Chris Dugan is an American engineer and producer. He is also a drummer, videographer, and photographer.
Dugan began his musical pursuits as a drummer. Needing to be resourceful, he learned to do basic recordings for his high school bands. Engineering was an instinctual progression and it was the purist recording styles of the 60s and 70s that really inspired him. In 1996, he opened Nu-Tone Studios in Pittsburg, Ca with fellow engineer Willie Samuels. Nu-Tone quickly became an indie band favorite, drawing the local rock scene and labels like Lookout, Adeline, and Alternative Tentacles. In 2002, Dugan began engineering for Green Day out of JingleTown Recording in Oakland, Ca, at that time called Studio 880.
Dugan has worked with bands such as U2, Iggy Pop, Green Day, and Smash Mouth. He has also worked with producers Rob Cavallo, Butch Vig, Bob Ezrin, and Jeff Saltzman. In 2010, he won the Grammy for Best Rock Album of the Year for engineering Green Day’s “21st Century Breakdown.” In 2011, he won the Grammy for Best Musical Show Album for engineering Green Day’s “American_Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording.”
Chris talks with Matt via Skype about working for Green Day, being a dad and his roots at Nu-Tone Studios.
A jack of all trades and master of some, his areas of expertise run the gamut of daily station operation; from the foundations of real-time networking for AoIP, to FOH and live sound recording, IP phones and SIP trunking, MPEG audio, and video standards and codecs, radio automation, HD radio transmission, to remote broadcast coordination, even security cameras, and keycards! Andrew stopped by Matt’s house to talk about his job duties, where the worlds of audio and IT collide while they consume loads of coffee!
Gary Hobish brings over 30 years of experience as a professional recording engineer/producer to A. Hammer Mastering which he runs out of Secret Studios in San Francisco. He started as an assistant engineer at legendary Bell Sound Studios in New York City but found his way to San Francisco in 1976. He has worked in many disciplines in recording and music, most notably as Mastering Engineer/ Tape Historian at Berkeley’s Fantasy Studios and Chief Engineer at San Francisco’s CD Studios.
Gary began his specialization in the field of Mastering at Fantasy Studios in 1982, and has been credited on hundreds of albums covering all genres of recordings — from classic jazz to classic rock, alt-rock, rap and hard rock to folk, classical, spoken word and even sound effects. His projects include such names as NRBQ, Dream Syndicate, Flipper, The Feelies, Dr. John and Willie Nelson. An expanded list of Gary’s credits can be found at the All Music Guide or Artist Direct.
Matt visits Gary at his mastering room located at Secret Studios in San Francisco, where they chat about the advantages of mastering in a rehearsal facility, working relationships with mix engineer’s and his adhoc survival strategy.
Nashville producer MitchDane has managed to cross the lines into almost every genre In his 20+ years of production/engineering experience. Though most of his work can be heard on Rock, Roots/Rock and Singer/Songwriter records, Mitch continues to work fearlessly in other styles like Bluegrass/Americana. In his own words: “I like to collect the best aspects of every genre of music and bring them together in hybrid productions.” His desire to grow and to learn is constant, making every project he touches relevant and refreshing. This personal philosophy has worked well, considering Mitch’s fingerprints mark over 200 records, four of which are Grammy nominees.
• Grammy award for his engineering.
• ASCAP award for his songwriting.
• Over 25 years of production/engineering experience.
• Owns a full production/recording studio in Berry Hill called Sputnik Sound with his partner, Vance Powell.
Matt and Mitch talk about how an early childhood accident would set the tone and approach for his future career , raw natural tracks vs overly manicured ones and Mitch’s advice on studio ownership. Enjoy.
Tremaine Williams (AKA: “Six7”) was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. He began his musical journey by taking piano & drum lessons while in elementary school, as well as becoming a classically trained singer in the Raleigh Boychoir. He grew up playing in church but was also heavily influenced by R&B. He began to dabble in music production in high school as a hobby. After lending his production works to emerging singers in North Carolina, Tremaine enrolled at Full Sail University in 2003.
Upon graduating in October 2004 with his Associate of Science degree in Recording Arts, Tremaine achieved one of his many career goals, as he received an internship at Hidden Beach Recordings. His career catapulted when he moved to Los Angeles, California and became a standout intern at the label from November 2004 to June 2005. Tremaine achieved another benchmark in his career when he joined the Recording Academy as a voting member at age 21 in December 2005. After a short stint with producer JR Hutson, Tremaine left to start his own music production company by the name of Six7 Music, rightfully named by the fact that he is 6 feet 7 inches tall, in July 2006.
In 2008, Tremaine engineered a performance for The Time featuring Rihanna at the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which led him to his position as engineer/programmer with the legendary Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis at FlyteTyme Productions for 3 and a half years. He has engineered one GRAMMY award winning album and 6 GRAMMY Nominated albums. Tremaine is credited on songs by powerhouse artists such as Chaka Khan, El Debarge, Usher, Janet Jackson, 50 Cent, Jill Scott, Ledisi, Keyshia Cole and Ruben Studdard which is nothing short of amazing for his 11 years in the music industry.
