Gear Club Podcast

Bill Schnee is a musician, producer, Grammy-winning engineer, and more recently, a writer, with his new book "Chairman at the Board." With over 50 years in music, Bill has plenty to share, having worked with Miles Davis, Steely Dan, Dire Straits, Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, and Whitney Houston, to name a few. In this episode of Gear Club Podcast, he sits down with John and Stewart to talk about the writing of the book, his early years as a musician and young engineer, his recording ethos, and shares a few stories from his book.

For the full experience, watch the interview on our YouTube at https://bit.ly/GC79YouTube

In this episode, Eventide founder Richard Factor takes us to outer space on a Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. Richard is the founder and president of the SETI League: a non-profit, membership-supported group of amateur skywatchers hoping to catch signals of intelligent life from outside our solar system. Richard walks John and Stewart through the inception of SETI, the hows and whys of this galactic search, and one story about a real-life tin foil hat.

For video of this episode, show notes, photos, and more, go to gearclubpodcast.com

With a career spanning over 5 decades, Terry Manning is an accomplished audio engineer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, composer, and photographer. Terry got his start as a teenager in the legendary Memphis music scene at Stax Records and Ardent Studios. He has worked with the likes of Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Otis Redding, The Staple Singers, Shakira, Joe Walsh, Lenny Kravitz, Shania Twain, and Bryan Adams - not to mention his quintessential role in Big Star’s debut album, #1 Record. Listen in as Terry sits down with John, Stewart, and special guest host Bill (William) Wittman to discuss what it's like to be on both sides of the talkback mic as a musician and producer, running a destination studio in the Bahamas, his longtime friendship with Jimmy Page, and the making of Led Zeppelin III.

For the full experience, watch this interview on our YouTube or at gearclubpodcast.com

Brendan Benson is a musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and founding member of The Raconteurs. As a solo artist, he’s released seven studio albums, most recently “Dear Life” released on Third Man Records in 2020. Brendan talks with John and Stewart about the recording of Dear Life, his writing process, The Raconteurs, and over 20 years of making music, from Detroit to Nashville. This interview was recorded at Sear Sound in January of 2020. For the full experience, watch this episode on our YouTube channel or at gearclubpodcast.com

In this episode, Dweezil Zappa and our hosts take a closer look at his father Frank Zappa’s vast music catalog, his gear, and some of his more unconventional instrumentation choices. All in an effort to explore Dweezil’s approach to tackling his father’s work in his show, Zappa Plays Zappa. They’ll also delve into more details of Dweezil’s multi-faceted online music platform, Reward Music.

For the full experience, watch this full interview on our YouTube channel & check out Part 1 at gearclubpodcast.com

This week, our hosts talk to Grammy award-winning guitarist and son of Frank, Dweezil Zappa. Dweezil recently launched Reward Music, an online platform for artists to host their website, engage with fans, sell music and merchandise, all while keeping 100% of sales. Dweezil talks through the features and benefits of reward music for artists and fans alike, showcasing the need for a paradigm shift away from traditional music revenue streams.

Keep on the lookout for part 2, where we’ll go more in-depth with Dweezil on his career and his father’s music and legacy.

As a renowned music supervisor for film and television, Randy Poster is known for his work with directors Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, Todd Phillips, and Sam Mendes, among many others. He has had his hand in a countless number of works including The Irishman, The Queen’s Gambit, Boardwalk Empire, The Hangover, Divergent, The Wolf of Wall Street, Lost, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Tiger King, and Joker, just to name a few. With a career that spans over 2 decades, multiple genres, and several awards, listen in as he chats with our hosts about how he got into music supervision, the nuts and bolts of the process, and more!

Chris Allen is a Grammy-nominated recording and mix engineer based in New York City. He’s been the chief engineer at Sear Sound for over a decade and was a protégé of the late Walter Sear. Chris has worked with an impressive and varied list of artists, including Yoko Ono, Paul Simon, Fleet Foxes, Nels Cline, Andrew Bird, Ravi Coltrane, and Dr. John. Chris sat down with John and Stewart in studio A at Sear to discuss microphones, interns, crazy sessions, keeping things fresh after 16 years at Sear Sound, and carrying on Walter’s legacy of excellence in recording.

During the 2019 AES convention, Gear Club took over Studio A at Sear Sound for several days of interviews. While there, the guys had the opportunity to talk to the owner and studio manager, Roberta Findlay. Roberta has a long history in film, working as a director, writer, producer, composer, camera operator, and actress in scores of movies from the 1960’s through the 1980’s. For the past few decades, she has booked and managed Sear Sound, founded by her and her partner, the late Walter Sear. Listen in as Roberta shares some amazing stories about the studio and film making, talks about how the studio came to be, and the impact that Walter had on the music being made there.

