Working Class Audio

Manny Sanchez began his professional career in audio in 1999 as an unpaid intern at Chicago Recording Company. He had no formal training but a hunger to learn and quickly began assisting on high profile sessions. In 2000 he was the third assistant on the last Smashing Pumpkins sessions before they had their first hiatus. He befriended Billy Corgan and Billy insisted he be placed on any further sessions at CRC. In 2001 Billy formed Zwan and asked producer Bjorn Thorsrud to inform Manny that Billy would like him to engineer the demos for the band. This was a daunting task for Manny and he had to request that the demos be recorded to analog tape because he hadn’t learned Pro Tools yet. Billy agreed and eventually Manny was asked to record their album “Mary Star of the Sea” alongside producers Alan Moulder and Bjorn Thorsrud. The recording of this record would have a profound effect on Manny and would shape his entire career.After finishing up a long and arduous stint working solely for Billy, Manny decided he needed to branch out on his own. He built IV Lab Studios in 2004 in a 100 year old vault inside a family friend’s building in Wrigleyville. This decision to build inside a building that he did not own would play a significant roll in the life of the studio, but as a hungry young twenty-something he didn’t question the opportunity when it came to him. The studio was a great success considering the changing landscape of the music business and played host to the best of local talent as well as national acts. It was within the walls of IV Lab that he solidified his relationship with jam/prog favorites Umphrey’s McGee, as well as pop-punk icons Fall Out Boy, both of whom he still works with today,In 2012 the building that housed the studio was lost to foreclosure and the new owners wanted nothing to do with the studio. This crossroads put things into perspective for Manny and he began to seek out new homes for the business as well as other potential work that was in line with his experience. Luckily for the studio, it found a new home in Lincoln Park with some new partners that owned the space so the hope was it would be its forever home. Manny was happy the studio would survive but also unsettled by his own career trajectory and ready to make a change. In late 2012 he was contacted by former Fall Out Boy tour manager Dan Suh and asked if he could come to LA and engineer for PSY at the height of his “Gangnam Style” popularity. This wasn’t the most ideal creative outlet for Manny but it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. The gig was open-ended and he remained in LA after it was over and planted his roots.About this Interview:Manny joins me to chat about his early experience in Chicago working with Billy Corgan, studio ownership, the cost of real estate, working with Psy in smoky control rooms and his ever-expanding world of post working on film trailers in LA. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and Links Manny's site: http://ivlabstudios.com/manny-sanchez/ Manny on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manny-sanchez-0518537/

Brian Gibbs is Producer, Engineer and Owner at Tool Shed Studios (70+ record credits 2017). An accomplished musician and performer with a B.M. Degree from Berklee College of Music, he brings his diversified portfolio of skills and passion past the stage to his roles as a producer, studio engineer, FOH engineer, music teacher (percussion, keyboard, strings and vocal instruction) and as a mentor to the college interns at the studio. Assistant Engineer (pre-production) 2015 Grammy winning album “Realidades”/ Los Tigres Del Norte AES San Francisco Treasurer (3 years) AES International Diversity & Inclusion Committee Audio GANG Member Berklee College of Music Alumni Committee Recording Academy Voting Member Recording Academy P&E Wing Advisory Committee (SF Chapter) Recording Academy District Advocacy Captain About this Interview:Brian joins me for a one on one chat about immersive audio, the details of running a studio business, buying your neighbors wine and making your bed. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and Links Toolshed Studios (Brian Gibbs): http://www.toolshedstudio.com/index.html Skyline EP: http://skylineep.com/ Hear 360: https://hear360.io/ Rode Ambisonics Mic: https://en.rode.com/ntsf1 Facebook Spatial Workstation: https://facebook360.fb.com/spatial-workstation/

Hosted in association with Sound On Sound Magazine, Music Expo is a series of annual events full of workshops, lectures, studio sessions, discussions and product demos bringing 3,000 musicians, engineers, technophiles and tastemakers together. The event was the idea of Loïc Maestracci who does an amazing job bringing people together. WCA #206 is just one of many panels that takes place at Music Expo as as well as many lectures and workshops. About this Interview:I was headed out the door to appear on a panel for Music Expo SF when I saw a notification on Twitter from Matt Carnes of Colorado Recording. Matt asked if I would be recording the panel. To be honest it never occurred to me until I read Matt's tweet. As a result I was able to capture my conversation with Karrie Keys, Piper Payne, Brian Gibbs and Frank Socorro for a panel called "Survival of the Fittest - How to Really Make A Living In Audio". Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and Links Music Expo: https://musicexpo.co/ Sound Girls (Karrie Keys): https://soundgirls.org EQL Directory: https://makeiteql.com/ Neato Mastering (Piper Payne): http://neatomastering.com/ Toolshed Studios (Brian Gibbs): http://www.toolshedstudio.com/index.html Colorado Recording (Matt Carnes): https://www.coloradorecording.com/

Franklin Emmanuel Socorro started his audio career in the early 2000s working in the Miami area recording the diverse styles that happen in a city that’s such a melting pot. During that time an opportunity to work on a Bad Boy project put him on a fast track that led to him working with artists such as Mary J Blige, Lenny Kravitz, and Lauryn Hill. Eventually, he would land a position as head engineer for super-producer Salaam Remi. This new position brought a wider range of projects from Nas and Cee-Lo to major motion picture work for Rush Hour and Sex and the City. Along the way came 5 grammy nominations and several gold and platinum plaques. He currently operates his own studio while working with the future of audio at the SAE Miami campusAbout this Interview:Frank joins me to tell of his incredible story of his rise to the top and the thing that changed it all, his early training with Charles Dye, working with Salaam Remi, Diddy, Tony Maserati, and finding peace in claiming control of his time. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksAEA KU5A: https://goo.gl/km8139Audio Life on Gearslutz: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/audio-life/

Streaky’s mastering journey began in 1996 when he landed his first job at Zomba’s Battery Studio in London, learning the art of compact disc mastering alongside Chris Parmenidis. The first record he mastered was ‘Return of the Mac’ by Mark Morrison, following that early Groove Armada and other 90’s club classics!Moving on to The Soundmasters in 2000 learning how to master for vinyl under the veteran mastering engineer Kevin Metcalfe. Here working with some legendary artists including Kasabian, Snow Patrol, Usher, The Prodigy to name a few. In 2003 whilst at Soundmasters Streaky set up the world’s first online mastering studio ‘eMasters’ this method has now become the norm for mastering as the internet has developed.2013 saw Streaky base himself at Metropolis Mastering in London, taking the opportunity of working alongside mastering legends John Davis, Stuart Hawkes & Tim Young where he continued to help artists big and small to achieve their dream sound.2017 Streaky opened his own mastering studio within Pinewood Studios, the story continues…About this Interview:Streaky joins me to chat about his journey to mastering starting out as a 12-year-old DJ, his perspective on mastering, networking, minimalism, cracked plugins, and mentoring the next generation. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksAEA KU5A: https://goo.gl/km8139Audio Life on Gearslutz: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/audio-life/Matt Carnes Colorado Recording: http://coloradorecording.com/Streaky’s Site: https://streaky.com/Streaky’s Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvxjA3B1UURjGrdAJX_Yjg

Doug Clarke is a passionate audio engineer, mixer, sound designer, and musician. Based in Sydney’s Inner West, Doug works as a freelance engineer at multiple studios. Working withartists and songwriters as well as doing sound design and mixing for TV and Films. Following his graduation from the Queensland University of Technology in 2013 with a Bachelorof Music, Doug worked at Hunting Ground Studios recording bands such as Bay Harbour, Sun Heights (Pee Records), Matt McGuire, SkullClub (Sony), SkiesCollide, First Sight, El Monstro, and Courtney Heaton. After an intense 18 months of recording nonstop, Doug moved to Sydney in late 2015and began working at various studios such as One Flight Up and A Sharp Recording. Going freelance in late 2016, Doug extended his audio network into post-production by working at Two Dogs TV, Warner Bros ITVP, and Endemol Shine. 2018 has been a busy year for Doug as he finished producing and mixing the debut record with Vacant Shade at Arthur Street Studios, mixing Channel 10’s hit new shows ‘Pointless’ and ‘Bachelor in Paradise, as well as doing sound design/effects editing for ‘Under the Cover of Cloud’ (Melbourne International Film Festival 2018), Living Universe (Event Cinemas), and ‘Own The Sky’ (TBC).About this Interview:Doug joins me to talk about his journey from university in Brisbane to moving to Sydney and jumping into the world of live sound, studio recording, and post-production. From survival, mistakes, and negotiating to picking and choosing his own gigs. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/_dougclarke/SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/dougclarke-3IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8897822/?ref_=nv_sr_2At Headphones I’m trying: https://goo.gl/m7X51zAEA KU5A: https://goo.gl/km8139Audio Life on Gearslutz: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/audio-life/Dourrough! https://www.dorrough.com/

