Insights In Sound

Insights In Sound 190 Suzy Shinn, Producer/Engineer S19 E10 A phrase that comes to mind when talking with Suzy Shinn is "wise beyond her years." A multi-talented, intuitive artist, songwriter, producer and engineer, she's cranked out more work before the age of 30 than many artists have created in a lifetime, including landmark recordings with Weezer, Panic! at the Disco, Fallout Boy, Katy Perry, and dozens more. We caught up with her at her Treehouse Studio, a space as delightfully creative as its owner.

Insights In Sound 189 - Steve Genewick, Audio Engineer S19 E8 From the Beatles to Spinal Tap, his discography reads like the racks of a record store. With more than two decades as part of the legendary team at Capitol Records, he's got great stories to tell and a remarkably down to earth perspective. We sat down for a long-awaited chat with Steve Genewick. Thanks to our friends at Village Studios for their hospitality. 

Insights In Sound 188 - Vanessa Parr, Audio Engineer/Educator S19 E8 Coming up under legendary engineers and producers including T-Bone Burnett, Ed Cherney, Don Was, and Hal Wilner, Vanessa Parr's credits include projects with Weezer, Dixie Chicks, Elvis Costello, and Elton John, as well as movies, jingles, and the acclaimed Tiny Desk Concerts. We caught up with her at her alma mater, the legendary Village Studios.

Insights In Sound 187 - Jeff Greenberg, President, Village Studios S19 E7 We got together with Village Studios president Jeff Greenberg to talk about the studio's rich history, as well as his own.

Insights In Sound 186 - Susan Rogers, Engineer/Producer/Musicologist S19 E6 She spent nearly a decade as engineer for some of Prince's biggest hits and went on to produce epic recordings for artists including Barenaked Ladies, David Byrne, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Tevin Campbell, and Michael Penn, before obtaining her doctorate in music cognition and psychoacoustics, becoming an instructor at Berklee College, and co-authoring the landmark "This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You." We caught up with her at her home in upstate New York.  

Insights In Sound 185 - Josh Rogosin, Audio Engineer / Documentarian His unique approach to capturing musical performances, born out of a journalism background, helped to define the sound of NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts, and he has since captured musicians worldwide through his Global Sound Concerts. We caught up with him at Studio 40, his new haunt at New York's Public Library.

Insights In Sound 184 - Neil Citron, Musician / Engineer S19 E4 He's a musician's musician, a true behind the scenes mensch who has delivered from the trenches for decades, from recordings with Steve Vai, Steve Lukather, and Larry Carlton to coaching actors including Meryl Streep and working on movies like "Ricky and The Flash", "Catch Me If You Can", "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 1 & 2", and films by Jonathan Demme, Tom Hanks-Playtone, Dino Di Laurentiis and Oprah Winfrey.

Insights in Sound 183 - Mick Guzauski - S19 E3 Few people have mixed the sheer diversity of musical genres as Mick Guzauski. From Daft Punk, Mariah Carey, and Eric Clapton to Michael Jackson, Prince, and Talking Heads, his discography reads like a who's who of modern music. We caught up with him at his home studio in Las Vegas.

Insights In Sound - David Morgan, Live Sound Professional S19 E2 His touring resume is a who's who of musical legends - Paul Simon, James Taylor, Steely Dan, Cher, Carole King, Whitney Houston, Doobie Brothers, and so many more. Welcoming our old friend David Morgan back to the show.

Jan Landy is a classic example of this show's tagline, "people you may not know, but you should,." Another music industry veteran with a pinball career, he's done anything and everything except for leading a boring life, and his stories are all over the map. Buckle in and hang on for a hilarious ride through the '70s, '80s, and beyond.

Insights In Sound - Peter Doell, Mastering Engineer S18 E10 He's a golden ears mastering engineer and beloved member of the L.A. audio community, as well as the creator and curator of the legendary L.A. Pro Audio Lunch Bunch. We finally managed to sit down with the one and only Peter Doell, and oh the stories he can tell.

Insights In Sound - Bob Clearmountain, Audio Engineer S18 E9 From Springsteen to Stones to Roxy Music and so many more, he's run the faders for some of the era's most legendary recordings. We sat down with Bob Clearmountain at the new Mix This! FTA (From The Ashes) studio.

Insights In Sound 178- Robert Scovill at the Sphere Las Vegas We met up with our old pal Robert Scovill at the Sphere to see, hear, and talk about the innovations and challenges of mixing in one of today's more unique immersive environments.

Insights In Sound 177 - Malcolm Toft, Co-founder, Trident Audio Designs Our salute to Trident continues as we chat with Malcolm Toft, employee number one at Trident Studios and the designer of the legendary Trident consoles. In an era where the music industry was changing by leaps and bounds, Trident made its mark as one of the UK's first independent studios. Hired as the Studio's very first engineer, Malcolm then took on the challenge of building Trident's own multichannel console, leading to the development of the legendary A-Range, B-Range, and subsequent mixing desks.

Insights In Sound 175 - Sam Berkow - Acoustician/Innovator He's been behind the design of some legendary concert halls and venues, as well as the creation of the SMAART system of predictive analysis used by multitudes of audio engineers worldwide.We caught up with Sam at the InfoComm Show in Orlando, Florida.

Simply put, there is nothing trifling about Kathleen Wirt. Running the legendary 4th Street Studios in Santa Monica for 35 years, she's seen it all and then some. And yet she continues to be passionate about music and the arts, and curious about the human condition. It's a fascinating conversation.  

Benny Rietveld has worn multiple hats over the course of his career. The Utrect-born, Hawaii-raised bassist has played with the likes of Miles Davis, Shiela E, and has been Santana's bassist and musical director for close to 25 years. He caught up at the Hideout Studios in Las Vegas.

