Working Class Audio

Scott Wiley is a music producer, engineer, musician and owner of June Audio Recording Studios in Provo, Utah. Scott studied music recording at USC and got to learn from some of the best producers and engineers in the industry during his years working in great Los Angeles rooms like Sound Factory, Sunset Sound, Cello and Conway Recording Studios. As an engineer and/or producer for the last 25 years, Scott has worked with Neon Trees, Bonnie Raitt, Kaskade, David Archuleta, Tracy Chapman, The Moth & The Flame, and Stephanie Mabey among others.  Scott has also taught recording and music business classes at UVU and BYU.June Audio is currently expanding from a mid-sized one studio operation to a 5000 square foot Wes Lachot designed facility that will house 3 separate studios, 2 in a large new building and a third in an adjoining turn of the century home.More info can be found here www.juneaudio.com or follow the build thread on gearslutz at http://tinyurl.com/z6xg4sj. Scott talks with Matt about moving between California and Utah, assisting for Tchad Blake, and running a studio in a environment where the Mormon church plays a big role.

David Barbe has a two pronged career. He has been the Director of the University of Georgia Music Business Program since 2010.  On the creative side, he has worked on hundreds of recording projects as engineer, producer, musician and writer.  Over the past few years, projects have included Deerhunter’s “Halcyon Digest,” Drive-By Truckers “It’s Grerat to Be Alive” and “American Band,” New Madrid “magnetkingmagnetqueen,” and “Sunwimmer,” and Muuy Biien “Age of Uncertainty” to name a few.David moved to Athens in 1981 to study journalism at UGA. He got involved in the local music scene, playing in a variety of bands, most notably Mercyland and Buzz Hungry.He started recording local bands (Bar-B-Q Killers, Jack-O-Nuts, as well as a number of bands without dashes in their names) on a Fostex X15 cassette 4 track, also taking the opportunity to go into the studio any time any of the bands he worked with booked a proper recording session. That experience led to a job at John Keane’s studio. While working under Keane, David assisted John on a number of projects by artists including Billy Bragg, REM and Widespread Panic, then began engineering a steady stream of artists on his own (Jack Logan, Seersucker, Mt. Shasta, 5/8) at John’s studio and elsewhere.In 1991 Bob Mould (Husker Du) invited David to join his new band, Sugar. From 1992 – 1995 they toured the world, and made 4 albums together, working at the Outpost in Stoughton, Mass.; Cedar Creek in Austin, Texas; Triclops in Atlanta; and several studios in Europe and Japan on performance for broadcast sessions.After leaving the group in early 1995, David continued freelance engineering. During this time he made countless indie records in a variety of circumstances. The Rock*A*Teens first album was made in three different studios in 6 days. Harvey Milk’s “My Love is Higher Than Your Assessment of My Love Is” was primarily recorded in drummer Paul Trudeau’s house and mixed in the apartment of fellow engineer Brooks Carter, using the wooden frame stairwell for an echo chamber (the sound of crickets is audible during quiet sections of the album). SonVolt’s “Wide Swing Tremolo” was recorded over the course of 6 two week sessions in the band’s practice space housed in an old textile mill in Millstadt, Illinois, and mixed at Mitch Easter’s Fidelitorium. David’s fascination with using unique spaces for recording crops up with instances such as recording Kelly Hogan’s vocals in the boys’ locker room of a closed down school, and recording various things in the Chase Park parking lot.“Going from place to place to work was a great experience,” says David about his freelance days (primarily 1991-97). “For one thing, you really have to think on your feet when it’s a big city studio one day, and somebody’s bedroom the next. For another, I definitely started to develop a feel for what I would and wouldn’t want in a studio of my own.”In early 1997 David teamed up with Andy LeMaster and Andy Baker in a search of what they thought would be “a temporary space” for recording. What they came up with was Chase Park Transduction. After working together in the studio for a few months, they realized that the studio was turning into more than a stopgap.Since opening Chase Park, David has worked with a wide variety of artists including the Deerhunter, Bettye LaVette, The Glands, Drive By Truckers, Jerry Joseph, Amy Ray, Bob Mould, REM, New Madrid and hundreds of others.David’s general approach to making records is, “In any creative endeavor, the answer should never be ‘No’.David talks with Matt over Skype about how he runs his studio, the importance of family and his approach to money and gear.Show notes:David’s Studio: Chase Park TransductionJohn Keane: John Keane Studios

Chuck Zwicky is a Manhattan based mixing engineer who has earned several gold and platinum records in his 30+ year career, working with artists as diverse as Prince, Jeff Beck, Soul Asylum, Reggie Watts, Rick Moranis, a-ha, NIN, and the Jonas Brothers. Chuck joins Matt over Skype from his Manhattan apartment and home to his mixing /mastering suite to discuss a wide range of topics including the impact Prince had on him.http://www.sonicscoop.com/2015/01/05/making-the-mix-room-chuck-zwickys-zmix-chelsea-new-york-city/https://soundbetter.com/profiles/9234-chuck-zwickyhttp://www.zmix.nethttp://www.allmusic.com/artist/chuck-zwicky-mn0000126243

Camden Stoddard got his start in sound shortly after moving to the Bay Area by interning with B. Z. Lewis at Studio 132 followed by studying at Pyramind in San Francisco. After graduating from Pyramind, Camden participated in some independent movies and commercials before joining Double Fine Productions in 2009. He has since worked on dozens of prototypes and shipped a multitude of games as sound designer and Studio Sound Supervisor including Brutal Legend (for which he won G.A.N.G.’s Rookie Of The Year), Iron Brigade, Stacking, Once Upon A Monster, The Cave, Broken Age and, most recently, the retro space adventure Headlander. Camden is very passionate about game audio and game sound design and can often be found mentoring students with enthusiasm.Camden spoke with Matt from his office in San Francisco via Skype.Show notes:The documentary we talk about can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdXvZgIV1Q0&list=PLIhLvue17Sd7F6pU2ByRRb0igiI-WKk3DCamden mentioned a a great sound library company called Tomsturm in the interview. They can be found at http://www.tonsturm.com/

Lij Shaw is an award winning music and podcast producer who has made records for 25 years. His studio, The Toy Box Studio is located East Nashville, Tennessee.Lij is my “Brother from Another Podcast” being the host of Recording Studio Rockstars. He’s a guy like myself who has been around the block, made some mistakes along the way and is here to share his experiences and wisdom. His other activities include the Hay Bale Studio, a studio built in a double wide trailer and surrounded by bales of hay, all while being located directly behind the main stage at the Bonnaroo music festival each year. He also runs a back to basics recording event called the Stereo Sessions  where recording a band live to two track is the order of the day. Enjoy!Show notes:John Cuniberti’s OneMic series: http://www.johncuniberti.com/one-mic-the-minimalism-recording-series-begins/

