Menu Close

WCA#397 with Bryan Cook

WCA #397 with Bryan Cook – Recording as An Exit Strategy, Chillin with Tom Dowd, Landing at A&M Studios, and Doing Non-Music Things

My guest is Grammy Nominated Mixing engineer Bryan Cook who has worked with U2, One Republic, Jeff Goldblum, and Switchfoot. 

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Early life in Philly
  • Studios – A thing that people did
  • Love for Jazz 
  • Saxophone
  • Recording as an exit strategy
  • Bluejay Internship
  • Chillin with Tom Dowd
  • Ryan Hewitt 
  • Deciding on a move to LA
  • Landing at A&M Studios
  • Moving up in the industry
  • Professionalism – Egos working together
  • Moving up the engineering ladder
  • Sensing upcoming burnout
  • Michael Andrews 
  • Nobody likes the bad vibe guy
  • Walk Hard 
  • Transitioning to flying solo
  • One Republic
  • How artists find an engineer
  • U2 project
  • Push them into the pool
  • Mixing from home
  • How to do pricing?
  • Handling disappointment
  • Ease with setup
  • Bounce Factory 
  • Doing non-music things

Matt’s Rant: Audio File Management

Links and Show Notes

Credits

  • Guest: Bryan Cook
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau 
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell 
  • Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #396 with Nick Townsend

WCA #396 with Nick Townsend – Punk Rock, Community College, Fishing, Mastering and Cutting Lacquers

My guest is Los Angeles-based mastering engineer Nick Townsend. Nick loves cutting Lacquers and has worked on releases by Cheap Trick, Weezer, Iron Maiden, Bad Religion, Garbage, Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Grimes, and more. Nick works at Infrasonic Sound.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Musical Household
  • Stoner Rock Uncle
  • Drums at Grandmas House
  • Punk Rock Bands
  • Catching the Recording Bug
  • Community College Recording Program
  • Pete Lyman
  • Mechanical Side of the Brain
  • Fishing
  • Clay Shooting
  • Outdoors Activities
  • Interning
  • Cutting Lacquers
  • Cutter Heads
  • Freelance Mastering
  • Infrasonic
  • Apollo Lacquers Fire

Matt’s Rant: Audio Degrees

Links and Show Notes

Credits

  • Guest: Nick Townsend
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau 
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell 
  • Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #395 with Daniel Rowland

WCA #395 with Daniel Rowland – Rehab vs. College, MTSU, Adrian Belew, LANDR, and The ATMOS Goldrush

My guest is Daniel Rowland, Head of Strategy and Partnerships at LANDR, Co-owner of Immersive Mixers, Professor at MTSU, and audio engineer. Daniel has worked with Nine Inch Nails, Adrian Belew, Disney, Pixar, David Foster, Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics, Denzel Curry, Netflix, Fox, Flo Rida, Seal, and Phillip Glass.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Playing Guitar
  • Rehab vs. College
  • MTSU
  • Production Work
  • Adrian Belew
  • NOISE
  • LANDR
  • AI Mastering
  • Linkedin
  • Rejection of New Ideas
  • Time Management
  • The ATMOS Goldrush

Matt’s Rant: Things to Consider When Building a Studio

Links and Show Notes

Credits

  • Guest: Daniel Rowland
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau 
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell 
  • Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #394 with Mike Tucci

WCA #394 with Mike Tucci – Playing in Bands, Seeing the Value In Recording Studios, Working at Masterdisk, The Slow Magic Of LA, and Focusing on Results, Not Gear

My guest is Grammy-Nominated Mastering Engineer Mike Tucci, who has worked with Cory Henry, Living Colour, Doja Cat, Chris Brown, Young Thug, and Unstoppable Death Machines.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Queens
  • NYC
  • Music in Heard Growing Up
  • Playing in Bands
  • Seeing the Value In Recording Studios
  • Going to College
  • Understanding Recording
  • Working at Masterdisk
  • Howie Weinberg
  • Moving to LA
  • Moving Into The Box
  • Not Depending on Other People’s Gear
  • The Slow Magic Of LA
  • Keeping a Simple Setup
  • Working From Home
  • Focusing on Results, Not Gear

Matt’s Rant: Who is Professional

Links and Show Notes

Credits

  • Guest: Mike Tucci
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau 
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell 
  • Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #393 with Leff Lefferts

WCA #393 with Leff Lefferts – The World of Film Sound, Working with Randy Thom, Telling Stories, Planning Your Life, Financial Security, and ATMOS

My guest is Leff Lefferts making a return to WCA after his first appearance on WCA #101. Leff comes from a music recording background but has worked in film sound for the last 16 years at Skywalker Sound. He’s worked as a Sound Effects Editor, Sound Editor, Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Designer, and Re-Recording Mixer on various movies, including, The Croods: A New Age, The Revenant, The Peanuts Movie, How to Train Your Dragon 2, and many more. 

