Working Class Audio

Matt celebrates episode 600 of Working Class Audio with a guest who's been there since the beginning — mixer and producer Andrew Scheps, who first appeared back on episodes 009 300 & 477. Andrew joins from his home in rural England to talk about winning MPG Atmos Mixer of the Year for his work on Low Roar, how he approaches Dolby Atmos delivery and client approval, why he switched from Sony headphones to the Audeze LCD-MX4, and what he's learned about training your brain to externalize binaural audio. The conversation also covers writing his own plugins with Claude and the JUCE framework, why he quit drinking four years ago and found rock climbing instead, breaking his foot, the realities of working with a manager, what "retirement" even means when no one tells you you're done, and why — 600 episodes in — Working Class Audio still matters in a way that's different from everything else.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• 600 Episodes In — Andrew's Long History with the Show
• Winning MPG Atmos Mixer of the Year for the Low Roar Catalog
• The MPG vs. a US Equivalent: Advocacy, VAT, and Saving Studios
• Being an American Honored Inside a UK Organization
• Why the Low Roar "House in the Woods" Atmos Mix May Be His Best Work
• The Pressure of Paid Work vs. Unpaid Passion Projects
• Still Battling Imposter Syndrome After Decades at the Top
• Why He Hates Sending Mixes Out
• Atmos Delivery Workflow: Binaural, MP4, ADM, and the Two-Page PDF
• Training Your Brain to Externalize Binaural Audio
• Why He Starts Atmos Mixes in Headphones, Not Speakers
• Switching from Sony Headphones to the Audeze LCD-MX4
• Steven Wilson and Staying True to the Music in Atmos
• Discovering Rock Climbing as Moving Meditation
• Breaking His Foot — and Five Weeks on the Sidelines
• Alex Honnold, Free Solo, and the Idea of Minimizing Risk
• Quitting Drinking Four Years Ago and Stepping Away from Pub Culture
• Is There a Calculation Behind a Career? Building Extra Income Streams
• The Retirement Question: "They'll Just Stop Hiring Us"
• Writing Plugins with Claude and the JUCE Framework
• Why You Need an Idea — Not Just AI — to Build a Plugin
• AI as a "Knowledgeable but Completely Blinkered Friend"
• AAX, PACE Code Signing, and the Nightmare of Plugin UI
• Board Games, Astronomy, and Life in Rural England
• Why He Can't Imagine Living in LA Anymore
• Working with Manager Frank McDonough — and What a Manager Actually Does
• The Reality of Getting Paid by Major Labels (180-Day Cycles)

Matt's RANT!: 600 Episodes!

Links and Show Notes:

• Andrew Scheps
• Low Roar
• WCA interview with manager Frank McDonough
• JUCE framework
• Audio Developer Conference
• Audeze LCD-MX4
• Free Solo (Alex Honnold)
• Bounce Factory

Credits:

• Guest: Andrew Scheps
• Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
• WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
• The Voice: Chuck Smith

Matt welcomes producer, engineer, and mixer Alex Newport for his first appearance on Working Class Audio. Alex grew up in the UK Midlands with few music resources, and found his way into production after his band got signed to a UK label with an upstream deal to Columbia, and ended up recording at Sawmills, a legendary residential studio on a tidal island at the tip of Cornwall. Working there with producer Colin Richardson changed everything. From there Alex spent decades moving between LA, San Francisco, and New York — engineering at Tiny Telephone, producing records for At the Drive-In, City and Colour, and many more — before eventually building his own residential studio in Joshua Tree, designed from the ground up to let bands show up and make records without distraction. The conversation covers production philosophy, surviving as a freelancer across three decades, why he intentionally avoids getting pigeonholed, and what really matters when designing a studio space.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Growing Up in the UK Midlands With Few Music Resources
• The Band That Got Signed: Upstream Deal to Columbia Records
• Recording at Sawmills — The Tidal Island Studio in Cornwall
• Colin Richardson as a Life-Changing Producer
• The Difference Between a Producer Who Listens and One Who Doesn't
• Why Alex Was Initially Resistant to Having a Producer
• What Colin Taught Him That He Still Uses Today — and What He Hated
• The Shift From Being a Musician to Wanting to Be in the Studio
• Moving to the US: From Arizona to LA to San Francisco to New York
• First Impressions of LA — Where's the City Centre?
• The Culture Shock of Going From the UK to California
• Why Alex Prefers San Francisco Over LA
• Tiny Telephone and John Vanderslice — Engineering as Education
• Learning to Mic Instruments He'd Never Encountered Before
• The Moment Budgets Started Collapsing Around 2004
• Building a Studio in LA, Then New York, Then Realising It Was Madness
• New York vs LA: Brutally Honest vs Relaxed and Open
• Surviving as a Freelance Producer: The Feast or Famine Reality
• Why He Intentionally Avoids Getting Pigeonholed as a Producer
• Moving to Joshua Tree and Building a Residential Studio From Scratch
• Designing the Studio From a Musician's Perspective, Not an Engineer's
• The Vintage Trailer as Accommodation: Glamping, Not a Holiday Inn
• High Ceilings That Cost an Extra $35,000
• Good Coffee Is More Important Than the Gear in the Rack
• The Sawmills Influence on the Joshua Tree Studio Concept
• Philip Broussard, Daniel Lanois, and the Kingsway/Teatro Philosophy
• What Alex Brings to the Table as a Producer: Objectivity and People Skills
• The Sliding Scale Rate Philosophy: Money Follows Good Work
• On Relationships, Touring, and Finding a Partner Who Gets It
• Dual UK/US Citizenship and Thoughts on Moving Back to England