In this live episode, we chat with Producer/Engineer Kevin Killen, Tony Shanahan & Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith Band, James Mastro, owner of Hoboken's Guitar Bar & member of The Bongos, and Gerry Leonard, best known for his work with David Bowie. This episode originally aired on April 23 as a live stream in Eventide’s Quarantide series. Be sure to catch more live Gear Club episodes on Eventide’s Facebook or YouTube every Thursday at 4PM ET

Join us this Thursday at 4PM EDT live on the Eventide Facebook & YouTube as we interview producer/engineer Ed Stasium, along with Record Plant Studios alumni Shelly Yakus, Jack Douglas, Jay Messina, Greg Calbi, Rod O'Brien, & Steve Marcantonio. With combined credits including The Ramones, John Lennon, Aerosmith, Van Morrison, The Band, The Raspberries, & Tom Petty, to name a few, this is a live, interactive episode you won't want to miss!

Join us this & every Thursday at 4 PM on the Eventide Facebook page for a special live episode. This week, our hosts will be joined by producer/engineer Kevin Killen, Tony Shanahan & Lenny Kaye of The Patti Smith Band, James Mastro (owner of Hoboken's Guitar Bar & member of The Bongos), & Gerry Leonard, best known for his work with David Bowie. So tune in on the Eventide Facebook where our hosts will be taking listener questions.

Join us each Thursday at 4PM EDT Live on the Eventide Facebook Page for a special live stream episode! Tune in, ask questions & hang out with us in the comments as we chat with a bunch of our industry friends, both old & new! This Thursday, April 16 we talk with William Wittman, along Rob Hyman & Eric Bazilian of The Hooters

Jules Standen is a producer, engineer, and founder of the audio website gearspace.com. Beginning in 2002 as a forum for engineers, Gearspace has grown into a Mecca for all things audio, from gear forums and classifieds to gear databases and reviews, Q&A sessions with famous producers and engineers, and a worldwide audio community. Jules began his career in music in the early ’80s at Matrix Studios in London, working with the likes of The Smiths and Siouxsie and the Banshees. He went on to a successful freelance career as a producer and engineer, before devoting his full attention to the website. Listen in as Jules talks to John and Stewart about how he got started, demo production, click tracks, and the beginnings and future of gearspace.com.

In this episode, the guys chat with musician, composer, Professor, filmmaker, music technologist, and author, Paul Lehrman. Paul was in NYC for the 2019 AES convention and stopped by Sear Sound to talk with John & Stewart about his career in the music industry. Listen in as Paul shares his deep knowledge of MIDI, the history of early electronic instruments and music, playing the bassoon, orchestrating performances of the near lost 1924 electro-mechanical composition “Ballet Mecanique” and more.

Sylvia Massy is a producer, mixer, recording engineer, educator, and author who has worked with everyone from Tool to Johnny Cash. In addition to hosting a Mix with the Masters workshop at AES 2019, Sylvia was part of a panel discussion with other women on their experiences working with Prince, hosted by the Women’s Audio Mission. At AES, she made time to come sit down with us at Sear Sound to talk about her studio in Ashland, Oregon, current work, mentors, mixing, and of course, a few Prince stories.

Everyone at Gear Club was saddened to hear of the passing of The Left Banke’s Steve Martin Caro, singer of Walk Away Renée. That song was the subject of a Gear Club song of the week, first appearing in episode 20. Eventide co-founder Steve Katz worked with The Left Banke back in the 60’s and recently related some details of Walk Away Renée’s recording to Gear Club. This episode is a reprint of that Song of the Week, followed by Steve Katz’s memories and insights into the recording.

This is the final installment of our 3-part series surrounding the Eventide H9000. In part three, the guys talk to the H9000 developers as a group and wrap up with Joe Bamberg, who wasn’t able to make the group interview.

This episode is the second in our three-part series surrounding the Eventide H9000. In this episode, John and Stewart talk with Pete Bischoff, Tim Sternfeld and Don Elwell about how they got to Eventide, the projects they've worked on at Eventide and their own backgrounds in music and technology.

In 2018 Eventide’s flagship multi-effects processor, the H9000, received a TEC Award in the category of Signal Processing Hardware. Being such a powerful and innovative tool, we wanted to find out more about the work that went into its development, and get to know the people behind it. The staff at Eventide were kind enough to sit down with Stewart and John to talk about the H9000, Eventide, and their own backgrounds in music and technology. This is a three-part series, with individual and group interviews with the team that designed and developed the H9000. In part 1, the guys talk to Greg Kellum, Jackson Firlik, and Russell Wedelich.

This is part two of our interview with the incomparable engineer and mixer Shelly Yakus. In this episode, Shelly offers advice on how to be a good assistant and talks about his own training underneath the likes of Roy Cicala and Phil Ramone. He also discusses recording to digital vs. analog, mixing methods, and building recording studios.

Shelly Yakus is a true living legend of music and recording. His mixing and engineering work has helped shape the sound of rock and pop music. With credits including Tom Petty, John Lennon, Patti Smith, U2, Van Morrison, The Band, Lou Reed, Stevie Nicks, Meatloaf, Madonna, the list goes on and on, and on. Shelly has an unrivaled work ethic and deep understanding of the studio, knowledge that he has passed down to generations of engineers and producers who have had the pleasure of working with him. This is part one of a two-part interview with Shelly, where he shares some of that wisdom, along with stories from the studio and his personal journey through the music industry, from working at his father’s Ace Recording Studios in Boston, To New York City’s Record Plant, building studios for A&M Records, and beyond.