Ben Hirschfield and Scott Goodrich are studio partners at Nu-Tone Studios. If you have followed my conversations with Chris Dugan and/or Willie Samuels you’ll recognize their names. I thought stopping by Nu-Tone and chatting with these guys would be a great way to follow up on a story that started with Dugan and Samuels.Ben Hirschfield began playing music at an early age and almost immediately became obsessed with the recording process. By high school, he was constantly making recordings for his own bands, as well as those of his peers. After touring nationally and internationally with his own music, Ben began focusing more intently on recording. While attending Ex’pression College for Digital Arts, he founded the now defunct Imperial Recording Studio with fellow engineer Scott Goodrich. Imperial quickly became a go to spot for local and national indie acts. While still running his own studio, Ben began an internship at Jingletown Recording, which led to a full time gig at the facility. Since 2012 he has been calling Nu-Tone Studios his home base, occasionally freelancing out of other Bay Area studios. He has produced, engineered, and/or mixed for artists including Against Me!, Green Day, Mobin’s Child, NOFX and The Story So Far.Scott Goodrich is a Recording and Mixing Engineer from Oakland, California. He began as an intern at Jingletown Recording immediately out of school, and later established his profession in his parent’s garage with Ben Hirschfield at Imperial Recording Studios. Scott joined the Nu-Tone Studios family in 2012, and has since recorded bands such as The Story So Far, Culture Abuse, Worthwhile, and other notable groups. He’s worked alongside Hopeless Records, Pure Noise Records, Equal Vision, 6131 Records, and Adeline Records on a handful of successful projects. When outside the studio, Scott sings and plays guitar in his band, Daydream.As I mentioned in the show monologue, here is the Go Fund Me page for the employees of Presonus who lost everything in the recent flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. https://www.gofundme.com/2tf4gxh8Also below are various links for Ben Hirschfield and Scott Goodrich. Make sure and check out some the pictures of Nu-Tone .http://www.scottkgoodrich.com/http://www.nu-tone-studios.com/

Willie Samuels is Studio Trilogy’s senior engineer. A recording engineer, producer and musician with some serious studio chops, Willie began his career in his teens by operating a “guerilla style” mobile studio out of his parents old station wagon, traveling to record local bands in their rehearsal spaces, garages, or whatever space he could find that sounded good. By the time he was 18, he was an engineer and producer, working independently in many of the Bay Area’s historic studios. In 1996 he and partner Chris Dugan opened Nu-tone Studios in Pittsburg, California, which quickly became a mecca for local and national independent artists. In 2006 Willie began freelancing at the newly constructed studios of Talking House Productions in San Francisco. A few months later, he joined the production team at Talking House, serving as a staff engineer and continuing his quest to serve and develop local talent. In April 2010 Willie partnered with Justin Lieberman and Cindy McSherry to open Studio Trilogy. In addition to engineering and producing, Willie also works collaboratively with Justin and Cindy on sales and marketing for the studio.Willie joins Matt for a discussion at WCA headquarters in Lafayette, CA for a discussion on personal sacrifice, doing what you love, working with CHris Dugan and potential changes coming in the future.

Lolly Lewis studied voice, composition, and electronic music at UC Santa Cruz. While still in college, she was recruited for the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival’s Audio/Recording Institute, and she was Director of Recordings at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music from 1981 – 1993.In 1984 Lolly coordinated audio playback of her recording of John Adams‘ Light Over Water for its premiere performance in Los Angeles (Museum of Contemporary Art) and New York (Next Wave Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music). In 1989 she toured with the Kronos Quartet providing live playback of the recorded portion of Steve Reich‘s Different Trains.In 1998 she toured with Chanticleer as production and stage manager. Producing projects include the opera Tania (by composer Anthony Davis and based on the story of Patty Hearst), a premiere recording of orchestral music by Harlem Renaissance composer Florence Price, and a program of new chamber music works by composer Mario Davidovsky. She recently recorded all 68 of Haydn’s string quartets with San Francisco’s New Esterhazy Quartet in live performance.As a member of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Lolly sang on numerous recordings including their 1995 Grammy-winning Brahms Requiem. She just completed a five year project for the San Francisco Symphony, running the COMMUNITY OF MUSIC MAKERS program.Lolly sits down with Matt for a conversation that covers her recording rig, her thoughts on live music as well as many analogies of sports and movies and plays as they relate to recording.Lolly’s company – Transparent Recordings Lolly on Facebook. 

Emmit Brooks has run Gold Dust Studios in the same location since 1975 in the Southwest city of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Gold Dust started as a home based studio at a time when very few people had home studios and it even included an echo chamber buried in the backyard! Emmit was a member of the famed Aggie Ramblers Western Swing band that formed in 1957, playing guitar. After a recording session with Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico, Emmit was bit by the recording “bug” and stayed in touch with Petty over the years. Petty was known for his work with Buddy Holly and the Crickets and he not only advised but also a major influence. Emmit was a from Melrose, New Mexico and moved to Las Cruces to attend New Mexico Sate University.Matt joins Emmit at his studio in Las Cruces for a discussion about the history of Emmit’s studio and his career.Emmit’s Studio http://www.goldustudios.com/

Jeremy Goody is the owner/operator at Megasonic Sound in Oakland, California and a has been a Bay Area audio engineer/producer and performing musician since 1990. After recording school Jeremy worked his way up the engineer chain at various Bay Area studios including Skyline and Bay Records. Eventually he started  the first incarnation of Megasonic in a West Oakland warehouse across from a cement factory. Jeremy eventually moved out of the warehouse and into a family owned building to create version 2.0 of Megasonic. With a desire to build a studio of high quality, he hired famed studio designer Chris Pelonis to design the studio and Brian Hood ( Listen to Brian on WCA #084) to build. The results can be seen in our video tour below.Jeremy has worked with John Santos (2 grammy nominations), SFJAZZ, Anticon label, Lyrics Born. Jeremy is also a current member of Winfred E. Eye and played in: Dance Hall Crashers, Cat Five, Pitch Black, Damon and the Heathens, The Uptones. He’s recorded 3 Solo discs as Balanceman. Matt talks with Jeremy about the studio process of the studio build, his history and his financial approach to his studio business.Check out Disktracker which is mentioned in the show.

Brian Hood is a rare combination of recording engineer, musician, journeyman studio builder and master carpenter. Brian along with his amazing crew built the new Tiny Telephone Studio Oakland, California that opened in January of 2016, as well as Tiny Telephone Studio B in San Francisco and many other studios large and small in the Bay Area. Brian has a perspective that sees the studio from “all sides of the glass” which most do not have. When building the new Tiny Telephone, it was decided to run the studio for 6 months then close down for a month to see what changes needed to be made with regards to their Neve console, acoustics, and any other changes that needed attention. Matt catches up first with Tiny Telephone studio owner John Vandeslice for a catch up interview on what they have learned in the last 6 months since opening. Matt then follows up with Brian Hood to hear his perspective on the build as well as learn about Brian’s multi-faceted world of construction, music and recording.Check out Brian’s pictures taken during the Tiny Telephone studio build. https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-bonus-content/bonus-content-brian-hood-wca-084/

Pablo Munguia earned  a bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. After trying his hand at making a records with a friend Pablo decided to  attended Berklee School of Music where he studied music production and engineering. He then graduated in 1997.Pablo moved to Los Angeles and joined Westlake Audio, where he assisted renowned producers and engineers including Quincy Jones, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, David Foster, Randy Jackson, Tommy Vicari, and Matt Forger, as well as recording artists such as Sting, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Carole King, Ricky Martin, Eros Ramazzotti, Michel Polnareff, Usher, L.L. Cool J., Mary J. Blige, and Alicia Keys. As a freelance engineer, Munguía worked with NSYNC and Britney Spears on two multi-platinum releases. He also engineered for the Who, Lionel Richie, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, and the Backstreet Boys, and for top Mexican artists like Thalia, Paulina Rubio, and Carlos Cuevas.Munguía has been nominated for 16 Primetime Emmy Awards and won five times in the category Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special. He has also worked with the audio teams responsible for the Super Bowl halftime show, The American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, The Billboard Awards, and the BET Awards. Additionally, Munguía has worked on American Idol, the X-Factor, and the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics in China. In Mexico, he worked on the Pan American Games and was in charge of the audio for La Academia: Última Generación.On the academic side, from 2006 to 2009, Munguía worked in the Entertainment Studies Department at the University of California, Los Angeles Extension (UCLA Extension), where he was part of the committee that revamped the institution’s curriculum, and also taught Advanced Audio Engineering Techniques and Independent Music Production.Pablo talks with Matt over Skype from Valencia. Spain about his early days at MIT, making records in Mexico, immigration, unions and his transition from making to records to working on live television.

