In the last episode of Square Cad John McCaig of Panic Studios interviews me. We discuss networking, business and client relations, proper name pronunciation. Music: Adventures With Might "Bad Boys Club" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
Scott Hampton has been making great gear at Hamptone since the late 80s. Recently he moved a new optical compressor, the HOC1, out of the prototype phase and into production. I spoke with Scott about why he loves optical compressors, his design philosophy, and what test data he thinks is most important. Music: Eric and Magill "Tangled Up In Nets" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
For over 25 years Grammy nominated mastering engineer Jonathan Wyner has worked at M-Works in Cambridge Massachusetts. In that time he's mastered records for Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, David Bowie, DEVO, Cave In, Apples In Stereo, and loads more. He's also an associate professor at Berklee College of Music where he teaches mastering. Jonathan and I discuss whether mastering can be taught effectively in a classroom, the value of formal education, and lessons he wishes every student could learn. Music: Boris "Minha Chuva" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
Jeff Lipton's discography is filled with some of the best records of the past 15 years. His credits include The Magnetic Fields, Codeine, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Andrew Bird, Battles, and many more. Jeff spoke with me about changing client expectations, his 6-week gear rule, and learning hard lessons. Music: Collection Of Colony of Bees "Lawn" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
Lacquers are the physical masters needed for vinyl record production. Apollo Masters is in the unique position of producing master lacquers for both the Apollo and Transco brands. For the entire world. Both types of master lacquers come from the same factory in Banning California. To find out more about how lacquers are made I spoke with Sam Smith at Apollo. She discusses how to make a perfect lacquer, how Apollo deals with the pressure of being the only game in town for lacquers, and learning from her clients. Music: Beirut "St. Apollonia" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
Transformers are the source of much superstition and misunderstanding in audio. Sometimes they are the magic box that makes everything passing through them better, other times they single handedly ruin everything passing through a circuit. Are they neither? Both? To find out I spoke with tech extraordinaire Alan Garren of Waltzing Bear Audio. Alan has been a tech and engineer for over 30 years and has built and maintained gear for artists such as Death Cab For Cutie and engineers such as Tucker Martine. I spoke with Alan about 'correct' vs 'creative' uses for transformers, what gives a transformer it's sound, and how to best utilize them. Music: Cepia "Braille Wounds" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
There's much to consider when building a new room. Being able to trust the room is critical to a mastering engineer. A lot is riding on the decisions you make in front of your speakers. Josh Bonati can tell you all about it. Josh recently constructed a new room for Bonati Mastering with the help of Northward Acoustics. I spoke with Josh about what prompted him to build a new room, getting it up and running, and whether it's worth it. Music: Finn Riggins "Big News" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
Los Angeles mix engineer Sonny DiPerri -30 Seconds to Mars, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Portugal The Man- stopped by Telegraph to pick up a reel of tape. While he was here we discussed working under legendary producer Flood, meeting artists on their terms, and what he looks for in a mastering engineer. Music: Radiation City "Foreign Bodies" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
Hi folks. Calling in sick for the first time ever. See you for a new episode on May 21st. Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
Pressing plants - the vinyl frontier. What happens at the plant, and how do the decisions made in music production impact the quality of the record you'll receive? To find out I spoke with Matt Earley from Gotta Groove Records. Gotta Groove has been producing high quality vinyl records since 2009, and Matt has been there since day 1. I spoke with Matt about starting up a pressing plant, expanding into plating, and the best thing an artist can do to prepare their music for vinyl. Music: Jackie Mittoo "Dancing Groove" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
To check the hype on DMG Audio's EQuilibrium I spoke with my friend and colleague Brad Boatright of Audiosiege. Brad has used a hybrid digital/analog setup to master records for Sleep, OFF!, Pierced Arrows, Dresden, Nails, Guantanamo Baywatch, and many more. We discuss the good and bad of this digital EQ and then provide examples of EQuilibrium in use. Music: Summer Cannibals "Handle This Love" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
George Graves has had an amazing career that spans close to half a century. First at RCA, then at The Mastering Lab, and finally as Chief Engineer at Toronto's Lacquer Channel he has distinguished himself through a fierce work ethic and golden ear. George spoke with me about his career, why having a mentor is crucial, and the necessity of patience. Music: Kate Rusby "Unquiet Graves" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
Chris Gehringer, a senior engineer at Sterling Sound, is a hit mastering machine. He's worked on albums for Naughty By Nature, NAS, Rihanna, Drake, Lady Gaga, Madonna, 50 Cent, The Wu Tang Clan, Kelly Clarkson, Nicki Manaj, T.I., and many more. I spoke with Chris about the benefits and challenges of working at the biggest mastering facility in the world, and staying competitive. Music: Purity Ring "Crawlers Out" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
Jaakko Viitalähde of Viitalähde Mastering in Finland doesn't call himself an electrical engineer, but he's being modest. He's built equalizers, compressors, monitors, and tackles every project with DIY verve. I spoke with Jaakko about lessons learned from some of his builds, and why thinking about individual pieces of gear, isolated from the chain as a whole, makes no sense. Music: Brainstorm "Flat Earth" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
In 2009 the cutting room at Masterdisk in NYC experienced a renaissance, and one of the main people behind it was Alex Deturk. Alex is an young engineer at Masterdisk who took an interest in all things vinyl and since then has cut for Sting, Lou Reed, Ted Leo, Skip James, The Melvins, and many more. Alex and I spoke about how he became 'the cutting guy' at Masterdisk, differences between Scully and Neumann systems, and connecting with a new generation who are discovering vinyl for the first time. Music: The Legends "Breaking Time, Breaking Lines" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
For over 40 years Len Horowitz has been working on lathes and cutting electronics. First at Western Electric, then as a part of his studio tech company History Of Recorded Sound. Len spoke with me about the genesis of lacquer cutting systems, what it takes to maintain them, and why he thinks vinyl remains so popular. Music: Telekinesis "Dirty Thing" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
With the Grammy Awards just around the corner I decided to catch up with Maureen Droney, Senior Executive Director of the Producers and Engineers Wing of The Recording Academy to talk about what the P and E does aside from the Grammys. Maureen spoke with me about her engineering career, as well as P and E initiatives advocating for improved sound quality of digital audio, and attaching album credits to digital recordings. Music: A.C. Newman "Most Of Us Prizefighters" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
Mistakes the major labels made when transitioning from the CD era to the digital age are often discussed. Steve Knopper wrote a terrific book about what was happening behind the scenes that puts those mistakes in context and illuminates some universal truths about the music industry. I spoke with Steve about the pivotal moment when most major labels screwed themselves, why the challenges artists face today are so similar to those they faced in the CD heydey, and why he's optimistic about artists making a better living in the near future. Music: Wolf Parade "Little Golden Age" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
Part 2 of my conversation with Bob Olhsson, mastering engineer for Motown and Georgetown Masters. Bob and I discuss his return to mastering, differences between analog and digital, and the importance of capturing the feeling of live performance. Music: Gladys Knight and The Pips "Heard It Through The Grapevine" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!
Bob Olhsson started his career with Motown, mastering hits for the likes of Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and many more. His career also took him to work with rock acts like the Grateful Dead, and for sound designers at Skywalker Sound. He's returned to mastering these days, working at Georgetown Masters in Nashville, Tennessee. In the first of our two-part chat Bob spoke with me about how his amazing career began, what it was like working at Motown, and why you can record and mix a song in three minutes if you have no other option. Music: Marvin Gaye "I'll Be Doggone" Square Cad is Sponsored by Dangerous Music. Check out all the indispensable mastering tools at dangerousmusic.com!