Production Expert Podcast

In this edition, Host & audio engineer Ashea is joined by platinum-selling engineer, producer and Moorcroft Studios owner Tom Fox to talk about the day-to-day reality of running a commercial recording studio. Tom has spent around 25 years behind the desk, and he shares the workflow, psychology and practical tricks he has developed while running his Yorkshire based studio.

The conversation covers how to prepare artists before they arrive, how to put nervous first-timers at ease, and how to judge a great take. They also discuss tuning with Melodyne, comping in Cubase, and why a good vocal engineer is part producer, part coach and part therapist. This episode is essential listening for any engineer, producer or studio owner who wants to get the best performance out of every artist.

In This Episode:

• Tom Fox's Journey: From Metal Bands to Rap and Bassline: How a bedroom recording setup and a degree in sound technology led to Moorcroft Studios in West Yorkshire
• Specialising in Vocal Production: Why focusing on vocals rather than doing a bit of everything sharpened Tom's skills and reputation
• A Week in the Life of a Commercial Studio: Working half days, juggling multiple artists and moving between acoustic sessions and heavy drill
• The Bassline Scene: The West Yorkshire genre, its mainstream moment and the studio as a social meeting hub
• Remote Mixing vs. Start-to-Finish Projects: Why Tom prefers creative involvement from the first take to the final mix
• Pre-Session Preparation: Asking artists for voice notes or rough guides to fix wording, phrasing and breathing before the session
• Warming Up Artists and Recording Guide Takes: Using early takes when artists don't feel like they're being recorded, especially with first-timers
• Putting Artists at Ease: Reading the room, building trust and being part producer, part agony aunt
• What Makes a Good Take: Emotional conviction, believability and tuning, and the fine line between polishing and overworking a performance
• Tuning Philosophy: Melodyne and Natural Vocals: Repairing a great performance rather than settling for a flat one, and avoiding the over-tuned sound
• Recording in Shorter Sections: How working in small chunks keeps energy up, makes corrections easier to remember and strengthens the vocal
• Comping Workflow in Cubase: Colour-coding takes so you can comp as you go and review with the artist
• Vocal Coaching and Mic Technique: Why reading lyrics off a phone pulls artists off-axis, and how that hurts consistency when comping
• The Visual Aid Trick: A duplicate screen facing the booth so artists can see drop-ins and weaker sections
• Navigating Different Personalities: Working with shy artists, perfectionists and those who want feedback straight away
• Managing Expectations Around the Process: Explaining EQ, compression, comping and tuning so indie artists don't judge their raw takes too harshly
• Using Melodyne to Reassure Artists: Quickly tuning a passage to show it's fine so they can move on

About Our Guest:

Tom Fox:

Platinum-selling recording engineer, producer and owner of Moorcroft Studios in West Yorkshire. Tom began recording as a teenager in his bedroom, went on to earn a degree in sound technology, and has run Moorcroft Studios ever since. He started out working with metal bands nearly 20 years ago and now specialises in vocal production and engineering, primarily for rap and bassline artists.
www.moorcroftstudios.co.uk 

About Our Host:

Ashea is a platinum-selling songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer from the UK. With credits spanning notable artists, major labels, and prestigious broadcasters, Ashea brings authentic conversations between industry professionals to the Production Expert Podcast.
https://asheamusicofficial.com

In this edition, Host & audio engineer Ashea is joined by Production Expert Founders Mike Thornton and Russ Hughes & post-production audio engineer Paul Maunder, to address one of the most significant regulatory changes affecting the audio and music production industry: the new EU AI Act. With implementation now in force, this episode cuts through the hype and confusion to explain exactly what the law requires, how it applies to audio professionals, and what both individuals and platforms must do to comply.

The conversation covers the practical implications for anyone using AI voice generation (like 11 Labs), AI-assisted editing tools, or working with platforms like Spotify and YouTube. The team breaks down machine-readable marking requirements, disclosure obligations, audio watermarking technology, platform accountability, and what the experience with GDPR implementation can teach us about enforcement. This episode is essential for every audio professional seeking clarity on regulatory compliance and industry integrity in the AI era.

