Working Class Audio

Working Class Audio Session #130 with Andy Reed!!! Andy Reed purchased his first guitar when he was 18 and by the time he was 21 he started a band with his brother called The Haskels. They signed a small record deal and ended up recording with Brendan Benson of The Raconteurs. This is where Andy initially got the recording bug.    Fast forward through touring, experimenting with 4 tracks and you'll arrive at Andy acquiring his first Pro Tools rig at age 23. Andy would spend every second he had in his basement for the next 3 years figuring out how to get better sounds, write better songs, and hone the craft of recording by learning from his own mistakes on his own recordings. 3 years later Andy would emerge with recordings of his own music that attracted others to officially hire him to record. For the last 14 years Andy has been recording and producing artists from all over the country.    Andy joins Matt to talk about recording in Bay City Michigan, family life, his mentors and his musica

Working Class Audio Session #129 with Brad Smalling!!!Brad Smalling is an audio professional with a passion for music and for making great records - records that connect the artist and the listener emotionally. From the creative to the technical, Brad is passionate about all aspects of the record-making process. Brad’s creative ear and his ability to connect with the artist combine to present the artist’s music as they envision it and often in ways they never considered.Brad’s desire to learn about audio appeared in his teens while learning to play guitar but he wouldn’t actively pursue engineering until 2000 when he built a recording studio in his basement in Boulder, CO. After gaining confidence through self study, he and his wife, Jenny, hired Wes Lachot to design what would become Evergroove Studio. Solar powered and located on 4.5 wooded acres just outside Denver, Evergroove Studio opened in 2006 and offers a retreat-like setting sought by artists that desire a different recording studio experience.Brad

WCA #128 with Frank PappalardoFrank Pappalardo started out a guitarist wanting the rock star dream. After hearing Van Halen's "Eruption" at a party  he realized  being a killer recording engineer was a more realistic plan  than being a mediocre guitar player. From his early days at Chicago studio River North Recorders to his current 30 plus year gig at PBS' Soundstage, Frank has had an incredible career recording and mixing so many household names including Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Fall Out Boy, Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, Sheryl Crow, Sonic Youth, Death Cab For Cutie and the list goes on and on. Frank talks with Matt via Facetime from Saint Charles, Illinois ( West of Chicago) in the post house where he does most of his mixing work about family, work ethic and his overall approach to audio. Enjoy!

Craig Schumacher has been making noise unprofessionally since 1985. He's managed to carve out a niche in the desert southwest by be part of an eclectic scene that bubbles out of Tucson and has been an integral part of the sound of  Calexico and Giant Sand, and has recorded artists like Neko Case, Amos Lee, KT Tunstall, Roger Clyne, Left Over Salmon, The Jayhawks, Steve Wynn, and John Doe at WaveLab. He is also a sought after mixer and has been to France, Sweden, LA, NYC, Austin, and New Orleans for mix jobs. He is also an adjunct professor at Scottsdale Community College for the past ten years.Craig crashes at Matt's house for a night while on his way to record the new Calexico record. Naturally an interview that was long overdue was in order. 

Peterson Goodwyn wants every musician and audio engineer to know how to build, tweak, and repair their own gear. He founded DIY Recording Equipment (DIYRE) in 2010 as a wiki to catalog the world of DIY pro audio. He now conducts workshops, publishes how-to content, and designs DIY kits for DIYRE. In 2014, DIYRE launched the open-source Colour platform for modular, analog signal-processing. Since then, Colour products have found their way into thousands of studios and dozens of designers and have contributed designs to the format. Peter joins Matt for a discussion about his world of DIY pro audio equipment and all that goes into his small working class business.   www.diyrecordingequipment.com

