Working Class Audio

Latest Episodes:

WCA #335 with Dan Alexander - Vintage Recording Gear, Guitars, Radical Parents, Bill Putnam, and The Drain of The Studio Business May 17, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is engineer, former studio owner, author, and vintage gear dealer, Dan Alexander.

Dan was a fixture of the Bay Area recording scene in San Francisco for many years. He ran the same studio space I did, the former Coast Recorders building on Mission Street in San Francisco as well as Coast on Harrison. He’s spent many years of his life buying and selling vintage guitars and vintage recording equipment which we will talk about. He’s got a new book out called “Dan Alexander Audio: A Vintage Odyssey" He talk s to us from his home in Los Angeles.

In this episode, we discuss:

Radical Parents
House UnAmerican Activities Committee
The Rockets
Eddie Money
Bay Area Music
Selling Guitars
Grocery Store Studio
Vintage Recording Gear
Wheeling and Dealing
Hyde Street Studios
Coast Recorders
Coast on Harrison
Bill Putnam
The Drain of The Studio Business
Getting Evicted
Divorce
Rising Gear Prices
Gear Clones

Matt's Rant: Getting out of the Chair!

Links and Show Notes

Dan's Site: https://danalexanderaudio.com/
Dan's Book: Dan Alexander Audio: A Vintage Odyssey
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw

Credits:

Guest: Dan Alexander
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab

WCA #334 with Jack Rubinacci - Dealing with Tinnitus, Working with Tchad Blake, iPad Production, and Sleeping By The Hotel Piano May 10, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is musician, songwriter, author, and producer, Jack Rubinacci. Born in Rome, raised in the UK, and now residing in Norway.

Jack has been through the music industry on both sides of the glass including recorded his debut release with Tchad Blake Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios, he’s sold produced and mixed his own releases, he’s opened for Joe Cocker, Lionel Richie, and Arcade Fire to name a few. Like many in the industry, Jack suffers from Tinnitus. He’s written two books on the topic and it is the focus of our conversation in today's episode. Jack came as a referral from our good friend and studio rat James Ivey. I felt it was important to have Jack on to discuss this topic of tinnitus since many people don’t.

In this episode, we discuss:

Tinnitus
Monitoring low
Earplugs
Meeting Dad at 10
Sleeping By The Hotel Piano
Tchad Blake
Sympathetic Producers
IPad Production
Dealing with Tinnitus
Getting inside the Song
Ear Nose and Throat
Prepping Your Ears for Sonic Assault
Tools to Counteract Tinnitus
Sound Therapy

Matt's Rant: The Great Al Schmitt

Links and Show Notes

Jacks tinnitus website www.helpmytinnitus.com
Overcoming Tinnitus. 12 Tools That Helped Me Overcome Tinnitus
A Musician With Tinnitus: 14 Tools That Help Me Perform And Cope With Tinnitus
Jack's Instagram
Jack on Spotify
Jack's Site: http://www.jackrubinacci.com
Jack on Youtube
Journey of Sound to the Brain
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw

Credits:

Guest: Jack Rubinacci
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab

WCA #333 with Alex Crescioni - Doom Metal, Peter & The Wolf, Bad Intern Experiences, and Garage Sale Four-Tracks May 03, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is producer, engineer, mixer Alex Crescioni.

Alex is based in Los Angeles at his studio Stygian Sound, located in the legendary Sound City studio complex. He works with a wide variety of rock & metal bands on Nuclear Blast Records, Napalm Records, Wind-Up Records, Craft Recordings, Cleopatra Records, Metal Assault Records, Steamhammer Records, Sliptrick Records, EMP Label Group, Gore House Productions, Frontiers Records, Danse Macabre Records, and Minotauro Records. I've followed Alex's career for a long time and am happy he's here to join me for a chat. Alex Crescioni, coming up here on The Working Class Audio Podcast.

In this episode, we discuss:

Mothers Musical influence
The Suzuki Method
Musicians Institute
Peter and the wolf
Garage Sale Four-Track
Home base
Wanting To Give Up
Bad Intern Experiences
Sound City
LA Studio Complexes
Getting Work
Client Vetting Process
Rates
Mentors
Guitar Pedals
Doom metal
Matt Wallace
Tim Palmer
Chris Collier
Assistants
Struggling
Financial Awakening

Matt's Rant: Sharing Your Knowledge

Links and Show Notes

Alex's Site: https://www.alexcrescioni.com/
Alex on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexcrescioni/
Alex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexcrescioni/
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw

Credits:

Guest: Alex Crescioni
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab

WCA #332 with Frank Filipetti - METAlliance, Physics to Music, Starting Late, Sticking With It, and Right Track Recording Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is Frank Filipetti, a producer, engineer, mixer, and a seven-time Grammy winner.

