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Sylvia Massy returns to Working Class Audio for the first time since Episode 14 back in 2015. She joins Matt from her studio in Ashland, Oregon to talk about her new book, The Great Book of Vintage Microphones, co-authored with Chris Johnson. To write it, Sylvia and Chris acquired the entire estate collection of Milwaukee radio legend Bob Paquette: 3,500 microphones kept together rather than cherry-picked apart. The book covers 100 years of microphone history, from David Edward Hughes's 1877 burnt-stick carbon transducer to the ribbons and condensers most engineers grew up with. In This Episode, We Discuss:The Studio in Ashland: Converted Radiator Shop, Five-Bay Garage, Concrete ConstructionChris Joshnson: Co-Author, Life Partner, and the Man Who Negotiated a Microphone MuseumBob Paquette's Collection: 3,500 Mics, Milwaukee Radio History, and Keeping It TogetherThe First Microphone: David Edward Hughes, 1877, a Burnt Carbon StickCrystal Mics, Carbon Telephone Elements, and Technology That Lasted Into the 1990sCondenser Development: From a Wooden Box Power Supply Down to the Pencil Condensers We Use TodayThe First Directional MicrophoneA Condenser That Went to the South Pole With Admiral ByrdThe Glow Discharge Mic: Plasma Between Two Electrodes, Banned After 1928Art Deco Mics That Looked Like Spaceships and Sounded Worse Because of Their CasesWestern Electric Birdcage, Tadpole Mics, Bakelite, and the 1947 Astatic 600SThe ChicLet: Color OptionsPearl Mics From Sweden and the 6102 RFPSylvia's Favorite Mic for Female VocalMicrophone Seeds: Ribbons, Dynamics, and Condensers Matt’s RANT!: Client Mix Approval ServerLinks and Show Notes:Sylvia MassyPreorder The Great Book of Vintage MicrophonesWCA Episode 14 with Sylvia Massy (2015) Credits:Guest: Sylvia MassyHost/Engineer/Producer: Matt BoudreauWCA Theme Music: Cliff TruesdellThe Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 615, Matt concludes his two-part conversation with Michael Frondelli, picking up in Los Angeles where Keith Forsey and Richie Zito brought him west. Michael landed at Giorgio Moroder’s Oasis Studios, where he worked on the Breakfast Club soundtrack, Beverly Hills Cop, and the world premiere digital playback of Moroder’s restored Metropolis. He went on to eleven years as Vice President of Capitol Records Studios, where his first artist was Frank Sinatra and he quietly produced Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on a $100,000 investment that grossed $7 million. They also talk about AI and copyright, the importance of pre-production, apprenticeships in audio, network as the real currency of a career, and what Phil Ramone told him about what recording engineers actually do. In This Episode, We Discuss:Moving to Los Angeles via Keith Forsey and Richie ZitoGiorgio Moroder’s Oasis Studios: Breakfast Club, Beverly Hills Cop, and Three Films at OnceThe World Premiere Digital Playback of Moroder’s Restored MetropolisEast Coast vs West Coast Recording CultureKeeping an Apartment in Brooklyn and One in LAVP of Capitol Records Studios: How He Got the JobLearning to Run a $5 Million BusinessThe First Business Plan Ever Written for Capitol StudiosFrank Sinatra as the First Artist: Phil Ramone, Al Schmitt, and Building a Custom Vocal BoothUnion Negotiations, Health Benefits, and Taking Care of the StaffBeing Told He Was Too Old to Start a Label at 44Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: $100,000 In, $7 Million Gross, 500,000 Records by MayCrowded House, Gary Stamper, and Don’t Dream It’s OverAI, Copyright, and Why You Must Register Before You Use the PlatformApprenticeships, the Music Producers Guild, and Passing It OnNetwork as the Real Currency of a CareerStill Working: James Gadson, Autism Speaks, and Making Records Matt’s RANT!: Matt’s DadLinks and Show Notes:Michael FrondelliWCA #614 with Michael Frondelli, Part 1Vincent Boudreau — Obituary Credits:Guest: Michael FrondelliHost/Engineer/Producer: Matt BoudreauWCA Theme Music: Cliff TruesdellThe Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 614, Matt talks with Michael Frondelli, producer, engineer, and former Vice President of Capitol Records Studios, where he ran the facility for eleven years before going independent in 2001. Michael grew up in Astoria, Queens. Tony Bennett took vocal lessons with his Uncle Sal. The Walken family ran the bakery on Steinway Street. He came up playing guitar in soul bands and rock bands in the 60s, studied business in college, landed a maintenance tech job at Broadway Recording on 1697 Broadway, and from there made his way to Electric Lady in November 1975, where he spent nine years. