Working Class Audio

Working Class Audio
  • 4.8 (209)
  • Music Interviews
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 1h ago

    WCA #606 with Neil Rogers – Eighteen Years of Half-ton Studios, Bootstrapping in Cambridge, and Writing for Sound on Sound

    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

    WCA #606 with Neil Rogers – Eighteen Years of Half-ton Studios, Bootstrapping in Cambridge, and Writing for Sound on Sound

  2. Jul 20

    WCA #605 with Chris Mara – Building Welcome to 1979, Restoring Tape Machines, and Saying Yes to Everything

    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

    WCA #605 with Chris Mara – Building Welcome to 1979, Restoring Tape Machines, and Saying Yes to Everything

  3. Jul 12

    WCA #604 with Alec Ness – Mastering in Minneapolis, Resisting Homogenization, and Putting the Art First

    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

    WCA #604 with Alec Ness – Mastering in Minneapolis, Resisting Homogenization, and Putting the Art First

  4. Jul 5

    WCA #603 with Lorenzo Wolff – Building a Brooklyn Studio, Session Bass to Taylor Swift, and Working for Ms. Lauryn Hill

    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

    WCA #603 with Lorenzo Wolff – Building a Brooklyn Studio, Session Bass to Taylor Swift, and Working for Ms. Lauryn Hill

  5. Jun 28

    WCA #602 with Luke Burgoyne – Seven Years Assisting a Top UK Mixer, Mix Prep, and Going Solo in London

    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

    WCA #602 with Luke Burgoyne – Seven Years Assisting a Top UK Mixer, Mix Prep, and Going Solo in London

  6. Jun 21

    WCA #601 with Gert Keunen – Immersive Audio, "Stereo Was a Nice Try," a Dozen Careers, and Brewing His Own Beer

    For episode 601, Matt sits down with Belgian musician, mastering engineer, and sociologist of music Gert Keunen — recommended to the show by past guest John Greenham. Gert has spent 35 years saying yes to nearly everything music: seven albums of his own, the nu-jazz project Briskey, a PhD in the sociology of music, four books on pop history, stints as a record-label staffer and newspaper critic, teaching at conservatories in Ghent, and most recently a deep dive into immersive audio that produced his book STEREO – Was a Nice Try. He joins from the Flemish countryside — where he also runs a 200-liter brewery and grows his own hops — to talk about how he manages time across all of it, why he learns best by teaching, how ADHD and dyslexia shaped an offline, notebook-driven discipline, and why he believes the future of immersive music is composing in 3D from the very first note rather than up mixing stereo. In This Episode, We Discuss: Living a Passion-Driven Life Across Music, Academia, and BeerManaging Time When You Do a Dozen Things (and Cycling to Clear the Mind)Growing Up in Flanders: Flute, Pink Floyd, and a Cracked Cubase on an AtariWhy He'd Rather Create Music Than Perform ItA PhD in the Sociology of Music and Four Books on Pop HistoryTeaching Music History, Sociology, and Production in GhentGoing All-In on Mastering for a Year with Friedemann Tischmeyer and Ian ShepherdHow ADHD and Dyslexia Shaped His Offline, Notebook-Driven LearningWhy Teaching Is How He Actually LearnsDiscovering Immersive Audio Through Apple Spatial Audio on EarbudsWhy a Good Immersive Mix Makes the Headphone Experience BetterWriting STEREO – Was a Nice Try Because No Good Handbook Existed"13 Reasons Why Dolby Atmos Sucks" — and His RebuttalsCreating Immersive From the Ground Up vs. Upmixing StereoA Format-Agnostic Workflow: Object, Channel, and Scene-Based, Then Choose Atmos or Auro-3D LaterTeaching Immersive at a Conservatory With a Dolby Atmos RoomTranslating Student Tracks to a Live Immersive System at Ghent's Winter CircusPricing Mastering, Student Discounts, and Treating Gear as the Real PaymentGear Acquisition, Buy-and-Return, and "a Hobby That Pays for Itself"Finding Community Online Through Chris Salim's MCCRunning a 200-Liter Brewery, Growing His Own Hops, and Why Beer Is Like Making Music Matt's RANT!: Time Links and Show Notes: Gert KeunenSTEREO – Was a Nice Try (book)Briskey Ian Shepherd on WCAFriedemann Tischmeyer / Mastering Academy Nuendo (Steinberg) Chris Selim on WCA Credits: Guest: Gert KeunenHost/Engineer/Producer: Matt BoudreauWCA Theme Music: Cliff TruesdellThe Voice: Chuck Smith

    WCA #601 with Gert Keunen – Immersive Audio, "Stereo Was a Nice Try," a Dozen Careers, and Brewing His Own Beer

  7. Jun 14

    WCA #600 with Andrew Scheps – Atmos, Imposter Syndrome, Coding Plugins with AI, Climbing Walls, and 600 Episodes

