Working Class Audio

WCA #612 with Brian Starley – Utah, Cartage, Building a Studio in LA, and Relationships Before Gear

For episode 612, Matt talks with Brian Starley recording and mixing engineer based in North Hollywood, California, and owner of Bergatron Music Studio. Brian grew up in S

WCA #611 with Scott McDowell – Berklee, California vs New York, Getting Fired, Becoming a Studio Partner, and Getting Hit by a Car

Scott McDowell is a producer, engineer, and co-owner of Wally's Hydeout at Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco. In episode 611 they talk about getting fired from his fir

WCA #610 with Stephen Shirk – Bloomington, New York, Chicago, and Twenty Years of SHIRK Studios

For episode 610, Matt talks with Stephen Shirk — engineer, producer, guitarist, and owner of SHIRK Studios in Chicago's West Town neighborhood. Stephen grew up in Bloomin

WCA #609 with Eric M Lichter – Martha's Vineyard, New York, Connecticut, and the Beauty Marks That Make a Record

For episode 609, Matt talks with Eric M Lichter — multi-instrumentalist, producer, and owner of Dirt Floor Recording in Connecticut, where he’s been in business for twent

WCA #608 with Julian Kindred – Canada, America, England, and Thirty-Five Years of Making Records

For episode 608, Matt talks with Julian Kindred — Canadian producer, engineer, and songwriter based in London, where he runs Nonsuch Park Studio in Epsom, Surrey. Julian

WCA #607 with Dana Nielsen – Jazz School, System of a Down, SZA, and the Money Side of a Long Career

For episode 607, Matt talks with Dana Nielsen — Grammy-nominated producer, mixer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and founder of Mix Protégé in Los Angeles. Dana came up

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 gig

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 Nashvil

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 par

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 fr

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

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. Ger

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 episod

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 fo

WCA #598 with Dante Fumo – Harmonic Content, Independent Film Sound, DIY Publishing, and Making a Living on Your Own Terms

In this return visit to Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes back Dante Fumo — freelance sound designer, writer, and the creator behind Harmonic Content, a screen-printed a

WCA #597 with Tchad Blake, Dr. Will Sedley, Jack Rubinacci & Hazel Goedhart – Tinnitus Quest: Breaking the Silence on the Music Industry's Most Common Occupational Condition

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes a panel of four guests united by a common cause: Tinnitus Quest, a patient-driven nonprofit pushing to fund and acce

WCA #596 with Will Kennedy – Dolby Atmos Focus, Selling Recording Gear, Hidden Coffee Shops, and Mixing Rock in Surround

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes back producer, mixer, and engineer Will Kennedy. Will shares an update on his journey since his last appearance, foc

WCA #595 with Steve Kitch – Classical Roots, Sound On Sound, Supermarket Shifts, and Online Mastering Success

In this episode, Matt welcomes mastering engineer Steve Kitch. Steve shares his journey from early music programming on home keyboards and classical piano training to bui

WCA #594 with Amar Lal – Experimental Roots, Corporate Transitions, Mastering Room Acoustics, and Macro Sound

In this episode, Matt welcomes mastering engineer and artist Amar Lal of Oakland’s Macro Sound. Amar shares his journey from the New York DIY scene and touring with Big U

WCA #593 with Katie Marie Richards – Self-taught Foundations, Four-track Experiments, Blue Rock, and The Human Experience

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist Katie Marie for a deep dive into her 30-year career journey, moving fr