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. In This Episode, We Discuss: Growing Up in Astoria, QueensMusic in the Family and Learning GuitarSoul Bands, Rock Bands, and the 60sCollege, the Draft Lottery, and Moving to ManhattanCarpentry, Soundproofing, and Finding a Way Into RecordingBroadway Recording at 1697 BroadwayLearning to Listen, Watch, and Visualize Signal PathLanding at Electric Lady in 1975Nine Years in the Room: Zeppelin, Chick Corea, Jaco Pastorius, Joni MitchellWorking With Eddie Kramer on Song Remains the SameRebel Yell: Finding Billy Idol a DrummerKeith Forsey, Charlie Sexton, and Don't You Forget About MeGetting Management and Learning the BusinessGoing From $5 an Hour to $2,500 a Mix Matt's RANT!: Revisiting Backing Up and Archiving Links and Show Notes: Michael's site Credits: Guest: Michael FrondelliHost/Engineer/Producer: Matt BoudreauWCA Theme Music: Cliff TruesdellThe Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 613, Matt talks with Ben Mellott — recording engineer, mixer, and owner of Nothing but Noise studio in Northern Virginia. Ben has been freelance since 2014, balances studio work with live production at churches, farms, and local venues, and runs every dollar through the Profit First system. They talk about building a career on curiosity, the alternative path through cassette manufacturing and church sound, and why the business side of audio doesn't sound like fun until it absolutely is. In This Episode, We Discuss: Northern Virginia, Born and RaisedA Dad at Toys R Us and a Mom in the Church ChoirRecording Bands on a Tascam Four-Track at Ten Dollars a SongThe Recording Workshop in Chillicothe, Ohio — Audio Boot CampLearning Signal Flow Before HardwareManufacturing Cassettes and CDs at Lion RecordingMoving Into Graphics — Quark Express, InDesign, and Terrible Early WebsitesRoadie and Merch for a Month-Long US Tour With FrodusGetting the Farm Festival GigTen Years of Sunday Church Sound — and What He Learned About TemperamentThe Drummer in the Crowd Who Got Him the Venue GigReal-Life Social Proof — Likable Enough (For a Live Sound Guy)Curiosity as a Career StrategyNothing But Noise — The Studio and the Freelance Life Since 2014Debt, an Inheritance That Didn't Change the Slope, and the PandemicImplementing the Profit First SystemOf Every Thousand Dollars, Only $150 Is Spendable — and Why That's the PointSelf-Financing Gear and Paying Yourself Back on a Payment PlanThe Sweetwater Rep Who Said You've Got a Lot of GearThe Business Side Doesn't Sound Like Fun Until It Is Matt's RANT!: Doing Things the Alternative Way Links and Show Notes: Nothing but NoiseProfit First — Mike Michalowicz (book)Profit First — Audiobook on Libro.fmWCA #133 with Alan EvansWCA #328 with Alan EvansWCA #576 with Alan Evans Credits: Guest: Ben Mellott Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell The Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 612, Matt talks with Brian Starley recording and mixing engineer based in North Hollywood, California, and owner of Bergatron Music Studio. Brian grew up in Salt Lake City with a dad who transferred vinyl to cassette for the car, chased a hockey career to Ontario, came home to Utah without a plan, and found recording through a coworker who'd interned at the Blasting Room. After learning Pro Tools at twenty bucks an hour and getting out of Utah in 2005, he landed at Musicians Institute in LA and then at Lon Cohen Studio Rentals a cartage company where he spent six years moving Tim Pierce's guitars and Mike Elizondo's Logic rig around the city. After going freelance in 2013, he built a YouTube live session channel, had his busiest mixing years during COVID, and then spent the better part of two years fighting LA permits, tariffs, and a construction crew to build his dream studio — refinancing the house to do it. They talk about what cartage taught him about gear and sessions, the mobile recording revelation that shaped his whole approach, building a studio in 2025 LA, the stress that put him in the hospital with diverticulitis, and why you should focus on relationships before gear. In This Episode, We Discuss: - Growing Up in Salt Lake City, Utah — The Zion Curtain - A Dad Who Transferred Vinyl to Cassette and Filled the Car With Music - Hockey, Rage Against the Machine, and a Dream of the NHL - Moving to