In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes back Producer, Mixer & Mastering Engineer Justin Gray. Based in Toronto, Canada, Justin has worked on projects for Snoop Dogg, Brandy, Nicky Youre, Mother Mother, Arkells, Jamie Fine, Lola Brooke, Upsahl, and The Sheepdogs.

In this conversation, Justin Gray discusses his album 'Immersed', exploring the creative process, technical aspects of immersive audio, and the importance of community and collaboration in music production. He shares insights on funding, marketing strategies, and the role of social media in promoting his work. The discussion also touches on the challenges of balancing family life with artistic pursuits and the significance of believing in oneself as an artist.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Innovative immersive audio
• Early surround experiments
• Community-driven collaboration
• Canadian arts funding
• Value of physical media
• Social media promotion
• Impact of recognition
• Balancing family support
• Belief in the work
• Engineer and Artist

Links and Show Notes:

• Justin's Site
• Links to all streaming Platforms
• Band Camp
• Immersive Audio Album
• Justin on WCA #451

Matt's Rant: Forming Your Own Bubble

Credits:

• Guest: Justin Gray
• 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, engineer, mixer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and, songwriter, Alan Evans. Alan is of course well known as a member of his band Soulive. He's also been a past guest on WCA #133 and 328.

Matt Boudreau and Alan Evans reflect on the past year and share insights on creativity, health, and the music industry. They discuss the importance of recharging creatively, embracing technology, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle to ensure longevity in their careers. The duo also emphasizes the significance of simplicity in music production, the role of album artwork, and the power of community and connection in fostering creativity. As they look ahead to 2026, they express excitement for new projects and the journey of self-discovery in their artistic endeavors.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Reflections on the past year
• Creativity and staying inspired
• Recharging creatively
• Health, wellness, and career longevity
• Simplicity in music production
• The role and value of album artwork
• Community and connection as creative fuel
• Looking ahead to 2026
• New projects on the horizon
• Self-discovery through artistic work

Links and Show Notes:

• Al's Site
• Orb Audio
• Microcosm Audio
• Al on WCA #133
• Al on WCA #328

Matt's Rant: What's Inspiring Me

Credits:

• Guest: Alan Evans
• 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 Michael Beinhorn who has worked with The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Herbie Hancock, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Weezer, Ozzy Osbourne, Hole, Cuco, Aerosmith & Violent Femmes. Michael originally appeared on WCA #029 back in 2015.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Music production
• Remote production
• Pre-production
• Music critique
• Mainstream music
• AI in music
• Unique voices
• Music industry
• Creativity in music
• Music technology
• Artist development
• Risk-taking in music
• Music analysis
• Recording industry
• Listening setup
• Collaboration

Links and Show Notes:

• Michael's Site
• Michael on WCA #029

Matt's Rant: Auto Pilot

Credits:

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

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes mixer, producer, engineer, writer, and performer Stephen DeAcutis. Stephen has worked with Vanilla Fudge, Gladys Knight, Travers and Appice, Corey Glover, and Cyndi Lauper.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Owning Your Time
• Embracing Old and New
• Celebrating the New Generation
• Solving Audio Problems
• Working At Home
• Communicating with Musicians
• Getting It Right At The Source
• Performing Live

Links and Show Notes:

• Stephen's Site
• Stephen on Instagram

Matt's Rant: Staying Positive

Credits:

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

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes mastering and lathe cutting engineer Natalie Bibby who works at AIR Studios in the U.K.. Natalie has worked with Kraftwerk, Bring Me The Horizon, Lola Young, Jimmy Eat World, The Vaccines, Lewis Capaldi, GIRLI, and CATTYShe's also led a world-class mastering workshop at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios, UK.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Early musical influences
• Starting in recording & mixing
• University training & goals
• Metropolis internship lessons
• Moving into mastering
• Live cuts & direct-to-disc
• Half-speed mastering overview
• Learning & mentorship insights
• Joining AIR Studios
• AIR Studios
• Value of attended sessions
• Managing client expectations
• Hybrid mastering workflows
• How mastering engineers listen
• Common mixing problems
• Music Producers Guild
• Challenges for studios
• AIR’s cutting reputation
• Vinyl cutting process
• Mastering vs. cutting
• American mastering mystique

Links and Show Notes:

• AIR Studios
• Music Producers Guild

Matt's Rant: How we present ourselves

Credits:

