Production Expert Podcast
The best music and post production tips, tricks and news on the web, brought to you by the Production Expert team. We support users of Pro Tools, Logic Pro and Studio One and those who work in music and post production.
Podcast Interview: Neurodivergence In The Audio Industry
In this edition Ashea chats to Alex West (music manager, radio presenter for BBC, KM FM and Reprezents Radio in London) about the pros and cons of being Neurodivergent (ADHD and Autistic) while working in the music industry.Â
The Future Of Music Is Here: Will You Embrace It?
In this episode Ashea and Julian are joined by Auribus CEO Juan Elias and CFO Neal Gustafson where they discuss how AI software is changing the industry, possibly like we've never encountered before. Is it time to embrace change in an ethical way?
Talking Points:
The AI revolution in the audio industry and why choosing ethical options is so important.A literal game-changer, despite this phrase being embarrassingly over used- letâs discuss the ways that Auribus is changing how we make music.Voice by Auribus Features:Finds of the week:
Ju...
Podcast Short: Direct Stream Digital- Unpacking The Mystery
In this podcast short we bring you an informal yet very informative casual chat between Nathaniel Reichman and Mark Donahue of sound mirror on the mysteries of Direct Stream Digital.
Listen To This Podcast- Your Ears Will Thank You For It (With Genelec)
In this edition Julian and Ashea are joined by Thomas Lund from Genelec and Stephen Wheatley from HearAngel where they discuss the importance of safe listening levels and how to protect our most valuable asset that we have as audio and music professionals... Our Ears.
About our guests:
Thomas is convenor of the EU working group to prevent hearing loss in music listening and gaming; and researcher at Finnish monitoring company, Genelec. Out of a medical background, Thomas has worked in Danish healthcare, and contributed to international standardisation on sound.
Stephen: Stephenâs co...
Interview with Marcello Spooks: Is Delusion The Key To Success?
In this podcast episode, Ashea has a candid chat with  Artist, Producer, Singer/Rapper, youth mentor and Big Brother UK 2024 runner up Marcello Spooks, about tough beginnings inspiring creativity, being under immense public scrutiny and whether, being 'delulu' the 'solulu' to making your best work.Â
Listen To Marcellos New Music Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y7BLmHCX9A
Keep Up With Marcello's Delusion:
https://www.instagram.com/marcellospooks?igsh=MTducHRocGY2Z2QwcQ==
The New Era Of Remote Recording
In this edition Ashea and Julian are joined by Source Elements technical co-founder and CEO Rebekah Wilson and principal inventor and co-founder, Robert Marshall, where they deep dive into the beginnings, the middle and the future of Source Elements, and why it's at the forefront of seamless, stress free remote recording.
About Our Guests:
Robert Marshall: Principal inventor and co-founder, overseas product development concepts and sales & support teams. He is the recording /mixing engineer for SUM1 in Chicago and works daily with our remote tools around the world in that capacity. He...
Things We Love Right Now (And Things We Don't)
In this edition, Julian and Ashea are joined by Grammy winning producer/engineer and extremely tired touring musician William Wittman and engineer/producer & indie label owner Steve DeMott, where they discuss the latest things they love and perhaps don't love so much in audio right now.
Podcast Short: Three Crucial Creative Lessons from Netflix's Daring Drama Adolescence
In this podcast short Ashea narrates an article by Russ Hughes discussing the genius creative work behind the Netflix show Adolescence.
Click here to follow along with the article:
Podcast Short: Three Music Technology Predictions That Never Came True
In this podcast short Ashea narrates an article by Russ Hughes, discussing the disastrous predictions about the audio and music tech industry that have yet to come true.Â
Read The Article Here:
https://www.production-expert.com/production-expert-1/three-music-technology-predictions-that-never-came-true
Starting An Audio Business in 2025 (What We´d Do Differently)
In this edition Julian and Ashea are joined by Korey Pereira, Mike Thorne and Reid Caulfield, where the guests unpack what they believe helped them develop such successful careers so far, along with sharing some no-nonsense advice about what they would do differently if they were to build an audio business from scratch in 2025.Â
About Our Guests:
Korey Pereira is a Dialogue Editor and Sound Supervisor for film and television< >
Mike Thorne is a studio owner in Kent- Rimshot productions: https://www.rimshotstudio.co.uk/
Reid Caulfield is an L...
