Working Class Audio

Don Setaro is a producer and engineer based in the Central Valley of California with over 40 years in the world of music and audio. Don is also is involved in live sound, owns a record label and has an extensive background doing studio installation and wiring.About this Interview:Don Joins me at Highwire Coffee in Oakland, California for a chat about soldering thousands of cables, working on model trains for Neil Young, building studios, running a record label and his love for audio and making records.Show Notes and LinksDon’s Record Label: http://iacrecords.com/WCA Patreon Subscriptions: https://goo.gl/iSPLTSAudio-Technica: https://www.audio-technica.com/UA Promo: https://www.uaudio.com/uad-accelerator-promoAEA Ribbon Mics: https://www.aearibbonmics.com/Audio Life on Gearslutz: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/audio-life/WCA on Youtube: https://goo.gl/g5nsWGNational Audio Company (Cassettes): https://www.nationalaudiocompany.com/NAC Video Story: https://goo.gl/g8ss

Nick Luca is a multi-instrumentalist musician, singer/songwriter/composer, music producer and audio engineer. He has toured throughout Europe, USA, Mexico, Canada and Australia with Iron and Wine, Calexico, John Doe (X) and his own band, Luca. As a session musician and audio engineer, Nick has credits on over 100 albums with artists such as Neko Case, DeVotchka, Robyn Hitchcock, Margaret Cho, M Ward, Darren Hanlon and many others. About this Interview:Nick joins me to talk about scenes, spirit animals, Calexico, Los Angeles, Kelsey Grammer, recording Hip Hop and diversification. Enjoy!-MattShow Notes and LinksNick’s Site: http://www.nickluca.com/WCA Patreon Subscriptions: https://goo.gl/iSPLTSOneMic Series: http://www.johncuniberti.com/onemic/Audio-Technica: https://www.audio-technica.com/UA Promo: https://www.uaudio.com/uad-accelerator-promoAEA Ribbon Mics: https://www.aearibbonmics.com/Audio Life on Gearslutz: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/audio-life/WCA on Youtube:

Working Class Audio #217 with Tony Maserati!!!Tony Maserati is a Grammy Award winning mixer, and record producer / engineer. He was involved in the development of the New York R&B and Hip-Hop scene in the 1990s, working with Mary J. Blige, Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, and Queen Latifah. Since then, he has worked on Grammy nominated projects with Beyonce (who he won “Best R&B Album” in 2003 with “Dangerously In Love”), Jason Mraz, Robin Thicke, Usher, and Selena Gomez. Tony has been nominated for a total of 10 Grammys, with four in the “Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical” category.About this Interview:Tony joins me to talk about his 90’s New York history, early adoption of technology, setting goals, contracts, not working for free and hip hop. -EnjoyShow Notes and LinksTony’s site: http://tonymaserati.com/WCA Patreon Subscriptions: https://goo.gl/iSPLTSOneMic Series: http://www.johncuniberti.com/onemic/Current Sponsors and Promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw

Working Class Audio #216 with Adam Gonsalves!!!Adam Gonsalves has mastered over a thousand releases from artists around the world. He is equally at home mastering for digital formats and cutting lacquers for vinyl. Prior to mastering Adam worked for 7 years as a tracking and mixing engineer at Anchorhold Recording. From 2010-2013 Adam also produced the Square Cad Mastering Podcast. In 2017 he was featured in the book Why Vinyl Matters. Adam received a master’s degree in Music Technology from New York University. Adam is  approved to provide Mastered for iTunes masters. Clients include: Willie Nelson, Peter Buck, Elliott Smith, Sleep, Blitzen Trapper, The Last Artful Dodgr, Sufjan Stevens, Pure Bathing Culture, Tender Loving Empire, Southern Lord, TKO, Living Music, Crane City Music, Typhoon, My Brightest Diamond, Dead Moon, Emma Ruth Rundle, Steve Aoki, Poison Idea, Rogue Wave, Ty Segall, Pelican, John Craigie, Earth, Horse Feathers, Blackwater Holylight, Calvin Johnson, Haley Heynderickx, Widowmaker, and ma

Working Class Audio #215 with NAMM 2019!!!  NAMM 2019 was fantastic as usual. Always so much to see. This episode is a little different compared to the others. Many WCA alumni come back for interviews including Vance Powell, Chris Selim and Lij Shaw and Alex Oana makes his debut explaining how his new venture Audio Test Kitchen works.  About this Interview: I hang out with Vance Powell as he tells me about his recent projects with The Stray Cats and Trey Anastasio. Alex Oana tells me all about Audio Test Kitchen and we wrap up with a semi-drunken ambush interview with Chris Selim and Lij Shaw at our AIRBNB. Enjoy! -Matt  ________________________________  Show Notes and LinksWCA Patreon Subscriptions: http://www.patreon.com/workingclassaudioVance’s Site: http://www.sputniksound.com/vance/Audio Test Kitchen: https://audiotestkitchen.squarespace.com/Recording Studio Rockstars: https://recordingstudiorockstars.com/Chris Selim’s Cubase Course: https://mixdownacademy.thi