Michael James is a  New York-born producer/mixer/engineer and has also been a an A&R rep as well as an solo artist himself. He's worked with  New Radicals, Hole, Far, Robben Ford, L7, Edwin McCain, Chicago, Reverend Horton Heat, A.J. Croce, Butterfly Boucher, Jane's Addiction, Maia Sharp, The Coronas, and Jawbreaker and many more.At 19 years of age, Michael  met former Blue Cheer member Ethan James (no relation), the owner and creative nucleus of Radio Tokyo. Michael had just recorded a single, which cost him $15 in studio time.  Ethan happened to walk past the control room as the mix was being played, and offered Michael a record deal on the spot. Ethan took the disc to KROQ-FM DJ Rodney Bingenheimer, who debuted it on his legendary show, "Rodney On The ROQ."  It was later added to the station's playlist. From there, Michael joined the band Waves Of Grain, whose indie release "Catch Me I'm Falling" placed Top Ten on several college radio playlists; it was later licensed in t

Owen Curtin is a audio engineer and professor of audio technology. He has worked with Sheryl Crow, David Gray, Keane, Amanda Palmer and Jordan Knight. Owen is the co-owner and head engineer at The Bridge Sound and Stage. Aside from his role recording and mixing at The Bridge, he manages all technology and facilities including studio integration, information technology, and acoustic design. One of his latest endeavors includes the Audio Builders Workshop which holds seminars on DIY audio building projects. Along with numerous DIY preamps and other tools, he designed and built a control room monitoring solution for the 500 series. Owen's courses at Emerson College and the New England Institute of Art includes Adv. Studio Recording, Foley, and Senior Seminar. As the Director of Faculty Development at NEiA, Owen chairs the sabbatical, grant, and titling committees. Owen also runs the online Learning Management System used to support all classes at NEiA. He holds a bach

Jon O’Brien is the owner and producer at The Music Box Studios in Downtown Fullerton, CA.  In 2009, fresh out of college and after a summer spent interning at Blackwatch Studios in Norman, OK, Jon returned home and began recording local bands out of his parents’ living room. Since then, Jon has spent the last 7 years recording and producing over 80 bands and artists in the Southern California area.  Many of the clients continue to frequent the studio year after year.  In a constant effort to improve his recording space, Jon has moved studios 3 times in the past 5 years, all the while, scouring craigslist and picking up unique instruments and gear for clients and producers to use. Eventually landing at his current and favorite space in Downtown Fullerton, Jon has launched a new studio model that focuses on pairing clients with like-minded staff producers. Jon has worked with bands such as Young the Giant, Listener, Travelers, Yellow Red Sparks and Roah Summit.  Today, Jon is 29 and he and h

Kurt Andress is a Business Manager for Working Class Audio guest Mitch Dane ( WCA #075). Kurt is also an old friend of Matt's going back almost 30 years. Kurt's background before moving to Nashville was as a musician in New Mexico working at Mesilla Valley Music where he built stage gear and flight cases, and owned a stage lighting company. Kurt moved to  Nashville in 1991 and graduated from Belmont University in 1994 with a degree in Music Business. After graduating he worked for a popular Christian music band called White Heart for a couple of years and then started KSA Management in 1996. In addition to Business Management in the music industry Kurt is also a real estate investor and property manager. Kurt and Matt talk money, debt and the business of recording. Kurt offers up his advice and guidance on running your business as a recording professional.  Enjoy. 

Jim Greer is a Bay Area record producer who has massed a wide variety of credits through many years of wielding multiple instruments and knowing how to fiddle some knobs. Highlights included writing and producing with or for: Galactic, Macy Gray, Handsome Boy modeling School, Cyndi Harvell, Andrew St.James, Diegos Umbrella, MC Lars, Del the Funkee Homosapien, Irma Thomas, Rondo Brothers, Butterscotch, and many more, including lots of writing and placing music in various films, tv shows, and commercials…Matt and Jim sit down for an in person talk that covers Jim’s approach to making records, business and how the death of his son Teddy has shaped his view and approach to life.Jim’s Site: http://digitalchildren.net/