In This Episode:

• EU AI Act Overview: GDPR for AI — How the EU AI Act functions as 'GDPR for artificial intelligence,' applying to any content played in the European Union regardless of where it was created
• Deepfakes Defined: Beyond Celebrity Videos — The law's broad definition of 'deepfakes' as anything that could be misconceived as human-made but is AI-generated, including voice synthesis, video, and images
• Machine-Readable Marking Requirements — How AI system providers must embed technical metadata into AI-generated content so it can be automatically detected by machines and platforms
• Disclosure Requirements for Deployers — Content creators and distributors must explicitly disclose to audiences when content contains AI-generated or manipulated audio/video
• The Disclosure Chain: Creators to Audience — How disclosure cascades through the value chain: if you use 11 Labs for voiceover, you tell your client, who tells their audience
• AI Cleanup Tools Exemption — The law doesn't apply to AI-assisted editing or enhancement tools unless the regenerated content becomes the primary focus
• Pro Tools Generative Features Impact — Real-world example: if you use generative AI to regenerate missing words in a voiceover dropout, you must disclose this
• Spotify's Rapid Implementation — Within days of the EU Act coming into force, Spotify implemented labeling showing listeners when content uses AI
• YouTube's Platform Immunity Defense — YouTube's claim that they're merely a platform; how this misinterprets the law and shifts burden inappropriately
• Platform Responsibility vs. Creator Responsibility — Why YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram should be held accountable as publishers of content, not just neutral platforms
• Claude's Watermarking Response — How Claude added digital watermarking to AI text within days, demonstrating rapid compliance by major AI providers
• Machine-Readable vs. Human-Perceptible Disclosure — The distinction between technical watermarking (for machine detection) and human-friendly disclosure (text/audio announcements)
• Audio Watermarking Technology: Silent Cypher — Sony's deep audio watermarking technology that embeds imperceptible marks in audio frequency ranges
• Audio Brain for Mac: Emerging Audio Watermarking — New tools providing audio watermarking specifically for Mac OS, representing rapid tool development for compliance
• Complex Mixes and Watermarking Challenges — How tracking individual AI-generated elements within massive film mixes presents technical detection challenges
• GDPR as Enforcement Precedent — Since 2018, GDPR fines total ~€7 billion; this historical data proves regulatory enforcement intention
• Big Players vs. Small Businesses — Enforcement targets Spotify, YouTube, Facebook—not individual creators; the law aims to bring major platforms into compliance
• Copyright Protection Gaps — The EU Act and US No Fakes Act don't adequately address copyright of training data and content protection
• US Copyright Office Stance: Prompt-Driven AI — US Copyright Office denies copyright to purely prompt-driven AI output; Invoke AI's successful appeal shows lines are still being drawn
• Creative Use of AI vs. Deceptive Use — Distinguishing between legitimate transparent creative use (like T-Pain's autotune) vs. deceptive undisclosed use
• Professional Responsibility: Setting Standards — How professionals in audio should embrace the law and set standards themselves rather than waiting for enforcement
• Why Imperfect Laws Still Matter — No law is perfect, but laws represent our best effort at improvement and societal standards
• Race to the Bottom Without Standards — How lack of regulatory enforcement creates industry pressure to adopt AI, lower rates, and compromise quality
• Hypocrisy in Industry: The MPSE Poster Incident — Example of major audio professionals organization using generative AI while advocating against AI job displacement
• YouTube's Selective Compliance — How YouTube selectively enforces responsibility when reported violations occur, claiming external responsibility

About Our Guests:

Mike Thornton:

Co-founder of Production Expert and host of the Production Expert Podcast. Mike serves as industry commentator and facilitator of important conversations between technology companies and the professional audio community. In this episode, Mike moderates discussions on AI regulation and compliance.

Russ Hughes:

Co-founder of Production Expert. Russ provides deep technical and regulatory expertise on the EU AI Act, explaining how it differs from GDPR and what the law actually requires of audio professionals and platforms. Russ has researched the act thoroughly for audience guidance.