Mixerman, professionally known as Eric Sarafin, is a producer, mixer, and recordist with multiple gold and platinum sales awards to his name. After 25 years of operating out of Los Angeles, Eric currently resides in Asheville, NC, where he produces and mixes acts from around the world. Eric has worked with numerous National and International acts including The Pharcyde, Tone Loc, Spearhead, The Brand New Heavies, Ben Harper, Amy Grant, Lifehouse, Barenaked Ladies, Hillary Duff, Foreigner, and Australian phenom Pete Murray, just to name a few.Mixerman gained notoriety as an author from his first work, The Daily Adventures of Mixerman, a satire of a Major Label recording session from the early aughts that delighted and surprised well over 150,000 unique visitors. In 2008, Hal Leonard picked up his Adventures, and since 2010, Mixerman has written 5 books including Zen and the Art of Mixing, Zen and the Art of Producing, Zen and the Art of Recording, followed by another music business satire #Mixerman and the Billionheir Apparent.His latest book Musician’s Survival Guide to a Killer Record (the only gear you’ll need) is written specifically to help today’s musicians get the engineering out of the way so that they can focus on what’s important–the music itself.About this Interview:Mixerman joins me to discuss his journey in recording from New Jersey to California to North Carolina. We discuss his time at Capitol Studios, advocating for yourself, early internet forums, the creation of Mixerman, trolling, book writing, and empowering musicians. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksCurrent sponsors & promos Musician’s Survival Guide to a Killer Record :https://amzn.to/2Q4ilL9The Daily Adventures of Mixerman: https://amzn.to/2JmY2Gg#Mixerman and the Billionheir Apparent: https://amzn.to/2yF26h4Zen and the Art of Mixing: https://amzn.to/2Jpz5KmZen and the Art of Producing: https://amzn.to/2Q1FUnOZen and the Art of Recording: https://amzn.to/2DbxebNBlog:  Mixerman.net/wordMailing list: Mixerman.net/listCourses: Mixerman.net/coursesDiscography: Mixerman.net/discographyFacebook: Mixerman.net/facebookYouTube: Mixerman.net/YouTubeTwitter: @mixermanExplore Ashville, NC: https://www.exploreasheville.com/

Christopher Scott Cooper has played guitar since age 5, composer/songwriter since age 15, and audio engineer/producer for the last 30+ years. Became a FOH mixer/Live Sound Engineer by default and spent the late 80s touring and providing services for many a band. In 1990 decided a new path in the studio was a better option and spent the next 15 years at Music Annex studios going from an intern to Chief Engineer. 15 years ago he chose the independent route and built a cozy high-end studio (Blue Seven Audio), and came full circle to being a FOH mixer again for the Fox Theatre in Redwood City and for various events and bands around the Bay Area. Experienced in live recording, live sound, sound effects capture, sound design, studio recording, toys, games, TV/Film, wiring, the system installs, computer/data management, electronics repair… all by necessity. He has also taught courses at Cogswell College and guest lectures at various Audio Institutions. Chris still writes and composes for his band New Sun, TV/Film, and various unusual ambient labels.About this Interview:Chris joins me at Highwire Coffee in Oakland, California for not only coffee but a chat about his time at the Music Annex, building his own studio, diversification, survival in audio, and his start in live sound. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksAt Headphones I’m trying: https://goo.gl/m7X51zAEA KU5A: https://goo.gl/km8139Audio Life on Gearslutz: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/audio-life/Home Workout App on IOS: https://goo.gl/TpWugpHome Workout App on Android: https://goo.gl/pPQreJChristopher’s studio: http://www.bluesevenaudio.comChristopher’s band: http://www.new-sun.com

When I asked Tchad if he had an official bio he said…”Probably, It’s just not written down. ” 🙂Tchad has worked with many artists including Arctic Monkeys, State Radio, Apartment 26, Elvis Costello, Peter Gabriel, Pearl Jam, Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, Brazilian Girls, Gerard Way, Sheryl Crow, November 2nd, T-Bone Burnett, Travis, Marike Jager, Crowded House, Finn Brothers, Liam Finn, The Pretenders, Bernard Fanning, Los Lobos, The Bad Plus, Sam Phillips, Suzanne Vega, The Bangles, Stina Nordenstam, Phish, Bonnie Raitt, Lisa Germano, Fishbone, Al Green, Tracy Chapman, Phantom Planet, Gomez, The Dandy Warhols, American Music Club, Jed Davis, Blitzen Trapper, Cibo Matto, Haley Bonar, David Rhodes, The Black Keys, U2, Nico Vega, Halloween, Alaska, Cheese People, Kula Shaker and Soul Coughing, Delta Spirit, The Sheepdogs, Clarance Bucaro, Charlie Mars, The Van Jets, Indy Grotto, RZA, Nive Nielsen, Mutemath, Max Gomez, Living In Question, Justin Townes Earle, Luella And The Suns, Aṣa, Nina Violet, Tracy Bonham, Little Fish, Blackroc, Gary Myrick and The Figures, among others.Tchad has a long running partnership with producer Mitchell Froom, and the two formed Latin Playboys with David Hidalgo and Louie Pérez of Los Lobos. Tchad of course is known for his unconventional recording and mixing technics and his use of binaural recording. He has won a number of Grammy Awards, beginning with a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical and a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album for Sheryl Crow’s The Globe Sessions (1998). He won another Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for his work on Suzanne Vega’s Beauty & Crime (2007). Blake won two Grammys for his work with The Black Keys on 2010’s Brothers.About this Interview:Tchad joins me to talk about his journey starting in Baytown, Texas shooting Armadillos and riding motorcycles, to Los Angeles buying ribs for Keith Richards while working at Wally Heider’s studio. We also cover his work with Mitchell Froom, surviving cancer and yes……a little discussion of mechanical filters and the Sans Amp.Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksLol Coxhill – I Am the Walrus: https://youtu.be/xccLqr4jW7cTchad on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tchad_BlakeTchad Blake ‘Binaural Recording’ Documentary: https://vimeo.com/143727933Wally Heider: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Heider

Pete Lyman is a GRAMMY-Nominated mastering engineer based out of Nashville, TN and owner of Infrasonic mastering, an audio and vinyl mastering studio with locations in Echo Park, California and Nashville, TN. Pete has mastered Grammy-nominated projects for Panic! At the Disco, Weezer, and Grammy-award winning albums for Jason Isbell and Chris Stapleton. In 2016 he was recognized with a GRAMMY Nomination for Album of the Year for Chris Stapleton’s Traveller. Pete’s music career began at the age of 14, playing bass in a number of bands in Boulder, CO, California’s Bay Area, and Los Angeles. Over the years he has shared the stage with a variety of bands including My Bloody Valentine, The Mars Volta, and Sebadoh. In 2004, Pete opened Infrasonic Sound a 2000 sqft tracking studio in the northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of El Sereno. During its tenure, the studio was host to numerous bands including The Mars Volta, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Beck, People Under The Stairs, and Liars. By 2005, he added a mastering suite to the Infrasonic complex which became home to his 1956 Neumann AM-32B cutting lathe.As he began to focus strictly on mastering, Pete and his studio partner Jeff Ehrenberg sold the El Sereno space, and together opened a new custom-built facility at 1176 W. Sunset Blvd in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. In 2015, the Infrasonic welcomed mastering engineer Dave Gardner, founder of Magneto Mastering in Minneapolis, MN. Bringing over 19 years of experience and a roster including Hot Snakes, Bassnectar, and The Hold Steady, Dave currently serves as Infrasonic West’s Head Mastering Engineer.In 2018, Pete opened his second studio facility, Infrasonic East, in Nashville, TN. Infrasonic East is now home to Pete Lyman’s custom mastering suite, the Neumann cutting lathe, and Infrasonic’s newest mastering engineer, Daniel Bacigalupi. The engineers at Infrasonic Sound continue to work with a diverse client roster – from John Prine and Dierks Bentley to Fall Out Boy and Halsey – on projects of all sizes.About this Interview:Pete joins me to talk about his journey to mastering inspired by Richard Simpson, the birth of Infrasonic, living in Los Angeles, moving to Nashville, economic relaxation and learning to breath. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksNAD CD player: https://goo.gl/gSZeKFInfrasonic on the web: http://www.infrasonicsound.com/Infrasonic on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infrasonicsound/Infrasonic on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/infrasonicmastering/AEA KU5A Ribbon: https://www.aearibbonmics.com/products/ku5a/F. Reid Shippen: https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-049-with-f-reid-shippen/

Fela Davis is a graduate of Full Sail University and has over 17 years of experience in audio engineering. Her past experiences include working for industry powerhouses Clair Broadcast and House of Blues. Fela is currently the front-of-house engineer for Christian McBride. Fela co-founded 23 DB Productions with Denis Orynbekov. The company does a variety of work including mastering, recording &mixing as well as video content. 23dB has been a gateway for Fela to begin producing, shooting, and editing for endorsement and product videos for social media (Focusrite, Lewitt Microphones, and Big Joe Stomp Box). Using the videos to teach the audio community about new products and hone her skills at video production. 23dB eventually created their own video series called The Art of Music Tech. The series featured audio giants Leslie Ann Jones (Head of Skywalker Audio) and Jeff Bova (Michael Jackson, Herbie Hancock). Each featured guest talked about their career in audio and the audio gear used on their biggest hits! They have since made The Art of Music Tech video series into a weekly podcast that Fela and Denis host together. When Fela is not creating content for 23dB Productions or working with SoundGirls, she’s traveling the world mixing front of the house for Christian McBride.About this Interview:Fela chats with me about her 8th-grade career test that said audio engineering was a possibility, her time at Full Sail, folding airbags for Honda Accord’s, paying her dues, driving long distances for low-paying audio gigs, and her willingness to never give up. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksVelcro Straps I mentioned: https://goo.gl/u56WAZFela’s Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1rNL-kPwYY23db Productions: https://www.23dbproductions.com/Sammy Hagar’s Biography: https://goo.gl/5mnmwf