Justin Phelps is currently the Chief engineer and designer of the Hallowed Halls recording studios located in Portland, Oregon. Justin began his career in 1996 at San Fransisco’s famed Coast Recorders as the house engineer. At Coast Justin received considerable guidance from Chief engineer/producer John Cuniberti and studio owner/gear guru Dan Alexander. Four years later Justin switched to being a freelance engineer and spent the next few years working out of the Bay Areas finest studios including The Plant, Prairie Sun, Studio 880, Tiny Telephone and Studio D . In 2004 he acquired the lease to  Hyde Street Studio C which is considered one of the more historic recording spaces in San Francisco. After restoring Studio C to it’s former glory it became one of the busiest rooms in San Francisco for the next five years. Justin met his wife Deanna Phelps in San Francisco and shortly after the birth of their first daughter they began a new chapter by relocating to Portland, Oregon.In 2010 Justin founded Cloud City Sound with Super Digital owner and veteran engineer Rick McMillen. In the summer of 2014 Justin  recorded and album for Bike Thief . . Like most album productions it lead to a lasting relationship between he and Bike Thief members Febian Perez and Greg Allen. It also lead to the making of an incredible new studio. that ended up becoming The Hallowed Halls. Justin was hired to design and build the studio in a former library. The facility features one of the best sounding large tracking rooms in the Pacific Northwest and is home to Justin’s personal studio and mix room as well.Justin talks to Matt about his early days working at Coast Recorders, about his family’s new guitar business, and about leaving the Bay AreaMore on Justin at www.justinphelpsrecording.comPhoto by Ryne Freed

Drew Bollman moved to Nashville in 1998 and started interning and assisting at the Sound Kitchen. While Drew worked with many great engineers he happened to meet and work with  Justin Niebank (Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts,  Brad Paisley, and Kenny Chesney) and would end up working him for over 10 years. That experience and training allowed Drew to start first engineering for other projects and become an in demand freelance engineer working non-stop. Since then Drew has worked with artists such as Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill, Hunter Hayes, Keith Urban, and Patty Loveless as well as many other great artists. IN 2010 Drew won a Grammy for best Bluegrass album of the year.Drew was on vacation at his parents house but graciously agreed to an interview. Matt and Drew discuss the ins and outs of freelance engineering in Nashville, work/life balance and his favorite producer/engineers in and outside of Nashville.Link to recording using Audio-Technica AT 2035 mentioned in sponsor break. https://soundcloud.com/josephinejohnsonsings/light-it-up

Jessica Thompson is our featured guest on WCA #080 . Jessica is a Grammy-nominated mastering and restoration engineer as well as an archiving specialist who has digitized, restored and revived historic recordings including The Bottom Line, Caffè Lena, Erroll Garner, the Woody Guthrie Archives and the Newport Jazz and Folk Festival, which included performances by Pete Seeger, Roger McGuinn, Dave Von Ronk, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Doc Watson, Miles Davis and Jean Ritchie.Jessica’s remaster of Erroll Garner’s iconic recording The Complete Concert By The Sea (Sony/Legacy) was nominated for the Best Historical Album Grammy in 2016. In addition Jessica  has also cleaned, digitized and restored rare vinyl and cassette recordings for Awesome Tapes From Africa and many Numero Group compilations. In her previous career as a radio producer, she interviewed drummer Max Roach and the organ player at Fenway Park for WGBH. Additionally she has spun records and CDs on the airwaves of WGBH, WFMU, WZBC and WESU. Jessica joins Matt for a discussion about restoration and mastering while really diving into the nitty gritty of the craft.Links mentioned in the show.DIskwarriorLife EditedGraham Hill Ted TalkCoast MasteringJessica’s WebsiteArnold Magnetic Technologies (the magnetic viewer Jessica mentioned)https://www.avpreserve.com/https://www.kabusa.com/

Dave Fridmann is a producer, engineer and musician who has made records with Mercury Rev , The Flaming Lips , Weezer, Sparklehorse, Mogwai, Gemma Hayes, Sleater-Kinney , Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, MGMT, Neil Finn, OK Go, and Spoon, to name a few! :-) He works out of Tarbox Road Studios which he built over 20 years ago.As a musician, Dave was the bassist and a founding member of Mercury Rev. He gave up his role as a touring member of the band in 1993 to concentrate on producing other artists. In 2007, he received a Grammy for The Flaming Lips' At War With The Mystics at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical). In 2010, three Fridmann-produced albums were listed on the Rolling Stone 100 Best Albums of The Decade: MGMT's Oracular Spectacular, The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, and Sleater-Kinney's The Woods.Fridmann is an occasional faculty member of SUNY Fredonia, teaching sound recording techniques in the Fredonia School of Music.Dave and Matt talk over Skype about family, being able to say yes to artists, his working style and the building of Tarbox Road Studios.Enjoy!More at http://www.davefridmann.com/dave/Main.html

Chris Dugan is an American engineer and producer. He is also a drummer, videographer, and photographer.Dugan began his musical pursuits as a drummer. Needing to be resourceful, he learned to do basic recordings for his high school bands. Engineering was an instinctual progression and it was the purist recording styles of the 60s and 70s that really inspired him. In 1996, he opened Nu-Tone Studios in Pittsburg, Ca with fellow engineer Willie Samuels. Nu-Tone quickly became an indie band favorite, drawing the local rock scene and labels like Lookout, Adeline, and Alternative Tentacles. In 2002, Dugan began engineering for Green Day out of JingleTown Recording in Oakland, Ca, at that time called Studio 880.Dugan has worked with bands such as U2, Iggy Pop, Green Day, and Smash Mouth. He has also worked with producers Rob Cavallo, Butch Vig, Bob Ezrin, and Jeff Saltzman. In 2010, he won the Grammy for Best Rock Album of the Year for engineering Green Day’s “21st Century Breakdown.” In 2011, he won the Grammy for Best Musical Show Album for engineering Green Day’s “American_Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording.”Chris talks with Matt via Skype about working for Green Day, being a dad and his roots at Nu-Tone Studios.EnjoyPhoto Credit: Niall David Photography

A jack of all trades and master of some, his areas of expertise run the gamut of daily station operation; from the foundations of real-time networking for AoIP, to FOH and live sound recording, IP phones and SIP trunking, MPEG audio, and video standards and codecs, radio automation, HD radio transmission, to remote broadcast coordination, even security cameras, and keycards! Andrew stopped by Matt’s house to talk about his job duties, where the worlds of audio and IT collide while they consume loads of coffee!