Shelburne, Ontario to Play Junior Hockey - Coming Home to Utah and Finding Construction Work for His Dad - A Coworker From the Blasting Room Who Changed Everything - Learning Pro Tools at Twenty Bucks an Hour on a Digi 001 - Getting Into Trouble and Getting Out of Utah — Moving to LA in 2005 - Musicians Institute and Finding the Path Into Recording - Landing at Lawn — a Cartage Company for LA's Top Session Musicians - Tim Pierce, Joe Chiccarelli, Abe Laboriel Sr., and What Cartage Taught Him - Mike Elizondo's Logic Rig and the Mobile Recording Revelation - Scab Dates, Church Choirs, and Recording With a Handful of Mics - Post Production School, Roger Nichols, and Getting Certified in Pro Tools - Going Freelance in 2013 - Live Sessions at Custom Vintage Keys With JJ Blair and the Boba Jam Channel - The Decision to Build a Studio — and Reaching Out to Josh Nyback in 2023 - Two and a Half Years of Permits, Hidden Fees, and LA Bureaucracy - Refinancing the House to Fund the Build - Tariffs, Construction Costs, and Watching the Budget Disappear - Supervising a General Contractor Who Didn't Know What a Studio Was - Isomax Clips, Green Glue, and Checking Every Screw - Diverticulitis in November From the Stress of the Build - His Wife Allie — The Person Who Got Them Through It - Crying in the Finished Room When They First Put the Speakers Up - California Disability Insurance for Freelancers — and the Scott McDowell Episode - You Don't Need All the Gear — Build Relationships First - Support the Ecosystem — Book Studios, Pay for Mastering Matt's RANT!: Things Matt Is Doing Links Bergatron MusicBrian Starley – Credits (Muso.ai)Brian Starley (Instagram)Brian Starley (TikTok)Bergatron Music – Studio Build Videos (YouTube)Josh Nyback – Nyback BuildsNyback Builds (Instagram)WCA #611 with Scott McDowell — California Disability InsuranceLibro.fm — AudiobooksFour Thousand Weeks — Oliver BurkemanM-DISC — WikipediaSteinberg SpectraLayers Credits: - Guest: Brian Starley - Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau - WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell - The Voice: Chuck Smith

Scott McDowell is a producer, engineer, and co-owner of Wally's Hydeout at Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco. In episode 611 they talk about getting fired from his first SF internship, becoming a studio partner at Wally’s Hydeout, surviving COVID, getting hit by a car in March 2026, recovering from a TBI, and why every freelancer in California needs to sign up for state disability insurance before something happens. In This Episode, We Discuss: Co-owning a Studio, Making Records, and Working in Game AudioGrowing Up in Novato — North Marin CountyA Broadcast Engineer DadWorking Niners Games on the SidelineHeading to Berklee for TrumpetA Hernia That Ended the Trumpet Career and Started the Recording OneCity College SF, SF Soundworks, and Getting FiredJohn Vanderslice, Tiny Telephone, and the Referral to Justin PhelpsInterning at Hyde Street Studios With Justin Phelps and Jaimeson DurrFilling the Calendar for Six Months to Avoid Being Replaced — Then Getting Made a PartnerThe CDR Run That He Thought Was a FiringEight Years of Game AudioCOVID SurvivalGetting Hit by a Car in NorthridgeThe TBI, the Wheelchair, and Coming BackCalifornia Disability Insurance Elective Coverage — Why Every Freelancer Should Sign Up Matt's RANT!: Accumulation Links and Show Notes: Fader Solo: https://fadersolo.com/California Disability Insurance Elective Coverage (EDD): https://edd.ca.gov/en/payroll_taxes/Disability_Insurance_Elective_Coverage/WCA #082 with Justin Phelps: https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-082-justin-phelps/WCA #211 with Jaimeson Durr: https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-211-with-jaimeson-durr/WCA #047 with John Vanderslice: https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-047-with-john-vanderslice/ Credits: Guest: Scott McDowellHost/Engineer/Producer: Matt BoudreauWCA Theme Music: Cliff TruesdellThe Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 610, Matt talks with Stephen Shirk — engineer, producer, guitarist, and owner of SHIRK Studios in Chicago's West Town neighborhood. Stephen grew up in Bloomington, Illinois, studied business at Miami University, moved to New York in 1998 with a friend's couch as his launch pad, and worked his way through the Hit Factory and a jingle house where he built Pro Tools systems, got his SAG card, and learned from Jay Messina. In 2004 he moved to Chicago, rented