Pete Weiss is a New England-based producer/engineer/mixer/musician. His unfussy, organic, “artist first” work has earned him a reputation as an outstanding producer who can adapt to many musical genres and is unafraid to ignore stylistic conventions. Notable artists Weiss has worked with include Charlie Chesterman, Chris Brokaw, Kustomized, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Doug Yule, Moe Tucker, The Upper Crust, Aimee Mann, Lee Ranaldo, Bell X1, Drive-By Wire, One Happy Island, Kingsley Flood, Willard Grant Conspiracy, Two Dollar Pistols, Bow Thayer & Levon Helm, Don Lennon, Hayley Thompson-King and many others.In 1989 he co-founded Zippah Studio in Boston. Selling his share of Zippah in 2004, he built and opened Verdant Studio, an “open room” retreat-style studio with artist lodging in rural Vermont which he now uses as a home base.When not in the studio, Weiss fronts the instrumental band The Weisstronauts and is a member of the experimental pop collective known as Sool. He released a solo album in 1996 and three albums while fronting the subversive Pete Weiss & the Rock Band from 1995-2000. He has scored four independent films, “Methods” (1998), “Metal” (2001), “Bad Gravity” (with Sool 2006), and “The Arcadian Ideal” (2007).He is a Senior Contributor for Tape Op Magazine, writing reviews of audio equipment as well as conducting interviews with recording industry figures. Over the years he has served on many panels & workshops at Tape Op’s and Potluck Audio conferences. In the early 1990’s Weiss authored two books on baseball, “Baseball’s All Time Goats” and “Longshots!”, both published by Adams Media.About this Interview:Pete joins me to talk about his early career and decision making, his transition to building a rural studio, the lessons learned in that rural environment and his decision to sell and try a different recording adventure. plus much more. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksPete’s site : www.weissy.comVerdant Studio: www.verdantstudio.comVerdant Studio for sale info / photos: https://goo.gl/AQ5Zy6My instrumental guitar band: www.weisstronauts.comArticles / interviews I’ve done for Tape Op Magazine:: https://tapeop.com/articles/by/pete-weissGear reviews I’ve done for Tape Op: https://tapeop.com/reviews/gear/by/pete-weissMy personal page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pete.weiss.7Instagram: peteweiss2000Pete’s work on Spotify.: https://goo.gl/QSEjJR

Adam Rossi is a music and sound producer working in San Francisco. Past projects include music production for local Bay Area artists Jeffrey Halford and The Healers, Morsifire, Brad Brooks, The Welcome Matt and Luce; music scores for VR games War Hammer: Betrayal at Calth and Bounce (Steel Wool Studios), and sound design, music and voice over for award winning toys by KID Group.Adam’s work in the VR world has led to music, sound design and voice over work on immersive projects for the films Ready Player One and Jigsaw, Mercedes-Benz, Visa, SAP, Lexus, Sprint, LG, Kaiser, Carnival and many others.When he’s not locked in the studio, Adam can be found playing keyboards with local Bay Area artists and jumping on the occasional tour to Europe with Jeffrey Halford and the Healers.About this Interview:Adam joins me to talk about his journey that started with an 8th grade run-in with Eric Valentine to his mom’s garage to crappy midi composing jobs to making records with Tom Luce and much, much more!. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksAdam’s Site: http://www.araudio.net/Backblaze: https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-backup.html#af9h3hMeyer Sound:  https://meyersound.com/news/oliveto-restaurant/Adam’s suggested reading: https://goo.gl/znjtRzAI in Pro Audio: https://www.prosoundnetwork.com/needtoknow/need-to-know-ai-in-pro-audio

Sherry Klein is a Post Production Re-Recording Mixer for Television and Film, she is currently living in Los Angeles, Ca. and works with Smart Post Sound in Burbank. Some of her past credits include Queen of the South, Reverie, Burn Notice, Arrested Development, Sons of Anarchy, and The Shield. She is currently a Board member of the CAS (Cinema Audio Society) and chairs their annual Student Recognition Awards.She first became “aware” of audio while attending Berklee College of music in Boston studying Arranging and Composition. There was a small 2-track studio in the basement of the main Berklee building where she had to record her 4th semester term project. This was the experience that she remembers as the start of her fascination with sound, and the beginnings of her journey from musician, to record engineering and finally into post production mixing.“I consider myself very lucky to be working within this talented community of people who have continually inspired me to refine my craft, and grow my love of mixing”About this Interview:Sherry joins me to talk about her journey from musician, composer, arranger to recording engineer in the world of records to finally Post Production Re-Recording Mixer for Television and Film. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksIMDB-  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0458975/?ref_=nv_sr_1CAS – http://cinemaaudiosociety.orgLINKEDIN – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherry-klein-792580/FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/VPHB3Soundgirls.org: https://soundgirls.org/April Tucker’s Interview with Sherry: https://soundgirls.org/sherry-klein/

Sara Carter is a BBC trained, mixing and mastering engineer based in Hampshire, UK.Sara started recording and mixing music in the mid 90’s as a hobby from a small home studio after playing guitar for many years. Then, in 2000 in a bold move, she decided to sell her house, give up her established career of 16 years and relocate to London to turn that hobby into her new full-time career.She studied at the SAE Institute in London gaining an Audio Engineering Diploma and soon after secured a position as a BBC Radio Studio Manager (sound engineer) working on the UK’s most listened to radio shows, live music sessions and major music festivals across all of the BBC’s main music networks. She also created the foley and sound effects on several radio drama productions and comedy shows.Above all, she relished working in the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios where she developed her mixing and critical listening skills, working on sessions with a wide variety of artists from Crowded House to The Cure and Adele to The Black Keys to name just a few. She’s been officially credited on records from Corrine Bailey Rae, KT Tunstall and Girls Aloud amongst others.In 2009, Sara decided to take a break from broadcasting and left the BBC to explore a different creative interest and became a Brewer in a small award-winning microbrewery (Yes, I know a bit random but it still involved mixing, just not music!). In recent years, however, she had felt a strong calling back to music and engineering, returning to the industry with her online mixing and mastering business called Music Mix Pro. Sara is passionate about mixing music and strives to exceed her clients’ expectations and to make the whole process as rewarding as possible for both the artist and herself.About this Interview:Sara joins me to talk about her incredible journey that took her through the motor trade, audio at the BBC to brewing then back to audio as a freelancer. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksSara’s site: https://www.musicmixpro.co.uk/Sara on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicmixprouk/Sara on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saramixmastermusic/Sara on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-carter/Sara on Soundbetter: https://soundbetter.com/profiles/37283-sara-carterRecording Revolution: https://www.recordingrevolution.com/Pure Mix: https://www.puremix.net/Mix with The Masters: https://mixwiththemasters.com/Produce Like a Pro: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpyUGZeMUtOvt57UACw3H2gPro Mix Academy: https://promixacademy.com/

Drew Vandenberg is an engineer, producer and label owner based out of Athens, Georgia. He got his start working at legendary Chase Park Transductions studios when he was just 16, learning the finer points of the craft from studio founder David Barbe. He left his homebase for a time to get a degree in the recording arts from Indiana University, returning to Athens to work on pivotal records for Ra Ra Riot, Toro y Moi, of Montreal, Kishi Bashi, Tall Tall Trees, Fred Thomas, Mothers, Faye Webster, Futurebirds and dozens more. Though centralized in Athens where he lives with wife Catherine, Vandenberg often travels to engineer special projects, as well as producing and mixing remotely.In 2018, he formed True Blue Records, a label he closely supervised, working directly with new artists The High Divers, Partials, and Curt Castle on the creation and release of their albums. The label also recently began a series of specially recorded 7″ singles, inviting bands into the studio to record exclusive material live to 1/2″ tape, pressing the results to limited edition vinyl singles and donating all of the proceeds to local charities Nuci’s Space and the Athens Boys & Girls Club Music Makers program.About this Interview:Drew joins me for a chat about his rise from teenage assistant to his current role as producer and engineer. We talk money, work/life balance, earthquakes vs tornados and being mindful in the studio. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksDrew’s site: http://www.vbergindustries.com/Chas Park Transduction: http://www.chaseparktransduction.com/Drew’s Label: https://www.trueblue-records.com/

Ryan Earnhardt is a video creator and studio owner who produces a YouTube show called Creative Sound Lab. It covers recording-focused topics and out-of-the-box topics such as DIY effects. He recently built a Pooper Time Cube (A delay made from 4 inch drainage pipe) and created a reverb out of a garden hose. Creative Sound Lab stresses fundamental recording techniques and capturing real sounds such as using re-amping during mixing or using echo chambers for vocals – even if that chamber is your living room! Ryan has partnered with Brian McTear (WCA #060) of Weathervane Music and author Eric Sarafin aka “Mixerman”. Ryan started Creative Sound Lab in 2013 because he saw a need for something different than computer screen videos that mostly covered mixing topics. He currently has over 37,000 subscribers and hosts over a dozen online courses at Creative Sound Lab.tv Ryan’s studio, Lumen Audio, is debt free and supports his wife, and 4 kids. For fun he enjoys fresh mountain air, electronic music creation, and cooking…which he says is just about the same mindset as mixing a song.About this Interview:Ryan joins me for a chat about his studio (Lumen Audio), his Audio Courses and Youtube channel Creative Sound Lab as well as his world of 4 kids (5th on the way!) and his journey to where he is today.  Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksTom Dowd & the Language of Music: http://tomdowd.com/Main Website: http://www.CreativeSoundLab.tvYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/creativesoundlabRyan’s Studio: http://www.lumenaudio.com/

Will Sadler was born in Columbia, SC but within two months his parents had moved to Las Cruces, NM. After traipsing across the south, first at Mississippi State and then in the Raleigh/Durham, NC area, he returned to Las Cruces and finished a degree in Political Science. Somewhere in the midst of starting a Master’s Degree in History, Will was sidetracked by the need to correct his Tejano bands flagging sound system and the rest is history. Today, Will helps KW Sound and Hubbard’s Music aid Las Cruces in having better sound at their concerts and in their buildings. Hopefully, more often than not, succeeding.About this Interview:I join Will at his house for a chat about his journey from bass player to live sound engineer and installer, running a small sound company in New Mexico, the culture of Las Cruces, finding satisfaction by not joining big tours and his brush with Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksHubbard Music : http://www.hubbardsmusicnmore.com/Cordova: https://www.thecordovaband.com/David Wheeler: https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-004-with-david-wheeler/

