Recording Studio Rockstars

How Did Michael Jackson's $98,000 Console Inspire the Ultimate Studio Compressor?
What happens when missile-grade engineering meets music?
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Bill Cheney of Spectra 1964 joins me to reveal how a company born from aerospace tech became the secret sauce behind Stax, Ardent, and The Record Plant - and how that same precision lives on in Spectra's modern C610, STX mic pres, and new designs shaping today's studios.

Bill shares the incredible story of the $98,000 Spectra console built for Michael Jackson, how John Lennon, Elton John, ZZ Top, and others tracked through Spectra desks, and why their gear still defines headroom and musical accuracy sixty years later. We dig into RMS vs peak clipping, console restoration, plugin modeling with Chad Blake, and what makes Spectra's circuits run ice cold while sounding hot as hell.

If you've ever wondered why the most musical recordings in history still sound so alive, this episode takes you inside the circuits that made it possible.
 
 



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https://www.adam-audio.com/
https://www.spectra1964.com
https://gracedesign.com/

https://pickrmusic.com 
https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academy
https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/
Listen to the podcast theme song "Skadoosh!" https://solo.to/lijshawmusic
Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2TzboLsCf0C4mlKX1dNqtT?si=k3tHsiPgR3CRv-zuuo5GKA
 
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What happens when you sit down with an engineer who helped define multiple eras of music - from Foreigner to Timbaland - and he tells you the secret is still just listening for what feels good?
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My guest today is Jimmy Douglass, legendary producer, mixer, and engineer whose career spans more than five decades. Jimmy began as a teenager at Atlantic Records in New York, making tape copies and quietly slipping into the back of sessions, where he learned by watching giants like Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin, and Jerry Wexler. He grew up in the era when you had to earn your way into the control room, and those lessons shaped everything that came after.


Jimmy talked about working on classic records for Foreigner, including helping mix Follow You, Follow Me when Genesis was still emerging, and cutting his teeth editing music for radio versions - including early work on King Crimson. He also shared memories of the post-punk era, mixing records for Gang of Four and Television, including the iconic Marquee Moon, and how those productions influenced his sense of space, energy, and performance.
Then Jimmy walked us into the world that many people know him for - his long-running creative partnership with Timbaland. He explained how Tim's rhythmic sensibility forced him to rethink timing, movement, and pocket, and stories of respectful sessions working with Snoop Dogg.
 
We also talked about longevity: how Jimmy stays inspired, how he keeps reinventing himself, why he still chases accidents and surprises in the studio, and the challenge of balancing instinct with intention across 50 years of making records.
If you love stories from inside the control room or want to understand how great mixers think, this episode is loaded with wisdom and wild history.
 
https://metalliance.com/


https://www.sheencenter.org/events/detail/studio-confidential-1



 
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
http://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com
https://usa.sae.edu/
https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.adam-audio.com/
https://www.spectra1964.com
https://gracedesign.com/

https://pickrmusic.com 
https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academy
https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/
Listen to the podcast theme song "Skadoosh!" https://solo.to/lijshawmusic
Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6voPl0icbbrLKCh7MqFiHe?si=7MKSFLWmT76HunqSyUQHLg

If you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/Review
 
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRoockstars.com/540

What does it take to lead two of the biggest names in pro audio?
Phil Wagner shares how he went from NYC engineer to running SSL and Apogee - and why the best technology still starts with listening.
Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com
My guest today is Phil Wagner, a longtime pro-audio industry leader who's helped shape some of the most respected recording technologies in the world.


Phil began his career in New York City at Soundworks Studios, working hands-on as a recording engineer before moving into product development and leadership roles. Over the years he's served as President of Apogee Electronics, U.S. President for Solid State Logic, and has collaborated with legendary studios, artists, and manufacturers across the globe.


With decades of perspective bridging the analog and digital eras, Phil shares insights on consoles, converters, immersive mixing, and the business of audio, along with stories from the front lines of pro audio innovation.

A big thank - you to Fadi Hayek at SSL for the introduction!

 
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
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https://usa.sae.edu/
https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.adam-audio.com/
https://www.spectra1964.com
https://gracedesign.com/

https://pickrmusic.com 
https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academy
https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/
Listen to the podcast theme song "Skadoosh!" https://solo.to/lijshawmusic
Listen to this guest's discography on Tidal: 
https://tidal.com/playlist/a30de320-4f72-4ffe-a7cd-7dbd035f8dfb

If you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/Review
 
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRoockstars.com/539

What does a rooftop studio, a cold plunge, and a punk rock heart have in common?
Producer Toby Lloyd shares how surrender, discipline, and creative flow helped him build Tiny Triumph Recordings and rediscover joy in making music.


Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com
Howdy Rockstars, my guest today is Toby Lloyd, a music producer, studio engineer, and mixing engineer who runs Tiny Triumph Recordings, a boutique rooftop recording studio in Wellington, New Zealand.


Toby has worked with artists like Shapeshifter, Hollie Smith, Stan Walker, and Nightmares on Wax, and he's contributed to major film projects including Avatar 2, The Hobbit Trilogy, Mortal Engines, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, as well as mixing scores for acclaimed films such as Savage, Stylebender, and Ka Whawhai Tonu (pronounced Car Far Fie Toe Nu).


In addition to his studio and film work, Toby is also making new music as an artist himself.


Big thanks to Matt Boudreau from Working Class Audio for making today's introduction!

 
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
http://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com
https://usa.sae.edu/
https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.adam-audio.com/
https://www.spectra1964.com
https://pickrmusic.com 
https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academy
https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/
Listen to the podcast theme song "Skadoosh!" https://solo.to/lijshawmusic
Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify: 
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4KcgK6N3gowUGrKLxBGkgy?si=65a448e9f89c42e6
If you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/Review
 
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRoockstars.com/538

Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com
Howdy Rockstars, my guest today is Rich Bernett, aka Sound of Machines, a Richmond, Virginia - based sound artist, builder, and experimental musician.


Rich designs and performs with his own DIY instruments like the CassetteTone 2 and Rotary Drone, blending circuit bending, contact mics, and field recordings to create wild, organic, and otherworldly soundscapes.


With a growing following on YouTube, Patreon, and Instagram, Rich shares his creative process and connects with a community of makers and musicians exploring new sonic frontiers.
 
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
http://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com
https://usa.sae.edu/
https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.adam-audio.com/
https://www.spectra1964.com
https://pickrmusic.com 
https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academy
https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/
Listen to the podcast theme song "Skadoosh!" https://solo.to/lijshawmusic
Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify: 
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5FEzCg4bWv4y9FZlZaMVMk
If you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/Review
 
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRoockstars.com/537