Gary Hobish brings over 30 years of experience as a professional recording engineer/producer to A. Hammer Mastering which he runs out of Secret Studios in San Francisco. He started as an assistant engineer at legendary Bell Sound Studios in New York City but found his way to San Francisco in 1976. He has worked in many disciplines in recording and music, most notably as Mastering Engineer/ Tape Historian at Berkeley’s Fantasy Studios and Chief Engineer at San Francisco’s CD Studios.Gary began his specialization in the field of Mastering at Fantasy Studios in 1982, and has been credited on hundreds of albums covering all genres of recordings — from classic jazz to classic rock, alt-rock, rap and hard rock to folk, classical, spoken word and even sound effects. His projects include such names as NRBQ, Dream Syndicate, Flipper, The Feelies, Dr. John and Willie Nelson. An expanded list of Gary’s credits can be found at the All Music Guide or Artist Direct.Matt visits Gary at his mastering room located at Secret Studios in San Francisco, where they chat about the advantages of mastering in a rehearsal facility, working relationships with mix engineer’s and his adhoc survival strategy.More on Gary and A Hammer Mastering

Nashville producer Mitch Dane has managed to cross the lines into almost every genre In his 20+ years of production/engineering experience. Though most of his work can be heard on Rock, Roots/Rock and Singer/Songwriter records, Mitch continues to work fearlessly in other styles like Bluegrass/Americana. In his own words: “I like to collect the best aspects of every genre of music and bring them together in hybrid productions.” His desire to grow and to learn is constant, making every project he touches relevant and refreshing. This personal philosophy has worked well, considering Mitch’s fingerprints mark over 200 records, four of which are Grammy nominees.    •    Grammy award for his engineering.    •    ASCAP award for his songwriting.    •    Over 25 years of production/engineering experience.    •    Owns a full production/recording studio in Berry Hill called Sputnik Sound with his partner, Vance Powell. Matt and Mitch talk about how an early childhood accident would set the tone and approach for his future career , raw natural tracks vs overly manicured ones and Mitch’s advice on studio ownership. Enjoy. www.mitchdane.comwww.sputniksound.comhttps://twitter.com/mitchdane

Tremaine Williams (AKA: “Six7”) was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. He began his musical journey by taking piano & drum lessons while in elementary school, as well as becoming a classically trained singer in the Raleigh Boychoir. He grew up playing in church but was also heavily influenced by R&B. He began to dabble in music production in high school as a hobby. After lending his production works to emerging singers in North Carolina, Tremaine enrolled at Full Sail University in 2003.Upon graduating in October 2004 with his Associate of Science degree in Recording Arts, Tremaine achieved one of his many career goals, as he received an internship at Hidden Beach Recordings. His career catapulted when he moved to Los Angeles, California and became a standout intern at the label from November 2004 to June 2005. Tremaine achieved another benchmark in his career when he joined the Recording Academy as a voting member at age 21 in December 2005. After a short stint with producer JR Hutson, Tremaine left to start his own music production company by the name of Six7 Music, rightfully named by the fact that he is 6 feet 7 inches tall, in July 2006.In 2008, Tremaine engineered a performance for The Time featuring Rihanna at the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which led him to his position as engineer/programmer with the legendary Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis at FlyteTyme Productions for 3 and a half years. He has engineered one GRAMMY award winning album and 6 GRAMMY Nominated albums. Tremaine is credited on songs by powerhouse artists such as Chaka Khan, El Debarge, Usher, Janet Jackson, 50 Cent, Jill Scott, Ledisi, Keyshia Cole and Ruben Studdard which is nothing short of amazing for his 11 years in the music industry.In 2012 Tremaine was elected to the Recording Academy’s Los Angeles Chapter Board of Governors and as of 2015 now serves as Chair of the Membership Committee. As one of the youngest members ever elected, he hopes to make a difference and proudly represent the next generation of music makers.Aside from albums, he has moved into the TV/Film world. His work can be seen and heard on the hit showEmpire, BET Sunday Best, Apollo Live, ComicView, Keeping up With The Kardashians, Real World and Bad Girls Club. He also scored his first feature film, “The Last Fall” which airs regularly on BET.Most recently Tremaine has been on the road with Mariah Carey for “The Elusive Chanteuse Show” Tour,  “All I Want For Christmas is You” Special in New York at the legendary Beacon Theater and “#1 to Infinity” at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.With the talent and desire to achieve that Tremaine ultimately possesses, there is no doubt that he will be a major force in the music industry for many years to come…Matt and Tremaine discuss his journey from North Carolina to California as well hustling, staying focused and being present.

John Schimpf got his start in the music industry working in clubs and theatres as a production manager and sound engineer, and working as a recording engineer for the University he was attending while pursuing a classical music degree. As a student he built what became the technological backbone for a music industry program developed at that University. In 2001, he went on to become an engineer and crew chief with one of the largest live sound companies in California where he began working with and learning about large scale music productions in detail. In 2002 he took a job as a studio manager in Stockton, CA where he began recording and producing projects in many genres while learning the critical balance between technician and artist. Through that business John was asked to begin managing several high-profile artists while on tour. That experience opened the door to continue touring for the next 10 years, working with management groups from New York and LA. His lean and pragmatic style allowed him to become a valuable member of many touring groups, saving artists money while providing unprecedented consistency within the organizations he served. John has toured in over 20 countries with a diverse set of artists within many major performance venues around the world. Throughout his years of touring he has continued to actively work in the studio, recording and producing many different projects. In 2012 John took a position as the general manager of the newly built 25th Street Recording, a world-class recording facility in the heart of Oakland, CA. He oversees all aspects of the business including its staff, client acquisition, planning and technical direction, where his regular client base includes Grammy winning and multi-platinum selling artists, producers and engineers, as well as new talent from the greater Bay Area and Los Angeles. John continues to immerse himself in a wide range of media and production projects around the globe continually acting as a media producer and artist manager.John joins Matt at WCA headquarters to discuss John’s thought process when it comes to running a studio. Studio managers should pay attention.

Mike Kalajian is the son of an audio technician/audiophile who was exposed to music and recording equipment at a very early age through family including his Uncle’s home recording setup  which fascinated Mike and started to draw him in to the audio experience. Mike’s parents say his first word was actually “speaker” and at  9 years old was given his first guitar along with a 1/4 inch reel to reel . Mike wasted no time and immediately started writing and recording his own music. All of this took him to the next step in audio indoctrination, the building of his first basement “studio” in junior high where he and a friend started recording fellow student musicians for $20/song on a cassette 4-track. After high school, attendance at Full Sail followed. 20+ years later, Mike has recorded over a hundred albums and Ep’s for other artists, toured with his own band, and mastered countless recordings. Of all the facets of engineering he found mastering to be the most rewarding. I talk with Mike Kalajian (pronounced Kalasion) about his background, his thriving mastering business Rogue Planet Mastering as well as his workflow. Mike is a really nice guy who is passionate about what he does and I found it a pleasure speaking with him. Enjoy. -Matt

Finding detailed information on Producer/Engineer/Mixer Niko Bolas is a challenge. Niko is not a publicity hound and generally avoids big star-studded events. He’s a man that stays focused on the work in front of him and he puts his all into it. Looking at his discography you’ll notice a couple of things, repeat clients such as Neil Young, Melissa Etheridge, Robert Cray, and the late Warren Zevon for example. The other thing you’ll notice is the large number of records he has worked on coupled with the fact that he’s not a household name except to those in the know. He’s passionate about what he does and takes it seriously. We discuss that passion as well as Niko’s work style. Richard Dodd makes an appearance during the interview which adds a bit of laughter to the situation. You’ll dig it. Enjoy -MattPhoto Credit: Robert Cabral

What can you say about Al Schmitt that has not been said? The man truly is a legend and a complete professional.  He has scored a pile of Grammy wins and nominations over the years, recorded and mixed more than 150 gold and platinum albums plus his credit list includes Henry Mancini, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis, Jr., Natalie Cole, Thelonious Monk, Elvis Presley, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, to name just a few.Steve Genewick has been Al Schmitt’s assistant for the last 15 years working with artists such as Diana Krall, Chris Botti, Gladys Knight, Neil Young, George Benson, Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, and Paul McCartney. Steve is a three-time GRAMMY® nominated recording engineer with over twenty-five years of experience, both as a studio and live recording engineer. Steve has worked primarily out of Capitol Studios as a staff engineer since 1994. When not at Capitol, Steve can be found working at any number of major recording studios in Los Angeles or mixing at his home studio.My conversation with Al and Steve revolves mainly around their new video coming out called ” The Art of Recording a Big Band“. The seminar-turned film follows Al and Steve as they teach a group of people their methods for recording a big band out of Capital Studios.