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

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes back guitarist, producer, and mixing/mastering engineer Alex Crescioni to talk about Extreme Metal production. Alex is known for his work with Burton C. Bell, Deverauxx, and Siglos.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Extreme Metal
• Techniques
• Sounds
• Room Tone
• Business
• Survival
• Letting Go

Links and Show Notes:

• Alex’s Site
• Alex on Linkedin
• Alex on Instagram
• Alex on WCA #333

Matt's Rant: Spread the Work

Credits:

• Guest: Alex Crescioni
• 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/engineer/mixer and record label owner Don Setaro. Matt and Don get into a deep dive discussion of the re-issue process for former Pavement drummer, Gary Young's album "Hospital For The Chemically Insane". Former WCA guests Dan Johnson and Justin Perkins chime in to talk about their role in the process.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Pavement
• Gary Young
• Detective Work
• Restoration
• Tape Rescue
• Mastering from CD
• Re- Issue
• Keeping the Vibe

Links and Show Notes:

• Gary on Bandcamp
• IAC Records

Matt's Rant: Structure

Credits:

• Guest: Don Setaro /Dan Johnson/Justin Perkins
• 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/engineer and mixer Ken Sluiter to delve into the intricate process of stereo rebuilds for Atmos mixing. They discuss the challenges of finding and organizing original material, the importance of matching to comparison masters, and the unique aspects of each project. Ken shares insights on the ingestion process, the role of research in understanding original recordings, and the potential of AI tools in audio restoration. The discussion also touches on the future of mixing and the evolving landscape of music production.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Stereo rebuilds for Atmos mixing.
• The process involves gathering original assets and recreating mixes.
• Each project is unique, requiring a tailored approach.
• Matching to a comparison master is crucial for accuracy.
• Researching the original recording can provide valuable insights.
• AI tools can assist in stem separation but have limitations.
• Finalizing mixes involves careful listening and adjustments.
• The future of audio mixing may involve more AI and technology.
• Understanding the original recording process is key to successful rebuilds.

Links and Show Notes:

• Ken on WCA #166

Matt's Rant: Music Expo/AES/NAMM

Credits:

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

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes back Dan Johnson of Audio Archiving Services and Catherine Vericolli of Central Audio Archiving to do a deep dive into the world of audio archiving, preservation, and restoration.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Analog Tapes
• Analog Machines
• Modular Digital Multitracks
• DAT Machines
• DASH Machines
• Pro Digi
• Retrospect
• Mezzo

Links and Show Notes:

Links to Dan

• https://www.audioarchivingservices.com/
• https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-405-with-dan-johnson/

Links to Catherine

• https://www.centralaudioarchiving.com/
• https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-035-with-catherine-vericolli/
• https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-403-with-catherine-vericolli/

Matt's Rant: This AI Thing

Credits:

• Guest: Dan Johnson & Catherine Vericolli
• Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
• WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
• The Voice: Chuck Smith

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes back John Cuniberti who produces, engineers, mixes and masters records for many artists including most notably Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar, The Dead Kennedys, and Chicken Foot. John originally appeared WCA #005 back in 2014 and returns to do a deep dive into his OneMic recording concept.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• OneMic Series
• Dynamics
• Acoustics
• Placement
• Tempo
• 2 Track as Multi-Track
• Ribbon Mics

Links and Show Notes:

• OneMIc on YouTube
• John's Site
• Shiny Eyes Studio

Matt's Rant: Focus of Your Attention

Credits:

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

In this episode of Working Class Audio, Matt welcomes Grammy Winning producer/engineer/mixer Gena Johnson who has worked with Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile, and John Prine.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Leave your ego at the door
• Make people feel comfortable
• Listen to the artist
• Labels are business partners
• Word of mouth work
• Feminine energy in production
• Women in the industry
• Classical voice training for 12 years
• Internship at Welcome 1979
• Learned tape machines and soldering
• Assisting at Nashville studios
• First number one record
• Working at RCA Studio A
• Rewiring Studio A intensively
• Mentor Michael Wagner's influence
• Champions Vance Powell and Daryl Thorp
• Walls painted with glitter
• Keep overhead low
• Good attorney and manager combination

Links and Show Notes:

• Gena's Website
• Gena on Instagram
• Vance Powell on WCA
• Matt Ross-Spang on WCA
• Darrel Thorpe on WCA

Matt's Rant: Sonic Intrusion Revisited

Credits:

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