studio spaces for a decade, and in 2013 bought the building he now runs as a semi-commercial studio with a Sphere console, instruments on every wall, and a deliberately un-sterile feel. They talk about the HearYa live sessions that built his early reputation, word-of-mouth marketing and what comes next, Steve Albini and Electrical Audio, owning vs. renting in Chicago's studio ecosystem, and getting back out to shows. In This Episode, We Discuss: - Growing Up in Bloomington, Illinois - Church Choir, Guitar at Fourth Grade, and Early Bands - A Business Degree at Miami University and Playing in Bands - Moving to New York in 1998 With a Friend's Couch as a Launch Pad - Learning Pro Tools Version 4 on the Fly - Starting at the Hit Factory as a General Assistant - The Culture Shock of New York Speed — and Learning to Shut Up - Moving to a Jingle House: More Engineering, More Money, a Synclavier - Building Pro Tools Systems and Getting a Pager From the Boss - Learning From Jay Messina (Early Aerosmith, Jack Douglas) - Getting His SAG Card and Discovering Mailbox Money - Moving to Chicago in 2004 and Renting Studio Spaces - Buying the Building in 2013 and the History Behind It - SHIRK Studios: Semi-Commercial, Instruments on Every Wall - Avoiding the Sterile Studio — Guilford of Maine Walls and Why He Hates Them - Word of Mouth Marketing and Wondering What's Next - Chicago's Studio Scene: Narwhal, Brian Deck, and the DIY Wave - Steve Albini and Electrical Audio - Owning the Building vs. Renting — Lessons From Chicago Studios - Live-Work Lofts as an Option for Engineer-Owners - Getting Back Out to Shows and Reconnecting With the Scene - The Red Room: Chicago's Fifty-Cap DIY Listening Venue - Dana Nielsen Listening to the Episode and the Buttoned-Up Business Matt's RANT!: Getting the Job Done Part 2 Links and Show Notes: - SHIRK Studios - WCA #363 with Chaz Root - WCA #137 with Anthony Gravino - WCA #607 with Dana Nielsen -WCA #164 with Steve Albini Credits: - Guest: Stephen Shirk - Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau - WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell - The Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 609, Matt talks with Eric M Lichter — multi-instrumentalist, producer, and owner of Dirt Floor Recording in Connecticut, where he’s been in business for twenty years. Eric came up singing in chorus, spent time on Martha’s Vineyard playing the Hot Tin Roof and landing in Carly Simon’s living room with Danny Kortchmar and Jerry Marotta in the liner notes, then moved to New York, recorded at Sear Sound on a Polygram AR’s dime, and eventually landed back in Connecticut to open a studio on a wing and a prayer in 2006. They talk about the Ed Wood approach to recording — get the vibe before the moment is gone — why he leaves the beauty marks in, pitching a studio to 90-year-old landlords, keeping a tight ship with bankers hours, vetting clients for energy, a proposal-based pricing model, and the Caribou Ranch mentality that has everyone leaving with fresh eggs from the chickens out back. In This Episode, We Discuss: Twenty Years of Dirt Floor Recording in ConnecticutGrowing Up in a Sports-First Town and Finding His Voice in ChorusThe Soccer Coach Who Changed His LifeJohn Mayer, Keith Richards, and Goose — Connecticut’s Quiet Music SceneThe Hot Tin Roof on Martha’s Vineyard — and Carly Simon’s Living RoomDanny Kortchmar, Jerry Marotta, and Reading the Credits as a KidNew York City, Polygram, and Recording at Sear SoundFailing Guitar 101 in College and Trusting the Natural ThingThe Troubadour Years — Singer-Songwriter on the RoadWatching His Brother Make a Record With Jerry Marotta at JarysvilleDiscovering Tape Op and Saying Out Loud “I’m Going to Be in That Magazine”Starting Dirt Floor in Chester, Connecticut in 2006The Ed Wood Approach: Getting the Vibe Before the Moment Is GoneBeauty Marks — Why He Leaves the Imperfections InWhy Real Music Is Winning Against AIKids Discovering Van Halen and AC/DC on Their OwnEthan Johns, Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner — Who Inspired HimThe Rented House That Became Dirt Floor’s Current HomePitching a Studio to 90-Year-Old Landlords — and Winning Them OverKeeping Overhead Low — The Case for Renting vs. OwningVetting Artists: Why He Turns Down Projects That Drain the RoomBankers Hours: 9:30 to 5:30 and Going HomeOther Engineers Working Nights — The Studio Humming When He’s Not TherePricing by Proposal — Hourly, Day Rate, and Full Project BudgetThe Caribou Ranch