David Cook is a Audio Engineer from Columbia, SC. David graduated from Full Sail with a recording arts degree in 2001 and quickly started working in studios and doing live sound while living in Atlanta Georgia. David eventually moved back to SC where he owned a studio and continued to work in live sound. David also developed relationships with local film makers and started providing location sound and post services as well. In 2015 David and his family decided to take a chance and move to Southern California. This move was not just about moving to a new location but moving into a new vocation.For the past 3 years David has been working in film and television as a location sound mixer. His transition has allowed him to work with companies such as Comedy Central, NBC, Hulu, Netflix, HBO, Aston Martin, Chevy, Best Buy, Pepsi, and Nickelodeon. In 2017 David’s first Feature Film , Thumper, was released on Netflix. David still works in music production and from time to time those worlds collide allowing him to record acts such as Tom Morello for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, James Blake Live DVD, Atlantic Artists Charlie Puth and Matt Maeson, and many others. Even though David mostly works in the Film and Television industry he still works as a Live Sound Engineer, Mix Engineer, and Audio Post Engineer. David would say that his biggest asset is his sense of community. The entertainment industry is all about relationships and that is what David does best; builds relationshipsAbout this Interview:David joins me for a talk about his move from South Carolina to California, the production sound community in LA, the lessons he learned along the way and the importance of getting out and hustling instead of sitting around waiting for the phone to ring. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksDavid on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8476450/David on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HolyRuckusRecordings

Lee Bothwick is an audio engineer, producer and musician based in Oakland, CA . A graduate of Ex’pression College, Lee’s spent the last decade of his life working in recording studios. The last several of those years were spent as the Head Engineer at Green Day’s JingleTown Recording. Having been there from the day it publicly opened its doors to the day it closed, Lee worked almost every session that came through the door. Because of that experience, Lee had the pleasure of working with Bay Area legends such as Green Day, Machine Head, Fat Mike (NoFX), Samiam, and Too $hort as well as international acts like Kate Nash. Currently, Lee works day to day for Green Day as an engineer and, when possible, taking up extra sessions on weekends and nights with bands from around the Bay.About this Interview:Lee joins me for a discussion about surviving as an  intern,  working with Green Day, seizing opportunities, networking, complacency, introverts and extroverts as well as the art of frugality.    Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksLee’s site: https://www.leebothwick.com/

Justin Weis is a San Francisco, California based audio engineer and owner/operator at Trakworx Mastering & Recording. Since starting Trakworx in 1995 Justin has mastered, mixed or recorded a wide variety of artists including Sammy Hagar, Papa Roach, Matt Nathanson, Larry Coryell, The Tubes, Agalloch, Pallbearer, The Coup, B-Legit, Zion I, Berner and Andre Nickatina. His approach is heavily oriented towards analog outboard gear and tape, integrated with modern digital tools.  Justin started out in the 1980s on guitar, bass and vocals in local Rock bands, then developed a love for home recording. He graduated from California Recording Institute in 1994 and was hired by the school as an instructor. Within a year he started Trakworx in a small studio within the recording school. By 1997 he had established himself as a working engineer so he left teaching to create his own studio space.In recent years the mastering side of Justin’s business has begun to overshadow the recording/mixing side as demand for online mastering has steadily increased.About this Interview:Justin stops by my house to chat about not bothering your landlord, getting out of debt, thinking from your clients perspective and shifting towards doing more mastering than recording work. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksTrakworx Studio Site: http://www.trakworx.com/Trakworx on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrakworxMastering/Trakworx on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trakworxmastering

Working Class Audio #187 with Kendal Osborne!!! Kendal Osborne is an audio engineer, mixer, producer, and musician out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He owns and operates The Closet Studios and has done so since 2007. Kendal regularly records with artists from Oklahoma and the surrounding states, but has mixed songs from artists around the world. He also teaches two part-time night classes at Tulsa Technology Center (a vocational school in Tulsa) about recording, and is the host of the Recording Lounge Podcast.  Aside from the studio, Kendal enjoys reading, woodworking, and spending time with his wife, Audra. After marrying in 2012, they moved into their current home in a quiet neighborhood just on the outskirts of Tulsa. They enjoy cooking, weekend getaways, and watching movies together. About this Interview: Kendal joins me for a chat about laughing bankers, passing and failing building inspections, drummers with decorating sense, the music scene of Tulsa, Oklahoma and tornados. Enjoy! - Matt ________________________________ Show Notes and Links The studio: http://www.theclosetstudios.com Kendal's Podcast: http://www.recordingloungepodcast.com Instagram: @theclosetstudios

Aaron Youngberg is a Colorado musician, a recording & mixing engineer, producer & owner of Swingfingers Recording Studios. He got his start in the music industry 20 years playing the 5-string banjo in full-time touring bluegrass bands.  After becoming the band’s default “sound guy” for live sound, Aaron dove in to the complexities of mixing live and recorded acoustic music. He traded in the touring life-style for more time at home and built a world-class studio in the foothills west of Ft. Collins, CO. He has a reputation in the acoustic music, bluegrass, country, and American world for getting amazing tones for acoustic instruments, taking great care and deliberation of mic choice & placement for optimal true-to-life tone. He also has an affinity for the warmth and character for any piece of gear with tubes in it. Aaron still tours with his band FY5 playing banjo & pedal steel although he’s found a much happier balance between life on the road and life behind the glass.About this Interview:Aaron joins me to talk about building his studio, working with studio designer Sam Berkow, his band FY5, balance, family and his respect for live sound engineers. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksSwingfingers Studio: http://www.swingfingers.comSwingfingers instagram: @swingfingers.recordingFY5 Band: http://www.fy5band.comSam Berkow: http://siaacoustics.com/

Joshua Brooks is an American Producer and Audio Engineer currently serving as Hybrid Studio’s Lead Engineer in Orange County, California . He has worked with a number of top performers as well as 100’s of LA and Orange County’s rising independent artists including: Lamb of God, Trivium, Soulfly, The Diamond Light, Jessica Muse, The Alan Parsons Project, Sons of Texas, Bird & The War, The Shakes and Your Favorite Color. Joshua also has several television and film credits.Joshua maintains his passion for writing music and his works have gained recognition from top industry organizations. His music has been published by Riptide Music Group and he is the proud recipient of an Artist of the Year Award (Malibu Music Awards), a Billboard Chart Honorable Mention, and an Artist of the Year nomination (RAW Music Awards).Joshua is a graduate of The Los Angeles Film School where he received an AS in Recording Arts and a BS in Entertainment Business, and he is certified by Avid in Pro Tools software systems.About this Interview:Joshua joins me to talk about his time in the United States Coast Guard, what he learned at The Los Angeles Film School, why he loves working at  Hybrid Studios, the Orange County music scene and he and his wife’s anticipated arrival of a baby. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksJoshua’s site:  https://www.mixedbyjoshua.com/Hybrid Studios: https://www.hybridstudiosca.com/

Joe Tessone is the owner and lead audio engineer at Mystery Street Recording Company. He is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago’s famed school of Audio Arts and Acoustics, with a degree specializing in Audio Design and Production. Since 2007, he has been an audio archiving consultant and mastering engineer for the Old Town School of Folk Music where he has helped preserve over 30,000 songs from recordings that date as far back as 1956. He is a member of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, the Audio Engineering Society, and is a voting member of The Recording Academy (Grammys). His work has been featured on Chicago Radio Stations such as Q101, WXRT, WGCI, WPNA, WGN, WLUW and more. He has also been highlighted multiple audio publications, including Live Sound International, Pro Audio Review, and Mix Magazine.Joe worked as an engineer for the “127 Songs Live From the Old Town School of Folk Music” project, during which he mastered tracks by world renowned artists including Pete Seeger, Jeff Tweedy, Mahalia Jackson, Donovan, Andrew Bird, and more.Since 2012, Joe has been a consultant for Sensaphonics, advising touring engineers and artists (including Steven Tyler, The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket, Lisa Loeb, Wayne Kramer (MC5), John Feldmann (Goldfinger), Chance the Rapper, Thom Yorke, The Lumineers, and David Crosby), and teaching students and doctors of audiology, the implementation of in-ear monitoring in live and studio environments.In 2014, he mixed and and mastered a live recording for Iron and Wine and he continues to work with dozens of Chicago’s favorite performers across all genres of music. Joe is also the Head of Audio for Sofar Sounds Chicago, were he produces dozens of live recordings year, including recent recordings of Jack Garrett, Shawnee Dez, CHAI, and Tank and the Bangaz.In addition to his accomplishments in the field of audio, he is a musician of sorts. His musical career spans over 15 years of experience, most recently as singer/songwriter for the socially conscious punk rock band‚ Behold!‚ and banjo/ukulele player for the Americana ensemble, The Rust Belt Ramblers. Joe also is a volunteer producer for the Punk Rock Karaoke Collective, a community fundraising organization and an advocate for Jail Guitar Doors, an organization dedicated to bringing music to the lives of those in prison.In his spare time, Joe enjoys playing with his two kids, skateboarding, vegan cooking, and birdwatching with this wife, Kristen.About this Interview:Joe joins me to talk about his multi-facetted studio Mystery Street Recording which exemplifies the concept of diversification. The studio handles an array of tasks including a traditional recording studio, format transfers, rehearsal space, Karaoke recording party’s, video production, consulting and podcast recording. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksUniversal Audio’s “Half Yearly Sale”: https://www.uaudio.com/half-yearly-saleMystery Street Recording: https://www.mysterystreetrecording.com/