Matt's RANT!: AI and Its Uses

Links and Show Notes:

• Alex Newport
• Tiny Creatures Studio
• WCA with John Greenham
• WCA with Philip Broussard

Credits:

• Guest: Alex Newport
• Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
• WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
• The Voice: Chuck Smith

In this return visit to Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes back Dante Fumo — freelance sound designer, writer, and the creator behind Harmonic Content, a screen-printed audio zine now in its seventh issue. Dante talks about building a sustainable freelance life that spans independent film post-production, writing for Vintage King and Pro Sound Effects, and self-publishing a physical zine inspired by the Tape Op compilations he read as a college writing tutor. The conversation covers the realities of DIY publishing — screen printing, saddle-stitching zines at home, and the economics of Patreon — alongside the craft of mixing short films in Dolby Atmos, delivery specs for the festival circuit, building a sound library, and why low cost of living might be the most underrated career decision a freelancer can make.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Origin of Harmonic Content Zine
• How Tape Op Inspired the Whole Thing
• The Economics of Self-Publishing a Physical Zine
• Screen Printing and DIY Production Workflow
• Why Ink Cartridges Are a Scam (and What Dante Uses Instead)
• Building a Sustainable Patreon as a Small Independent Creator
• Balancing Freelance Writing, Sound Design, and Publishing
• Writing for Vintage King and Pro Sound Effects
• How Dante Gets Independent Film Clients — All Word of Mouth
• The Life Cycle of an Indie Short Film: Festivals to YouTube
• Mixing Everything in Atmos Even for Non-Atmos Deliverables
• Netflix Home Entertainment Spec as a Loudness Baseline
• Loudness for Short Films vs. Feature Films vs. Music
• Calibrating Your Monitors With Pink Noise
• Overhead Fold-Down Settings When Bouncing Atmos to Stereo
• Sound Design vs. Mixing: What Dante Loves Most
• Field Recording for Ambiences vs. Buying Libraries
• SoundCue — A Free Sound Effects Organizing Tool from Pro Sound Effects
• GDC Free Sound Library and Other Ways to Build a Collection for Free
• George Vlad and Watson Wu — Field Recording Heroes
• Tonebenders Podcast as the WCA of Post-Production Sound
• Why Dante Stepped Back From Recording Everything Himself
• The Case for Not Having All Your Eggs in One Basket
• ADHD and Freelancing: Finding Work You Can Actually Stay Engaged With
• Low Cost of Living as a Freelance Strategy
• AES Nashville and the Press Pass Question
• What the Next Five Years Look Like

Matt's RANT!: School

Discount Codes:

• WCA25OFF — 25% off a zine at harmoniccontentzine.com

Links and Show Notes:

• Harmonic Content Zine
• Dante Fumo — Supernatural Sound Design
• Harmonic Content on Patreon
• WCA #346 with Dante Fumo
• WCA #596 with Will Kennedy
• Tape Op Magazine
• Tonebenders Podcast
• Pro Sound Effects / SoundCue

Credits:

• Guest: Dante Fumo
• Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
• WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
• The Voice: Chuck Smith