In 2012 Tremaine was elected to the Recording Academy’s Los Angeles Chapter Board of Governors and as of 2015 now serves as Chair of the Membership Committee. As one of the youngest members ever elected, he hopes to make a difference and proudly represent the next generation of music makers.
Aside from albums, he has moved into the TV/Film world. His work can be seen and heard on the hit showEmpire, BET Sunday Best, Apollo Live, ComicView, Keeping up With The Kardashians, Real World and Bad Girls Club. He also scored his first feature film, “The Last Fall” which airs regularly on BET.
Most recently Tremaine has been on the road with Mariah Carey for “The Elusive Chanteuse Show” Tour, “All I Want For Christmas is You” Special in New York at the legendary Beacon Theater and “#1 to Infinity” at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
With the talent and desire to achieve that Tremaine ultimately possesses, there is no doubt that he will be a major force in the music industry for many years to come…
Matt and Tremaine discuss his journey from North Carolina to California as well hustling, staying focused and being present.
John Schimpf got his start in the music industry working in clubs and theatres as a production manager and sound engineer, and working as a recording engineer for the University he was attending while pursuing a classical music degree. As a student he built what became the technological backbone for a music industry program developed at that University. In 2001, he went on to become an engineer and crew chief with one of the largest live sound companies in California where he began working with and learning about large scale music productions in detail. In 2002 he took a job as a studio manager in Stockton, CA where he began recording and producing projects in many genres while learning the critical balance between technician and artist. Through that business John was asked to begin managing several high-profile artists while on tour. That experience opened the door to continue touring for the next 10 years, working with management groups from New York and LA. His lean and pragmatic style allowed him to become a valuable member of many touring groups, saving artists money while providing unprecedented consistency within the organizations he served. John has toured in over 20 countries with a diverse set of artists within many major performance venues around the world. Throughout his years of touring he has continued to actively work in the studio, recording and producing many different projects. In 2012 John took a position as the general manager of the newly built 25th Street Recording, a world-class recording facility in the heart of Oakland, CA. He oversees all aspects of the business including its staff, client acquisition, planning and technical direction, where his regular client base includes Grammy winning and multi-platinum selling artists, producers and engineers, as well as new talent from the greater Bay Area and Los Angeles. John continues to immerse himself in a wide range of media and production projects around the globe continually acting as a media producer and artist manager.
John joins Matt at WCA headquarters to discuss John’s thought process when it comes to running a studio. Studio managers should pay attention.
Mike Kalajian is the son of an audio technician/audiophile who was exposed to music and recording equipment at a very early age through family including his Uncle’s home recording setup which fascinated Mike and started to draw him in to the audio experience. Mike’s parents say his first word was actually “speaker” and at 9 years old was given his first guitar along with a 1/4 inch reel to reel . Mike wasted no time and immediately started writing and recording his own music. All of this took him to the next step in audio indoctrination, the building of his first basement “studio” in junior high where he and a friend started recording fellow student musicians for $20/song on a cassette 4-track. After high school, attendance at Full Sail followed. 20+ years later, Mike has recorded over a hundred albums and Ep’s for other artists, toured with his own band, and mastered countless recordings. Of all the facets of engineering he found mastering to be the most rewarding. I talk with Mike Kalajian (pronounced Kalasion) about his background, his thriving mastering business Rogue Planet Mastering as well as his workflow. Mike is a really nice guy who is passionate about what he does and I found it a pleasure speaking with him. Enjoy. -Matt
Finding detailed information on Producer/Engineer/Mixer Niko Bolas is a challenge. Niko is not a publicity hound and generally avoids big star-studded events. He’s a man that stays focused on the work in front of him and he puts his all into it. Looking at his discography you’ll notice a couple of things, repeat clients such as Neil Young, Melissa Etheridge, Robert Cray, and the late Warren Zevon for example. The other thing you’ll notice is the large number of records he has worked on coupled with the fact that he’s not a household name except to those in the know. He’s passionate about what he does and takes it seriously. We discuss that passion as well as Niko’s work style. Richard Dodd makes an appearance during the interview which adds a bit of laughter to the situation. You’ll dig it. Enjoy -Matt
What can you say about Al Schmitt that has not been said? The man truly is a legend and a complete professional. He has scored a pile of Grammy wins and nominations over the years, recorded and mixed more than 150 gold and platinum albums plus his credit list includes Henry Mancini, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis, Jr., Natalie Cole, Thelonious Monk, Elvis Presley, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, to name just a few.
Steve Genewick has been Al Schmitt’s assistant for the last 15 years working with artists such as Diana Krall, Chris Botti, Gladys Knight, Neil Young, George Benson, Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, and Paul McCartney. Steve is a three-time GRAMMY® nominated recording engineer with over twenty-five years of experience, both as a studio and live recording engineer. Steve has worked primarily out of Capitol Studios as a staff engineer since 1994. When not at Capitol, Steve can be found working at any number of major recording studios in Los Angeles or mixing at his home studio.
My conversation with Al and Steve revolves mainly around their new video coming out called ” The Art of Recording a Big Band“. The seminar-turned film follows Al and Steve as they teach a group of people their methods for recording a big band out of Capital Studios.
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