Magnus Lindberg is a freelance engineer based in Stockholm, Sweden. Despite his young age of 35 he has already been an audio professional for 14 years, working with a wide range of independent bands and artists from all over the world.Starting out at a young age with various intern ships, most noticeable the one at Sound City Studios, LA he then found himself a part of the production team at Tonteknik Recording, under which roof he stayed for about 8 years until moving to Stockholm and becoming completely solo. Although he has been doing many projects in studios in London, Paris etc he is now a co-owner of a brand new facility in central Stockholm in which he conducts his mixing and mastering work which nowadays takes up most of his time. While not doing engineering he also play live drums (and does studio engineering) in Cult of Luna, a well established band in the alternative rock/metal scene.Matt talks with Magnus about Stockholm, his business practice, building a new studio from the ground up and the gear he uses to do his job.Website: www.magnuslindberg.comFacebook: www.facecbook.com/magnuslindbergproductionsTwitter: mlprodStudio: www.redmount.studioBand: www.cultofluna.com

John Paterno is an LA-based audio pro. He has worked with a wide range of artists, including Robbie Williams, Soraya, Badly Drawn Boy, Lustra, The Thrills, Tim McGraw, Robben Ford, Eros Ramazzotti, and The Steve Gadd Band in his 25+ years in the music business.John moved to Los Angeles two weeks after graduating from the University of Miami’s Music Engineering program, and quickly gained footing as a ‘freelance assistant’ until he was offered a position at Sunset Sound/Sound Factory as a staff engineer/assistant. It was at Sound Factory where he ended up on a session with Tchad Blake and Mitchell Froom, and was for the next several years involved in many of their seminal records — projects by Los Lobos, Suzanne Vega, American Music Club, and the Latin Playboys, among many others.John’s first projects as an engineer include Ted Hawkins’ ‘The Next Hundred Years’, that dog’s ‘Retreat From the Sun’, and co-producing the Los Lobos score for the film ‘Feeling Minnesota’. From there he worked with a range of producers including Mitchell Froom, Joe Chiccarelli, Byron Gallimore, and Stephen Duffy.In 2004 he won a Latin Grammy for his work on the ‘Soraya’ record.John has also produced or co-produced projects for Mitchell Froom, Lustra, Robbie Williams, The Lilac Time, The Black Molly’s, and many other artists.In addition to producing and mixing projects, John has also: written songs with new artists; composed for TV and film; written articles for Tape Op magazine and the Universal Audio site; and has done instructional videos on mixing with PureMix.Website:  www.musicdafoz.comInstagram: paternodafozTwitter: @paternodafoz

Matt Wright grew up in an extended musical family, of both musicians and aficionados. Every family gets together involved extended periods of both playing music and arguing about pop records, which strongly influenced his relationship with music: a) He’s a lifelong musician because of it, b) He was raised listening to the canon of great pop records, and c) He was surrounded by people who thought that pop music and record albums were important. They were more than just a consumer product for teenagers to buy and eventually throw away. A great pop record was a work of art that was worth arguing about and that you could have an ongoing relationship with.Matt toyed around with cassette recorders when he was young (My First Sony, anyone?), but Matt was never one to get too excited by the technology itself (aside from a new Walkman or CD player being a cool toy). Matt had no interest in the Sound Crew when I was in high school – mixers, speakers, amplifiers (other than the guitar kind) all seemed rather dull to him. It was only after Matt had his first multitrack experience, watching a couple of friends use Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 to build a complete arrangement of a song from just a couple of guitar riffs that he got excited about recording technology. Something clicked for him when he realized that not only could he learn to make music recordings that sounded more like real records and less like My First Sony, but that he could also use the technology of recording to expand what he could do creatively with music.Today, Matt’s interest in and philosophy for record production and engineering are still driven by the principles discovered in these early moments. Matt believes in striving for exceptional quality at all times – in arrangement, in performance, and in sound. He believes the technology should serve the record-making process in the most transparent way possible, never dictate it. And he believes that a record album is an art form in its own right, not just a translation of live musical performance and that making a great record is something worth pursuing for its own artistic merits.Matt and Matt talk about his transition from intern to chief engineer at Prairie Sun Recording, being a new dad, and his absence of gear lust.Read more about Matt at www.mattwrightsound.comWCA #067 also features part 3 of a series of discussions on acoustics with Realtraps general manager James Lindenschmidt!

Graham Hick has been an audio professional for the past 17 years. He is an amateur musician who holds a BA in music recording from Columbia College. He has written for Tape Op magazine and been a featured speaker and panelist at their professional conferences, taught audio production at Columbia College for five years, worked in jingle studios, voice studios, post-production studios, and public radio. He has also done some live sound and even did a stint in Hollywood where one of the sound editing crews he was on was nominated for an Oscar in 2009 (Transformers – Revenge of the Fallen). Currently working at Minnesota Public Radio as a Master Control Engineer, he is able to use all of the skills and knowledge gained in the field throughout his entire career. Now wearing bifocals and taking care of a 12-year-old cat Graham lives a quiet, happy and modest life in Minneapolis. His very brief IMDB film credits page can be viewed at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3476550/

Brad Brooks is that rare quadruple threat of writer, player, singer, and performer. His songs combine the melodic sensibility of Elvis Costello, the best instincts of Wilco and Brian Wilson, along with the orchestral sophistication of Queen. Brooks is rooted in a kind of Victorian California romanticism; and with the release of his record “Harmony Of Passing Light” Brooks joined his peers with the best work of his career. His gift for melody and his soaring vocals remain the most immediately impressive traits of his music. Brooks’ voice can wail like a blue-eyed soul singer, whisper plaintively, croon with just a touch of twang, or soar through the most demanding melodic acrobatics, and he pulls off all of these different guises on “Harmony” without the record sounding disjointed. Rather, it’s an album with multiple textures that still feels unified. Brooks has found the essence of his own unique voice, and been one of the Bay Area’s best-kept secrets for years. He’s also survived stage 4 throat cancer as of last year, and has been in the studio with his live band recording a new record with Adam Rossi at AR Audio in SF, with songs mixed by Craig Schumacher of Wavelab from Tucson. Brooks has also shared the stage with Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, opened for Grammy-winning band Train, Imagine Dragons, and Linda PerryFor this episode Matt talks with Brad to get a perspective of recording from the other side of the glass. Brad talks about his experiences as an artist when it comes to recording.Check Brad out at: http://www.bradbrooksmusic.com/

Johnny Sangster is known for his production and engineering work with Mudhoney, Posies, The Supersuckers, Smoosh, and The Makers, and also as guitarist for the Tripwires, Mark Pickerel and His Praying Hands, The Dear John Letters, and Steve Turner’s Bad Ideas. Johnny has also served as bassist for the legendary Roy Loney in the Longshots. Originally from Seattle, Johnny Sangster relocated to Europe in 1984 where he led the Copenhagen-based The Sharing Patrol until ’97. The Sharing Patrol recorded for EMI and toured extensively through Europe, Scandinavia, and the former Soviet Union.Upon returning to Seattle in ’97, he took up engineering full time at Conrad Uno’s Egg Studio, a place well established by Uno’s work with The Young Fresh Fellows, Gas Huffer, and the Presidents of the United States of America. In the period of the late ’90s and early 2000s. Johnny Sangster worked the Posies, the Murder City Devils, the Supersuckers, Zeke, The Fireballs of Freedom, Dr. Explosion, The Makers, Gerald Collier and many others.In 2001 Johnny Sangster teamed up with Robb Benson of the Nevada Bachelors (whose debut record Johnny had produced). The project turned into the band The Dear John Letters and proceeded to release three full-length albums to significant local acclaim.In 2002 he recorded several tracks for Mudhoney’s Since We’ve Become Translucent. This led to producing and performing with Mudhoney guitarist Steve Turner on his three solo releases: Searching For Melody, And His Bad Ideas, and New Wave Punk Asshole. Johnny also continued to collaborate with Mudhoney on their 2006 release Under a Billion Sons and 2007’s Live Mud.The latter half of the 2000s was a very productive period, with many records recorded and released. A full discography is available @ www.sangstermania.com.In 2007 Johnny founded Crackle & Pop! Studio with partners Andrew Smith and Scott Masoner. The studio is a small and affordable place to track and to mix.Johnny Sangster is currently playing guitar for Tripwires, a band fronted by John Ramberg (formerly of Model Rockets) and backed by Jim Sangster on bass and Mark Pickerel on drums. Since the releases of their debut “Makes You Look Around” and the follow-up “House to House” the Tripwires have garnered the attention of audiences throughout the Northwest and beyond.Matt and Johnny discuss parenting, studio overhead, retirement, and Johnny’s studio space Crackle and Pop!WCA #064 also features part 2 of a series of discussions on acoustics with Realtraps general manager James Lindenschmidt!Links for part 2.http://realtraps.com/p_minitrap.htmhttp://realtraps.com/install_mt.htm