At this year’s AES Convention, Gear Club camped out in Studio A at the venerated Sear Sound in New York City for two great days of interviews with visiting engineers, producers, and artists. During this time, Kurt Vile stopped by to talk with the guys about his writing and recording process, meeting some of his musical heroes, his current projects, and collaborating in the studio.

A singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Philadelphia, Kurt has worked extensively with Gear Club’s very own John Agnello. He has spent over a decade bouncing between touring and recording with his band the Violators, as a solo act, and in collaborations with Courtney Barnett, The Sadies, and others. Kurt recently wrapped up a tour with Dinosaur Jr., and will be playing with The Violators January 18th at the 4xFar festival in Thermal, CA.

This week, John and Stewart sit down with Dan Korneff. Dan has spent the past few decades producing, recording and mixing some of the biggest names in new rock including Paramore, Pierce the Veil, Breaking Benjamin, Sleeping With Sirens, and My Chemical Romance. For the past eight years, he’s operated out of Sonic Debris, his 2000 square foot multi-room recording studio in West Babylon, NY. Dan talks to the guys about building & modifying his eclectic collection of gear, moving from assisting to engineering & producing, and his recording process, from pre-production to mastering.

This week, John and Stewart sit down with a man who has worn many hats, Steve Addabbo. Steve got his start as a musician and studio technician, but continued on to managing, producing, engineering, and mixing. He played a key role in launching the careers of Suzanne Vega and Shawn Colvin, and has owned and run the New York City recording studio Shelter Island Sound for over 30 years. Steve has also mixed numerous Bob Dylan box sets, winning a Grammy in 2015 for his work on “The Cutting Edge”. Listen in as Steve shares his insights and experiences from almost 50 years of working in the music industry.

In this episode, John chats with J Mascis, Murph, and Lou Barlow at Camp Fuzz, a rock and roll summer camp hosted by Dinosaur Jr. in upstate New York. Live in front of a group of camp attendees, John sits down with the band to discuss their reunion, touring and the recording of their early records.

This week, John and Stewart are joined by singer, songwriter, producer and composer Jeff Rosenstock. Growing up on Long Island, NY, Jeff has been a purveyor of punk rock’s DIY ethic, founding the donation based record label Quote Unquote records, and with his bands The Arrogant Sons of Bitches and Bomb the Music Industry. Jeff has worked as a producer with artists such as Mikey Erg, Laura Stevenson and Dan Andriano. Jeff has also provided music for the shows Weeds and The Office, and is the composer for Cartoon Network’s “Craig of the Creek”.

This is a special up close and personal interview with one of audio’s true legends, Tony Visconti. We were honored to host a live event with Tony at last year's AES Convention which was released as Gear Club Episode 44. Just prior to the live event our hosts were fortunate to have an ‘off-the-cuff’ chat with Tony and he’s graciously agreed to allow us to share it with all of you.

In the second half of this week’s episode, John and Stewart dig into the Record of the Week, “Waterloo Sunset” by The Kinks.

In this final installment of our 3 part series recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios the guys sit down with James Brown & John O’Mahony in John’s mix room at Electric Lady. These 2 friends came to NYC from abroad looking to become part of the city’s vibrant studio & music scene. John initially found a home at Chung King Studios, & spent time working as a mix engineer for Andy Wallace. He maintains a keen focus on mixing, lending his talents to the likes of Coldplay, Sara Bareilles, & Metric. James has & continues to fill many roles in the studio, from mixing in 5.1 for Nine Inch Nails shorty after arriving in NY, to engineering & mixing the Foo Fighters in 8 different cities for the album & HBO television series, Sonic Highways. Taking different journeys through their careers, each found success with a passion & dedication to their art, and offer their own special insights into production, process, and the ever changing landscape of the music industry.

This is part 2 of a 3 part series recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios. As Manager and co-owner of Electric Lady, Lee Foster juggles schedules, personalities, and a river running underneath studio A on a daily basis. Beginning his time at the studio as a general assistant, Lee worked his way up to become Studio Manager. With an eye for both preserving the history of the studio and maintaining a presence in modern music, Lee has cultivated a staff, atmosphere, and clientele that continues to make Electric Lady a go-to recording destination.

This is part 1 of a 3 part series recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios. Tom Elmhirst was a 1 year old when Electric Lady first opened its doors in 1970. Today, Tom resides in Studio C as Electric Lady’s lead mix engineer. Tom began his career at SARM studios in London under the tutelage of Trevor Horn, and spent close to a decade in residence mixing at London’s Metropolis Studios. Needing a change Tom found his way to New York City, and has become an integral part of the community that makes Electric Lady what it is. He has received 13 Grammy awards for his mixing work, and holds the record for winning the most Grammy’s in one night, taking home 6 in 2017 for his work with Beck, Adele, David Bowie, and Cage the Elephant. Tom was kind enough to show us around his mix room, and share his insights and passion about the craft that he has mastered.  