Paul Maunder:

Longstanding team member at Production Expert and post-production audio engineer. Paul contributes practical experience on how the new law applies in real-world audio workflows, including examples of Pro Tools, audio watermarking solutions, and the realities of tracking AI-generated elements within complex mixes.

About Our Host:

Ashea is a platinum-selling songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer from the UK. With credits spanning notable artists, major labels, and prestigious broadcasters, Ashea brings authentic conversations between industry professionals to the Production Expert Podcast. Her commitment to discussing both the creative and business sides of audio production, including regulatory and compliance issues affecting the industry, makes her an ideal facilitator for important professional conversations.

In this special "Watercooler Podcast" edition, host Ashea is joined by producers and mixers Dom Morley, Matt Lawrence, and Adrian Hall—for a candid conversation about the isolation of solo audio professionals and the critical importance of peer support and collaboration.

Dom, Matt, and Adrian have maintained a monthly "water cooler chat" since working together at Metropolis Studios. This episode explores how this simple monthly ritual became essential to their careers and mental health, discussing rates, client management, creative practice, and why building trusted peer groups creates space for radical honesty impossible in larger organizations.

In This Episode:

• The Isolation Paradox — How modern technology enables solo work while creating profound isolation and mental health challenges
• The Water Cooler Concept — Forced community structure for distributed solo entrepreneurs; monthly peer gatherings inspired by business literature
• 30 Years Experience: Age & Creativity — How experience builds confidence while youth brings innovation; the myth that creativity declines with age
• Trust & Peer Equality — Why working with peers at similar levels enables radical honesty impossible in hierarchies
• Knowing Each Other Deeply — How decades of shared history allow direct feedback without offense or ego
• Business Conversations — Discussing rates, pricing strategies, client negotiations, margin protection in trusted circles
• Artist Management Challenges — Navigating changing expectations, revision limits, sign-off procedures, scope creep
• Protecting Industry Standards — Responsibility to maintain rates and distinguish between discounts and day rates
• Abundance Mindset vs. Competition — Approaching work from 'enough for everyone' perspective; collaborative vs. protective attitudes
• Sharing Knowledge Across Specializations — Cross-disciplinary learning: live broadcast, Atmos, mastering, specialized tools
• Social Media & Curated Reality — Everyone posts only best work; false impressions of constant high-profile projects
• Big Names Doing Smaller Work — Industry secret: established professionals work on smaller projects but don't publicize it
• Rates as Fluid Not Fixed — Why publishing single rates creates problems; complexity of varying work types and discounts
• Teaching as Professional Practice — How education bookends isolation with human connection and community
• Professional Jealousy — Acknowledging competitive feelings while managing them constructively
• Transition from In-House to Freelance — How Metropolis experience shaped expectations differently than freelance work
• Client Respect & Communication — File delivery, respecting artist bandwidth, maintaining boundaries without being difficult

About Our Guests:

Dom Morley:

Grammy-winning producer and engineer (Amy Winehouse "Rehab"). Founder of Mix Consultancy and multiband.io session organization tool. Previously taught at Leeds Conservatoire. Initiated the monthly peer collaboration concept discussed in this episode.

Matt Lawrence:

Grammy-winning producer, mixer, and engineer (Mumford & Sons "Babel"). Specializes in live sound, mixing major festivals for BBC broadcasts. Extensive experience with 5.1 and Atmos formats. Combines high-pressure broadcast environments with meticulous studio production.

Adrian Hall:

Accomplished mixer, engineer, and producer. Grammy-nominated. Brings extensive mixing expertise and band production experience. Contributes perspective on professional growth, confidence building, and collaborative practice.

About Our Host:

Ashea is a platinum-selling songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer from the UK. With credits spanning notable artists, major labels, and prestigious broadcasters, Ashea brings authentic conversations to the Production Expert Podcast, discussing both creative and business sides of audio production.