    Matt celebrates episode 600 of Working Class Audio with a guest who's been there since the beginning — mixer and producer Andrew Scheps, who first appeared back on episodes 009 300 & 477. Andrew joins from his home in rural England to talk about winning MPG Atmos Mixer of the Year for his work on Low Roar, how he approaches Dolby Atmos delivery and client approval, why he switched from Sony headphones to the Audeze LCD-MX4, and what he's learned about training your brain to externalize binaural audio. The conversation also covers writing his own plugins with Claude and the JUCE framework, why he quit drinking four years ago and found rock climbing instead, breaking his foot, the realities of working with a manager, what "retirement" even means when no one tells you you're done, and why — 600 episodes in — Working Class Audio still matters in a way that's different from everything else. In This Episode, We Discuss: 600 Episodes In — Andrew's Long History with the ShowWinning MPG Atmos Mixer of the Year for the Low Roar CatalogThe MPG vs. a US Equivalent: Advocacy, VAT, and Saving StudiosBeing an American Honored Inside a UK OrganizationWhy the Low Roar "House in the Woods" Atmos Mix May Be His Best WorkThe Pressure of Paid Work vs. Unpaid Passion ProjectsStill Battling Imposter Syndrome After Decades at the TopWhy He Hates Sending Mixes OutAtmos Delivery Workflow: Binaural, MP4, ADM, and the Two-Page PDFTraining Your Brain to Externalize Binaural AudioWhy He Starts Atmos Mixes in Headphones, Not SpeakersSwitching from Sony Headphones to the Audeze LCD-MX4Steven Wilson and Staying True to the Music in AtmosDiscovering Rock Climbing as Moving MeditationBreaking His Foot — and Five Weeks on the SidelinesAlex Honnold, Free Solo, and the Idea of Minimizing RiskQuitting Drinking Four Years Ago and Stepping Away from Pub CultureIs There a Calculation Behind a Career? Building Extra Income StreamsThe Retirement Question: "They'll Just Stop Hiring Us"Writing Plugins with Claude and the JUCE FrameworkWhy You Need an Idea — Not Just AI — to Build a PluginAI as a "Knowledgeable but Completely Blinkered Friend"AAX, PACE Code Signing, and the Nightmare of Plugin UIBoard Games, Astronomy, and Life in Rural EnglandWhy He Can't Imagine Living in LA AnymoreWorking with Manager Frank McDonough — and What a Manager Actually DoesThe Reality of Getting Paid by Major Labels (180-Day Cycles) Matt's RANT!: 600 Episodes! Links and Show Notes: Andrew Scheps Low Roar WCA interview with manager Frank McDonoughJUCE frameworkAudio Developer ConferenceAudeze LCD-MX4Free Solo (Alex Honnold)Bounce Factory Credits: Guest: Andrew SchepsHost/Engineer/Producer: Matt BoudreauWCA Theme Music: Cliff TruesdellThe Voice: Chuck Smith

    WCA #600 with Andrew Scheps – Atmos, Imposter Syndrome, Coding Plugins with AI, Climbing Walls, and 600 Episodes

  8. Jun 8

    WCA #599 with Alex Newport – Three Decades of Production, a Studio in the Desert, Engineering at Tiny Telephone, and Why Unique Always Beats Good

    Matt welcomes producer, engineer, and mixer Alex Newport for his first appearance on Working Class Audio. Alex grew up in the UK Midlands with few music resources, and found his way into production after his band got signed to a UK label with an upstream deal to Columbia, and ended up recording at Sawmills, a legendary residential studio on a tidal island at the tip of Cornwall. Working there with producer Colin Richardson changed everything. From there Alex spent decades moving between LA, San Francisco, and New York — engineering at Tiny Telephone, producing records for At the Drive-In, City and Colour, and many more — before eventually building his own residential studio in Joshua Tree, designed from the ground up to let bands show up and make records without distraction. The conversation covers production philosophy, surviving as a freelancer across three decades, why he intentionally avoids getting pigeonholed, and what really matters when designing a studio space. In This Episode, We Discuss: Growing Up in the UK Midlands With Few Music ResourcesThe Band That Got Signed: Upstream Deal to Columbia RecordsRecording at Sawmills — The Tidal Island Studio in CornwallColin Richardson as a Life-Changing ProducerThe Difference Between a Producer Who Listens and One Who Doesn'tWhy Alex Was Initially Resistant to Having a ProducerWhat Colin Taught Him That He Still Uses Today — and What He HatedThe Shift From Being a Musician to Wanting to Be in the StudioMoving to the US: From Arizona to LA to San Francisco to New YorkFirst Impressions of LA — Where's the City Centre?The Culture Shock of Going From the UK to CaliforniaWhy Alex Prefers San Francisco Over LATiny Telephone and John Vanderslice — Engineering as EducationLearning to Mic Instruments He'd Never Encountered BeforeThe Moment Budgets Started Collapsing Around 2004Building a Studio in LA, Then New York, Then Realising It Was MadnessNew York vs LA: Brutally Honest vs Relaxed and OpenSurviving as a Freelance Producer: The Feast or Famine RealityWhy He Intentionally Avoids Getting Pigeonholed as a ProducerMoving to Joshua Tree and Building a Residential Studio From ScratchDesigning the Studio From a Musician's Perspective, Not an Engineer'sThe Vintage Trailer as Accommodation: Glamping, Not a Holiday InnHigh Ceilings That Cost an Extra $35,000Good Coffee Is More Important Than the Gear in the RackThe Sawmills Influence on the Joshua Tree Studio ConceptPhilip Broussard, Daniel Lanois, and the Kingsway/Teatro PhilosophyWhat Alex Brings to the Table as a Producer: Objectivity and People SkillsThe Sliding Scale Rate Philosophy: Money Follows Good WorkOn Relationships, Touring, and Finding a Partner Who Gets ItDual UK/US Citizenship and Thoughts on Moving Back to England Matt's RANT!: AI and Its Uses Links and Show Notes: Alex Newport Tiny Creatures StudioWCA with John Greenham WCA with Philip Broussard Credits: Guest: Alex NewportHost/Engineer/Producer: Matt BoudreauWCA Theme Music: Cliff TruesdellThe Voice: Chuck Smith

    WCA #599 with Alex Newport – Three Decades of Production, a Studio in the Desert, Engineering at Tiny Telephone, and Why Unique Always Beats Good
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4.8
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Working Class Audio
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    605
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Working Class Audio All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    Working Class Audio

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