After spearheading the alt country movement with Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar pursued his vision with Son Volt, who recorded three landmark albums in the ’90s before the groundbreaking artist put the band on extended hiatus and cut three solo LPs. Missing the free exchange of ideas and the surprises that inevitably occur when a group of simpatico musicians lock together, Farrar assembled a new lineup of Son Volt in 2004 and has since released five albums. Along the way, Farrar has collaborated with Ben Gibbard, Jim James, Will Johnson and Anders Parker to produce odes to Jack Kerouac and Woody Guthrie. The latest Son Volt album, Union, out March 29, confronts our turbulent politics and articulates the clarity and comfort music can offer in the tumult.

Jay Farrar’s work often seeks out the ghosts of America's discordant or forgotten past, converses at length with them, and writes songs that stake a claim to a better future.

Nick Tveitbakk is a recording engineer, producer and currently runs Pachyderm Studios, a legendary recording studio that has hosted many great artists like Nirvana, Son Volt, PJ Harvey, Arcade Fire, and Motion City Soundtrack.

Nick has worked in the industry for over 20 years making records and running studios. For the past five years he has worked to integrate that experience and the amazing history of Pachyderm Studios to make an extraordinary place to make records

Toby Scott got his start at LA’s legendary Clover Recording working with artists such as Bob Dylan, Booker T. and the M.G's, Robert Palmer, and Tommy Tutone, to name a few. There he also worked with producers Steve Cropper, Tom Dowd, Ron Nevison and Bruce Springsteen’s producer, Chuck Plotkin. Chuck had Toby mix 'The River' which led to three and a half decades of working hand-in-hand with Springsteen. Listen in as he recalls his sessions with Bruce and what it’s like to work in the studio with Bob Dylan.

David Hewitt was the first to put a world-class recording studio on wheels as the director of remote services for New York’s legendary Record Plant studios. Over his career Dave has recorded and broadcast thousands of live events from 1973’s Watkins Glen Summer Jam to Live Aid, and has earned multiple awards including Grammys, Emmys and TEC Awards. He has recorded shows by nearly every major act that toured the US for 40 years - the Stones, Springsteen, Neil Young, and the Eagles to name a few.

Since 2004, Paul White has served as Editor in Chief of Sound on Sound magazine. But, you may have been reading his articles & reviews since 1984 when he was writing for Home Recording Magazine. Over the decades, his articles have introduced us to new products & ideas, and have taught us not only what gear to use but why, where, when and how to use it. In this episode, you’ll meet the man behind the glossy pages of the magazine and discover why Sound of Sound has been so good for so long.

Joe Chiccarelli is a producer and engineer whose career spans almost 4 decades. Refusing to be tied down in any one genre, Joe’s skill, versatility, and eclectic taste has put him in rooms with Frank Zappa, Tori Amos, Oingo Boingo, The Bangles, The Strokes, Morrissey, Dwight Yoakam, The Bee Gees, The White Stripes and many, many more.

Alex U. Case is an Associate Professor of Sound Recording Technology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and, as you’ll discover in this episode, the audio world’s foremost sleuth - the Sherlock Holmes of audio techniques.

Professor Case’s research and professional activities focus on the technical foundations, creative motivations, and aesthetic merits of recording and signal processing techniques used. Alex is a Fellow of both the Audio Engineering Society and the Acoustical Society of America and served as President of the AES from 2017-2018.

In this episode, John & Stewart continue their chat with Kevin Killen. Kevin’s extensive discography includes projects with U2, Bon Jovi, Peter Gabriel, Burt Bacharach, Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Tori Amos and so many more.

This is part 2 of our interview with Kevin. Make sure to listen to part 1 at bit.ly/46KevinKillen

Eight time Grammy award winner Kevin Killen's extensive discography includes projects with U2, Van Morrison, Peter Gabriel, Burt Bacharach, Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Tori Amos and so many others. Join our hosts as they learn how Kevin, born and bred in Dublin Ireland, came to be the man at the controls for some of the world's most iconic artists. In part 1 of our chat with Kevin his talent, his musical aesthetic, his technical expertise and above all his basic decency come through loud and clear.

In this special live episode, John and Stewart talk with Bob Clearmountain. An award-winning music engineer, mixer and producer, Bob has worked with many prominent names including Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Bryan Adams, Toto, Bon Jovi, and many more. Watch the full episode at bit.ly/GCBClearmountain

In this special live episode of Gear Club, John and Stewart chat with Tony Visconti. Tony is a renowned, GRAMMY® winning record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers including David Bowie, Thin Lizzy, T. Rex, and Iggy Pop. Watch the full live interview at http://bit.ly/GCTViscontiLive

Our guest this week is Roy Hendrickson, a veteran of the New York music scene for over 3 decades. Roy got his start working at Power Station recording studio in the mid 80’s. After going freelance and working at first class studios from coast to coast, Roy returned to New York and became instrumental in the Power Station’s successful metamorphosis to Avatar, and continues making records there as its legacy moves forward, now Power Station at BerkleeNYC.