In this podcast episode Ashea is joined by Todd Urban, General Manager at Softube, educator at Passaic County Community College, and creator of the Urban Sound Studio YouTube channel. With over 30 years of experience in audio production, Todd discusses Softube's philosophy of being "rock and roll scientists," the evolution from Console One to the groundbreaking Flow Studio hardware, and how creative workflow and intentional pre-production can transform recording and mixing practices.

Todd shares insights into Flow Studio's design philosophy of facilitating "flow state" rather than perfectionism, the importance of committing to decisions in tracking, the balance between hardware and software in hybrid workflows, and how understanding mixing principles makes tracking engineers more effective.

In This Episode:

• Pre-Production Planning and Intention — Establishing emotional objectives and sonic goals before tracking
• Tracking Conservative, Mixing Creative — Capturing intentional raw material for successful mixing
• Teaching Audio Production: Learning from Students — Educators staying current with trends while maintaining principles
• The Role of Recording Engineers in Modern Production — Why understanding mixing makes tracking engineers more effective

About Our Guest:

Todd Urban:

Todd Urban is the General Manager at Softube with 10+ years at the company across product education, development, management, and marketing. With over 30 years of professional audio experience, Todd holds degrees in orchestral arranging, music education, jazz performance, music management, and a production master's from UC Berkeley. He is the creator of the Urban Sound Studio YouTube channel and teaches at Passaic County Community College in New Jersey.

Stream Todd Urban's Music Here:

https://open.spotify.com/album/3JWFSrFxOdt4KdVKfd3AXp?si=ZvcmY6u2QiS_hzC_S-PSlA

About Our Host:

Ashea is a platinum-selling songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer from the UK. With credits spanning notable artists, major labels, and prestigious broadcasters, Ashea brings authentic conversations between industry professionals to the Production Expert Podcast.

In this Production Expert Podcast Special Edition, Mike Thornton, co-founder of Production Expert invites Orfeas Boteas, founder and CEO of Krotos, and Matthew Collins, head of product, to address significant community concerns following the release of Video to Sound integration for Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve.

This candid conversation tackles difficult questions about the company's strategic direction, the role of AI in sound design, misleading social media practices, and Krotos' commitment to the professional audio community. Orfeas and Matthew respond directly to concerns from industry professionals and clarify misconceptions about generative AI, product positioning, and future roadmap.

In This Episode:

• Why Video to Sound Released for Adobe Premiere Before DAWs — Technical constraints preventing DAW video track access, with integrations coming later in 2024
• Addressing 'Abandonment' Concerns from Audio Professionals — Krotos is expanding markets, not abandoning professionals
• The Core Mission: Making Sound Important Earlier — Bringing sound into creative workflows as an equal partner rather than afterthought
• AI is Not Generative: The Truth About Krotos Technology — All sounds are professionally recorded; AI is assistive, not generative
• AI as Automation, Not Replacement — Automating tedious tasks like auditioning thousands of sounds, not replacing human creativity
• Evolution from Specialised Tools to Krotos Studio Platform — Journey from Dehumanizer, Reformer, Weaponizer to unified Krotos Studio
• Misconceptions About Social Media Posts and Credits — Addressing posts implying Krotos involvement in Jurassic World, House of the Dragon, and Nolan films
• Sound Redesign vs. Official Production Credits — Distinguishing creative sound redesign exercises from official product involvement claims
• Social Media Clarity and Labelling Issues — Acknowledging unclear messaging in fast-scrolling social feeds, committing to better labelling
• Industry-Wide Social Media Challenges — Platforms encouraging content reuse without explicit permission creates attribution confusion
• Marketplace and Collaboration Possibilities — Vision for professionals to contribute assets and create ecosystem marketplace
• Industry Change with New Technology — Technological disruption requires community to work as united front, not adversarially
• Communication Missteps on Product Roadmap — Acknowledgement of moving too quickly without explaining technical constraints and timeline to community

About Our Guests:

Orfeas Boteas:

Founder and CEO of Krotos, leading sound design software company. Founded Krotos with a passion for sound, guiding the company through evolution from specialised tools to the broader Krotos Studio platform. Deeply committed to understanding and supporting the audio production community.