Mentality — Full Hospitality for Artists Who StayEverybody Leaves With Eggs — The Dirt Floor Signature In This Episode, We Discuss: Twenty Years of Dirt Floor Recording in ConnecticutGrowing Up in a Sports-First Town and Finding His Voice in ChorusThe Soccer Coach Who Changed His LifeJohn Mayer, Keith Richards, and Goose — Connecticut’s Quiet Music SceneThe Hot Tin Roof on Martha’s Vineyard — and Carly Simon’s Living RoomDanny Kortchmar, Jerry Marotta, and Reading the Credits as a KidNew York City, Polygram, and Recording at Sear SoundFailing Guitar 101 in College and Trusting the Natural ThingThe Troubadour Years — Singer-Songwriter on the RoadWatching His Brother Make a Record With Jerry Marotta at JarysvilleDiscovering Tape Op and Saying Out Loud “I’m Going to Be in That Magazine”Starting Dirt Floor in Chester, Connecticut in 2006The Ed Wood Approach: Getting the Vibe Before the Moment Is GoneBeauty Marks — Why He Leaves the Imperfections InWhy Real Music Is Winning Against AIKids Discovering Van Halen and AC/DC on Their OwnEthan Johns, Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner — Who Inspired HimThe Rented House That Became Dirt Floor’s Current HomePitching a Studio to 90-Year-Old Landlords — and Winning Them OverKeeping Overhead Low — The Case for Renting vs. OwningVetting Artists: Why He Turns Down Projects That Drain the RoomBankers Hours: 9:30 to 5:30 and Going HomeOther Engineers Working Nights — The Studio Humming When He’s Not TherePricing by Proposal — Hourly, Day Rate, and Full Project BudgetThe Caribou Ranch Mentality — Full Hospitality for Artists Who StayEverybody Leaves With Eggs — The Dirt Floor Signature Matt’s RANT!: Getting the Job Done! Links and Show Notes: Dirt Floor RecordingWCA #363 with Chaz RootWCA #341 with Cynthia DanielsWCA #552 with Daniel HolterWCA #575 with Michael BeinhornTape Op Magazine Credits: Guest: Eric M LichterHost/Engineer/Producer: Matt BoudreauWCA Theme Music: Cliff TruesdellThe Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 608, Matt talks with Julian Kindred — Canadian producer, engineer, and songwriter based in London, where he runs Nonsuch Park Studio in Epsom, Surrey. Julian grew up in St. John, New Brunswick — a working-class port city he describes as a place where people punched in all week and played blues in bars on the weekend — and found his way into recording through a part-time job at a music shop and access to synthesizers. Too broke for Berklee, he took a corporate function band gig that got him to Nashville, where he cold-called Music Row for a year and a half before landing a spot at Studio Nineteen. Ten years on Music Row followed, and then a move to London in 2003. They talk about what Nashville taught him about song craft and on-the-floor tracking, learning persistence in two different cultures, surviving a lull before the Ellie Goulding record turned things around, managing money as a freelancer, and why longevity attracts a different kind of client than talent alone ever did. Enjoy! In This Episode, We Discuss: - Growing Up in St. John, New Brunswick - "Sultans of Swing" as a Portrait of His Hometown - A Musical Family and a Father Who Taught Guitar - Keyboards at Eleven and a Part-Time Job at a Music Shop - Access to Synthesizers and the Recording Bug - Too Broke for Berklee — and the Corporate Function Band That Got Him to Nashville - Cold-Calling Music Row for a Year and a Half - Studio Nineteen: A Five-Week Course, a Trident Desk, and Patsy Cline's Living Room - Learning the Craft in Nashville's Legendary Rooms - What Ten Years on Music Row Taught Him About Song Craft - On-the-Floor Tracking: Finishing a Record in One Session - Nashville vs. London: Tracking Rooms, Production Rooms, and Culture - Moving to London in 2003 for a Woman — and Building a Career From Scratch - Learning Persistence in Two Different Cultures - The Lull, the Ellie Goulding Record, and the Comeback - Universal, Polydor, and Building a Repeat Client Base in the UK - Nonsuch Park Studio: A Purpose-Built Room in the Back of the Garden - Managing Money as a Freelancer: Living Below Your Means - Why Longevity Attracts a Different Kind of Client - The Conversations About You That You'll Never Hear Matt's RANT!: Random Items Links and Show Notes: - Julian Kindred - Nonsuch Park Studio - DriveDX - ExifTool - NeoFinder Credits: - Guest: Julian Kindred - Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau - WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell - The Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 