Roy has worked with a wide variety of artists in many different genres including Mick Jagger, Empire of the Sun, B.B. King, Billy Ocean, Missy Elliott, Blondie, Cheap Trick, Stanaj, P.O.D., Gavin DeGraw, Miles Davis, Peter Paul & Mary, Paul McCartney, James McCartney, Richie Havens, Carly Simon, Judy Collins, Gato Barbieri, Pat Metheny, Al di Meola, Kirk Whalum, Philippe Saisse, Roberta Flack, Zedd, Aloe Blacc, Wilco/Feist Fleming, La India, Prince Royce, and Ben E. King.

Paul Wolff has been designing professional audio equipment since the 70s. Any fans of API audio products know him as the man who brought that company back from the brink of extinction. While at API, Paul designed the 550B EQ, 512 and 3124 mic preamps, Legacy console, and 2500 compressor. But that’s just the beginning — His legendary Lunchbox and 500-series format, which ushered in a new industry, led him be inducted in the NAMM TEC Hall of Fame. Since then he’s gone on to create Tonelux, and has designed products for Slate Audio and Sunset sound, to name a few. Currently he’s back in the console business with his own Fix Audio Designs as well as being the Engineering Project Manager for the Steven Slate companies.

In this episode, John & Stewart talk about their latest projects which inevitably leads to a discussion on how our hosts perceive the evolution of the recording industry.

The guys also dive deep into the song of the week: “Fat Old Sun” by Pink Floyd. John & Stewart hone in on production techniques used to create the piece, and dissect the wacky, experimental nature of Atom Heart Mother in comparison to later Pink Floyd albums.

Doug Wimbish is a bass player with an extraordinary resume. A key member of Living Colour and Tackhead, Doug has toured with Sugarhill Gang, Mick Jagger, Annie Lenox, Depeche Mode and many others. But Doug is much more than just a talented musician, he is a mentor, organizer, fund raiser and honorary uncle to dozens of up and coming performers.

Doug has organized community-based charity events around the world putting young bands on stage and raising money for music education. Doug calls the event the WimBash and thinks of it as a handshake with the next generation. Doug honors HIS elders by being the best elder that he can be. When John and Stewart learned that Doug was organizing his 53rd WimBash this August 18th in New Haven Connecticut, they just had to get Doug into the club to learn about the genesis and history of the WimBash.

In our last episode, our hosts spoke with the Verve Music Groups’ Creative Director, Josh Cheuse. Part 2 of the interview brings us up to date with his career and also covers the ‘nerd notes’ that Josh created in preparing to geek out at our club.

Josh’s interview inspired our hosts to go back and listen to early Clash recordings, so our song of the episode is inspired by one of the largest drug busts of all time - 'Julie’s Been Working for the Drug Squad'.

Josh Cheuse (aka “Funky Ishmael”) has played a key role as a photographer, creative director, tour manager, rapper and collaborator at the heart of the punk and rap scene in NY and London spending his days in the studio and on the road with iconic bands like The Clash, The Beastie Boys, RUNDMC, Big Audio Dynamite.

Josh went on to become an art director at Sony Music for 20 years. Today Josh is Creative Director of the Verve Label Group working on projects for jazz and pop artists across the musical spectrum.

In this episode, our hosts get schooled in studio monitors and power amps by checking in with Zwickipedia.

In our song of the episode, Patterson Hood talks about the making of “What It Means” and how Drive-By Truckers’s album American Band was faced with politically charged criticism.

Chuck Zwicky has been described as equal part audio expert and scientist. He’s built studios, designed plug-ins and recorded, mixed and mastered hit records. His credits include Prince, The Rembrandts, Reggie Watts, Soul Asylum, Nine Inch Nails, the Jonas Brothers and more.

Listen as Chuck shares his unique approach to every aspect of recording. His experiences working one-on-one with Prince, his analysis of analog and digital recording tools and his move to NY to set up his private mix room with the best outboard gear on the planet and over 50 channels of outboard compression, 24 channels of outboard EQ and more.

During the last AES convention our hosts were honored to have a chance to speak with four time Grammy-award winning, George Massenburg. Simply put, George has no peer. He is an inventor, a recording engineer, a producer, a studio designer, a product developer, a professor of the recording arts AND, in 1998, became the youngest recipient of a special Grammy, the prestigious Grammy for lifetime technical achievement. As a consequence of receiving a lifetime award so early on and, given his accomplishments over the last 20 years, Gear Club suggests it would be appropriate to grant him a 2nd lifetime achievement award.

We could fill an entire podcast describing George’s accomplishments so we’ll just mention a few and let the guy speak for himself. As a young man, George built a recording studio in Baltimore with Steve Boone of the Lovin’ Spoonful. In 1972, he presented a seminal technical paper describing the parametric EQ. By 1980 he had designed the first truly useable ‘moving fader’ system. He’s contributed to the design of some of the world’s most prized studios including George Lucas’ Skywalker Sound.

He’s recorded and produced over 450 records with artists ranging from Little Feat to Earth, Wind and Fire to Linda Ronstadt, Herbie Hancock, Billy Joel, James Taylor, The Dixie Chicks and many more. In 1982, he founded George Massenburg Labs where he has created a wide range of innovative technologies. In 2008 he was awarded the AES Gold Medal.

