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Working Class Audio — Music
Working Class Audio

Peel back the glamour of the professional recording world. Guests from the world of audio for music, film, games, restoration, and more share their insights on how they made their journey, how they survive, their advice on the real things including wins, losses, working with other people, money, and career advice.
Hosted by audio engineer Matt Boudreau.
The Working Class Audio Podcast – Navigating the World of Recording with a working class perspective.

Copyright: © Copyright 2017 Working Class Audio All Rights Reserved.

Latest Episodes:

WCA #405 with Dan Johnson - Solving Archiving Puzzles, Burning Out, Rogue Tape Machines, Going Independent, and Not Cutting Corners Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

My guest is Audio Archivist Dan Johnson, who owns and runs Audio Archiving Services. Dan has worked with several well-known artists, including KISS, Jackson Browne, Jimi Hendrix Estate, WAR, TOOL, Duff McKagan, Aimee Man, Tommy Boy Records, Trust Records, Ansonia Records, Now-Again Records, Light In The Attic Records, ORG Records, Warner Bros, Universal, and Sony.

In this episode, we discuss:

Rural Upbringing
Foreigner's "Hot Blooded"
Recording the Radio
Playing in Bands
Medical Records Work
Failed A&M Internship
Poor Brad
Working at Ocean Way
Friends with the Tech Staff
Surviving as a Runner
Thomas Maps and Pagers
No Guns at Capital
Burning Out
Cleaning Rat Traps
Working for Ikea
Living in a Closet
The Benefits of Capital
Going Independent
Audio Archiving
It's All About Friendships
Tape Triage
70 Hours a Week
Tape Machine Scarcity
Noahs Ark of Tape Machines
United Archiving
Not Cutting Corners
Solving Archiving Puzzles
Rogue Tape Machines
Rod Stewart Farting
Knocking Michael Jackson Down

Matt's Rant: Appreciating Our Tools

Links and Show Notes

Credits

Guest: Dan Johnson
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #404 with Chris Clark - Playing Trombone, The Draw of Classical Music, The President's Own Marine Band, Classical Recording, Planning for Second Career, and the Perfect Guilt Trip. Sep 12, 2022

Show notes

My guest is Recording Engineer, Producer, and Trombonist, Chris Clark. Chris works with artists such as Jack Sutte, Thomas Circle Singers, Jonathan Bisesi, and The Lantana Trio on the recording side of things, but he also plays Trombone in The President's Own Marine Band.

In this episode, we discuss:

Growing Up in Commerce, Texas
Playing Trombone
Listening to Dad's Vinyl Collection
Family Listening to Orchestral Music
Hiring an Outside Teacher
The Draw of Classical Music
Dad's Return to Music
The Perfect Guilt Trip
Curtis Institute of Music
Blind Auditions
Active Duty Marine
The President's Own Marine Band
Jumping Into Recording
Creating a Production Company
Classical Recording
Gear Used on Remotes
Planning for Second Career
Accepting Video
Working With Great Musicians
Source to Destination Editing
Insurance
Time Management

Matt's Rant: Whatever Works

Links and Show Notes

Credits

Guest: Chris Clark
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #403 with Catherine Vericolli- Changing Audio Careers, Shifting Mindset, Learning on The Fly, 90's Digital Formats, and Archivists Anonymous Sep 05, 2022

Show notes

My guest is Catherine Vericolli, the Chief Transfer Engineer & Archive manager for Infrasonic Mastering. Catherine works on projects for Third Man, ORG Music, Oh Boy! Records, and Sun Records. This is Catherine's second appearance on the show. She originally appeared on WCA #035 in 2015.