607, Matt talks with Dana Nielsen — Grammy-nominated producer, mixer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and founder of Mix Protégé in Los Angeles. Dana came up as a jazz saxophonist at Loyola University in New Orleans, where a Brian Blade album and a set of studio keys changed his direction. After chasing Daniel Lanois all the way to a phone call with Teatro and eventually moving to LA with no plan, he found his footing at Guitar Center on Sunset, caught a break on a System of a Down session with Dave Schiffman, and built a career in Rick Rubin's camp alongside Andrew Scheps, Greg Fidelman, and Philip Broussard. Now with 450+ credits and 30B+ streams, they talk about the unspoken rules of the studio hierarchy, keeping cool when everything goes wrong, running six albums at once, and the financial discipline (—SEP IRAs, 529s, and a high-yield savings habit—) that keeps a freelance life sustainable. In This Episode, We Discuss: - Musician First: Jazz Saxophone at Loyola University - The Brian Blade Fellowship Album That Changed Everything - Keys to the Studio: His First Real Recording Access - Growing Up Outside Chicago and Reading the Credits - Chasing Daniel Lanois: The Phone Call to Teatro - How That Call Became the First Chapter of a Friendship With Philip Broussard - Moving to LA With No Job and Landing at Guitar Center on Sunset - The Film Lot Engineer Who Told Him to Say What He Wanted - Learning to Read the Room and Raise His Hand - Breaking In: System of a Down With Dave Schiffman - Meeting Andrew Scheps - How Rick Rubin's Camp Became His World - The Unspoken Rules: Hierarchy, Knowing Your Role, and Keeping Notes - Passing Gems Up the Chain Without Stealing the Credit - How One Alliance Becomes the Next - Recording Justin Timberlake's Vocals With a Green Screen and No Metering - Keeping Cool When Everything Goes South in the Studio - Six Albums at Once: Managing Multiple Projects With ClickUp - Client Management With Dubsado and Automating the Paperwork - Feast or Famine: How He Structures the Money - SEP IRAs, High-Yield Savings, and a 529 From Day One - Buying Gear as a Tax-Deductible Investment That Appreciates - The Financial Advisor Who Got Them Into Their Culver City Home - Telling People What You Want — From the Studio to the Rent Check Matt's RANT!: Taking Stock of Our Profession Links and Show Notes: - Dana Nielsen - Mix Protégé - Dana Nielsen (Instagram) - WCA #294 with McKay Garner - WCA #590 with Phillip Broussard - WCA #398 with Dave Schiffman - ClickUp - Dubsado Credits: - Guest: Dana Nielsen - Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau - WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell - The Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 606, Matt talks with Neil Rogers — recording engineer, owner of Half-ton Studios in Cambridge, and longtime reviewer for Sound on Sound. After a decade of gigging as a drummer with no payoff, Neil found a music tech degree at 26 that rebuilt his confidence, then answered a group email about a ramshackle unit next to a brewery and built a studio there on about £7,000 and favors. Eighteen years on, they talk about the accidental great-sounding drum room, rebuilding bigger during COVID, pricing, being honest with young people about studio careers, and the joy of recording bands live on the floor. In This Episode, We Discuss: Meeting Matt Over a Pint in CambridgeEighteen Years of Half-ton StudiosWriting for Sound on SoundLearning Drums When School Friends Started a BandWhy So Many Engineers Are DrummersA Decade of Gigging Without a PayoffA Music Tech Degree at 26Discovering He Could WriteThe Group Email and the Unit Next to a BreweryStarting With £7,000 and FavorsThe Accidental Great-Sounding Drum RoomFirst Gear: a £700 Soundtracs DeskMySpace, Flyers, and Rehearsal IncomeRebuilding Bigger During COVIDWorking With an AcousticianHow the New Room Draws Bands From LondonPricing and the Independent Band RateHonest Advice for Young EngineersWorkshops and Taster SessionsWhy He Limits Mixing WorkRecording Bands Live on the Floor Matt’s RANT!: CLUTTER! Links and Show Notes: Half-ton StudiosNeil Rogers at Sound on SoundHalf-ton recording & mixing workshops Credits: Guest: Neil RogersHost/Engineer/Producer: Matt BoudreauWCA Theme Music: Cliff TruesdellThe Voice: Chuck Smith