Today he serves on the board of the preservation society of the Library of Congress and as Chief Technology Officer of META and teaches at McGill University and Berklee College of Music.

So that’s who George is. Now, here he is.

This week, John and Stewart are joined by singer/songwriter and co-founder of Drive-By Truckers, Patterson Hood. Patterson grew up in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. His father, David, was the bass player in the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Through osmosis and a deep love of music, Patterson became an artist to be reckoned in his own right. Whether with the Drive-By Truckers, or as a solo artist, or as a producer, he has established a wonderful legacy all his own.

Bill Burrs is a music fan. As a young man, Bill was a late night DJ on a top 40 radio station in his native Minneapolis before moving into record promotion. Bill has spent his career helping bands get on the radio and noticed. He’s worked first at Geffen records and then as a Senior VP at RCA. Today, Bill is at 300 Entertainment doing what he loves doing - helping records get heard.

Bill doesn’t make records, he helps records ‘make it’. For over twenty years his mission has been to help bands get their  songs heard. Many of the hit songs that we know from bands like Guns and Roses,

Join our hosts in exploring the world of music promotion and distribution with Bill Burrs. The biz side of the record biz.

During the AES convention, Gear Club was honored to have some of the industry’s leading provocateurs. While we were talking to pal Geoff Daking, our party got crashed by William Wittman, Steve Rosenthal, Rod O’Brien, Greg Calbi and Joe Warda.

Jack talks about how that experience inspired him to study the art of recording. Jack was a member of the first graduating class of the Institute of Audio Research landing him the position of janitor at The Record Plant. Jack’s story of moving up through the ranks of that legendary studio (and getting fired and rehired along the way) is inspirational. Record Plant’s owner Roy Cicala gave Jack an opportunity to hone his craft by giving him projects from ads to jazz to full orchestras.   Jack went on to engineer and produce seminal records by artists including Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Miles Davis, Lou Reed, The James Gang, Alice Cooper and The New York Dolls. In 1980, Jack was awarded the Grammy for Record of the Year for his production of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy. Jack continues to work today charting music for TV and film as well as teaching a class in studio etiquette.

Welcome to another Gear Club episode from AES NY. Our guest is an old friend of John and Stewart, the great Geoff Daking. From playing drums in the Blues Magoos to engineering and running Messina Sound to developing gear and making the amazing line of Daking Audio gear, Geoff has done it all. 

In this episode we continue with our AES series and are delighted to have another Record Plant alum, Rod O’Brien with us. Rod grew up in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen back when that name meant something. Starting hired on as a ‘general’ at Record Plant, Rod was teamed with Jack Douglas working on legendary records by the likes of John & Yoko, Aerosmith, The New York Dolls, Cheap Trick and many more. Today, Rod works in LA as lead sound designer for film and TV including shows like Eastbound & Down and Grace & Frankie. Listen in as Rod tells tales of making great records and his transition to audio post production. Rod’s first meeting with John Lennon is certainly worth a listen but more than  that you’ll also learn about Jay Messina’s crabs, the Wilhelm scream and the fishcrow.

In January 30, 1989, a 20 year old EveAnna, on sabbatical from her music studies at Columbia University, met the original Manley crew and was hired on to the production team. She quickly learned to solder and assemble vacuum tube amplifiers, and after only three years with Manley Laboratories, co-founder David Manley abruptly left the company and the country in 1996. With EveAnna now at the helm, the modern form of Manley Labs began to take shape. Studios worldwide cherish Manley’s tube-based microphones, pre amps, compressors and EQs. We were lucky to have had a chance to talk with EveAnna and learn a thing or three about tubes, bikes and why Chino is not China. 

We continue our AES series with Terri Winston, the founder and director of Women's Audio Mission (WAM). An industry veteran, Terri has a degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, recording engineer, and producer. She has toured with P.J. Harvey, The Pixies, and The Flaming Lips just to name a few.

Located in a world-class facility in downtown San Francisco, WAM is the only all-female built and run professional recording studio in the world. It provides training for women and girls in 127 different countries through their various programs.

This week, we continue our series recorded at the NY AES Show. Sit back and listen to John and Stewart learn a thing or two from three-time Grammy® award-winning producer/engineer, Andrew Scheps. From making house calls at Frank Zappa’s Utility Muffin Research Kitchen to life on the road as Stevie Wonder’s keyboard tech to mixing Michael Jackson’s live shows, Andrew has seen, heard and done it all. In a career that spans nearly 30 years, Andrew has made hit records for Adele, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ziggy Marley, Linkin Park, Weezer, Green Day, Iggy Pop, My Brightest Diamond, Metallica and many more.

For photos and more information visit www.gear-club.net/episodes

Welcome to the 2nd episode of Gear Club recorded at New York AES.

When it comes to microphones, monitors, outboard gear and consoles no two studios are exactly alike but you’ll find that the one thing that they all have in common is the latest edition of Tape Op – a magazine that owes its existence to its creator and editor Larry Crane. Larry runs his recording studio, Jackpot!, produces and engineers records and still somehow finds time to crank out a magazine that we all read from cover to cover.