Craig Bowen has been recording bands for over 20 years and is currently the owner/ operator of Tempo House recording studio in Baltimore City. He recorded records by Lungfish, Quixotic, Jackie-O Motherfucker, Ecstatic Sunshine, Jason Urick, Oxes, Thank You, Growing, Smoke Bellow, Zomes, Dan Deacon, Animal Collectiveand many more. He was in the band INK(Monitor Records) and currently performs instrumental guitar + drum machine music.After years of working in a wide range of studios and ad-hoc recording environments, he designed and built a studio with a balance of efficiency and flexibility Inspired by, among other things, the John Peel radio show, Tempo House was created to provide an professional, relaxed recording atmosphere accessible to artists regardless of their popularity or esthetics.About this Interview:Craig joins me to talk about mentoring kids in inner city Baltimore, the fire that displaced his last studio, the beauty of his his espresso maker and the challenges that come with recording. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksTempo House: http://tempohouserecording.com/Ghost Ship FIre: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Oakland_warehouse_fireThe Wire: https://www.hbo.com/the-wireSound Exchange : https://www.soundexchange.com/Apollo Twin Platinum Vocal Promo: https://www.uaudio.com/twin-vocal-promo

Mike Kennerty is a producer/engineer based out of Edmond, OK. He’s best known as a guitar player for the multi-platinum band The All-American Rejects, but over the last decade has also made a name for himself as a producer in the punk rock world. Having worked with bands like Screeching Weasel, Masked Intruder, Direct Hit!, Red City Radio, and The Copyrights (for labels such as Fat Wreck Chords, Pure Noise, Red Scare, and Asian Man) he often tries to integrate bigger production elements to a genre usually known for its simplicity.About this Interview:Mike joins me to talk about the dual worlds of producing/engineering while being in a well known band as well as tips for studio owners, knowing when you have enough gear, his mentors and what he’s learned while straddling both sides of the glass. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksTwitter/Intragram: @mikeaarMike on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_KennertyThe All American Rejects: http://www.allamericanrejects.com/

Gary Noble is that multiple Grammy awarded and nominated technician with the ear that inspires magic. He is known for his knack of ” bringing the artists’ & producers’ visions to light.” His ear is attuned to many genres of sound and music as reflected in his expansive catalog of award-winning songs. His philosophy on life…” MUSIC IS LIFE. MIXING IS HOW I MEDITATE ON LIFE,” inspires him and motivates the focus he shares within each body of work.Major record labels like Sony Music, Atlantic Records, and Universal Music Group recognize this and summon Mr. Noble regularly to give the music of artists like Jessie J and Abd Al Malik (which won 2 French Grammys} enhancements that can only be described as hypnotic. Movie studios know him as well, turning to him to mix songs for the soundtrack of blockbusters like “Amy”  “Sex in the City: The Movie” and “After The Sunset.” His work is also reflected in the commercial world. An example of his work is the Crystal Light campaign featuring Estelle’s smash “Star”.Noble recognized his musical gift at the tender age of 5. He would sit and listen to his parents’ record collections for hours on end. Living in New York, he was exposed to a virtual melting pot of different cultures and styles of music. By age fifteen he was a mobile DJ, which helped to fuel his passion for creating and mixing music even more. That experience would be the jumping-off point for him to ascend toward the ultimate career of Mixing Engineer. He studied at the Institute of Audio Research and worked at various studios in New York to hone his craft. He eventually met Salaam Remi(he produced Jazmine Sullivan, Amy Winehouse, Nas, The Fugees) who chose him to be his main engineer. The rest is history.Today Noble’s talents are known by artists worldwide. Most recently, his skills helped British songstress Amy Winehouse’s “Back To Black” snag a dominating 5 Grammys in 2008. He also mixed the Grammy-nominated Nas single “Cherry Wine” featuring Amy Winehouse and produced by Salaam Remi. He also worked on Chronixx’s critically acclaimed Grammy-nominated album “Chronology”.Gary Noble’s work has earned the music industry’s respect and highest honors. Artists he has worked with have earned all of the top accolades including American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, the MOBO (U.K.) Awards and The Grammys. And with each recognition, the artists themselves credit Gary with making it all possible.About this Interview:Gary joins me to talk about his journey from Jamaica to New York, his move to Miami, his musical partnership with producer Salaam Remi and his approach with keeping artists in the zone. Enjoy! – MattShow Notes and LinksGary’s discography: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gary-noble-mn0001211562/creditsGary on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmajor2Gary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garynobleshow/

Producer/engineer Bobby Owsinski is one of the best selling authors in the music industry with 23 books that are now staples in audio recording, music, and music business programs in colleges around the world, including The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook, Social Media Promotion For Musicians, Music 4.0: A Survival Guide For Making Music In The Internet Age and more. He’s also a contributor to Forbes covering the new music business, his popular production and music industry blogs are nearing 8 million visits, and he’s appeared on CNN and ABC News as a music branding and audio expert. Bobby has worked on over a hundred 5.1 surround projects and DVD productions for a variety of legendary superstar acts including The Who, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Iron Maiden, The Ramones, and Chicago among many others, and recently produced and mixed albums that appeared at #2 on the Billboard Blues Chart and #5 on the iTunes Rock Chart. Visit Bobby’s music production blog at bobbyowsinskiblog.com/, his music industry blog at music3point0.com, his Forbes blog at forbes.com/sites/bobbyowsinski/, his podcast at bobbyoinnercircle.com, and his website at bobbyowsinski.com. About this Interview:Bobby joins me to talk about his podcast, diversification, being humbled, his views on the state of the studios as well as his musical beginnings and transition to producing and engineering, Enjoy! – MattShow notes and links:Bobby’s [email protected] Production Blog – http://www.bobbyowsinskiblog.comMusic 3.0 blog – http://www.music3point0.comPodcast http://www.BobbyOInnerCircle.comForbes posts: http://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbyowsinski/Twitter: @bobbyowsinskiFacebook: facebook.com/bobby.owsinskiLinkedin: Linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/YouTube: youtube.com/user/polymediaMonologue and interview links:YouTube Music: https://youtube.googleblog.com/2018/05/youtube-music-new-music-streaming.htmlMusic Business Worldwide: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/Audio Now Cast: http://nowcastnetwork.com/Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/usBillboard Business: https://www.billboard.com/

Daniel Holter is a producer, mixer, composer and songwriter. He studio  Wire & Vice is located in a 1920s-era post office near Harley Davidson and the original Miller brewery just outside Milwaukee, WI. He’s hosted a diverse range of musical artists, from Rihanna and Eric Benet, to Chester French, Maritime, and Skillet. Over the years, Daniel has mixed music by artists such as Nick Lowe, Field Report, Over The Rhine, Amos Lee, Blitzen Trapper, Collections of Colonies of Bees, Phil Keaggy, Crowded House, Dead Horses, WebsterX, and Ryan Higa. He’s also composed and/or produced thousands of cues currently being used by such varied clients as Apple, Nike, Google, Microsoft, GM & Gatorade, virtually all of the top shows on HBO, ESPN, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, and all across the globe in tv, radio, advertisements, video games and film. Photo by Andrew Feller (http://www.andrewfeller.com/)About this Interview:Daniel  joins me to talk about his studio, his licensing business, family, divorce, winning and his creative drive.  Earlier in the show I’m joined by former WCA Alum Mike Wells (WCA #113) to talk about his new file delivery service Swan! Enjoy! – MattShow notes and links:Mike Well’s new file delivery service for audio pros! : https://swan.audio/Daniel Holter’s linksdanielholter.com (me)wireandvice.com (studio)licenselab.com (license biz)@danielholter (twitter and instagram)https://www.facebook.com/wireandvice/

Brad Phillips is an engineer, producer, and studio owner based out of Woodruff, SC. He is a 1999 graduate of the Belmont University Music Business and Audio Engineering program. Since leaving Nashville in 2001, he’s been working out of his own studio facility in South Carolina. Studio 101 is a commercial recording facility well-suited for live band tracking, serving solo artists, bands, and songwriters across many genres. Some of his engineering credits include, Jim Sonefeld (Hootie & The Blowfish), Ashland Craft(The Voice), Mac Arnold & Plate Full Of Blues, Delvin Choice(The Voice), Outshyne, Phat Lip, J. Adam Broome, Mark Webb Jr., Michael Land, Emily Lynch, Jacob Johnson, Scotty Hawkins, Newspring Church plus many others.About this Interview:Brad joins me for a chat to talk about Woodruff, South Carolina, running his studio (Studio 101), clients, eminent domain, his love of church and his time spent painting football, baseball and soccer fields. I also interview Dr. Jeremy Steel in Lafayette, California about Chiropractic medicine. Enjoy! – MattShow notes and links:Brad’s Studio: http://www.studio101recording.com/Dr. Steels practice: https://www.steelchiro.com/Ted Talk Dr. Steel mentioned : https://goo.gl/9fm5vf

ZACK OHREN is an Oakland-based audio engineer & producer whose work includes over a thousand recordings over a two-decade long career. Alongside his friend and former co-conspirator Aaron Hellam, he ran Castle Ultimate which quickly became synonymous with high-quality, accessible recordings. Since 2013, he’s been mainly working out of Sharkbite Studios. Zack has been described as “wizard fast” and “brutally honest” – skills that have helped him settle into a niche of heavy, often technically demanding music. He has worked with artists such as Machine Head, The Ghost Inside, Exmortus, Fallujah, Decrepit Birth, Suffocation, Set Your Goals, As Blood Runs Black, Cattle Decapitation, Entheos, Carnifex, All Shall Perish, Sworn Enemy, and Immolation among others.About this Interview:Zack joins me to talk about his journey with former studio partner Aaron Hellam and the series of studio locations known as Castle Ultimate that they created, the challenges with studio landlords, neighbors as well as lessons learned and where he’s at today. Enjoy! – MattPhoto by Michelle NisbetShow notes and links:.MOD File Zack mentions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQJatdOKm2oZack on Fcebook: https://www.facebook.com/zack.ohrenEXMORTUS – FEAST OF FLESH (Produced By Zack Ohren) : https://youtu.be/1XFj6p6PoYoHellam Sound (Studio of Aaron Hellam): http://hellamsound.com/