Matthew Collins:

Head of product at Krotos, responsible for product development and strategy. Works with both the professional audio community and content creators to develop streamlined sound design tools. Actively communicates technical roadmap and product philosophy to industry stakeholders.

About Our Host:

Mike Thornton has been involved in the broadcast audio industry for all his working life, some 45 years. Mike has worked with Pro Tools since the mid-1990s, recording, editing, and mixing documentaries, comedy, and drama for both radio and TV, as well as doing the occasional music project. He was the co-founder of Pro Tools Expert and has now retired, taking up the role of Chairman of Production Expert Ltd., bridging innovative companies and the professional audio industry.

In this podcast episode Ashea is joined by Todd Urban, General Manager at Softube, educator at Passaic County Community College, and creator of the Urban Sound Studio YouTube channel. With over 30 years of experience in audio production, Todd discusses Softube's philosophy of being "rock and roll scientists," the evolution from Console One to the groundbreaking Flow Studio hardware, and how creative workflow and intentional pre-production can transform recording and mixing practices.

Todd shares insights into Flow Studio's design philosophy of facilitating "flow state" rather than perfectionism, the importance of committing to decisions in tracking, the balance between hardware and software in hybrid workflows, and how understanding mixing principles makes tracking engineers more effective.

In This Episode:

• 30+ Years in Audio: From DIY to Industry Leadership — Journey from musician with minimal resources through education to industry leadership
• The 'Rock and Roll Scientists' Philosophy — Combining musical edge with scientific rigor for innovation and challenge
• Console One: Redefining Mixing in the Box — 2014 breakthrough introducing hardware control for digital channel strips
• Flow Studio: From Zero to 80% Mixes — Facilitating flow state and creative momentum through intelligent design
• Flows and Presets as Creative Tools — Pre-configured signal chains enabling quick professional-sounding starting points
• The Omni Knob: Macro Control Design — Five knobs with main macro control addressing real workflow needs
• Hybrid Workflow Philosophy — Balancing hardware summing and analogue gear with in-the-box mixing
• Decision Fatigue vs. Creative Exploration — When to commit during tracking versus maintaining flexibility during mixing
• Pre-Production Planning and Intention — Establishing emotional objectives and sonic goals before tracking
• Tracking Conservative, Mixing Creative — Capturing intentional raw material for successful mixing
• Teaching Audio Production: Learning from Students — Educators staying current with trends while maintaining principles
• The Role of Recording Engineers in Modern Production — Why understanding mixing makes tracking engineers more effective

About Our Guest:

Todd Urban:

Todd Urban is the General Manager at Softube with 10+ years at the company across product education, development, management, and marketing. With over 30 years of professional audio experience, Todd holds degrees in orchestral arranging, music education, jazz performance, music management, and a production master's from UC Berkeley. He is the creator of the Urban Sound Studio YouTube channel and teaches at Passaic County Community College in New Jersey.

About Our Host:

Ashea is a platinum-selling songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer from the UK. With credits spanning notable artists, major labels, and prestigious broadcasters, Ashea brings authentic conversations between industry professionals to the Production Expert Podcast.

In this podcast episode Ashea is joined by Mark Gittins, immersive audio engineer and owner of SenSound studios, currently working on broadcast for a major international football tournament, and Pieter Doms, co-founder of AREAL Technologies from Belgium. Together they discuss the invention and development of immersive audio monitoring technology, the AREAL SR1 headphones, and how spatial audio is transforming professional audio production.

Pieter shares the fascinating origin story of how AREAL Technologies was born during the pandemic, starting as a Tomorrowland festival request to convert stereo music to immersive audio in real time. Mark discusses his experience using the headphones for remote mixing during high-pressure broadcast work, and both explore the challenges and opportunities in immersive audio adoption.