Back in the day, the tape op, the tape operator, was the low man or woman on the totem pole in the recording studio hierarchy. The job was to hit play when the engineer gave the signal. By listening and watching, a tape op would gradually learn the tricks of the recording trade.

That vibe is what Tape Op is all about. John and Stewart, ardent readers of the magazine, were eager to hear about Larry’s inspiration and motivation for its creation. Listen as Larry talks about starting out as a musician touring with the early indie band, Vomit Launch, and going on to build Portland’s Jackpot! Studio, and you’ll understand why Tape Op is the real deal.

Fascinated by music, sound and audio technology since building a crystal radio set as a lad, Michael Pettersen is the Director of Corporate History at Shure Incorporated. Employed by Shure since 1976, he is a contributing author to the 1,550 page reference tome "Handbook for Sound Engineers" as well as the sole author of numerous pro audio technical papers. In his personal life, Michael is a professional musician, published composer of choral arrangements, co-author of a biography about jazz guitarist Freddie Green and a notorious raconteur. 

In this episode of Gear Club we catch up with the latest exploits of our hosts and learn about MARS' Steve Rosenthal's restoration work on some Elvis Presley live shows from the 1970's. The song of the episode is "Red Eyes" from War on Drugs’ Lost in a Dream.

This week John and Stewart continue their chat with Susan. In Part 1, “A Tour of Duty”, Susan described her life in the studio working with artists including Prince, The Jacksons and Barenaked Ladies. In this episode, Susan describes how and why she left the studio for the laboratory to pursue a doctorate in audio psychoacoustics. Listen and learn as Susan describes how we hear, how and why our hearing changes as we age and why we perceive music the way we do. You’ll likely come away with a new perspective on this thing that we call ‘music’ and have a glimpse into current research aimed at discovering what we don’t as yet understand.

Professor Susan Rogers grew up in the "Shadow of the Mouse" listening to soul, funk and rhythm and blues. After a few years of work as one of the few woman studio techs in LA, Susan's dream came true when she landed the gig as Prince's recording engineer and found herself 'in the seat' for the recording of Prince's seminal Purple Rain. 

In part 1 of our interview, our hosts listen in wonder as Susan recollects her early years and muses on her life as a studio pro and especially in her role as the right hand woman to one of the most prolific artists of all time. 

This week John and Stewart are joined by The War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel. Adam is the perfect gear club guest because he brings it all - he writes, sings, plays, engineers and produces his records. In this episode, the guys dig deep into Adam’s creative process with a special focus on the year leading up to the release of The War on Drugs critically acclaimed new album, A Deeper Understanding. You can check out the new album here.

This week, John and Stewart are joined by Steve Rosenthal, owner of the iconic (but defunct) Magic Shop Studios. (Check out Episodes 3 & 4) Currently, Steve owns MARS (MagicShop Archive & Restoration Studios), which provides restoration, mastering, mixing, producing, preservation and development of historic and archival audio recordings. Some of the artists that MARS has restored include Woody Guthrie, The Rolling Stones, Erroll Garner, Sam Cooke, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Elvis Presley and many more.

Grammy® winning recordings include:

• The Rolling Stones – Charlie is my Darling – Best Historical GRAMMY Award 2014
• Woody Guthrie - The Live Wire: Woody Guthrie in Performance 1949 – Best Historical GRAMMY Award 2008
• The Klezmatics – Wonder Wheel – Best World Music GRAMMY Award 2007
• Jelly Roll Morton - The Complete Library of Congress Recordings - Best Historical GRAMMY Award 2006
• Burning Spear - Jah Is Real - Best Reggae Record GRAMMY 2010

This week, John and Stewart are joined by Erin Tonkon, a true twenty first century producer, engineer and mixer, who creates sounds that have all the visceral rawness of classic rock, only with a twist — expertise and immersion in new technology. Erin’s vast experience includes working as assistant to legendary rock producer Tony Visconti. She's worked with such artists as David Bowie, Kristeen Young, Esperanza Spalding, Daphne Guinness, The Foo Fighters, Fiona Silver and many more. 

In this special Record of the Week, John and Stewart chat with engineer, producer and mixer Erin Tonkon, to discuss one of her favorite records "Goin' Out West" by Tom Waits.

Stay tuned for our interview with Erin, where we talk about her career in the New York City music scene. Artists she's worked with include David Bowie, Esperanza Spalding and Fiona Silver. You don't want to miss it.

This week, John and Stewart catch up with Steve Shelley, drummer extraordinaire from the alternative rock band, Sonic Youth. His extensive catalog includes drumming for the likes of The Million Dollar Bashers, Ron Asheton from the Stooges, Sun Kil Moon, and Sonic Youth's own, Thurston Moore, just to pick a few.

But Steve's musical exploits, don't stop behind the drum kit.  Steve has also founded multiple record labels including Smells Like Records where he produced and fostered the careers of notable acts such as Blonde Redhead and Cat Power.