Chris Mara owns Welcome to 1979, one of the larger recording studios in Nashville, along with his wife Yoli. He joins Matt for episode 605 to talk about moving to Nashville at 20, building Mara Machines and a vinyl mastering department alongside the studio, and running it for 18 years with no partners and almost no borrowed money. In This Episode, We Discuss: Growing Up in an 800-Person Wisconsin Town With No Internet and No RoadmapCommunity College Recording and Moving to Nashville at 20"I Am Working Class": No Safety Net, No Umbilical CordThe Unpaid Internship and the Downtown Bellman Job That Funded ItTrading Every Favor to Pull Studio ShiftsKeys and Alarm Codes to Ten StudiosSeeing the Same Gear Used a Million Different WaysWorking Across Every Format: 2-Inch, RADAR, DAT, and Early Pro ToolsThe Nashville Number System and Country-Session EfficiencyBringing in Rock Bands and Running Them Like Pro Country DatesJustifying Your Existence When the Guitarist Has Pro Tools at HomeComing Up With Welcome to 1979 (and the Runner-Up: "Simulated Wood Grain")Pitching a Studio to His Pregnant Wife for $1,100 a Month"You Can Break Even As Long As You Want"Yoli Quitting Her Job to Run the Business SideHow Mara Machines Was Born From a Side HustleMultiple Income Streams and Why They Carry the WeightWatching Your Overhead Before It Sinks YouIs That Gear Going to Make You Money, or Just Sit There?Renting Rooms Instead of Buying ThemSaying Yes to Everything and Learning on Someone Else's Dime18 Years, No Partners, Almost No Borrowed Money, Still MarriedThe Recording Summit, Tape Camps, and Vinyl Camps Matt's RANT!: A Brain Dump Links and Show Notes: Welcome to 1979: https://www.welcometo1979.com/Mara Machines: https://www.maramachines.com/Recording Summit: https://welcometo1979.com/events/#recordingsummitTape Camp: https://welcometo1979.com/events/#tapecampVinyl Camp: https://welcometo1979.com/events/#vinylcampLij Shaw / Recording Studio Rockstars: https://recordingstudiorockstars.com/ Credits: Guest: Chris MaraHost/Engineer/Producer: Matt BoudreauWCA Theme Music: Cliff TruesdellThe Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 604, Matt talks with Alec Ness, a mastering engineer in Minneapolis and the owner of Ness Mastering. Alec joins to tell an unusual origin story: born with partially amputated fingers, he was steered from guitar to drums, caught the recording bug on Cakewalk in a Dakotas high school, and chased music through a now-defunct college (McNally Smith), the San Francisco and LA beat scenes as an Ableton Certified Trainer, and years touring as a producer and artist — before pivoting fully into mastering as the pandemic hit. He learned the craft by badgering his way into Greg Reierson's Rare Form Mastering and trading questions with Mandy Parnell, then sold his entire modular synth rig to buy the speakers for his own room. They get into the "Should everything sound the same?" note on his desk, resisting the loudness game, controlling your space, putting the art before the money, and the health toll of going too hard. In This Episode, We Discuss: - Growing Up in the Dakotas and “Flyover” Music Culture - A Coffee Shop, a Venue, and Touring Bands Passing Through - Born With Half His Fingers: From Guitar to Drums - Catching the Recording Bug on Cakewalk in High School - The Guitar Shop That Introduced Him to Ableton - McNally Smith, Composition, and Dropping Out - San Francisco, the LA Beat Scene, and Becoming an Ableton Certified Trainer - From Producer and Artist to Mixing and Mastering - A Studio in the Back of a South Dakota Guitar Shop - Old Tools, Limitations, and Learning Phase and Mics the Hard Way - The Dua Saleh Remix Album That Tipped Him Into Mastering - Backing Off Touring Right as the Pandemic Hit - Learning From Greg Reierson at Rare Form Mastering - Badgering Mandy Parnell for Lessons - "Should Everything Sound the Same?" Resisting Homogenization - Why He Won’t Master to the Loudness of a Reference - Controlling Your Space and Reducing Variables - Selling His Modular Synths to Buy His Speakers - Empathy, the Artist’s Vision, and Serving the Music - Art First, Money Second, and Time as the Real Currency - Health, Overwork, and Backing Off Before It Broke Him Links and Show Notes: Alec Ness / Ness MasteringRare Form Mastering (Greg Reierson)WCA #599 with Alex NewportMandy Parnell Michael Beinhorn on WCA Credits: - Guest: Alec Ness - Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau - WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell - The Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 603, Matt talks with Lorenzo Wolff — a Grammy-winning engineer, producer, musician, and owner of