Phil Greiss is a multiple-award-winning record producer. He left his name on numerous gold, platinum & diamond records, focusing on both production and songwritting aspects of Pop songs. Very much at ease on his own or collaborating with others, he’s been known to deliver award winning albums and songs, and chart topping singles wether composing, writing, producing, arranging, mixing, or all at the same time. Having completely produced, composed, arranged, recorded and mixed both of Zaho’s first albums, he has had the privilege of working or collaborating on projects featuring artists such as Willy William, J Balvin, Kat Dahlia, Kendji, Vianney, Maître Gims, Corneille, Sean Paul, Trey Songz, Justin Nozuka, Lefa, Gage, Don Choa, Tunisiano, Khaled, La Fouine, David Carreira, KC Porter, Rohff, Conor Maynard, Soprano, Karim Ouellet, Cheb Mami, Idir, Mario Pelchat, Andrée Waters, Grand corps malade, Nancy Logan, Sarah Riani, Humphrey, Mokobe, K-Maro, Vai, Neimann, Christophe Willem, Outasight and many others. He owns and operates his own indepedant production/publishing company with its own studio facility, working along every single industry’s major labelsAbout this Interview:Phil joins me to talk about his childhood musical and audio experiences , travel tips, mentorship, his draw to pop music and an early experience with the magic of radio broadcast compression and limiting. Enjoy! – MattShow notes and links:Phil’s site: https://about.me/philgreissPhil on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ByphilgreissThe Music Modernization Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5447The Music Modernization Act: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/03/music-modernization-act-good-solution-songwriters-dont-combine-it-bad-copyright

Adam Muñoz has been an engineer in the Bay Area since 1991. Having joined the Fantasy Studios team as a full-time House Engineer in 2008 Adam has had the opportunity to engineer sessions for many local and national recording artists. Adam has worked with artists like Herbie Hancock, Dave Mathews, Marcus Miller, Snarky Puppy, Jason Moran, Lisa Fisher, Joanna Newsom, Ambrose Akinmusire, Bruce Cockburn, Jerry Granelli, Etienne Charles, Neal Schon, Animals As Leaders, Eric Gales, Tiffany Austin, The Marcus Shelby Orchestra, Bomba Estereo, Brad Mehldau, LaToya London, Carie Rodriguez, Rupa and the April Fishes, Rinde Eckert, Autopsy, Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom, Sean Paul, Lyle Lovett, Matt Nathanson, Six Pence None the Richer, Hank Williams III, Otis Redding and Vince Guaraldi.Adam’s long-time relationship with Bill Frisell and producer Lee Townsend resulted in the 2015 AND 2016 GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.Adam came to Fantasy after many years as an independent engineer working out of some of the finest studios in the San Francisco and abroad. As a staff engineer at Different Fur and Brilliant Studios, Adam worked on many notable sessions for artists like Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, Sleep, Neurosis, Chris Isaak, Bonnie Raitt, The Cranberries, Paula Cole and on George Winston’s Grammy Award-winning project “Forest.” Adam has been fortunate to have worked along side many super talented producers and engineers including Andy Wallace, Matt Wallace, Howard Johnston, Billy Anderson, Frankie Blue, Karl Derfler, Marc Senasac, John Cuniberti, Judy Clapp, Mike Curb, Steven Haigler, Thom Wilson and more.Adam’s background also includes ADR/VO, Foley, lock-to-picture sessions and orchestral film scores.Photo by Monica Jane Frisell About this Interview:Adam joins me to talk about his journey starting out as a DJ examining the credits on the back of records to working as a house engineer at the world famous Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California. We talk studio leadership, survival, dedication and the increasing difficulty of repeating his journey in todays recording world. Enjoy! – MattShow notes and links:Adam’s site: http://www.adammunoz.com/Fantasy Studios: http://fantasystudios.com/Saul Zaentz Company: http://www.zaentz.com/

JACK ENDINO is a Seattle-based record producer, engineer, and musician who has made over 500 records in his 30-year career. Jack helped create what became known as “the Seattle Sound” of the early nineties, having recorded or mixed 44 out of the first 100 releases on the legendary Sub Pop record label, including debut records by Nirvana (“Bleach”), Soundgarden (“Screaming Life”) and Mudhoney (“Superfuzz Bigmuff”). Some of his international clients include Brazil’s Titas (5 albums from 1993 to 2005) and Grammy winner Nando Reis (4 albums), Mexico’s Guillotina (3 albums), Ireland’s Therapy?, Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson (UK), and The Ganjas and Yajaira from Chile. Recent clients include Zeke, Windhand, and High On Fire. Jack still maintains his workaholic pace, having produced records in 14 countries and continuing to play in bands as guitarist, bassist and vocalist. Journalists have called him “Chief Architect of the Seattle Sound” and “Godfather of Grunge” but Jack says “I’m just a guy who likes to make rock records.” He currently manages a recording studio in Seattle called Soundhouse.About this Interview:Jack joins me to talk about baking tapes, audio formats, operating with a low overhead, forensic re-mixing, producer malpractice and his life of recording, mixing, mastering and playing in 4 bands. Enjoy! – MattShow notes and links:Personal website — http://jackendino.comWikipedia — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_EndinoAllmusic — http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p12876/biographySoundhouse Recording — http://www.soundhouserecording.netTape Baking using the Nesco Snack Master Pro: https://goo.gl/YxiitULinux resources #1: https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-beginners/Linux resources #2: https://www.slant.co/topics/6067/~daws-for-linuxLinux resources #3: https://blog.macsales.com/40603-linux-on-a-recycled-mac-trying-to-make-it-work

Jonathan Wyner is the Education Director at iZotope in Cambridge, MA, Chief Engineer at M Works Mastering, and Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He’s mastered and produced more than 5000 recordings during the last 34 years. Mastering, recording and mixing since 1983, he established M Works mastering studios in Cambridge, MA in 1991. Among the artists’ projects he has worked on are: James Taylor, David Bowie, Aerosmith, Kiri Te Kanawa, Aimee Mann, London Symphony, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen and Nirvana. His project Invention and Alchemy received a Grammy Nomination in 2005. Jonathan has conducted seminars around the world and presented with George Massenburg, Doug Sax and Bob Ludwig among others.  In January 2017 he presented the keynote talk for the NAMM TEC Tracks. He’s authored a book, ‘Audio Mastering: Essential Practices’ published by Hale Leonard/Berklee Press. With the iZotope team he authored and developed ‘Pro Audio Essentials’, an online ear training site that garnered a TEC award in early 2017.About this Interview:Jonathan joins me to chat about the details of mastering and how he got into it, health, teaching, the bacon and chia seed diet , plus a double pun, a brilliant analogy and a few good laughs!  Enjoy! – MattShow notes and links:M Works Mastering: http://www.m-works.com/Jonathan’s book on Mastering: https://goo.gl/85jBFZDeep Work: https://goo.gl/Jx7VvtCal Newport Blog: https://goo.gl/pX8FV8

Mark Needham is a mix/recording engineer and producer with 40+ years experience in the music business.Originally from Eureka CA, Mark moved to San Francisco, co-founded the Blue Bear School of Music and taught music recording. Also, he built Bear West Recording, and his first client (in studio) was blues great Taj Mahal. During this phase of his career in SF, he worked with notable local acts, including platinum selling artists Cake & Chris Isaak. In 2000, he moved to Los Angeles, where his initial projects were Fleetwood Mac’s 1st collection of new material in 8 years, “Say You Will” and multi-platinum ‘Hot Fuss’ by The Killers. Recent clients include an array of internationally recognized superstar artists including: Imagine Dragons, Shakira, Pink, and Dolly Parton.About this Interview:Mark joins me to talk about his early Bay Area days, working with Chris Isaak, Lindsey Buckingham, the Killers and Imagine Dragons, band development, working in Nashville, survival and moving to Los Angeles. Enjoy! – MattShow notes and links:Mark’s website: http://www.markneedham.comThunderbolt 3 mini hub: https://goo.gl/UA8vifThunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2: https://goo.gl/AsTbnrUSB C Magsafe Power: https://goo.gl/3zr89G

Lucy started out in the industry as a runner at Envy Post Production straight after graduating with a Classical Music degree from the University of Nottingham with no idea of what a .wav was or even what ‘5.1’ meant. After hours of training outside her work hours and during lunch breaks, she quickly progressed to being an audio assistant in the machine room. She became an Audio Assistant Manager, being the go to person for overseeing large projects, representing her team in meetings, and generally making sure everything ran smoothly. During this time, I again was finding time to train in the studios with the tracklayers and mixers, learning my way around not only Protools but the DAWs such as the DigiDesign Icon Desk.She was promoted to tracklayer after a few years in the machine room where she edited music, dialogues, atmospheres, foley and sound-effects. She was regularly being requested by both the Post Producers and Clients to run voice-over recording sessions. Here She also provided fully mixed Sound Design for TV shows such as Rise of the Machines, D-Day Laid Bare and Strip the City. I was also mixing animations and short films in my spare time (see my work page).In 2013, she was named as one of Broadcast Magazine’s ‘Hot Shots’, an annual feature on rising stars of the industry under 30. This was totally unexpected and it was such an honour to be listed alongside all of those talented people.She left Envy in 2015 and she is currently working as a Freelance Sound Editor across all genres; across all editorial disciplines for Television, Film and Computer Games. These include computer game ‘Guitar Hero Live’, recent hit Channel 4 comedy ‘Derry Girls’ and soon to be released feature comedy ‘You, Me and Him’. Since going freelance she recieved her first uk broadcast Dubbing Mixer credit and has been mixing Eastenders and multiple factual television programmes over the last few years. Her career has gone from strength to strength, constantly working with new clients and always learning new skills.In 2015 she took part in a mid-career-level Mentoring Scheme run by WFTV UK (Women in Film and Television) and she has been part of the BAFTA Crew Programme since 2015. She is also a full member of AMPS (Association of Motion Picture Sound).She has been interviewed for a number of online publications and has lectured 3rd Year Audio Production students at the University of Lincoln multiple times since 2016, with another booked for next term.   She has a particular interest in foley, Drama, Film and Animation and hopes to do more of these this year. About this Interview:Lucy joins me to talk about her journey from runner to Freelance Sound Editor and Dubbing Mixer, how she started out and her decision to quite working at a facility and go freelance. Enjoy! – MattShow notes and links:Lucy’s website:  http://www.lucyjsound.com/Lucy on IMDB: https://goo.gl/9dJpJaThe Audio-Technica Limited edition headphones: https://goo.gl/K9fi67Ambisonic resources:  https://goo.gl/zbtknE