John Ellis' long and winding road led through performing, recording, engineering, teaching, and then some. Currently one of two main techs at the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, we caught up with him in the midst of customizing a new console for Bob Clearmountain.

She's part of the DNA of the legendary Capitol Records studios, as well as a legend in her own right. A rare pleasure to dig deep with the inimitable Paula Salvatore.

It takes a special kind of person to keep the tech behind the creativity running. Joe Vezzetti has been the guy behind the scenes for decades. We met up at Cherokee Studios, home of one of the few remaining legendary Trident A Range consoles.  

Ace came up as a live mixer in the '90s at some of L.A.'s  legendary clubs, honing his chops on up and coming bands like Rage Against the Machine, Incubus, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, and worked his way up to touring with legends like Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Dream Theater, and Three Doors Down. He told me he'd be happy to do the show but, "I don't want to sit around in some boring studio. Let's go for a drive." So we went for a drive past some of the old L.A. club haunts and talked about everything and nothing. Buckle up.

He's got an old school production ethos planted firmly in the 21st century, a stellar multi-room studio, and awards for his work with artists ranging from Ozzy and Disturbed to Shania Twain. We got into some deep conversation with The Hideout Studio's Kevin Churko.

Though the influence of his famous father helped to shape his musical development, Thaddeus Corea is a true original in his own right. We get into it and talk about his early influences, his artistic path, and his production ethos. 

Part two of our conversation with Chris Cox. He's been the force behind hundreds of club remixes, including 64 number one tracks in the Billboard Dance Music charts, and has revved up the crowds on multiple continents. We sat down for a deep dive in his Las Vegas studio. THIS IS PART TWO OF TWO PARTS.

He's been the force behind hundreds of club remixes, including 64 number one tracks in the Billboard Dance Music charts, and has revved up the crowds on multiple continents. We sat down for a deep dive in his Las Vegas studio. THIS IS PART ONE OF TWO PARTS.

Recorded live at NAMM 2025, in this TEC Tracks panel we talk about getting in over your head, feeling like an imposter, and how we're all just learning as we go. Whether you're a n00b or a seasoned professional, we all share the same challenges.  Our panel (L-R): Daniel Liston Keller - moderator Rafa Sardina - producer/engineer Ross Hogarth - producer/engineer Rick Allen - sound designer David Morgan - live sound professional Ken Caillat - producer/engineer

He's been behind the faders for everyone from McCartney and AC/DC to Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, and so many more. We caught up with Pab during rehearsals for Macca's South America tour in the fall of 2024.

Part Two of our in-depth conversation with the legendary Tom Oberheim.

He's one of the founding fathers of electronic instruments, a legendary name in synthesizer history, and a most humble and unassuming genius. We sat down with Tom Oberheim to learn about his personal history, and that of the company that bears his name. Part One of our two-part interview.

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.

For our 150th episode, we chat with Bob Margouleff, legendary producer/synthesist behind landmark recordings from Stevie Wonder, as well as Devo, Oingo Boingo, Isley Brothers, Depeche Mode, and many more.

His bass chops and production sensibility have earned him a place with artists as diverse as Warren Zevon, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Rickie Lee Jones, Ben Harper, and Shelby Lynne, to name just a few. Despite the challenges of advancing MS, he's still cranking out great music and very much in demand.

From his pioneering work in vector synthesis with Sequential Circuits and beyond to his sonic endeavors with modular synths, Chris Meyer has been a major force in the evolution of electronic music. We caught up with him at his home in New Mexico.

Insights In Sound - Robert Scovill, Live Sound Pro - S15, E7 He's fingered the faders for artists as diverse as Rush, Tom Petty, Kenny Chesney, Prince, Toto, Jackson Browne, Alice Cooper, Matchbox Twenty, and the Go Gos, consulted on technologies from Avid, EAW, and more, written articles and blog posts, and inspired a generation of up and coming audio experts. We finally managed to schedule a date to catch up with Robert Scovill in his home office before he hit the road again with Kenny Chesney's band.  

Aside from his five Grammys, 14 Latin Grammys, and a vast and diverse discography, it's Rafa Sardina's deep connection with the music and the artists he has worked with that makes him truly one of a kind.

A true renaissance woman, polymath, and big picture thinker, Dr. Kelly Snook is a music producer, technologist, NASA scientist, inventor, educator, and researcher whose work truly places her at the axis of art, science, and technology.  

His early fascination with synthesis led to touring and recording with legendary musicians including Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, and Foreigner, as well as his own highly-acclaimed Synergy series of recordings. We do a deep dive into Larry Fast's musical and creative journey.    

Dominic Milano's work as Editor of Keyboard Magazine put him at the forefront of documenting a new era in synthesis and music creation. We cover his work reporting and being a part of the growth of an industry, as well as his work in digital video and the multimedia revolution.

Best known for nearly four decades as drummer for Weird Al Yancovic, Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz has been much more than just a time-keeper. We go deep on tour stories, Dr. Demento, and his unofficial role as photographer and keeper of the Weird Al archives.

One of a handful of attorneys who manage to balance the legal and creative complexities of our industry, David Helfant has represented both the artists and the companies behind some of the biggest songs, movies, and more. 

He's been behind classic tracks from artists like James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Kim Karnes, and Neil Diamond, with a career stretching from 3-track tape to Pro Tools. We talk about what's changed and what remains the same.

We do a deep dive into Denny's early career and development as a filmmaker, his learning curve in creating "Wrecking Crew," and his subsequent work on "Immediate Family," as well as his current projects.