Will Russell is the owner and chief engineer at Electric Wilburland Studio, which is located in an old Baptist church in Newfield, NY. He has been working in audio since the age of 17, when he first started doing live sound. Will continues to mix live at regional music festivals for bands like The Horse Flies and Sim Redmond Band. His most notable tour was mixing for Rusted Root from 1994-95. After being on the road, Will switched his focus to running Electric Wilburland full time, where he records and produces mostly local and regional artists-- and has been for 30 years. Past clients include The Samples, Madder Rose, Martin Simpson, The Horse Flies, Joe Crookston and Donna The Buffalo. He won a Grammy in 2009 for recording the album “Douga Mansa" with kora player Mamadou Diabate. Three years ago, Will joined the staff at The Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, where he teaches audio production part time. He also teaches a handful

Tucker Martine is a record producer, musician and composer and the son of singer and songwriter Layng Martine, Jr.,  Tucker grew up in Nashville, Tennessee where he played in bands and tinkered with recording devices before moving to Boulder, Colorado after graduating from high school. In Colorado, Martine was a DJ at a public radio station KGNU. He would frequently play two or more records at once on the air to experiment with creating new sounds. Martine also took courses at the Naropa Institute where he studied sound collage and befriended Harry Smith - the ethnomusicologist, artist and Kabbalist - who made a large impression on Martine.1993, Martine moved to Seattle, Washington where he began to combine his skills and interests. He joined Wayne Horvitz's chamber group The 4 Plus 1 Ensemble where Martine's instrument was a series of looping and sound manipulating devices which were fed by the groups otherwise acoustic instruments. Martine received a Grammy nomination in 20

Tyler Crowder is a freelance recording/audio engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area, who enjoys working in various recording studios, where he's done projects with both artist on major labels including Sony, RCA, Def Jam, GOOD Music, Windham Hill, Arista Records, B&G, Dancing Cat, etc. as well as  with a diverse range of local indy bands.  By working with a diverse range of major artists and local indy artist, it allows Tyler to be fluent in all styles of music, and be able to contribute to the local community of musicians and bands that surround the San Francisco Bay Area. Over the years Tyler has earned 2 Grammy nominations for audio engineering, and participated in many Billboard Charting Albums. Tyler has worked with numerous artists including Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, Lil’ Wayne, Snoop Dog, George Winston, Melvin Seals, Tuck & Pattie, Joan Jeanrenaud, Phil Aaburg, Henry Butler, Dave “Dave’s Hands” Jackson, Keola Beamer, Cyril Pahinui, Bola Sete, Pro

Cesar Mejia is an L.A. based engineer and producer born and raised in Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles. Besides engineering and producing he is a faculty member at Cal State Dominguez Hills where he teaches audio recording courses for the Digital Media Arts program. Cesar has a unique approach of putting his clients at ease, allowing the artist to perform at their optimal. Cesar’s methods and skills have allowed him to maintain an ever-growing list of clients like: Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Brian Eno, Bill Withers, Will I. Am, Beatmo, Chicago, Zach de la Rocha, Mezklah, Wayne Shorter, Hurley Clothing, Hanoi Counsel for the Arts Vietnam, Sting, Joni Mitchell, Al Geroe, George Duke, George Benson, Motorhead, Monte Carlo 76, Natashia Williams, Brujeria, Nathan East, Los Lobos, Marcus Miller, Aztlan Underground, Chicano Son, Amazon Gold Foundation, Andy Garcia, Most Eligible Basturds, Marisa Ronstadt, Susan Egan, & Kenny Moreno. Constantly working on projects of multiple magnitudes, he fully dedicates h