Kevin Army is a legendary Bay Area producer, engineer and mixer best known as producer of the classic punk album Energy by Operation Ivy and for engineering Insomniac by Green Day.  He is also known for his work with The Mr. T Experience, Pinhead Gunpowder, American Steel and Jawbreaker. 14 years ago Kevin stepped away from the recording world and concentrated on being a record dealer. After dipping his toes back in the water for a few select projects in the last couple of years he made the decision to jump back in.About this Interview:Kevin joins me at my house/studio to discuss his 14 year hiatus from recording and what followed, his decision to get back in to recording, the early days of his recording career, mentorship and his favorite method for record bands. Enjoy! – MattShow notes and links:Kevin’s Blog: https://kevinarmy.com/Kevin on Facebook: https://goo.gl/ixBG3u

Ryan Worsley is one of Canada’s most sought-after music producers, with a growing track record of discovering, capturing and elevating the unique sound of countless bands and artists. With over twenty years of experience in the music industry, Ryan has become the consummate producer, providing his clients with world-class songwriting, audio engineering, and mixing capabilities. He works across pop, rock, indie, and folk genres, always striving to create innovative, fresh, and musical recordings that highlight the essence of the artists he works with.Ryan’s impact is demonstrated in his work with Dear Rouge (Universal Music), from the outset of their career, providing production, songwriting and mixing on “Black To Gold” (2015), ultimately resulting in a Juno Award for “Breakthrough Group of the Year” (2016). His work with the band continues, with production and mixing credits on 2018’s well-received release, “Phases”.Ryan is regularly asked by labels across Canada and the US for his mixing expertise, including Courage My Love’s “Synestathia” (Warner Music), Said The Whale’s “As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide”, and Emilie & Ogden’s “10,000” (Secret City Records). He has also crafted mixes and radio singles for artists Basia Bulat (Rough Trade Records/Secret City Records) and Mathew V (604 Records).Career highlights include participating in “Mix With The Masters” with mixer extraordinaire Tchad Blake and having his work recognized by the Western Canadian Music Awards with a nomination for Producer of the Year and award for Engineer of the Year (2015), as well as multiple subsequent nominations.About this Interview:Ryan joins me to talk about the importance of having a great team, networking, thinking long-term, Canadian health care, the benefits of  having a manager, and the importance of having a supportive spouse or partner. Enjoy!MattShow notes and links:The 7 Health Benefits Of Walking Just 20 Minutes A Day: https://goo.gl/kd2L7KRyan's studio: https://www.echoplantsound.com/

James Ivey is not only the Technical Editor for Pro Tools Expert.com he’s also a producer, engineer, drummer and Dad. Pro Tools Expert is one of the most popular and highly regarded hi-tech audio blogs on the Internet. In his role, James reviews some of the latest equipment which means quickly learning how to get the best out of it then taking part in their weekly podcast which is regularly listened to by over 27,000 people around the world. From London Guildhall University, to working on pop videos, selling Pro Audio gear to the likes of Pete Townsend, to full time gigging drummer, James eventually found himself working for Avid via Sibelius . While working for Avid at a trade show, James met Russ Hughs of Production Expert . That meeting lead James to his current position at Pro Tools Expert and to freelancing as an audio professional for the last 8 years.About this Interview:James joins me for a chat about Pro Tools Expert, kids, building a studio in his London backyard, GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), new gear vs. vintage gear, working for Avid, networking, freelancing and not having voice mail.-Enjoy MattShow notes and links:Pro Tools Expert : https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/The CD Business Isn’t Dying—It’s Just Evolving : https://goo.gl/Rg8zARMatt’s new site! mattboudreau.comDISCOVER THE AT5047: https://goo.gl/2mYLdi

Billy Decker was born on August 28th, 1967, and raised in Nebraska.  He got a BS in criminal justice at the University of Nebraska and then went on to be Salutatorian at Full Sail Center for the Recording Arts in 1992. In 1994, Decker moved to Nashville where he’s been working ever since. He’s mixed 14  #1s to date – most recently, Parmalee’s “Carolina”. Billy has mixed for Sam Hunt, Darius Rucker, Chris Young, and Jaime Lynne Spears. Decker also mixed George Jones’s last album before he died. Billy Decker made history in July of 2014 when Sam Hunt became the most added new artist of all time. Decker works in a unique way. “I mix really fast. Most of my mixes are finished in between two and three-and-a-half hours. To be able to do this, I use a lot of templates in Pro Tools. Instead of spending two hours EQing a kick drum, I can do it in 30 seconds, because I’ve set up templates for the album that outline all the basic parameters for each instrument. Then, I can focus on fine-tuning and bringing levels up and down—working on the entire mix, rather than focusing on individual adjustments. It’s a good way to work. It’s real fast, efficient, and, most importantly, it’s fun.”About this Interview:Billy Decker joins me to talk about mixing hit songs in two to three hours, beating cancer and keeping it under wraps, the yearly slump, Facebook networking, endless revisions and mixing in the box. -EnjoyMattShow notes and links:Billy Decker’s Site: http://www.billydecker.com/MTM Wood: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWBTyvNhUXq0ofu6ta1EAaQProsperworks CRM : https://goo.gl/ca2wygClose.IO CRM: https://close.io/Billy on Bobby Owsinski’s Show: http://bobbyoinnercircle.com/tag/billy-decker/Billy on The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast: https://www.thesixfigurehomestudio.com/social-skills-helped-billy-decker-dominate-nashville-mixing-scene/Audio Movers: https://audiomovers.com/

Ken Sluiter is an American recording engineer/producer/mixer from Chicago, IL now based in Los Angeles, CA.Ken grew up in a small town called Wilmington, IL, about an hour outside of Chicago, IL. He was obsessive listener of 70’s AM radio and what is now called “classic rock”. One day while walking through a department store with his mother, he spotted the cover of “Rock and Rock Over” by Kiss. From that point on, he was hooked. Every dime he could scrape up went to the record section of the department store. More records from Kiss, Led Zeppelin, Sweet, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Cheap Trick, Beatles, Foghat, even Styx (Ken was young) were to follow. This all naturally led to borrowing a friends’ Silvertone guitar, then guitar lessons etc..While playing in garage bands with friends, Ken was the one that kinda understood how to set up the P.A. That led to recording rehearsals, shows, cassette four tracking/overdubbing etc…. When his guitar teacher purchased an Oberheim OB-8, he gave Ken his “hand me down” Korg MS-20. That combined with discovering a college radio station led to a passion (which continues to this day) for all things new wave/synth pop. Soon Ken was hooking synths and drum machines to his Commodore 64’s MIDI sequencer. After spending more time “in the city” and discovering the Wax Trax label and Medusa’s dance club, the guitar started collecting dust and the focus became the stiff, cold groove of the machines.After graduating college in 1992, Ken started his studio career working on jingles in the ad industry-dominated studio scene in downtown Chicago. The worked ranged from national ad campaigns to local furniture stores. It was in this environment that Ken learned to record, edit (w/ grease pencil and razor blade) and mix fast to meet the tight deadlines the advertising industry required. At the same time, he started assisting at studios that recorded local and regional bands. In 1994, Ken bought his first Pro Tools rig (a four track version that was the size of a fridge) and started working with other engineers as an editor. This enabled Ken to use his editing-skills learned in the jingle studios with engineers and producers that had previously never been exposed to the power/flexibility offered by the Pro Tools platform. It also allowed Ken to bypass some of the “dues paying” associated with being as assistant engineer (more on that later).By the mid-nineties, Ken partnered with Dave Trumfio and Mike Hagler, founders of Kingsize Sound Labs. For many years, they made indie-rock records for the exploding indie/alternative rock scene that was happening in Chicago. Some notable acts that worked at Kingsize included Wilco, Billy Bragg, Andrew Bird, Neko Case, Mekons, The Frogs, Archer Prewitt, Kelly Hogan, Jonny Polonsky, Steve Earle, OKGO, My Morning Jacket, Jesus Lizard, The Sadies and hundreds of other bands. Label clients included Atlantic, Geffen, Warner Brothers, Virgin as well as Touch and Go, Sub Pop, Matador, Merge Records and Bloodshot Records.During this time, Ken played and recorded with studio parter, Dave Trumfio’s new wave revival band, Pulsars. Pulsars made two albums for Almo Sounds/Geffen. Ken also co-founded local power-pop luminaries, Box-o-car, who in addition to recording two records, supported acts such as Iggy Pop, Cheap Trick, Teenage Fanclub, Mathew Sweet, The Kills and many more.By 2003, as the indie explosion ran it’s course in Chicago, Ken re-located to Los Angles to continue his craft. As Ken felt he “skipped” much of the assisting phase of a traditional engineers’ career path; he pursued assisting opportunities including assisting Andrew Scheps on Weezer’s “Red Album”, Greg Fidleman on Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “I’m With You” as well as Jim Scott on multiple records. Ken also assisted on scoring sessions, in which he learned the ropes of orchestral recording from Sean Murphy and Dan Wallin among others. Ken also stayed busy as a Pro Tools editor working on projects ranging from Barry Manilow to Pink to Metallica.It was during this time that Ken got involved with EastWest Studios in Hollywood. Ken was a key member of the crew that brought the studios back on-line as the rooms had been closed since Cello studios closed in 2004. This included working with the technical staff to “shake out” the analog gear as well as configuring Pro Tools systems for each room. Ken was also the recordist for the entire EastWest “Hollywood” series of orchestral virtual instruments. In 2009, Ken signed on to engineer/mix two records for Jerry Lee Lewis wth legendary drummer Jim Keltner as producer. That project included doing overdubs with a “who’s who” of rock royalty, including Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, John Fogerty, Shelby Lynne, Kris Kristofferson, Robbie Robertson, Nils Lofgren, Aaron Neville, Mavis Staples, Gillian Welch a