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes a panel of four guests united by a common cause: Tinnitus Quest, a patient-driven nonprofit pushing to fund and accelerate tinnitus research. Tchad Blake — 7-time Grammy Award-winning producer, mixer, and engineer with credits including Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney, and Pearl Jam — opens up about living with tinnitus since age eight or nine, the result of childhood exposure to rifle fire, and how he has mixed some of the most acclaimed records of the past four decades with significant hearing loss in one ear. Neuroscientist and consultant neurologist Dr. Will Sedley of Newcastle University breaks down what the brain is actually doing when tinnitus occurs, from central gain theory to predictive coding, gating mechanisms, and why the brain's compensation strategies can misfire. Hazel Goedhart, co-founder and Executive Board Member at Tinnitus Quest, shares her own tinnitus journey and how it led her to leave a career in financial services and fundraise her own salary to work for the cause full-time. And Jack Rubinacci, musician, songwriter, and Head of PR at Tinnitus Quest, explains how the organization is working to change the narrative around tinnitus the same way the mental health conversation shifted over the past generation — because that narrative shift is what unlocks funding, and funding is what drives research.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• What Tinnitus Quest Is and Why It Was Founded
• The Scale of the Problem: 750 Million People, Almost No Research Funding
• Tchad's Tinnitus Since Age Eight or Nine: Childhood Rifle Fire
• Mixing Iconic Records With Significant Hearing Loss
• Tinnitus as a Potential Creative Superpower
• How the Brain Compensates for Hearing Loss and Generates Phantom Sound
• Central Gain Theory and Neural Noise Amplification
• Synchrony: How Neurons Fire Together and Make Tinnitus Louder
• Gating Mechanisms and Why Some People's Brains Filter Tinnitus Out
• The Predictive Coding Model: Why Tinnitus Embeds Itself in the Brain
• Hair Cell Damage vs. Synaptopathy: Two Different Types of Noise Trauma
• Recruitment: A Frequency-Specific Amplification Phenomenon
• Why Tinnitus and Hearing Loss Don't Always Correlate
• Why Some People With Hearing Loss Never Get Tinnitus
• Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Medical Emergency
• Tinnitus Spikes: What Causes Them and What the Evidence Says About Steroids
• Tinnitus as a Canary in the Coal Mine for Stress and Overexposure
• Fleeting Tinnitus: The Brief Episodes Most People Experience
• Low-Frequency Tinnitus and "The Hum"
• Musical Tinnitus and Musical Hallucinations
• Who to See: ENT vs. Audiologist vs. Neurologist
• CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness for Tinnitus
• Tchad's Personal Coping Strategies, Including Exposure Therapy and Harmonizing With the Ringing
• The Role of Psilocybin and Psychedelics in Potential Tinnitus Treatment
• Neural Plasticity, Synaptogenesis, and Why Psychedelics May Help
• Stem Cell and Cochlear Regeneration Research
• Is Tinnitus a Modern Problem? Pre- vs. Post-Industrial Noise Exposure
• The Stigma Around Tinnitus in the Music Industry
• How Bella Bathurst Connected Jack and Tchad
• TQ's First Oxford Research Grant: Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation
• Why Patient-Driven Funding Moves Faster Than Institutional Funding
• The Catch-22 of "Learn to Live With It" and How It Suppresses Research

• Tinnitus Quest
• WCA #334 with Jack Rubinacci
• WCA #200 with Tchad Blake
• Bella Bathurst – Sound: Stories of Hearing Lost and Found
• Newcastle University – Translational and Clinical Research Institute

• Guests: Tchad Blake, Dr. Will Sedley, Jack Rubinacci, Hazel Goedhart
• Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
• WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
• The Voice: Chuck Smith

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes back producer, mixer, and engineer Will Kennedy. Will shares an update on his journey since his last appearance, focusing on his partnership with Matt Wallace and their deep dive into immersive and Dolby Atmos mixing from their Los Angeles studio. They discuss the strategic decision to sell off their traditional recording gear, the evolution of the immersive audio market, and the amusing discovery of a hidden Starbucks inside a Jaguar dealership. The conversation also explores the unique, ongoing challenges of adapting rock and roll production techniques for the Atmos format.

• Biking With Brad Wood
• Human Powered Vehicles
• Partnership With Matt Wallace
• Dolby Atmos Mixing Focus
• Los Angeles Studio Location
• Horseless Carriage Diner
• Jaguar Dealership Starbucks
• Selling Traditional Recording Gear
• Keeping Essential Overdub Setup
• Offloading Full Band Tracking
• Early Adopter Atmos Strategy
• Becoming Premium Immersive Mixers
• Dolby Atmos Market Correction
• Navigating Cheap Atmos Mixes
• Atmos In Modern Cars
• Mixing Rock In Surround
• Stereo Versus Immersive Techniques
• Developing New Tracking Methods

• WCA #388 with Will Kennedy
• Matt Wallace on WCA
• Brad Wood on WCA

• Guest: Will Kennedy
• Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
• WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
• The Voice: Chuck Smith

Video Interview

In this episode, Matt welcomes mastering engineer Steve Kitch. Steve shares his journey from early music programming on home keyboards and classical piano training to building a worldwide mastering practice from his studio in Devon, UK. They discuss the transition from transferring DAT tapes to CDs, being an early adopter of online file delivery, and the evolution of a professional audio career through self-taught exploration and technical curiosity.