Joey Sturgis is an educator, speaker, and fixture in the emergent modern rock music pantheon producing, engineering and mixing bands such as Asking Alexandria, Of Mice & Men, We Came As Romans, Blessthefall, and The Devil Wears Prada. He took his passion for drums and guitars and combined it with his love for understanding how things work and how to do things more efficiently. And he built a career with it. When other bands started hitting him up about how he was recording, he knew he had discovered something special. Joey Sturgis Tones develops, simplifies, and ultimately makes available the tools necessary to execute the creative visions of musicians, producers, and songwriters from any walk of life. Joey is indeed, a new breed of music professional.Matt and Joey discuss the many aspects of Joey’s music world and his skills as an entrepreneur.Links for Joey:http://joeysturgistones.com/https://www.creativelive.com/courses/studio-pass-joey-sturgisWCA #063 also features the first of a series of discussions on acoustics with Realtraps general manager James Lindenschmidt!Linkes for James and Realtraps.The filtered pink noise listening test we spoke about is here:http://realtraps.com/lf-noise.htmRealtraps room setup strategy is here:http://realtraps.com/art_room-setup.htm

Maor Appelbaum is a mastering engineer and musician. After working as staff engineer (mixing, recording and mastering) for famed record producer Sylvia Massy Shivy at Radiostar Studios in Weed, California, Maor moved to Los Angeles where he opened his private mastering suite.Maor has had the pleasure of mastering recordings for major international acts such as: Faith No More, Yes, Walter Trout, Eric Gales, Starset, Ill Nino, Dokken, Fates Warning, William Shatner, Gus G, Common Kings, Sepultura, Yngwie Malmsteen, Halford, Fight, Armored Saint, Lita ford, Seven The Hardway , Marco Mendoza, Angra, Treponem Pal, Wayne Hussey, Therion, Cynic, Nekromantix, Butcher Babies, Billy Sherwood, The Top Chops and more…He has mastered the works of well-known music producers such as: Matt Wallace, Mike Clink, Mike Plotnikoff, Bob Horn, Ben Grosse, Bassy bob Brockmann, Toby Wright, Justin Gray, Roy Z, Sylvia Massy, Gilby Clark, Warren Riker, Ryan Greene, Ulrich Wild, Fabrizio Grossi, Logan Mader, Stan Katayama, Ben Schigel, Mark Lewis, Jacob Hansen, Tue Madsen, Eyal Levi, Jason Suecof, Thomas Lang and more… Also, he does mastering for unsigned artists of all genres from all over the world.Maor has an extensive background with the international music industry – He is well aware of the various music styles and sounds that are developing vastly as the today’s technology develops.To Maor, being a mastering engineer is the best way possible to combine his love and passion for music, with his various skills- objectivity, subjectivity, and technical & artistic prowess. He finds pleasure in his job, more than anything, thanks to the variety of music and sounds he gets to master from all over the world.It is a profession he takes pride in, and masters.Maor speaks with Matt about moving to the the United States from Israel and the challenges he encountered, his economic philosophy and working with clients.http://www.maorappelbaum.com/Articles by or about Maor.EXPERT ADVICE: BOOST YOUR BUSINESS Faith No More’s New Album Mastered On PMC LoudspeakersCLOSE UP: MAOR APPELBAUM MASTERING

TW Walsh is a solo artist, musician, songwriter, and mastering engineer. As a mastering engineer, TW Walsh has over 700 projects under his belt, including work for Sufjan Stevens, Benjamin Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie), The Shins, Cold War Kids, Pedro the Lion, David Bazan, Starflyer 59, Kristin Hersh, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Damien Jurado. As a songwriter and recording artist, TW was a member of Pedro the Lion, Headphones, and The Soft Drugs and has released several solo albums including his most recent “Fruitless Research”.Our discussion covers family, touring, mastering, as well as building his own control surface! Enjoy.Bandcamp Page iTunes link for Fruitless ResearchTW Walsh Mastering

Brian McTear is a nationally respected record producer, musician, and the owner of one of Philadelphia’s most revered independent recording studios, Miner Street Recordings in Fishtown. In the 18 years since he moved to the Philadelphia music community, Brian has worked with countless local artists like Dr. Dog, Kurt Vile, and The War on Drugs, as well as national artists like Sharon Van Etten and Joan Osborne, whose grammy nominated album “Bring it on Home” he mixed in 2011.McTear is also the founder of Weathervane Music , a non profit arts and culture organization whose mission is to advance independent music and the community that surrounds it. In 2010 he created and launched the organization’s flagship series, Shaking Through, a documentary series that takes place in Philadelphia and captures the recording studio performances of 7 – 10 select independent musical groups each year as they each record one song in two days. .Weathervane’s membership program has allowed thousands of music fans, musicians and home recording enthusiasts, in countries all around the world, the opportunity to download and remix the beautifully captured Shaking Through recordings. More recently, Weathervane has been developing a program to provide teaching materials for college and university recording programs, a project that will change the way future engineers learn to record music.Brian and Matt chat over Skype about Miner Street and Weathervane music as well as the music business as a whole. Special thanks to WCA listener and Weathervane Music member Bob Bailey for his many messages that finally got Matt off his ass to check into Brian and his amazing ventures!

Tardon Feathered runs an audio operation that keeps recordings alive. His Mr. Toads transfer business specializes in bringing back audio off of media made on machines that are no longer made or very few people have. Whether it’s a priceless family 3″ tape recording, that lost bandmaster on the 8 track, a live recording on a videocassette that doesn’t look anything like VHS, or even 78 rpm records, he is equipped to transfer most anything. These days, it’s not too big of a stretch to include digital sources such as floppy discs, Syquest, Jaz, DVD-RAM, and MO drives as near-obsolete formats because of the difficulty in finding any units to play them back on. Tardon is able to handle simple projects like the transfer of priceless 16, 33, 45, and 78 rpm recordings, to complete restorations of tape libraries (including tape baking and splice replacement!) and transfer them to whatever digital format you need via the highest quality signal chain available. It would be near impossible to make a list of the formats he is able to work on, but I think you get the idea. You can hear some of his work on the site Wolfgangs Vault where Tardon helped digitally transfer the entire catalog. Want to hear a Little Feat show from 1975 or a Police show from 1979? That’s all possible due to Tardon’s expertise in outdated formats and how to handle them.Matt went out to Vallejo, California to talk with Tardon and his trusty dog Verna about his recent move out of San Francisco and the nature of his business.