Dave Collins is an Grammy Award winning mastering engineer located in Pasadena, California. Dave has worked with artists of many genres include Sting, Metallica, Soundgarden, D’Angelo, Bruce Springsteen, and Madonna as well as many major film soundtracks. Dave makes a point to work on projects of all sizes from aspiring artist demos to major label releases.After over 30 years of experience, Dave built a new state-of-the-art facility “from the sound up” in consultation with acoustician Thomas Jouanjean of Northward Acoustics in Brussels, Belgium. The studio is specifically designed to provide a creative, yet highly accurate, listening environment – capable of achieving the perfect balance for your sound. Of particular note is the custom signal path Dave has designed. From equalization, to analog to digital conversion, to dynamics, all equipment has been purpose-built specifically for mastering – these proprietary designs are the result of over three decades of listening experience with proven results.About this Interview:Mastering badass Dave Collins (Sting, Metallica, Soundgarden, D’Angelo, Bruce Springsteen, and Madonna) joins me to discuss his background, how he got into mastering, working with projects of all sizes, budgets and location. We also touch on in the box mastering, keeping your perspective about working in audio compared to working in other industries, the importance of listening and keeping your overhead in check. Enjoy!Show notes and links:Dave Collin’s Mastering: http://www.davecollinsmastering.com/DMG Equilibrium Plugin: https://www.dmgaudio.com/products_equilibrium.phpDoug Sax: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_SaxBetterment Robo Investing: https://goo.gl/mPWePb

Steve Albini needs no introduction really. Musician, engineer and studio owner known for his work with Nirvana, Page, and Plant, PJ, Harvey as well as thousands of other bands. Yes, thousands. Steve is well known for his long term practice of sticking to analog recording methods and his dedication to the bands he records with regards to respecting the band dynamic. He also has played in the bands Big Black, Rapeman as well as his current band Shellac. Steve is part of a program called the Letters to Santa Program of Chicago with his wife Heather Whinna and Jeff Tweddy of WIlco known for its work raising money for poverty-stricken individuals and families in the Chicago area.Show notes and links:Electrical Audio (Steve’s studio): http://www.electricalaudio.com/Letters to Santa Program: http://www.secondcity.com/second-city-24-hour-improvOnward Neighborhood House: https://onwardhouse.wordpress.com/Why I Haven’t Had a Conventional Christmas in 20 Years: https://bit.ly/2V9Nm5XCurrent sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/3266bbu

NAMM 2018 was a fantastic experience this year. The crowds were massive, the activity was electric and there was sooo much to see. In this episode I give you a recap from not only my perspective but also from the viewpoint of my friends Chris Selim from Mixdown.Online and Lij Shaw from Recording Studio Rockstars. There’s also interviews with Universal Audio and Whitestone Audio. It was a great time and the amount of cool people and products was encouraging. Enjoy!Show notes and links:The People:Chris Selim From Mixdown.Online.Lij Shaw from Recording Studio Rockstars.Dave Rosen from Whitestone Audio.Tom Waterman from Universal Audio.Louie Gonzalez from The Shelter Studios: http://theshelterstudios.com/bios/The Gear:Whitestone Audio P331: http://www.whitestoneaudio.com/Audio Technica 5047: http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/f0d9ef584e0dda3e/index.htmlUniversal Audio Arrow: https://www.uaudio.com/audio-interfaces/arrow.htmlZaor : https://zaorstudiofurniture.com/

John Karr is well regarded as one of the top sound engineers in San Francisco, with a professional career spanning over 30 years, engineering shows and albums for over 20,000 bands, in every genres you can imagine.  From recording studio’s to local house gigs to national tours of theaters and large music festivals, across the United States, Japan and Europe.John has worn the hats of F.O.H. and monitor engineer, studio producer, session musician, composer, and live sound mentor @ at S.F. City College and Expressions School for Music in Emeryville Ca, He has over 60 album recording credits, including the theme songs for KALW Rose Agular’s Your Call Radio and KSAN Steven Weed’s Weed in the morning. Other notable accomplishment’s include 7 years tenure as head sound engineer/manager and sound system designer of The Independent – which has won international praise as “The Best Sounding Live Music Venue in San Francisco”.  About this Interview:John Karr joins me for a great chat covering his approach to working in multiple genres, accepting gigs of all shapes and sizes, bringing humor and humanity to the audio work environment and how he dealt with an accident that left him without the use of his legs for 6 months. John has been working his ass off since arriving in San Francisco 1988 and it’s a pleasure to have him as my guest. Enjoy!MattShow notes and links:Johns SIte: http://earrelevant-recording.com/WCA on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/14U2pJ15Ix5x838NXqt1zJ

Matt Donner holds a Bachelor’s degree in Quantitative Business Analysis (Penn State) and a Masters in Music Technology (NYU). While developing his Producer and Engineering chops in NYC, he went on to perform for various TV studios and John Cale (Velvet Underground) that included 3 feature film scores. After signing his band to an indy record deal, his cross-country tour brought him to SF where the drummer exploded – how typical.Matt quickly found himself as Regional Technical Director for Guitar Center and the Pro Tools Support Lead for the Cutting Edge Audio Group. There, he served as studio designer, installer and trainer for the likes of Joe Satriani, Metallica, Spearhead, Santana and the SF Jazz Fest as well as many private studios including Wally World (Walter A., N’Sync, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion).In January 2000, he and Greg Gordon began working together exclusively at Pyramind where they began running the hybrid Production/ Training businesses. Matt has served the company as Chief Engineer, Senior Producer/ Composer, Chief Technical Officer, Vice- President and now as CAO and COO. He helped grow the Pyramind Training program from a single 24 hour class to the highly-touted 900 hour 12-month Complete Producer. He has trained thousands of students, mixed/ mastered dozens of records and has published several magazine articles. Matt has also written two texts on Pro Tools (Thomson Press) as well as the Pyramind Training three-book series published (Alfred Publishing). He’s best known now for his YouTube series “The Breakdown” on the channel “Pyratube”.Matt currently lives in San Francisco and Davis, CA with his wife, two children and three dogs. He has trained in Mixed Martial Arts and Bak Mei Kung Fu for years and on good days, surfs the Pacific Ocean on his Al Merrick 6’ 2” fish.The Pacific usually wins.About this Interview:Matt talks with me about Pyramind and the three prong approach to preparing students for the real world of audio. We also discuss survival, failure, gear lust and work life balance amongst a few other key topics. I’ve known Matt Donner for 20 years and have great respect for him so it’s an honor to have him on.MattShow notes and links:Pyramind https://www.pyramind.com/Zaor: http://www.zaor.de/Zaor Speaker Stands I got: http://www.zaor.de/classic/monitor-stand/Zaor Desk I got: http://www.zaor.de/classic/onda-mack/Zaor Rack I got:  http://www.zaor.de/classic/rackspace/Cutting Edge Audio Group: https://ceag.com/Time to make the donuts commercial: https://youtu.be/1AA1XDqK8tYMatt Walker “Why We Sleep”: https://goo.gl/zZQyEg

Joe Costable started his career in Houston, TX, at Studio 7303; the largest studio in the area, and at that time the hub of Hip-Hop. Starting as an intern, Joe eventually moved up the ranks as an engineer working with many prominent artists and producers, such as Mike Jones, Scarface, Mannie Fresh, Gerald Levert, and many others.A few years later he moved back to his native New York for a short stint at the Island Def Jam Music Group, where he learned the other side of the industry in the A&R department while building his clientele as a freelance engineer. Joe landed his first mixing gig with a few Good Charlotte songs, some of which landed on the Cardiology record.In the years since, Joe has worked with many more artists in genres from hip-hop to shoe gaze. His work has been everywhere from top 10 at radio, selling millions of copies worldwide, national ad campaigns, to being featured on the most underground of music blogs. While the majority of his work is with Alternative, Rock, and Pop records, Joe loves getting an opportunity to expand his abilities and paint a new picture. Joe is a member of the Audio Engineering Society and a voting member of The Recording Academy as well as an average home brewer and an avid hiker. About this Interview:Matt speaks with Joe about his early days in Houston making Hip Hop records, hustling in New York, mixing in the quite and remote town of Patterson, NY, making a living and photography as well as many other topics. -Enjoy!Show notes and links:Zaor: http://www.zaor.de/Nest: https://nest.com/Joe’s Site: https://www.joecostable.com/Raw Recording: http://www.rawrecording.com/index.htmlDigital Silver Imaging: http://digitalsilverimaging.com/Mike Kalajian Interview: https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-072-mike-kalajian/

Matt Allison started Atlas in 1996 with a vision to fill a void in Chicago’s Punk Rock scene, offering bands a refuge to bring their music to life. 21 years later, Atlas has become a Chicago staple. Matt has worked with an extensive list of artists including Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms, and The Menzingers, to highlight a few. Matt continues to record at Atlas but focuses most of his time on mixing and producing artists.  Enjoy!About this Interview:Matt speaks with me about running a studio in Chicago, landlords, leases, recording on black face ADATS, mixing at home, working with punk rock bands and much more! Eric Arway must be thanked for suggesting Matt as a guest!Show notes and links:Atlas Recording https://atlas-chicago.com/Audio-Technica ATH-M40X on Amazon.  https://goo.gl/PZRV4T