Podcast Short-Why I Only Use Pro Tools As My DAW Of Choice
In this podcast short, Julian explains why, unlike some audio pros (who use different DAWs for different tasks such as writing vs mixing) he only uses Pro Tools.Â
Link to the Article:
https://www.production-expert.com/production-expert-1/why-i-only-use-pro-tools-as-my-daw-of-choice
Sampling In TV & Film- Then, Now & How.
In this edition, Julian & Ashea are joined by sound designer, re-recording and score mixer Roger Guerin and Production Expert founder Russ Hughes, where they delve into the past and present of sampling for TV & Film, and discuss industry tips for professional and aspiring sound designers & producers.
Talking Points:
Finds of the week:
Julian: UAD Polymax For Free For Pro Tools Customers Via Inner Circle
Ashea: Warp- Baby Audio X...
Podcast Short - Mental Illness In The Creative Sector- Part 2
In this podcast short, Ashea narrates an article by Russ Hughes, where he delves into his experience with depression and anxiety. Creative people are more likely to experience mental health issues, partly due to the immense pressure we are often put under, so it´s important to take time for ourselves to reflect and be attentive to our mental and physical health. The holidays can be a good time to do this.
If you are affected or know someone who is struggling with the issues mentioned in this podcast short, please know that you a...
Podcast Short - Mental Illness In The Creative Sector- Part 1
In this podcast short, Ashea narrates an article by Russ Hughes, where he delves into his experience with depression and anxiety. Creative people are more likely to experience mental health issues, partly due to the immense pressure we are often put under, so it´s important to take time for ourselves to reflect and be attentive to our mental and physical health. The holidays can be a good time to do this.
If you are affected or know someone who is struggling with the issues mentioned in this podcast short, please know that you are not alone a...
Podcast Short- How the Instant Success Narrative Undermines Music and Post Professionals- And How We Can Respond
In this podcast short, Ashea narrates an article by Russ Hughes, on the perils the instant success trend plaguing the audio industry right now, and what we as professionals can do to address it.Â
How (And Why) Did We End Up Here?
Welcome to the Production Expert podcast. In this edition Julian and Ashea are joined by President of the AES Leslie Gaston Bird & audio engineer Ephie De Angelis, where they discuss their journeys into the world of audio and music production.Â
Talking Points:
Our journey into audio and productionWhat we get out of itInspiring others- the importance of representation, (you canât be what you cant see).AES and advocacy.ÂLearn more about AES here:
https://aes2.org
Podcast Short - 5 Skills To Make You A Better Audio Engineer
In this Podcast Short Julian explains his reasons for nominating 5 skills which he thinks every engineer would benefit from learning, and 3 which, while very worthwhile, don't make the list.
The original article can be found here and the article by Damien Kearns referenced in the podcast can be found here.
The Amazingly Boring Truth That´s Affecting Your Mixes
Welcome to the Production Expert podcast. In this edition Julian and Ashea are joined by Andy Bensley & Marcel Schechter of Genelec. Where they discuss why a great listening environment is the best time saver, and how to get the best setup for our individual needs.
About Our Guests:
Andy Bensley: joined Genelec as Regional Business Development Manager in 2019. Based in the UK, Andy has huge experience in analysing and tuning the in-room performance of loudspeaker systems in a wide range of studios â from the smallest bedroom to the largest post-production studio.
Marcel Schechter: joined Ge...
Tips, Tricks and Hot Audio Takes
In this edition Julian and Ashea are joined by producer & mega musician Mark Thompson, where they discuss new tips, tricks, and things they generally love (or hate) right now.
Talking Points:
Good advice or cool production tips you´ve learned that you´d like to share.Plugins or hardware that people need to know about.
Finds Of The Week:
Julian: Krotos Ambience generator
Ashea: Waves Center
Mark: Orla Gartland
Podcast Short - Has The Home Studio Dream Become A Nightmare?
Russ wonders if all this modern recording technology is actually damaging our creativity rather than enabling us?
The Anatomy Of A Hit
In this edition Julian and Ashea are joined by Luke Steven Ramsay and Luke Goddard, where they break down songs from the 80s until now and ask, what makes a hit?
Talking Points:
Ashea´s Tracks:
Back Bone- Chase & Status & Stormzy Â
Charlie XCX Sympathy Is A KnifeÂ
Luke R´s Tracks :
The 1975 - Oh CarolineÂ
Sam Fender - Spit of YouÂ
Luke G...