In this episode, we discuss:

Changing Audio Careers
Moving to Nashville
Moving Two Studios
Selling Her House
Getting Into Archiving
The Economics of Archiving
Nashville Recording Practices
Academia
Shifting Mindset
Getting Settled
Learning on The Fly
Comparing Stress in Audio Jobs
Play and Pray
90's Digital Formats
World War 2 and Tape
Archivists Anonymous
Prosumer Audio
ATMOS
MONO
Will The Transfer Work Runout?
The Dixie Cups

Matt's Rant: Let's Read a Letter

Links and Show Notes

Credits

Guest: Catherine Vericolli
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #402 with Arne Frager - The Plant Studios, Finding a Path to Recording, Studio on the Beach, Lessons for Aspiring Studio Owners, and the Best Gig He Never Did Aug 29, 2022

Show notes

My guest is Grammy-Winning producer and engineer Arne Frager. Arne is known for his run as owner/operator of The Plant Studios in Sausalito and his work with Paul McCartney, Prince, Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Santana, Dolly Parton, and Clare Fischer.

In this episode, we discuss:

Growing up in Cleveland
Lifetime musician
Selling computer systems
Finding a path to recording
Recording in the 70s
Spectrum on the beach
Having no fallback, so you have to succeed
Ray Brown
Sony Digital 2 Track
George Winston
Eric Prestidge
Learning to survive
Mars Studios
Almost arrested for picking up gear
The best gig I never did
Al Schmitt
The story of The Plant
The Plant in the 90s
The dark times
Seeing mistakes from the past
Lawsuits against home studios
Lessons for aspiring studio owners

Matt's Rant: Book Recommendations

Links and Show Notes

Credits

Guest: Arne Frager
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #401 with Matt Wallace - Staying Visible in the Business, Crushing it with ATMOS, Keeping a Low Overhead, and the Importance of Alternative Income Aug 22, 2022

Show notes

My guest is Grammy-Winning producer, engineer, and mixer Matt Wallace. This is Matt's second appearance on the show, originally appearing on WCA #046. He has worked with Faith No More, Maroon 5, O.A.R., Dio, Tank and The Bangas, Replacements, Eric Gales, 3 Doors Down, Andy Grammer, Blackberry Smoke, Ludo, Train, Blues Traveler, Satchel, Mushroomhead, and I Prevail.

In this episode, we discuss:

Status since the last episode
Difficulties in the industry
Challenges with ATMOS Legacy Mix
ATMOS and Apple, WTF?
Crushing it with ATMOS
Smart Speakers
Moving Towards the Future
What kept you in the business?
If you build it, they will come
Keeping low overhead
Musician first, construction second
Importance of Alternative Income
Staying Visible in the business
"Prodixing"
Band performance quality
ProTools - No need for those pesky chops
Studio Deluxe
Vibe is more important than gear
Studio space influences performance
Leaving the Bay Area
LA is the best place to make a record

Matt's Rant: Managing Your Money

Links and Show Notes

Credits

Guest: Matt Wallace
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #400 with David Hewitt - Car Racing, Recording Trucks, Dallas Summer Heat, and Recording the Stars in a Golden Era of Live Music Aug 15, 2022

Show notes

My guest is Grammy-Winning Remote Recording Engineer David Hewitt. David has worked with many artists, including, The Rolling Stones, Frank Zappa, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis, Neil Young, The Who, Pavarotti, Simon and Garfunkel, Live Aid, Allman Brothers, Newport Jazz Festival, Aretha Franklin, Hall & Oates Bob Seger, Jackson Browne, and George Benson.

David is also the father of former WCA guest and friend of the show, Ryann Hewitt.

In this episode, we discuss:

Upbringing in Montana
Early Music Exposure as a Military Brat
Travel As a Way of Life
First Career in Car Racing
Struggling guitarist to punching the record button
First Recording Job at Regent Sound Studios
Adventure with Record Plant NY
Mahavishnu Orchestra
King Biscuit Flower Hour
Just Making Shit Work
Recording Aerosmith in the Dallas summer heat
Remote Recording Rates
Making a Living
Concert for NY after 9/11
David Bowie America
Remote recording vs. Studio recording
On the Road Book
Keeping the truck secure during a show
Financial Advice

Matt's Rant: Reflecting on 400 Episodes

Links and Show Notes

Credits

Guest: David Hewitt
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #399 with Dave Schiffman Part 2 - Mix Note Etiquette, The Journey of Creating a Studio, Deciding on ATMOS, Communication with Bands, and Evolving the Craft Aug 08, 2022

Show notes

Part 2 of my interview with Grammy Winning Producer/mixer and Engineer who has worked on projects for System of a Down, Audioslave, The Mars Volta, PUP, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Adele, Vampire Weekend, Cass Mccombs, Thrice, and Haim.