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Randy Thom
  • Skywalker Sound
  • ATMOS
  • Telling Stories
  • Roles in Film Sound
  • Technology Changes 
  • Content on Streaming Services
  • Planning Your Life
  • Music Industry vs Film Industry
  • Watching the Credits
  • Making Records for Enjoyment
  • Financial Security
  • UA Plugins
  • Early Days of Pro Tools
  • Bay Area Pro Audio Lore

Matt’s Rant: Being Proactive

Links and Show Notes

Credits

  • Guest: Leff Lefferts
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau 
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell 
  • Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #392 with Rachael Moore

WCA #392 with Rachael Moore – Meeting Your Heroes, Community of Success, Thinking Outside the Box, T Bone Burnett, and The Value of Being a Good Human Being

My guest is Grammy-Nominated engineer/mixer Rachael Moore. Rachael primarily works with T Bone Burnett and, as a result, has worked with Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Elvis Costello, and Jessica Chastain. Rachael also has a hectic freelance schedule working around Nashville, where she is currently based.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Early Years in Texas
  • Getting Your Feet Wet at Full Sail
  • Internship with Jacquire King
  • Meeting Your Heroes
  • Community of Success
  • Dealing with Challenges
  • Sound Emporium 
  • Financially Making it Work
  • Learning to Tune Pianos
  • Thinking Outside the Box
  • Working with T-Bone
  • T-Bone Burnett 
  • How You Make People Feel In a Session
  • Do’s and Don’ts with T-Bone
  • Freelancing 
  • Home Studio 
  • The Traveling Rig
  • Dealing with Recalls
  • Advice for the Up and Comers
  • Financial Lessons As You Grow
  • Think of income as a triangle
  • The Value of Being a Good Human Being

Matt’s Rant: Sonic Space

Links and Show Notes

Credits

  • Guest: Rachael Moore
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau 
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell 
  • Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #391 with Steve Rosenthal Part 2

WCA #391 with Steve Rosenthal Part 2 – Magic Shop History, NDA’s, 9/11, Importance of Good Staff, and The Business of Restoration 

My guest is Grammy-Winning producer, studio owner, and archivist Steve Rosenthal. The man behind the Magic Shop in New York. Steve has worked on projects for Woody Guthrie, Les Paul, Blondie, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, and Erroll Garner projects. Part two of a two-part interview.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Growing a Client Base
  • Magic Shop History
  • Roger Moutenot
  • Ed Stasium
  • The World Before Nirvana
  • Studio Ownership
  • Lessons Learned Running a Studio
  • Sonic Highways
  • Importance of Good Staff
  • Ownership Style
  • Getting Coffee for Rick Rubin
  • NDA’s
  • The Dissolution of the Magic Shop
  • The Impact of 9/11
  • Shifting to Restoration
  • Ted Young
  • Working with Blondie
  • Lou Reed
  • Reinventing yourself
  • Nora Guthrie 
  • DA-88s and ADATS
  • MARS
  • The Business of Restoration 

Matt’s Rant: What Happens When the Work Dries Up?

Links and Show Notes

Credits

  • Guest: Steve Rosenthal
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau 
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell 
  • Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #390 with Steve Rosenthal Part 1

WCA #390 with Steve Rosenthal Part 1 – Driving Cabs, Punching 16th Notes, Bathrobe Sessions, Living in Dreamland, and The Search for the Perfect Console

My guest is Grammy-Winning producer, studio owner, and archivist Steve Rosenthal. The man behind the Magic Shop in New York. Steve has worked on projects for Woody Guthrie, Les Paul, Blondie, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, and Erroll Garner projects. Part one of a two-part interview.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Growing up in NY
  • Getting Started on a Development Deal
  • The Recording Institute of America
  • Bad Cab Driver Turned Engineer
  • Early Days at Atlantic
  • Learning the “Atlantic Recording Way”
  • Punching 16th Notes
  • Skully 12 track
  • Learning Business and Engineering
  • Mentorship 
  • Bathrobe Sessions
  • Buying the Fixtures
  • Otis Blackwell 
  • Working in the Basement at A&R Records
  • Buying a Studio in Manhattan 
  • Living in Dreamland
  • New Wave and Punk in the 80s
  • Technology Informing Art
  • Sonic Fashion Trends
  • Alan Lomax 
  • Sonic Cues
  • The Plangent Process 
  • The Magic Shop
  • Building a Studio for Making Rock Records
  • The Search for the Perfect Console

Matt’s Rant: Billing

Links and Show Notes

Credits

  • Guest: Steve Rosenthal
  • Host: Matt Boudreau
  • Engineer: Matt Boudreau
  • Producer: Matt Boudreau
  • Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau 
  • WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell 
  • Announcer: Chuck Smith

WCA #389 with Carlos Castro

WCA #389 with Carlos Castro – Falling in Love with Recording, Dealing with Hypocrisy, Bruce Swedien, Bilingual Opportunities, and The Bigger Picture

My guest is a Grammy-Nominated Mixer, Engineer, and Producer, Carlos Castro. Carlos has worked with Shawn Colvin, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Luis Miguel, Shaila Durcal, and many others.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Raised in Mexico City
  • Family History in Music
  • Falling in Love with Recording at 16
  • Full Sail Center 
  • Dealing with Hypocrisy
  • Bruce Swedien
  • The Bigger Picture
  • Learning from Bruce
  • Understanding Sonic Personality
  • Avoiding Paralysis from Analysis