Restoration Sound in Brooklyn. Lorenzo joins on a Saturday from New York to trace a path from a hip-hop-obsessed kid in Nyack, chasing the basslines on Fugees and Wyclef records, to a session bassist, to interning under engineer Scott Lehrer at Second Story Sound, to building one of Brooklyn's most community-minded studios over eleven years. Along the way his string session with violinist Bobby Hawk turned out to be a Taylor Swift record, which led to Ye's Donda, which led to his ongoing work with Ms. Lauryn Hill. They get into the two tiers of gigs (community vs. famous), funding a studio build with a patron's retainer, why he treats generosity and conflict de-escalation as business strategy, and the honesty it takes to work with visionary artists. Enjoy! In This Episode, We Discuss:- Growing Up in Nyack, New York, in an Integrated Music Town - From Hip-Hop and Turntables to Hunting Down the Bass - The Fugees, Wyclef, Jerry Wonda, and Outkast as a Way In - Becoming a Session Bass Player to Live in Studios - Interning at Second Story Sound Under Scott Lehrer - Being Sent to the Library to Read the Dry Theory First - Why He Left to Start His Own Shops and Chase Creativity - Building a Brooklyn Studio Over Eleven Years - Winning Over Landlords: "Your Success Is Our Success" (and Cookies) - The Patron Who Funded a Studio by Commissioning a Musical - Survival Economics: Production Suites That Pay the Rent - Community as a Business Model - The Two Tiers of Gigs: Community vs. Famous - The Bobby Hawk String Session That Became a Taylor Swift Record - One Credit Leading to the Next: Folklore to Donda - Working for Ms. Lauryn Hill - Telling the Truth in the Room With Visionary Artists - What "He's Gonna Be Okay" Really Means at That Level - Why High-Profile Credits Do (and Don’t) Create More Work - Generosity and De-escalation as Studio Strategy - Why He Struggles With Interns Links and Show Notes:- Restoration Sound - Lorenzo Wolff (Instagram) Credits:- Guest: Lorenzo Wolff - Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau - WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell - The Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 602, Matt talks with London mix engineer Luke Burgoyne, who joins from his room at Pony Studios in East London. Luke grew up in Winchester with two violinist parents, fell for the studio side of music at sixteen, and studied performance and recording at the University of West London before spending the last seven years assisting one of the UK's busiest mixers, Dan Grech-Marguerat (Lana Del Rey, The Killers, Liam Gallagher, George Ezra). Now he's transitioning into his own career as a mixer and producer. They get into the realities of high-level mix prep, what seven years of assisting actually teaches you, why UK managers tend to bring in work in a way American managers often don't, sharing expensive London rooms, his skeptical take on Atmos, and the differences between the UK and US recording ecosystems. In This Episode, We Discuss: Growing Up in Winchester With Two Violinist ParentsFrom the Beatles and Guitar to the Pull of the StudioWhy It Was Always About the Music, Not the TechnologyStudying Performance and Recording at the University of West LondonRealizing He'd Rather Record Great Players Than Compete With ThemCold-Emailing Abbey Road, RAK, and Getting No RepliesLanding the Assistant Job With Dan Grech-Marguerat (on the Second Try)Seven Years Assisting One of the UK's Busiest MixersThe Soft Skills: Managing Clients, Files, and Spinning PlatesMixing in the Box: Pro Tools, Recall, and Multiple MachinesDeep Mix Prep: Rebuilding Logic and Ableton Sessions in Pro ToolsLearning a Mixer's Quirks So They Never Leave the Creative SpaceTransitioning From Assistant to Mixer and ProducerGetting Management and Why UK Managers Bring in WorkHow UK and US Managers DifferBuilding a Network While Assisting Five or Six Days a WeekStudio Identity: Staff Engineer vs. Independent FreelancerThe London Studio Ecosystem: Abbey Road, AIR, RAK, and MetropolisRenting a Room at Pony Studios and Sharing Space in Expensive LondonNeumanns, Genelec 1031s, and Working on HeadphonesHis Take on Atmos: Right for "Dark Side of the Moon," Wrong for AC/DCCamaraderie Over Competition in London Matt's RANT!: Technology Prices Links and Show Notes: Luke BurgoyneDan Grech-MargueratWCA #600 with Andrew SchepsWCA #102 with Frank McDonough Credits: Guest: Luke BurgoyneHost/Engineer/Producer: Matt BoudreauWCA Theme Music: Cliff TruesdellThe Voice: Chuck Smith