This interview with Jim Scott was recorded live at the Focal booth at NAMM 2016 was fantastic. Jim is best known for his large body of work as an engineer and his work as a producer with the American rock band Wilco.Jim has worked as an engineer with a range of other rock music artists, including Dixie Chicks, Tom Petty, Sting, the Rolling Stones, Roger Daltrey, Crowded House, 7 Worlds Collide, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lowen & Navarro, Jack’s Mannequin, Ron Sexsmith and many others. Scott won a Grammy Award for his work as an engineer on Red Hot Chili Peppers’ benchmark album Californication (which he also mixed), as well as for engineering Tom Petty’s Wildflowers, mixing the Foo Fighters’ One By One, doing engineering work on Santana’s Supernatural, and getting three Grammys for his work on the Dixie Chicks’ Taking The Long Way. He also mixed Matchbox Twenty’s “More Than You Think You Are” which reached a no. 6 on the US Billboard 200 and had two Top10 singles on the US Hot100.In 2013 he participated in the movie Sound City, by Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), along with many others such as Paul McCartney, Butch Vig, Neil Young and Tom Petty. The movie was about the Neve console and its many visitors over the years, through the studio of Sound City, which by the way was where Nirvana’s Nevermind was recorded.Jim and Matt discuss doing a job well no matter what that job is, including scrubbing toilets. They also discuss shrinking budgets and his Neve console.Photo by Kerry Rose.

The Pellicci brothers Jay and Ian, spent 13 years as staff engineers at Tiny Telephone  working with bands like Sleater-Kinney, Deerhoof, Birds and Batteries and Rogue Wave. Since then they have expanded their recording universe and have joined Eli Crews and John Finkbeiner  in a partnership at New Improved Recording. While they still work at many other studios including Tiny, New Improved acts as a sort of home base. Since coming on board at NIR, they have given the studio a complete makeover that included replacing the AMEK Einstein with a lovely highly customized 5316 series Neve and added burlap covered acoustic treatment on the walls. The brothers came to the Bay Area on a family vacation when they were kids. During that vacation their father stumbled upon a job opportunity in Silicon Valley and the family ended up staying and living in Fremont, California.Matt and the Pellicci brothers discuss the studio makeover, their deep devotion of time and money to the recording world, and the Neve console that is the centerpiece of New Improved.

I’ve known Josh Roberts for over 20 years now. He’s humble, fun, and one of the best human beings I know. He doesn’t waste time trying to impress people. To highlight that he doesn’t even have a web page, bio, Facebook page etc… He’s passionate about making records and is really good at letting people be themselves. I’ve been in a couple studio situations with him, I’ve toured with him and he was at my wedding. The guy is honestly in many ways from another time period. As a live sound person he has done sound from bands like the Squirrel Nut Zippers to politicians. As a studio rat he has worked with many including Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto. Santo, his new studio is a true incarnation of what Josh is about. Josh is a dear friend who I’ve learned a ton from over the years, so it with great pleasure I hand this interview over to the WCA audience to hear. Cheers, Matt

Producer/Engineer Ben Bernstein has worked extensively as a music producer and recording engineer. In recent years Ben has been working in game audio as a sound designer & project manager. He has also mixed several documentary films, online ads, and interactive in-app ads. Working with Disney Mobile, Pyramind Sound, KFOG , Microsoft as well as numerous Bay Area bands, Ben keeps his audio world diversified. Ben is also an incredible in-demand live and session bass player who has taught at the famous Blue Bear School of Music. Matt joins Ben at his home studio (Petting Zoo) for a chat that took place on New Years eve.

After getting his audio education Sebastien Richard took a position as the head audio engineer at Coast Recorders in San Francisco and quickly became a mainstay in the crowded San Francisco audio world. Sebastien went on to spend a few years in NYC and Prague where he toured and helped produce some of the biggest pop acts in the world. He then returned to San Francisco to become the lead audio engineer for the legendary Cafe Du Nord and opened up  Mission Recorders, an up and coming recording studio that has the claim to be one of the few in the city with an all original issue Neve console. He also is FOH for various venues including Slims, Great American Music Hall and The Chapel.Matt and Sebastien discuss running a studio, building your own equipment, touring, corporate audio and the ability to mix for 5000 people after having surgery!

Darrell Thorp is a seven time Grammy Award winning (OutKast, Radiohead, Switchfoot, Molotov, Beck) producer, mixer, engineer with over 18 years experience under his belt and many multi platinum records to his discography. Darrell moved to Los Angles in 1997 after a 4 year service in the U.S. Navy and started interning at smaller studios and eventually worked his way up to an Assistant Engineer at some of L.A.’s prestigious studios such as Track Record, Conway, and finally Ocean Way Recording. It was at Ocean Way recording that Darrell meet famed Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. Shortly after meeting Godrich, Darrell became his full time engineer and ended up recording Beck’s “Sea Change”, Radiohead’s “Hail to The Thief”, Paul McCartney’s “Chaos and Creation In The Back Yard” and many others. Currently Darrell is splitting his time between mixing various records and projects and producing. Darrell has had the pleasure of being the principle recording engineer on Beck’s “Morning Phase” which granted him 3 additional Grammys for Best Engineered Album, Rock Album of the Year, and Album of the Year.Matt and Darrell talk about his time in the Navy and its influence on his recording career, the influence of Nigel Godrich, pacing yourself in the studio as well mixing in the box.

After 10 years working as a sales rep for a pro audio and recording equipment distributer, Robert Preston made the plunge into recording full-time by opening a recording studio (GetReel) and locating it inside a rehearsal facility (Secret Studios) surrounded by bands! As one would imagine Robert gets a lot of business directly from the many bands rehearsing in the building, since it’s easy for them to take their gear down the hall to GetReel. After 10 years in the first incarnation of the studio then 13 years in the “new” studio, Robert continues a steady stream of work. As Robert says, “I still love working with and recording bands and singer-songwriters and helping them with their projects and visions of their music. I come at the recording process from a player’s perspective. I’ve built the studio with the players in mind, and I think it shows.”Matt and Robert dissect Robert’s recording situation and talk gear, money, location and the pros and cons of growing.

Growing up in a house filled with music Peter studied the ʻclassicsʼ by day, but escaped to play – way underaged – at night in bars & clubs to gain the requisite “chops” – playing rock, blues, and jazz throughout high school. Although entering college in a pre-med program, he quickly re-found his musical bearings, and graduated with a degree in Electronic Music Composition! Upon completion of his degree, he went on to be a journeyman musician and engineer, and after several years working in recording studios in Boston, relocated to LA in 1980. His entrance into the recording scene there was facilitated by his technical background, and got a staff position at Capitol Studios as a studio tech. But he quickly got “in the trenches” – in sessions there, recording everyone from Prince, Frank Sinatra, David Lee Roth, the Stray Cats and Miles Davis along the way.The lure of films took him away from Capitol after 15 years, and he took a staff position at Sony Pictures Entertainment doing scoring. While there, his efforts were heard in films like “Black Hawk Down”, “The Patriot” and “Road To Perdition”.Then he felt a desire to return to sound-only media – and has been a part of Universal Mastering Studios in Hollywood for the last 10 years. While there, Peter has mastered hundreds of projects for the likes of Robin Thicke, Fergie, Steve Lukather, WAR, Marilyn Manson, John Waite and many more. While just a few years ago, much of Peterʼs schedule was filled with mixing the music for Rock Band  and Guitar Hero video games where artists from the Universal roster were being featured. Nowadays, he still mixes a few projects, recently for artists such as Toby Keith, Rachel MacFarlane, Rhiannon and Otmaro Ruiz.The recording scene nowadays has changed so much in the last decade. Peter has seen many of the old-guard first-call studios – AND engineers – fall by the boards as the new wave of record-making takes hold. But sitting at the “finish-line”, or Mastering, gives him a very valuable insight into what has become paramount in the making of modern recordings. He is here to share some of that with you.Matt and Pete discuss age, what makes Universal Mastering special, working at facility versus working as a freelancer, low-end management, Pete’s new video series The Star Chamber, and the brilliance of Al Schmitt.