Podcast Short - Occam's Razor Is A Powerful Tool In Audio Production
In this podcast short Russ Hughes says; "You are going to come up against all sorts of problems when recording and mixing. Occamâs Razor is an indispensable tool we ignore at our peril."
Does Anyone Actually Care Anymore?
In this edition Julian and Ashea are joined by Luke Goddard and Paul Maunder, where they discuss tried and tested production rules and ask, does anyone care about that anymore and if so, why?
Talking Points:
Being in the room with the artist/client, is it still necessary? Does it even matter?Have listeners' ears become accustomed to things like Auto tune, heavy compression, would anyone care if we stopped doing these things?Loudness Wars- does anyone care anymore?Mix Assistants E.g EZ mix, is it cheating?Finds of the week:<...
Podcast Short - How To Get Ahead In Professional Audio When You Hate Marketing
In this podcast short Russ Hughes explores how audio professionals can get ahead in marketing. "I remember being on Zoom call with some of the most respected names in music production some time ago. I was talking about marketing strategies to help them get new clients and to grow their businesses. As we went through the Q&A time and the session drew to a close one of them said; âWhat we really want is for you to do this for us!â They werenât joking, they all knew how important marketing is, but all hate the thought of doing...
Recording Techniques- Capturing The Best Sound At Source
In this edition Julian & Ashea are joined by Miles Fulwider, Producer, Engineer & Educator working extensively in Immersive formats and CEO of ADK Microphones. where they discuss how to take the simplistic, âless is moreâ approach by capturing the best sound at source. Â
Talking Points:
The Colour Vs Transparency Debate
In this edition Julian is joined by William Wittman & Steve DeMott, where they discuss transparency vs colour.
Talking Points:
Coloured Vs Transparent gear,(mics, etc)Â when, why and how do you use it?Arguments for and against.Gear recommendations.Recommended by Steve: Q2 Audio
Finds of the week:
Julian: New IEMs
William: youtube channel : Sorted Food Â
Steve: Netflix DocuSeries - Rise of Empires: OttomanÂ
Shifting The Goal Posts In Post Production
In this edition Julian & Ashea are joined by David Barber, President of the Motion Picture Sound Editors. Reid Caulfield, sound editor, mixer & audio consultant in Los Angeles & Alex Gregson, head of audio & Post Production mentor at 344 Audio, where they discuss how to adapt to the shifting goal posts in Post Production.
Talking Points:
Immersive Mixing In Post (Lessons For Music Mixers )
In this edition Julian & Ashea are joined by Justin Webster of The Cargo Cult and Mixing Engineer Paul Maunder, where they discuss ways in which we can apply tools used in Post Production to improve our immersive music mixes.
Talking Points:
What are some techniques that you often hear/use in Post Production that   could benefit music mixes?Perfecting the low end, LFE channel. (Subquake)Panning tricks Cutting/Creating in Stereo vs surround.Human Perception in 3D  DownmixingAtmos objects vs fixed channel formats
Finds of the week:
Julian: Brunost
As...
The Wild Side Of Mixing. Breaking Free From Limiting Schools Of Thought.
In this edition, Julian & Ashea are joined by Noam Levinberg of Safari Pedals & Mark Gittins from Sensound, where they discuss how to break free from outdated schools of thought during the production and mixing process.
Talking Points:
Wild thoughts on classic studio techniques- what are some new, out there or avant-garde techniques or practices that work well work for you and conversely, what are some outdated tips/workflow?Breaking free from limiting schools of thought examplesMix sounding a little too tame? How to inject some excitementPlugins and tools that add interestÂThe Flow State. Why It's Crucial And How To Stay In It!
In this edition Julian and Ashea are joined by Grammy Award-winning Producer, Engineer & Musician Chris Shaw & Multi-Platinum Engineer Bainz , where they discuss ways in which we can streamline our workflow to help stay in the creative zone.Â
Talking Points:
What are some repetitive & time consuming tasks in our production/mixing workflows and what can we do to cut back on them and stay creative?
Finds of the week:
Julian: The Sopranos
Ashea: Sonicbox Studios
Bainz: VLC Mixwave Audio Channel Strip
Chris: Lean into frustration when mixing
Logic 11- The Most Significant Update Yet?
In this edition Julian and Ashea are joined by Eli Krantzberg, where they discuss the newly released Logic 11.
