab-show-2014/|title=The Lenise Bent NAB 2014 Ask Me Anything Interview|date=June 26, 2014|website=Where It's A-T|language=en-US|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref>
Bent moved into post-production (for film and television) but continues to work on music. In 2016, she recorded an all analog album with the band The Barrelhouse Kings. 2018, she recorded Primal King's self-titled album at United Recordings using all analog equipment.
When asked, "What is the key to recording a great sound?" Bent replied, "Capturing the performance the best way you possibly can, meaning using the right mic for that instrument or voice, put in the right place. And I prefer to work quickly while the energy is up."<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|title=Mic it! : microphones, microphone techniques, and their impact on the final mix|author=Corbett, Ian|isbn=9781135920975|location=Burlington, MA|oclc=892911420|date = October 10, 2014}}</ref>
Her favorite pre-amps are Neve 1073 and Neumann U67 is her favorite mic.<ref name=":3" />
== Post-production career == Bent moved into post-production sound where she worked as a sound editor, sound supervisor and re-recording mixer. She has worked on music, voice-over, ADR and Foley.<ref name=":2" /> Bent has produced vocals and dialog for the foreign language versions of the films Shrek, Spirit, and Shrek 2.<ref name=":1" />
== Professional affiliations ==
* The Recording Academy * Audio Engineering Society (Governor 2025, Executive Committee of the LA Section 2017-2019)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://aesla.org/about-us.html|title=About Us|last=Wollrich|first=Richard|website=Audio Engineering Society – Los Angeles|language=en-GB|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref> * The Blues Foundation * P&E Wing of the Recording Academy * Women in Music; Los Angeles Chapter<ref name=":1" /> * Hollywood Sapphire Group * Women's Audio Mission (WAM)<ref name=":0" /> * Bent was a presenter at the 30th Annual NAMM TEC Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blog.musicinsidermagazine.com/2015/01/creative-technical-achievement-winners-announced/|title=NAMM TEC Awards winners|website=blog.musicinsidermagazine.com|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref> * Bent was a presenter at the 2020 NAMM "SoundGirls Mentoring in Recording Arts With Leslie Ann Jones" (alongside Jett Galindo, Fela Davis and Catharine Wood)<ref>{{Cite web|title=SoundGirls Mentoring in Recording Arts With Leslie Ann Jones|url=https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2020/events/soundgirls-mentoring-recording-arts-leslie-ann|access-date=2021-11-13|website=NAMM.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=AES Academy 2020: Audio Careers: SoundGirls – Mentoring in...|url=https://aesacaddemy2020.sched.com/event/XHiX/audio-careers-soundgirls-mentoring-in-recording-arts|access-date=2021-11-13|website=aesacaddemy2020.sched.com}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{IMDb name|id=0072710}} *[https://ww1.namm.org/library/oral-history/lenise-bent Lenise Bent Interview] at NAMM Oral History Collection
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bent, Lenise}} Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:American audio engineers Category:American sound editors Category:USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni Category:California State University, Long Beach, alumni Category:American women record producers