In This Episode:

• The Origin of AREAL Technologies — How Pieter Doms and his team created an upmix algorithm during the pandemic
• The SR1 Headphones Development — The creative journey from a joke about building a studio in a headphone to a functioning solution
• Non-Binaural Immersive Monitoring — How the SR1 achieves 3D soundscape representation without relying purely on HRTFs
• Remote Mixing for Broadcast — Mark's experience using the headphones while working on tournament broadcasts
• Challenges in Getting Started with Immersive Audio — Infrastructure requirements, learning curve, and barriers for engineers
• Binaural Monitoring Limitations — Why traditional binaural platforms struggle with height representation
• Room Simulation & Personalization — Head width parameter optimization, EQ customization, and virtual room simulation
• The Chicken-and-Egg Problem of Adoption — Why immersive audio adoption is slow and the role of content availability
• Immersive Audio in Mainstream Media — Dolby Atmos prevalence in streaming, TV, and film
• The Future of Spatial Audio — Wearable and augmented reality applications

About Our Guests:

Mark Gittins:

Immersive audio engineer and owner of Sensound, a professional mixing studio specialising in immersive projects. Originally from Birmingham, England.

Pieter Doms:

Co-founder of AREAL Technologies from Belgium, with over 20 years of professional sound engineering experience. As a live sound engineer for major events including Tomorrowland, his technical expertise in algorithm design led to the creation of AREAL Technologies during the pandemic.

About Our Host:

Ashea is a platinum-selling songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer from the UK. With credits spanning notable artists, major labels, and prestigious broadcasters, Ashea brings authentic conversations between industry professionals to the Production Expert Podcast. Instagram: @iamashea

Resources & Links

• AREAL Technologies — https://areal.world/
• SenSound Studios — https://www.sensoundaudio.com/
• Megatone Studios — Birmingham-based tracking and control room
• Tomorrowland — Festival featuring immersive audio experiences
• Dolby Atmos — Immersive audio format for streaming and broadcast
• Virtuoso — Binaural monitoring software
• Genelec UNIO — genelec.com/unio

Sponsorship

This episode is brought to you by Genelec. If you've ever been disappointed with the way your mixes sound on other playback systems, check out Genelec's UNIO monitoring ecosystem. Visit genelec.com/unio to learn more.

Quiz Time! In this podcast episode, immersive audio engineer Mark Gittins joins Ashea from Kansas City to go head-to-head with AREAL co-founder and audio engineer Pieter Doms for our World Cup Music Quiz.

England vs Belgium just took on a new, immersive meaning!

In this podcast episode Ashea is joined by Eloise Whitmore and Tony Churnside, award-winning sound designers and co-founders of Naked Productions, for a frank discussion on how AI tools like Descript are fundamentally changing audio production—and not always for the better. Eloise and Tony address the critical issue of how AI-assisted editing is eroding the art of natural dialogue pacing, how younger generations of producers are losing foundational skills, and what audio professionals must do to preserve the human artistry in sound design.

This conversation tackles the uncomfortable truth about AI tools in professional audio production: while tools like Descript and Adobe Enhance can be lifesavers in certain situations, their overuse is removing the nuance, emotion, and natural rhythm that makes dialogue compelling. For audio engineers, music producers, podcast creators, and anyone interested in the intersection of technology and craft, this episode provides critical perspective on maintaining quality and authenticity in an increasingly automated creative landscape.

In This Episode:

• Descript and AI Transcription Tools - How Descript revolutionized transcription and some aspects of production workflow, but also introduced new challenges by allowing producers to work with text instead of raw audio
• The Loss of Natural Pacing in Audio - Why younger producers and sound designers lack the ability to recognize and preserve natural human pacing, leading to robotic, emotionless dialogue that immediately signals AI involvement
• Working with Words vs. Raw Audio - The fundamental difference between editing based on text transcripts versus listening to and editing raw audio, and why working with raw audio teaches critical production skills
• Descript's Limitations - What Descript cannot do: it cannot pace dialogue naturally, it removes meaningful silences and hesitations that convey emotion and authenticity, and it simplifies complex storytelling nuances
• AI Audio Enhancement Tools (Adobe Enhance, Studio Sound) - How tools like Adobe Enhance sterilize vocals by removing the characteristics that make voices unique, and why these should be backups rather than primary solutions
• The Impact of Time Constraints and Budgets - How production timelines have expanded while budgets remain static, forcing producers to take shortcuts that compromise quality and craft
• Building a Sound Library - Why aspiring sound designers should create personal sound libraries instead of relying on free or YouTube-sourced sounds, and how this develops a distinctive sonic identity
• Advice for Emerging Producers - The importance of learning to listen, understanding speech pacing, recording raw interviews and mixing them properly, and not relying on automation to replace human judgment