Talking Points:
New Logic Session Players
Global Track and Region Chords
Stem Splitter
ChromaGlow
Dolby Atmos Enhancements
Sound & Producer Packs
Pitch Source Parameter
Logic Pro for iPad 2
Eli's Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCNPNC0eRBI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92n-Nc-5kX0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
The Secrets Behind A Successful Immersive Mix
In this weekâs edition Julian and Ashea are joined by Mark Gittins, where they discuss some of the secrets behind a successful immersive mix.
Talking Points:
Mixing the new Judas Priest album
How does your approach differ when mixing in Atmos vs stereo?
Important things to consider
Maintaining the feel of the stereo mix
Workflow
Rooms, headphones ,monitors, home setups and tips for mixers getting started with immersive mixing.
Finds of the week:
Ju...
Tips, Tricks & Things We Wish We Knew Sooner!
In this weekâs edition Julian & Ashea are joined by Paul Maunder, where they discuss some of the best advice, tips and tricks they've learned during their careers to date.
Talking Points:
Workflow tips, shortcuts and things youâve discovered along the way
Recording, production and mixing tricks.
Things you wish you knew when you first started out
Mindset tips
How has your approach changed since entering into this industry?
Who were your mentors, inspiration and reasons for adopting a diff...
The Art of Sound Design for Film & TV
In this weekâs edition Ashea is joined by Dallas Taylor from Defacto Sound & Twenty Thousand Hertz Podcast, where they discuss the sound design process behind some of the world's most famous brands.
Talking Points:
Working to a brief: What is your process for capturing the mood and creating an experience that complements the visual storytelling?
Sound choice, inspiration, foley etc.
What makes a sound instantly recognizable, e.g Netflix. What is the process like getting to that point?
Optimising workflow: Tools, gear, deadlines.Â
<...Voice Cloning Software: A Powerful But Potentially Dangerous AI Tool.
In this weekâs edition Julian and Ashea joined by Anna Bulakh of Respeecher, where they discuss the importance of ethics in AI and how to proceed with caution.
Talking Points:
What are some of the current threats AI poses in society/the audio and music industry today?Synthetic media, voice cloning software and other tools are still in their early stages but are incredibly powerful tools that can all be really useful if used wisely, however there needs to be ethical principles in place. The dangers of DeepfakesProvenance.Please tell us a...Who Are The New Industry Gatekeepers?
In this week's edition Julian and Ashea are joined by Steve DeMott, where they discuss the music industry Gatekeepers of today, who are they and are they worse?
Talking Points:
Social Media age and the âdemocratizationâ of the industry.Labels vs the new A.I/Digital gatekeepersYoutube, Google and artist revenue
Finds of the week:
Julian: High Strung/Nashville Strings
Ashea: MCenter
Steve: Pulsar 1178Â
Is AI Finally Coming For Our Jobs?
In this weekâs edition Julian and Ashea are joined by Reid Caulfield, where they discuss a recent article from the LA Times and ask âIs AI coming for our jobs, and should we be worried?â
Talking Points:
LA Times Article:
https://www.latimes.com/.../ai-artificial-intelligence...
From the article:
"In the music and sound-recording industry, the tasks most likely to be affected by AI are voice generation and cloning, music generation and recording and lyrics composition, followed by mastering, mixing and tools programming, according t...
The Truth About Making A Living In The Audio Industry
On request of our listeners. In this week's episode Ashea is joined by Russ Hughes and Paul Maunder where they give tried and tested advice on how to make a living in today's audio industry.
Talking Points:
Finds of the week:
Ashea: All You Need To K...
The Secret Sauce Behind The Legendary PMC Speakers
In this weekâs edition Julian & Ashea are joined by Oliver Thomas and Maurice Patist from PMC.
Talking Points:
PMC & its history - background of company
Relationship with UGM/Dolby
PMC and suitability for Immersive - any particular features which you think make them particularly suitable?
How does an ATL differ from a ported or band pass cabinet in performance?
PMC and DSP, Network Control
What, if anything, can you share about future developments at PMC?
Finds of th...
The UK Government Women In Music Report: Can We Agree On How To Tackle These Issues?
Talking Points:
In this episode Ashea is joined by Russ Hughes & Lexie Morgan of HHB London and formerly iZotope, to give three different perspectives on the recent UK government report about the obstacles women are met with while pursuing a career in the music industry.
Summary of the UK Government report:
The Report:
Production Expert Article:
Letâs briefly discuss how we feel about this report and how our experiences correspond with the data from the report.
Sexual Ha...