Larry Crane has been involved in music since the late seventies, when he self-released home recordings of his own music. Since then he’s been a musician, record producer/engineer/mixer, Tape Op Magazine founder and editor, book editor, studio owner, archivist, disc jockey, small label owner and even a record distributor employee.From 1994 to 1997, Crane ran Laundry Rules Recording, a home studio in his basement in Portland, where he recorded artists that include Versus, Stephen Malkmus and Cat Power. Since 1997, Crane has owned and run Jackpot! Recording Studio, Inc., a busy mid-sized studio in Portland, where he has worked with artists such as Sleater-Kinney, The Joggers, The Decemberists, Jenny Lewis, M. Ward, The Go-Betweens, Elliott Smith, Death Cab for Cutie, The Thermals, Stephen Malkmus, Quasi, The Portland Cello Project, Jason Lytle and Richmond Fontaine.Crane has spoken on and moderated panels about recording for TapeOpCon, South by Southwest, North by Northwest, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Potluck Audio Conference, Indie Music Forum and College Music Journal. He has worked in the past as a record label owner, radio station music director, disc jockey, record distributor employee, freelance music journalist and band manager. Starting in 1984, he has been a bass player in several bands, including Elephant Factory, Vomit Launch, Sunbirds, Foggy Notion and Flaming Box of Ants.Larry and Matt talk about almost 20 years of Tape Op Magazine, his experience running Jackpot! Recording, the symbiotic relationship with pro audio manufacturers, working at other studios and a little business advice.http://www.larry-crane.com/Jackpot! Recording StudioTape Op Magazine

You gotta love this guy. I asked him for a bio and I got this....."I hate bios. Bios suck. For more information about me you can visit my website at http://www.robotlemon.com/"So in an effort to have a little bit more info here's this....  F. Reid Shippen is a New Jersey-born, Nashville-based, highly motivated, completely caffeinated multiple Grammy® award-winning producer/engineer/mixer.Matt and Reid talk family, work/life balance, his power supply to his SSL, interns and much more. Listen in and enjoy.Happy Thanksgiving to my American audience! -Matt

Bill Simpkins started in a music career by teaching guitar at the age of 16. In the early 1990s, he started recording his own projects and other bands mostly in the local hardcore punk or straight-edge metal scene with some ADATs and a Mackie mixer. He then worked for several years at Binary Recording Studio with regional bands, eclectic audio projects, orchestras and films. In 2001, Bill graduated with a degree in Mathematics and became a software engineer but still did audio part-time. In 2011 he created Alpenglow Sound Studios in the downstairs of his house and has been mostly mixing and recording local/remote artists and doing part-time software engineering.Bill may be best known for his blog titled "aediaries" that aims to present highly-filtered information and useful philosophies for those who don't want to sift through endless forum posts and opinions.He enjoys climbing, snowboarding and surfing. He sings and plays guitar in the heavy metal band "Slavemason".Some of the artists Bill has worked with are over the years are: AeTopus, Spindle, Jae Apollo, Dig the Particulars, Regan Mckinnon (Little Kingfisher), Amy Hindman, Kastle King, Clambake, Celestrial Navigation, Medici, Skeptoid Podcast, Mcknarley's Rant, Phil Kelly, Jayhawker, Andy O, Hakon Sveinsson, G8a, Dana Lyons, Big Sur ... Bill and Matt talk about having a day job and still running a recording studio, Martin Birch (Producer Iron Maiden), how engineers can do better by there clients and the role of quality equipment. https://www.facebook.com/AEDiarieshttp://billsimpkins.com/http://www.alpenglowsound.comhttp://aediaries.com/

John Vanderslice (born in Gainesville, Florida) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and recording engineer.He is the owner and founder of Tiny Telephone, and Tiny Telephone Oakland, Bay Area analog recording studios.In 10 full-length albums, and 5 remix records and EPs, Vanderslice’s songwriting is characterized by deeply personal and political lyrics and the use of experimental analog recording techniques. His declared musical influences are diverse, ranging from Neutral Milk Hotel and Radiohead to Public Enemy and Henry Cowell. He has collaborated with renowned musicians such as Mark Kozelek, St. Vincent, and John Darnielle.He is currently a full-time producer and has worked with The Mountain Goats, Teen Daze, Spoon, Strand Of Oaks and Sophie Hunger.Matt and John sit down for a chat in Tiny Telephone studio A where they discuss borrowing money, the opening of Tiny Telephone Oakland, smoking pot & climate change. After all that…they go out for amazing Mexican food in the Mission District of San Francisco.

Matt Wallace is an American record producer. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and has been producing professionally since the early 1980s. He is best known for his work with Faith No More, Maroon 5, O.A.R., The Replacements, and Train.Wallace has produced some of Faith No More’s most iconic recordings, including We Care a Lot, their debut album on Mordam Records. He produced and mixed their breakthrough album, The Real Thing, which featured the hit song, “Epic.” He produced Angel Dust, named the #1 most influential album of all time by Kerrang!. In 2015, he joined the band again to co-mix their album, Sol Invictus. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hard Rock Album chart.He produced albums for The Replacements (Don’t Tell A Soul), Paul Westerberg (14 Songs) and John Hiatt (Perfectly Good Guitar). He co-produced the debut Juno-nominated album for Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk. The album was certified double platinum in Canada.Wallace produced and mixed Songs About Jane, the debut album for Maroon 5, including the Top 40 hit singles “Harder To Breathe,” “This Love,” “Sunday Morning,” and “She Will Be Loved.” The album has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, and won a Grammy Award for “Best New Artist” in 2005.Since then, Wallace has co-written songs and produced two albums for O.A.R. He has also co-written and produced several songs for Andy Grammer, an album for Pepper, and mixed Blackberry Smoke’s album The Whippoorwill.In 2013, Wallace started a live music project with Will Kennedy (whose credits include Michael Franti, Thirsty Merc, Andy Grammer, and Pepper) called ‘Live at Studio Delux’. The goal is to help music fans discover the joy of authentic live performances. With over 30 years of combined experience professionally recording and producing music, Wallace and Kennedy capture the artist at their best in a live studio environment. Each artist session is recorded in one day at Wallace’s own studio, Studio Delux. The mastered recordings are made available on iTunes while video content can be watched on the project’s Youtube channel.Matt talks with Matt about almost giving up, the reality of vintage instruments, as well as getting back into having his own studio and being a one man production house.

Piper Payne is a Mastering Engineer at Coast Mastering (formerly Michael Romanowski Mastering) in San Francisco. Piper is the Vice President of the SF Chapter of the Recording Academy and she Co-Chairs the SF Producers and Engineers Wing. She also serves on the Education Committee. In addition she is an active member of the AES and the Women's Audio Mission, as well as being the CEO of Giving Stage. Piper is an audio educator and lectures often about mastering and recording. She is also a first-call for large venue concert and classical recordings.Piper began her career with a BFA in Audio from the University of Michigan, continuing her Graduate education in Audio at the University of Stavanger in Norway. Piper has apprenticed under some of the best Mastering and audio mentors in the world, including Bob Katz in Orlando and Michael Romanowski in San Francisco. Piper moved to San Francisco after working at the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada as the Senior Audio Associate in a work-study program that had her climbing glaciers for film sound design and recording jazz orchestras in the same day! Piper's focus is Mastering and she lives for quality and equality in audio.Piper and Matt talk with each other at her new location at Coast Mastering in Berkeley, CA. They two chat about moving to a new facility, room tuning, parking, coffee and audiophiles.Coast Mastering on Facebook