Frank has worked with many artists, including Foreigner, KISS, Carly Simon, The Bangles, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Mariah Carey, Madonna, Elton John, Rod Stewart, and Paul McCartney, to name a few. Frank talks to us from his home in Connecticut about his journey, which I think you'll enjoy very much.

In this episode, we discuss:

Parental Impact
Grammar School Band
Physics to Music
Losing Record Deals
Transition to Recording at 30
Right Track Recording
Peter Asher
Niko Bolas
Val Garay
METAlliance
Starting Late
Survival
Alan Myerson
Dealing with Doubt
Sticking With It
Assessing Career
Learning Everyday
Studio in Connecticut
Living Outside of Recording Hubs
Finances

Matt's Rant: Protecting your Ears!

Links and Show Notes

Frank's site: http://frankfilipetti.com/bio/
METAlliance: https://www.metalliance.com/
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw

Credits:

Guest: Frank Filipetti
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab

WCA #331 with Michael Castañeda - Tape Syncs, Podcasts, Network of Friends, West Covina, and Getting Super Lucky Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is Michael Castañeda, who is an audio engineer who does location recordings, post-production, producing, and consultation for podcasts.

In this episode, we discuss:

West Covina
Tape Syncs
Covid Audio Practices
Cassettes
Drum & Bugle Corps.
School Band
Citrus Community College
UC San Diego
Sending Resumes
Craigslist Illness
Reality Show Gigs
The Grind of TV
Recording School Bands
Getting Super Lucky
The Gift of Audio Gear
Live Sound
Podcast Work
Network of Friends
Enjoying Gigs
New York Times
Podcast Producing
Learning in the Field
Linkedin

Matt's Rant: Banking Locally

Links and Show Notes

Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plasticaudio
Michael on Twitter: https://twitter.com/plasticaudio
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Go Ad-Free! https://glow.fm/workingclassaudio/
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw
Working Class Audio Journal: https://amzn.to/2GN67TP

Credits:

Guest: Michael Castañeda
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
Additional Music: The License Lab

WCA #330 with Bill Schnee - Love of Radio, Grammy’s, Dad Jokes, Faith, The R Word, and The Chairman at the Board Apr 12, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is Bill Schnee who is an internationally renowned producer, engineer, and mix master. He has over 125 Gold and Platinum records and 50 top twenty singles and is known as an engineer’s engineer. Bill has worked on dozens of Grammy-nominated and winning albums, and has been personally nominated 11 times for The Best Engineered Album category, winning twice for Steely Dan’s Aja and Gaucho. He also has won an Emmy Award for Best Sound Mixing for a Variety Special and a Dove Award. In his 50+ year career, Bill has found success in every musical genre, from Pop to Rock to R&B to Gospel to Country. Bill talks to us from Blackbird Studios in Nashville where we have a great conversation I think you’ll enjoy.

In this episode, we discuss:

Growing up In Phoenix
Love of Radio
Early Record Deal
Quitting College
Law School
Parents Approval
San Francisco
Discovering Audio
Working with Hired Guns
Keeping Musicians Happy
Recording Drums
Working with Singers
High Profile Artists
Shyness
Faith
Peers
AL Schmitt
The Gift of Balancing
Putting Family First
Disagreements
Differences in Record Making
Nashville vs. Los Angeles
Money Management
Chairman at the Board
Grammy’s and Dad Jokes
Records That Don’t Get Promoted
The R Word

Matt's Rant: Expanding your DAW skills

Links and Show Notes

Bill's Site: https://www.billschnee.com/
Bill's Book: https://amzn.to/326cjBj
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Go Ad-Free! https://glow.fm/workingclassaudio/
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw
Working Class Audio Journal: https://amzn.to/2GN67TP

Credits:

Guest: Bill Schnee
Host: Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
Additional Music: The License Lab

WCA #329 with Joe Caithness - Pragmatic Studio Building, Meta Data, Professionalism, Office Hours, and Gear Poverty Apr 04, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is Mastering Engineering Joe Caithness. Joe has worked on mastering the soundtrack music for games such as Borderlands, and Tekken, the soundtracks for the Netflix movie Close, bands such as Don Martin 3 and Palooka 5 and he does it all from the comfort of his mastering studio located in his backyard in Nottingham, England.