 This week we're joined by Jacob Sciba, head engineer at the iconic Arlyn Studios in Austin, TX. Jacob has worked with great artists, including Gary Clark Jr., Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Gov't Mule, Warren Haynes and many more. Arlyn Studios has been a fixture and recording hub for Austin’s vibrant music community since 1984. 

This week we conclude our interview with William Wittman — a Grammy Award winning independent Producer/Engineer/Musician/Songwriter whose credits include Cyndi Lauper, Joan Osborne, the Hooters, and The Outfield.

This week, we're back in New York City with William Wittman — a Grammy Award winning independent Producer & Engineer whose credits include the multi–platinum debuts from Cyndi Lauper, Joan Osborne, the Hooters, and The Outfield. As a musician, he has appeared on nationally televised shows including The Late Show with David Letterman, the Rosie O’Donnell Show, CBS Late Late Show, Ellen Degeneres, the NBC Christmas Tree Lighting Special, and New Year’s Eve in Times Square.

William has also played and sang with many of the artists he has recorded and was a member of alternative rock band Too Much Joy (Giant/Discovery/Sire Records). He now plays bass guitar in the Cyndi Lauper Band, recording and touring internationally while also working as the Musical Director.

This week, our guest is Maggie Vail, Executive Director of CASH Music, a nonprofit organization focused on educating & empowering artists (and their fans) to foster a viable & sustainable future for music. Maggie has over 20 years of experience within the music industry both as a musician and an independent label executive. She was integral at preeminent indie label Kill Rock Stars, currently runs Bikini Kill Records and plays bass in Hurry Up.

CASH Music's innovative tools give musicians no-commission stores, email for download widgets, better tour listings, and more — all free, open, customizable, and available to anyone. Artists currently involved include: Run the Jewels, Neko Case, Bikini Kill, Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), JD Samson (Le Tigre), Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney), Skrillex and many more.

John and Stewart are joined by Lyle Hysen, president of Rough Trade Publishing and founder of Bank Robber Music — a licensing company that helps indie bands get placed in film, TV, video games, commercials and more. Some of the current bands Lyle is working with include: The War On Drugs, Future Islands, Grizzly Bear, Black Lips, Juliana Hatfield,  Land Of Talk, M83 and countless others

Featured placements include, Durand Jones & The Indications - "Groovy Babe" used for the new Google assistant, and Mike Kroll's "La La La" featured in the Levi's 505™c Commercial. 

This week, John and Stewart are joined by Martha Mooke - an electro-acoustic violist, composer, producer and educator. She is a leading clinician on electric and progressive string playing, and has toured with Barbra Streisand, Peter Gabriel, Andrea Bocelli and Star Wars in Concert. Martha has also performed with Elton John, Trey Anastasio, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Laurie Anderson, Tony Bennett, Bon Jovi, Patti Smith, David Bowie and many more. She is currently collaborating with beatboxing legend Rahzel (formerly of The Roots) at Symphony Space in New York City. Their live performance titled "Beats per Revolution," is on May 19th. 

This week, we take a look at the acclaimed Surf's Up by The Beach Boys.  In 2004, the album was included in Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and ranked 61 on Pitchfork Media's "The Top 100 Albums Of The 1970s". 

John and Stewart are joined by Chris Shaw, a four-time Grammy winning producer, engineer, mixer, and musician. Artists who have worked with Chris include:  Bob Dylan, Public Enemy, Wilco, A Tribe Called Quest, Run-DMC, Weezer, Sheryl Crow, Death Cab For Cutie, Lou Reed, Nada Surf, Dashboard Confessional, and Allman Brothers Band.

Fun fact, Chris has worked on six of Rolling Stones "500 greatest Records of All Time" check out the list below:

• #385 - Bob Dylan "Love And Theft"
• #302 - Public Enemy "Fear of a Black Planet"
• #299 - Weezer "The Blue Album" 
• #204 - Bob Dylan "Modern Times"
• #153 - A Tribe Called Quest "The Low End Theory"
• #48 - Public Enemy "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back"

From his early beginnings working with Tammy Wynette, to Jack White, to Chris Stapleton, Vance Powell has been in the center of the Nashville music scene for decades. The four-time Grammy winning engineer, mixer, and producer, Vance joined us as our special guest at this year's SXSW Podcast Festival. Hear about the making of "Tennessee Whiskey" by Chris Stapleton and how a minor mistake made it's way to a multi-platinum hit.

John and Stewart had the pleasure of meeting the influential electronic music composer & pianist, Suzanne Ciani. A five-time Grammy award nominated artist, Suzanne’s work has been featured in commercials, movies and video games. The documentary, A Life in Waves, based on Suzanne’s life premiered at this year’s SXSW. She also performed at the festival as part of Moogfest.

A pioneer in electronic music, Suzanne is an avid user of Eventide gear. From their early products like the H910 Harmonizer, the H949 and the Band Delays effect found in the SP2016. Today she performs with 2 H9 Harmonizer stompboxes.

Fun fact, Did you know that the "pop fizz" sound from Coca Cola commercials was created by Suzanne?