About Our Guests:

Eloise Whitmore: Eloise Whitmore is an award-winning radio producer and sound designer with 20 years of experience in professional audio production. She won the Radio Sound Designer and Producer of the Year award in 2013, and co-founded Naked Productions with Tony Chernside. Her experience spans BBC dramas, documentaries, features, and international projects, giving her deep insight into how production workflows have evolved and the critical importance of preserving craft in an age of automation.

Tony Churnside: Tony Churnside is a multi-award-winning sound designer and technical producer with a PhD in audio production. His background in acoustics combined with decades of practical production experience makes him uniquely positioned to understand both the technical capabilities and limitations of AI tools. As co-producer of the acclaimed BBC Radio 4 satire The Skewer, Tony understands the demands of professional audio production under pressure.

About Our Host:

Ashea is a platinum-selling songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer from the UK. With credits spanning notable artists, major labels, and prestigious broadcasters, Ashea brings authentic conversations between industry professionals to the Production Expert Podcast. Credits & Placements Include… Alan Walker, Holy Goof, TS7, Billy Da Kid (Kiss FM), Steve Smart (Kiss FM), The Wideboys, MER, Sony Music, 2Tone Records, BBC, SVT1 (Sweden).

Resources & Links Mentioned

• Descript - AI-powered transcription and editing software. Visit: descript.com
• Adobe Enhance - AI audio enhancement tool from Adobe
• Descript Studio Sound - AI audio processing feature within Descript
• Pro Tools - Digital audio workstation used by both producers
• Altiverb - Convolution reverb plugin by Audio Ease
• Zoom H4N - Portable audio recorder for field recording
• Sony D100 - Portable audio recorder
• Naked Productions - Award-winning sound design and audio production company. Visit: nakedproductions.co.uk
• Genelec UNI-O Monitoring Ecosystem - Professional audio monitoring solution providing seamless bridge between loudspeaker and headphone monitoring for consistent mix translation. Visit: genelec.com/unio

Subscribe & Follow

Subscribe to the Production Expert Podcast on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube
• All major podcast platforms

Follow us:

Instagram: [@production_expert_podcast]

Website: [productionexpertpodcast.com]

Sponsorship

This episode is brought to you by Genelec. If you've ever been disappointed with the way your mixes sound on other playback systems, check out Genelec's UNI-O monitoring ecosystem. By providing a seamless bridge between loudspeaker and headphone monitoring, UNI-O allows you to quickly create great sounding mixes that translate consistently wherever you choose to work. No more guesswork, no more surprises — just truthful, accurate audio monitoring from stereo to immersive. Visit genelec.com/unio to learn more.

In this podcast episode Ashea is joined by Eloise Whitmore and Tony Chernside, co-founders of Naked Productions, an award-winning sound design and audio production company specializing in BBC radio dramas and acclaimed audio content. Eloise won the Radio Sound Designer and Producer of the Year award in 2013, and Tony is a multi-award-winning sound designer and technical producer behind the acclaimed satirical BBC Radio 4 comedy series The Skewer.

Together, Eloise and Tony discuss the evolution of radio drama production in 2026, innovative location recording techniques for achieving authentic sound, the craft of sound design and storytelling, and the contrasting workflows between long-form drama and fast-turnaround satire productions. Whether you're interested in audio drama, sound design, radio production, podcasting, or understanding how award-winning audio content is created, this conversation provides insider insights into professional audio production, creative collaboration, and the technical approaches that define modern radio and audio storytelling.