• Full Time Mastering
• Devon Studio Location
• Classical Piano Training
• Early Keyboard Sequencers
• HiFi Technical Upbringing
• Sound On Sound
• Self Taught Education
• DAT Tape Transfers
• Online Mastering Pioneer
• Google AdWords Strategies
• Supermarket Shift Work
• Website Design Software
• Global Client Reach
• Digital Audio Evolution

• Steve Kitch’s Site: Audiomaster
• Related Episode: WCA #593 with Katie Marie Richards

• Guest: Steve Kitch
• Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
• WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
• The Voice: Chuck Smith

In this episode, Matt welcomes mastering engineer and artist Amar Lal of Oakland’s Macro Sound. Amar shares his journey from the New York DIY scene and touring with Big Ups to a corporate role at Sennheiser and his eventual return to independent studio ownership. They discuss the benefits of an all-digital mastering workflow, the "Active Listening Club" philosophy, and how Amar maintains career longevity through work-life balance and photography.

1. Mastering Engineer Roles
2. Oakland Studio Location
3. Shared Building Benefits
4. Early Childhood Canada
5. Childhood Piano Lessons
6. Experimental Music Scene
7. Circuit Bending Gear
8. High School Recording
9. New York Education
10. Touring Big Ups
11. Facing Career Burnout
12. Corporate Sennheiser Experience
13. Launching Macro Sound
14. Home Studio Logistics
15. Oakland Artistic Community
16. All Digital Mastering
17. Active Listening Club
18. Balancing Personal Life
19. Passion For Photography
20. Artistic Practice Philosophy
21. Mastering Room Acoustics
22. Local Community Ties
23. Remote Working Models
24. Studio Business Logistics
25. Auditory Sensitivity Issues

1. Amar Lal’s Site: Macro Sound
2. Band Reference: Big Ups
3. Sennheiser
4. Active Listening Club

1. Guest: Amar Lal
2. Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
3. WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
4. The Voice: Chuck Smith

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist Katie Marie for a deep dive into her 30-year career journey, moving from a rural UK trailer to world-class studios. They discuss the transition from solo artistry to a supportive production role, the philosophy of professional growth, and maintaining a healthy mindset around the business of music.

1. Producer And Multi-instrumentalist Background
2. Leaving School At Fifteen
3. Self-taught Musical Foundations
4. Early Four-track Recording Experiments
5. Transitioning From Solo Artist
6. Managing Performance Anxiety
7. Relocating From Devon To Austin
8. Mentorship At Blue Rock Studio
9. Sharing Process Via Live Streams
10. Transitioning To North Carolina
11. Morning And Afternoon Life Stages
12. Growing Wider Rather Than Taller
13. Collaborating With Christie Lenée
14. Overcoming A Poverty Mindset
15. Charging Based On Value
16. Selling The Human Experience
17. Prioritizing Songs Over Gear
18. Adapting To New Environments

1. Katie Marie’s Site
2. Blue Rock Studio
3. Book Reference: You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero

1. Guest: Katie Marie Richards
2. Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
3. WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
4. The Voice: Chuck Smith

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes back producer, engineer, mixer Ronan Chris Murphy (King Crimson, Steve Morse, Terry Bozzio, Tony Levin) to talk about being a pro audio nomad, falling trees, and and anchor points.

• World Travel
• Falling Trees
• Language
• Being a Respectful Human
• Anchor POints
• Debt

• Ronan's Site

• Guest: Ronan Chris Murphy
• Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
• WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
• The Voice: Chuck Smith

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes mixing and mastering engineer Tyrone "Cross Bone T" Harris who shares his journey from a young music enthusiast in London to a professional mixing and mastering engineer.

1. Musical Roots and Early Influences
2. The Journey into Music Production
3. Curiosity and Learning in Music
4. Early Experiences with Technology
5. First Steps in Radio and Education
6. Navigating Challenges in Music Education
7. Transitioning to Professional Environments
8. Live Sound Experiences and Growth
9. The Art of Live Sound Engineering
10. Navigating the Music Industry as a Young Professional
11. Health Challenges and Career Adaptation
12. Transitioning to Home Studio Work
13. Building a Client Base in a Niche Market
14. Philosophy on Life and Overcoming Obstacles
15. The Importance of Small Wins and Motivation

Links and Show Notes:

1. CBT's Site

1. Guest: Tyrone "Cross Bone T" Harris
2. Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
3. WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
4. The Voice: Chuck Smith