In this episode, we discuss:

Parting Ways with Rick Rubin
Stellastarr
Role with Rick vs. Engineers
Dry vs. Wet
Mix Shootouts
Importance of Artist Feedback
Evolving the Craft
Keeping a Good Vibe
Dealing with Varying Personalities
Communication with Bands
Mix Note Etiquette
Mix Adjectives
The Journey of Creating a Studio
Deciding on ATMOS
Doing ATMOS That Makes Sense
Money and Engineering
Priorities on What You Really Need
Gear Should Be used, Not Just Displayed
Work-Life Balance
Only as Good as Your Last Credit

Matt's Rant: Inspiration from Outside the Audio World

Links and Show Notes

Credits

Guest: Dave Schiffman
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #398 with Dave Schiffman Part 1 - Tape Copies, Chicken and Egg Issues, Lessons from Rick Rubin, The Land of Yes, and Not Being Tall Enough To Record Aug 01, 2022

Show notes

My guest is Grammy Winning Producer/mixer and Engineer who has worked on projects for System of a Down, Audioslave, The Mars Volta, PUP Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Adele, Vampire Weekend, Cass Mccombs, Thrice, and Haim.

In this episode, we discuss:

Giving Up Piano
Dad's Love of Big Band/Yacht Rock
Playing Trumpet
Marching Band
Not Being Tall Enough To Record
Following Credits on Albums
Making Tape Copies
Chicken and Egg Issues
Moving Up the Studio Ladder
Surviving on Tuna Fish Sandwiches
"Smoking Section" of Planes
Working at Ocean Way
Moving to LA from NY
Working with Rick Rubin
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Lessons from Rick Rubin
East Coast Honesty
The Land of Yes

Matt's Rant: Who are We Spending Time With?

Links and Show Notes

Credits

Guest: Dave Schiffman
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #397 with Bryan Cook - Recording as An Exit Strategy, Chillin with Tom Dowd, Landing at A&M Studios, and Doing Non-Music Things Jul 25, 2022

Show notes

My guest is Grammy Nominated Mixing engineer Bryan Cook who has worked with U2, One Republic, Jeff Goldblum, and Switchfoot.

In this episode, we discuss:

Early life in Philly
Studios - A thing that people did
Love for Jazz
Saxophone
Recording as an exit strategy
Bluejay Internship
Chillin with Tom Dowd
Ryan Hewitt
Deciding on a move to LA
Landing at A&M Studios
Moving up in the industry
Professionalism - Egos working together
Moving up the engineering ladder
Sensing upcoming burnout
Michael Andrews
Nobody likes the bad vibe guy
Walk Hard
Transitioning to flying solo
One Republic
How artists find an engineer
U2 project
Push them into the pool
Mixing from home
How to do pricing?
Handling disappointment
Ease with setup
Bounce Factory
Doing non-music things

Matt's Rant: Audio File Management

Links and Show Notes

Credits

Guest: Bryan Cook
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #396 with Nick Townsend - Punk Rock, Community College, Fishing, Mastering and Cutting Lacquers Jul 18, 2022

Show notes

My guest is Los Angeles-based mastering engineer Nick Townsend. Nick loves cutting Lacquers and has worked on releases by Cheap Trick, Weezer, Iron Maiden, Bad Religion, Garbage, Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Grimes, and more. Nick works at Infrasonic Sound.

In this episode, we discuss:

Musical Household
Stoner Rock Uncle
Drums at Grandmas House
Punk Rock Bands
Catching the Recording Bug
Community College Recording Program
Pete Lyman
Mechanical Side of the Brain
Fishing
Clay Shooting
Outdoors Activities
Interning
Cutting Lacquers
Cutter Heads
Freelance Mastering
Infrasonic
Apollo Lacquers Fire

Matt's Rant: Audio Degrees

Links and Show Notes

Credits

Guest: Nick Townsend
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith

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