Mark Kilborn is a sound designer, mixer and implementer with over a decade of experience in the video games industry. He has worked on various game franchises including Borderlands, Forza Motorsport, Brothers In Arms, Tony Hawk and Project Gotham Racing. For the last seven years he has served as one of the Audio Directors for the Call of Duty series, collaborating with teams of sound designers around the world on various projects including Modern Warfare 3, Advanced Warfare, Black Ops 1-3, Exo Zombies, Call of Duty Online and Modern Warfare Remastered. After he and his wife had twins in 2015, he setup a home studio and continues to contribute to the Call of Duty series as a Principal Audio Designer. He lives in Madison, WI with his wife, three kids, two dogs and too much snow. Mark flew to San Francisco for the Game Developers Conference recently and met Matt at a Starbucks to talk about Mark's world in game sound.Mark's list of credits include , Call of Duty 2017 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare R

Kurt Ballou is a musician and producer, best known as the guitarist from Massachusetts-based band Converge. Aside from his role in Converge, Ballou is a prolific producer, recording and producing out of his own GodCity Studio.  Kurt has worked with numerous bands over the last 25 years in a producing/ recording role including High on Fire, Nails, Russian Circles and Code Orange. Kurt and Matt talk over Skype discussing health, retirement, drugs, family, money and Asperger's syndrome. Enjoy!

Monte Vallier grew up in the Bay Area and launched his musical career by dropping out of high school and moving to London with his band Half Church who he played bass with. After making a record and playing tons of gigs with bands such as The Fall, Echo and the Bunnymen, and PIL, the band called it quits in 1986. After interning at The music annex and Coast Recorders (Bay Area) Monte built his own studio with engineer Gibbs Chapman that was destroyed in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake . It was that same year that Monte started working with the band Swell as a bass player. They Made 5 albums and toured extensively in the 90’s and eventually signed to Rick Rubin’s Def American label in 1993. They made all their our own records starting with a Tascam 38 but then took all the recording advances and bought more gear. They built studios in LA and NYC and in various places in SF to make the records. Monte says he truly learned how to a make a proper record while working with Swell. After Mon

Mike Wells has spent the last 15 plus years mastering, complimented by a lifetime in music as a musician, music theory graduate, recording artist, and recording/mixing engineer. From San Francisco to Los Angeles, Mike has had one hell of a  journey to get to the point of working with artists such as Green Day, PARRI$, Prince, and Gridlock. While we all have career ups and downs of which Mike is no stranger, Mike also spent many years trying to decipher a medical condition that developed later in his life that was eventually diagnosed as  Epilepsy.  Not to be deterred by his diagnosis and the seizures that come, as a result, Mike developed his mastering business which is known for his incredible attention to detail and going the extra mile for his clients.  After many challenges that would stop most people, Mike persevered and is now at a point where he is no longer facing the daily threat of seizures with the help of 21st-century medicine. The biggest takeaway from this interview

Although Frank Wolf’s background was in music, he found myself drawn to “the other side of the glass” and changed his studies to Physics and Electrical Engineering. While in college, Frank also built and ran a small studio with an old ½” Scully at it’s heart. (ahh analog!) During those years, he met the folks at The Village Recorder, and when he graduated, he was immediately hired as a tech. While there, the staff was given permission to use the studios any time they were open so Frank was able to hone his craft with many, many hours of studio time! One of the bands he worked with got a record deal, Frank left his employ, recorded their album and has been independent ever since. Frank worked almost exclusively on records for many years, but eventually got and took the opportunity to start in both TV and Feature Films. For the next several years, he worked on many of Disney’s and Pixar’s animated films while also meeting and developing working re

Nathan Harlow grew up in San Francisco, played in bands and eventually found his way into the world of live sound. 20 years later, his experience touring, mixing, recording and doing system design has allowed him the opportunity to work with artists such as Prince, Rob Zombie, Sonic Youth, Bebel Gilberto, Medeski, Martin and Wood and Primus. His skills are also in demand at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California, the Warfield Theater and Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, California. On top of his live sound skills doing monitors or front of house Nathan is also trained in systems management and room acoustics. He states that his intention is to use his unique set of skills to assist in the creation of beauty and inspiration with elegance and grace.Matt heads into San Francisco to chat with Nathan in person in his studio South of Market.