In This Episode:

• Radio Drama Production Techniques and Evolution - How radio drama production has changed over 20 years, the shift from traditional studio recording to innovative location-based approaches, and the impact of lockdown on production methods
• Location Recording for Authentic Sound - Documentary-style recording techniques that capture real actor movement and ambient sound, using handheld microphones to follow action like a camera, and achieving authenticity through immersive recording
• Sound Design and Storytelling - The philosophy of "painting sound worlds" and "telling stories with sound," creating immersive audio experiences, and the importance of sound design in radio drama
• Naked Productions: From Concept to Broadcast - Overview of award-winning projects including BBC dramas like Putin and Lockerbie, sound installations, and the diverse range of audio content the company produces
• The Skewer: Fast-Turnaround Satire Production - How The Skewer is produced on an extremely tight deadline, the concept of a "river of sound," building flexible structures for last-minute changes, and the collaborative creative process
• Actor Performance and Immersive Recording - Why actors deliver better performances when physically engaged in their scenes, the advantages of recording with movement versus traditional studio recording, and how modern techniques benefit acting quality
• Pro Tools Workflow and Audio Engineering - Shared session structures, favorite plugins (Altiverb, speakerphone, Avid Pro Limiter), automation techniques, and the evolution from baked-in mixing to real-time automation
• Day in the Life of Radio Producers - Comparing the workflows of long-form drama production versus fast-turnaround satire, time allocation between recording and mixing, and the demands of professional audio production

About Our Guests:

Eloise Whitmore: Eloise Whitmore is an award-winning radio producer and sound designer with 20 years of experience in radio production. She won the Radio Sound Designer and Producer of the Year award in 2013, recognition of her innovative approach to audio production and storytelling. As co-founder of Naked Productions, Eloise leads the creative vision for the company's diverse projects, from BBC radio dramas to audio installations, bringing expertise in location recording, sound design, and the technical and creative demands of professional audio production.

Tony Churnside: Tony Chernside is a multi-award-winning sound designer and technical producer with a background in acoustics and audio production. He holds a PhD in audio production and has expertise in object-based audio formats and audience consumption. As co-founder of Naked Productions and the technical producer behind the critically acclaimed BBC Radio 4 satire The Skewer, Tony brings both deep technical knowledge and creative production expertise to professional audio projects.

About Our Host:

Ashea is a platinum-selling songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer from the UK. With credits spanning notable artists, major labels, and prestigious broadcasters, Ashea brings authentic conversations between industry professionals to the Production Expert Podcast. Credits & Placements Include… Alan Walker, Holy Goof, TS7, Billy Da Kid (Kiss FM), Steve Smart (Kiss FM), The Wideboys, MER, Sony Music, 2Tone Records, BBC, SVT1 (Sweden).

Resources & Links Mentioned

• Naked Productions - Award-winning sound design and audio production company. Visit: nakedproductions.co.uk
• The Skewer - BBC Radio 4 satirical comedy series. Available on BBC Sounds
• BBC Radio Dramas - Putin, Lockerbie, and BBC Scotland productions
• Pro Tools - Digital audio workstation used by both producers
• Altiverb - Convolution reverb plugin by Audio Ease
• Speakerphone - Dialogue processing plugin
• Genelec UniO Monitoring Ecosystem - Professional audio monitoring solution providing seamless bridge between loudspeaker and headphone monitoring for consistent mix translation. Visit: genelec.com/unio

Subscribe & Follow

Subscribe to the Production Expert Podcast on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube
• All major podcast platforms

Follow us:

Instagram: [@production_expert_podcast]

Website: [productionexpertpodcast.com]

Sponsorship

This episode is brought to you by Genelec. If you've ever been disappointed with the way your mixes sound on other playback systems, check out Genelec's UniO monitoring ecosystem. By providing a seamless bridge between loudspeaker and headphone monitoring, UniO allows you to quickly create great sounding mixes that translate consistently wherever you choose to work. No more guesswork, no more surprises — just truthful, accurate audio monitoring from stereo to immersive. Visit genelec.com/unio to learn more.