Insights In Sound

He cut his teeth doing landmark recordings for artists including Dead Kennedys and Joe Satriani, designed multiple Bay Area recording studios, created the art of reamping, and has captured multiple artists with his One Mic series. We finally got to sit down for a chat with the mad genius himself.

Part two of our conversation with Blackbird Studio and Blackbird Academy founder/director John McBride.

From live sound to studio recording, John McBride has probably done every job in pro audio at least twice. He's a non-stop bundle of energy with an unwavering love for every aspect of music and the creative process. In this two-part interview, we cover everything from his roots in music and production to his dedication to helping shape the next generation of music and recording.

With a legacy of more than 30 years of timeless recordings, Cherokee Studios is among a handful of legendary studios that built the L.A. recording scene. We caught up with Bruce Robb to talk about the past, present, and future of professional recording.

From the Automatt to Capitol to Skywalker Sound, Leslie Ann Jones has engineered some of the most epic recordings while blazing a trail for women in the audio industry. We take a dive into her illustrious career.

His resume is as stellar as he is humble and pragmatic: Toto, Don Henley, Neil Young, The Mavericks, Miles Davis, and so many more. He's also one of the funniest guys in the biz. We got together at his Surf Shack studio to talk about pretty much whatever came up.

Mid-Side mic placement is one of my favorite techniques for recording stereo sources. It's often overlooked, and it's easy to implement. We got together with Dusty Wakeman over at Mojave Audio's HQ studio and put together a short demo. Use headphones or earbuds to really hear the effect.

From James Bond to Transformers, action films through documentaries, Jeff Fair has spent decades deeply immersed in music for film, TV, and video games. We buckled in for a wild ride through his musical career. 

From Academy Award-winning films like "U-517" and "Letters from Iwo Jima" to shows like "Gettysburg" and "Seal Team," Charles Maynes has been behind memorable and impactful sounds in modern film and TV. We sat down for a wild and wide-ranging chat about music, sound, and life in general.

Few people can come close to Tom Rhea's first-hand history with music technology and synthesis. We do a deep dive into his work with Moog, ARP, and other early innovators, and his unique perspective on the science and the craft.