For Bart Thurber, what started as a hobby, soon became an obsession that led him to start House Of Faith Studios in Palo Alto. When the graffiti covered building was torn down, his studio moved to Oakland. After 28 years, recording over 700 bands, Bart is still amazed by the musicians he works with. "Every band I’ve recorded has something unique and remarkable about them. I truly enjoy helping people achieve the recordings that they hear inside. As I tell my bands : ” I want this recording to sound like you, only more so. “ About this Interview: I head over to House of Faith in Oakland for a chat with Bart about the most common musician personality types, people skills, studio sharing and his recent (2014) transition from analog to digital. Enjoy! -Matt Links and Show Notes Barts site: http://www.bartthurberrecording.com/ Cubase Course: https://mixdown.online/en/the-ultimate-guide-to-cubase-new-premium-course/ WCA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/working_class_audio Support WCA - Go Ad-Free! htt

Ken Riley’s career started in 1980 at 3D Studio’s in Costa Mesa with Doug Doyle. Recording such names as The Altar Boys, Crumbacher, Daniel Amos, and The Life Savors. Then creating the group Common Bond where he was the lead vocalist and the bass player. Common Bond toured and had 3 albums on Front Line Records. Then moving his career along to New York at Electric Lady Studios, where he worked with the best in the industry. Bringing it to today where he is in his own well established Rio Grande Studios in Albuquerque, New Mexico recording.In this episode, we discuss: Ken's history. The New Mexico sound. Artist's knowing who they are.  Ken's partnership with Drew Newman New Mexico and its people. Links and Show Notes Rio Grande Studios: http://riograndestudios.com/ WCA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/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 Wor

Working Class Audio #212 with Gentry Studer!!!Gentry Studer grew up with a definitive love of music. He played various instruments from an early age, later joining rock bands in high school. But with a name like “Studer”, although no actual relation to the famous tape machine, he was bound for the engineering world. Gentry graduated from the prestigious Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences program in 2013. He moved to Los Angeles and worked under one of the most iconic mastering engineers. In 2015 Gentry started his own company, Epicenter Mastering. In 2016 the operation moved into Paramount Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. In 2018 Epicenter Mastering relocated down south to Nashville, Tennessee in the historic RCA Studio A building.His combined creative and technical backgrounds have informed Gentry’s approach to the art of mastering– not only to preserve and enhance the sonic qualities of an artist’s vision in the mix but also to bring across its feel and emotional intentions. As he puts i

Working Class Audio #211 with Jaimeson Durr!!!Jaimeson Durr is a San Francisco Bay Area recording engineer, mixer and producer that works on a variety of music genres from local legends like, Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Chickenfoot, The Circle, The Dead, Dan the Automator as well as many other new promising artists. For the past 14 years Jaimeson has been primarily working out of his own studio Wally’s Hyde Out (formally Studio C) in the legendary Hyde Street Recording Studio complex where many well known artists recorded including Santana, Clearance Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane,The Grateful Dead, Green Day, Train, and many, many more. He has also performed on and mixed several songs for hit prime time TV shows and movie trailers 90210, The Mindy Project, Ugly Betty, Rango, Arthur, The Lorax, Tangled and many more. About this Interview:Jaimeson joins me for coffee at Philz Coffee in Lafayette, California to discuss his journey, his mentors, never quitting and his work with Sammy Hagar. Enjoy! – MattS

David Streit is a producer, mixer, recording engineer, and live sound engineer based in Portland, Oregon. He has been working with sound for over 30 years.David began his audio career working in clubs and venues in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. He loved seeing bands play live, and became an avid concertgoer. These experiences proved to be very useful when he decided to move to Nashville, Tennessee and become a recording engineer. David developed his recording skills assisting and learning from the engineers who came before him as he rose up through the studio system in Nashville. Eventually, he became an engineer and producer himself and has been a freelance audio engineer in Connecticut and Santa Cruz, California.Now, David is happy to call the Pacific Northwest his home, and is excited to be a part of the amazing vibrant music scene in Portland. David has a bachelor’s degree in recording from Middle Tennessee State University, and learned about mic’ing classical ensembles as an intern at The Aspen M

Mike Stevens is a Producer, Engineer, Drummer & Percussionist. A life-long lover of music, bringing more than 20 years working as a professional musician throughout the US and abroad, as well as a decade of producing, recording and mixing San Francisco Bay Area bands. Coming from New York City in 2006, his diverse experience has brought a unique perspective into his work. He has been called upon to work with many San Francisco artists and bands (including ska pioneers The Uptones and Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon frontman Mark Kozelek), as well as playing percussion for Donna Summer’s 2008 Crayons tour. He has a deep understanding of what makes a song great, both as a musician and listener, in the studio, onstage and on the air. Mike started his own Recording Studio in 2009 to establish an artist-friendly hub for creators of great music and the people who listen to it. When he isn’t touring or performing on stage, he dedicates his time to working with new and seasoned artists, helping them discover what

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 ne

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 Note

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://sound

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. E

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 mast

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

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 a

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,

When I asked Tchad if he had an official bio he said…”Probably, It’s just not written down. ”