In this episode, we discuss:

Shakespeare
Early PC Recording
Clutter
Being An Audio Introvert
Forums
GateKeeper Mentality
Online Mentors
Gear Poverty
Inverse Financial Curves
Pragmatic Studio Building
Transfer Equipment
Test Pressings
Mastering QC Process
Meta Data
Professionalism
Office Hours
Back Issues
Being Debt Free

Matt's Rant: Patience

Links and Show Notes

Joe’s site: joecaithnessmastering.com
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Go Ad-Free! https://glow.fm/workingclassaudio/
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw
Working Class Audio Journal: https://amzn.to/2GN67TP

Credits:

Guest: Joe Caithness
Host: Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
Additional Music: The License Lab

WCA #328 with Alan Evans - Open Concept Recording, Studio Remodeling, Remote Teaching, Template Mixing, and Selling Vinyl Records Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is producer, engineer, mixer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and, songwriter, Alan Evans. This is Alan’s second time on the podcast. He first joined us on episode 133. This time around He talks to us from Massachusetts where we have a great chat about his studio and, his record label, and what’s been happening lately in his life.

In this episode, we discuss:

Studio Remodeling
Alan's Record Label
Remote Teaching
Audio Minimalism
Vinyl Flooring
Great Musicians
Open Concept Recording
Template Mixing
Financial Groove
Selling Vinyl Records
The Blockbuster Documentary
The Black Puma's
Great Monitoring
Boot Drives

Matt's Rant: Audio Dogma

Links and Show Notes

Alan's Studio: https://www.ironwax.com/
Alan's Band: https://www.soulive.com/
Alan's Label: https://www.vintageleaguemusic.com/
Listen to this song! https://spoti.fi/3stsG6M
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Go Ad-Free! https://glow.fm/workingclassaudio/
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw
Working Class Audio Journal: https://amzn.to/2GN67TP

Credits:

Guest: Alan Evans
Host: Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
Additional Music: The License Lab

WCA #327 with Trina Shoemaker - Temp Jobs, Sheryl Crow, Daniel Lanois, Writing a Novel, Drug Runs, and Dads' Control Room Mar 21, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is Grammy-winning producer/engineer and mixer, Trina Shoemaker. Trina has worked with Sheryl Crow, Tanya Tucker, the Indigo Girls, Pearl Jam, Patty Griffen, and many, many more. Trina comes to us by way of former WCA guest and friend Andrew Scheps who helped make the introduction. We have a great discussion that I think you’ll enjoy.

In this episode, we discuss:

Growing Up In Joliet, Illinois
Concerts in Chicago
Jackson 5
Dads’ “Control Room”
Chicago
Los Angeles
Drive Aways
Capital Records Temp
Alternative Marketing
Rancho De La Luna
Living in London
Drug Runs
LA Recording Workshop
Susan Rodgers
New Orleans
Daniel Lanois
Canadians
Sheryl Crow
Needs-Based Creatures
Jeff Trott
Tchad Blake
Hurricane Katrina
Losing Her House
Counting on Music Moments
Alabama
The Peavy Brothers
Writing a Novel

Matt's Rant: Lack of Work

Links and Show Notes

Trina's Site: http://www.trinashoemaker.com/
Trina on Instagram: @trinashoemaker
Dauphin Street Studios: http://www.dauphinstreetsound.com/
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Go Ad-Free! https://glow.fm/workingclassaudio/
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw
Working Class Audio Journal: https://amzn.to/2GN67TP

Credits:

Guest: Trina Shoemaker
Host: Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
Additional Music: The License Lab

WCA #326 with Stephen Dent - Working with Sean Combs, Go-go, House of Sound, Bob Rosa, DC, and The Forest Gump Effect Mar 15, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is Grammy Nominated engineer Stephen Dent. Stephen has worked on records for Notorious B.I.G, Sean Combs, Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, and Lil Kim. He also spent a number of years running Daddy’s House, the studio owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs located in Brooklyn. I met Stephen while participating in rooms on Club House. I reached out and he accepted my invitation to come on the show. We have a great conversation and I’m looking forward to you hearing about his journey.

In this episode, we discuss: