Working Class Audio

For episode 612, Matt talks with Brian Starley recording and mixing engineer based in North Hollywood, California, and owner of Bergatron Music Studio. Brian grew up in Salt Lake City with a dad who transferred vinyl to cassette for the car, chased a hockey career to Ontario, came home to Utah without a plan, and found recording through a coworker who'd interned at the Blasting Room. After learning Pro Tools at twenty bucks an hour and getting out of Utah in 2005, he landed at Musicians Institute in LA and then at Lon Cohen Studio Rentals a cartage company where he spent six years moving Tim Pierce's guitars and Mike Elizondo's Logic rig around the city. After going freelance in 2013, he built a YouTube live session channel, had his busiest mixing years during COVID, and then spent the better part of two years fighting LA permits, tariffs, and a construction crew to build his dream studio — refinancing the house to do it. They talk about what cartage taught him about gear and sessions, the mobile recording revelation that shaped his whole approach, building a studio in 2025 LA, the stress that put him in the hospital with diverticulitis, and why you should focus on relationships before gear.

In This Episode, We Discuss:
- Growing Up in Salt Lake City, Utah — The Zion Curtain
- A Dad Who Transferred Vinyl to Cassette and Filled the Car With Music
- Hockey, Rage Against the Machine, and a Dream of the NHL
- Moving to Shelburne, Ontario to Play Junior Hockey
- Coming Home to Utah and Finding Construction Work for His Dad
- A Coworker From the Blasting Room Who Changed Everything
- Learning Pro Tools at Twenty Bucks an Hour on a Digi 001
- Getting Into Trouble and Getting Out of Utah — Moving to LA in 2005
- Musicians Institute and Finding the Path Into Recording
- Landing at Lawn — a Cartage Company for LA's Top Session Musicians
- Tim Pierce, Joe Chiccarelli, Abe Laboriel Sr., and What Cartage Taught Him
- Mike Elizondo's Logic Rig and the Mobile Recording Revelation
- Scab Dates, Church Choirs, and Recording With a Handful of Mics
- Post Production School, Roger Nichols, and Getting Certified in Pro Tools
- Going Freelance in 2013
- Live Sessions at Custom Vintage Keys With JJ Blair and the Boba Jam Channel
- The Decision to Build a Studio — and Reaching Out to Josh Nyback in 2023
- Two and a Half Years of Permits, Hidden Fees, and LA Bureaucracy
- Refinancing the House to Fund the Build
- Tariffs, Construction Costs, and Watching the Budget Disappear
- Supervising a General Contractor Who Didn't Know What a Studio Was
- Isomax Clips, Green Glue, and Checking Every Screw
- Diverticulitis in November From the Stress of the Build
- His Wife Allie — The Person Who Got Them Through It
- Crying in the Finished Room When They First Put the Speakers Up
- California Disability Insurance for Freelancers — and the Scott McDowell Episode
- You Don't Need All the Gear — Build Relationships First
- Support the Ecosystem — Book Studios, Pay for Mastering

Matt's RANT!: Things Matt Is Doing
Links
Bergatron Music
Brian Starley – Credits (Muso.ai)
Brian Starley (Instagram)
Brian Starley (TikTok)
Bergatron Music – Studio Build Videos (YouTube)
Josh Nyback – Nyback Builds
Nyback Builds (Instagram)
WCA #611 with Scott McDowell — California Disability Insurance
Libro.fm — Audiobooks
Four Thousand Weeks — Oliver Burkeman
M-DISC — Wikipedia
Steinberg SpectraLayers

Credits:
- Guest: Brian Starley
- Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
- WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
- The Voice: Chuck Smith

Scott McDowell is a producer, engineer, and co-owner of Wally's Hydeout at Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco. In episode 611 they talk about getting fired from his first SF internship, becoming a studio partner at Wally’s Hydeout, surviving COVID, getting hit by a car in March 2026, recovering from a TBI, and why every freelancer in California needs to sign up for state disability insurance before something happens.
In This Episode, We Discuss:
Co-owning a Studio, Making Records, and Working in Game Audio
Growing Up in Novato — North Marin County
A Broadcast Engineer Dad
Working Niners Games on the Sideline
Heading to Berklee for Trumpet
A Hernia That Ended the Trumpet Career and Started the Recording One
City College SF, SF Soundworks, and Getting Fired
John Vanderslice, Tiny Telephone, and the Referral to Justin Phelps
Interning at Hyde Street Studios With Justin Phelps and Jaimeson Durr
Filling the Calendar for Six Months to Avoid Being Replaced — Then Getting Made a Partner
The CDR Run That He Thought Was a Firing
Eight Years of Game Audio
COVID Survival
Getting Hit by a Car in Northridge
The TBI, the Wheelchair, and Coming Back
California Disability Insurance Elective Coverage — Why Every Freelancer Should Sign Up

Matt's RANT!: Accumulation
Links and Show Notes:
Fader Solo: https://fadersolo.com/
California Disability Insurance Elective Coverage (EDD): https://edd.ca.gov/en/payroll_taxes/Disability_Insurance_Elective_Coverage/
WCA #082 with Justin Phelps: https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-082-justin-phelps/
WCA #211 with Jaimeson Durr: https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-211-with-jaimeson-durr/
WCA #047 with John Vanderslice: https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-047-with-john-vanderslice/

Credits:
Guest: Scott McDowell
Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
The Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 610, Matt talks with Stephen Shirk — engineer, producer, guitarist, and owner of SHIRK Studios in Chicago's West Town neighborhood. Stephen grew up in Bloomington, Illinois, studied business at Miami University, moved to New York in 1998 with a friend's couch as his launch pad, and worked his way through the Hit Factory and a jingle house where he built Pro Tools systems, got his SAG card, and learned from Jay Messina. In 2004 he moved to Chicago, rented studio spaces for a decade, and in 2013 bought the building he now runs as a semi-commercial studio with a Sphere console, instruments on every wall, and a deliberately un-sterile feel. They talk about the HearYa live sessions that built his early reputation, word-of-mouth marketing and what comes next, Steve Albini and Electrical Audio, owning vs. renting in Chicago's studio ecosystem, and getting back out to shows.

In This Episode, We Discuss:
- Growing Up in Bloomington, Illinois
- Church Choir, Guitar at Fourth Grade, and Early Bands
- A Business Degree at Miami University and Playing in Bands
- Moving to New York in 1998 With a Friend's Couch as a Launch Pad
- Learning Pro Tools Version 4 on the Fly
- Starting at the Hit Factory as a General Assistant
- The Culture Shock of New York Speed — and Learning to Shut Up
- Moving to a Jingle House: More Engineering, More Money, a Synclavier
- Building Pro Tools Systems and Getting a Pager From the Boss
- Learning From Jay Messina (Early Aerosmith, Jack Douglas)
- Getting His SAG Card and Discovering Mailbox Money
- Moving to Chicago in 2004 and Renting Studio Spaces
- Buying the Building in 2013 and the History Behind It
- SHIRK Studios: Semi-Commercial, Instruments on Every Wall
- Avoiding the Sterile Studio — Guilford of Maine Walls and Why He Hates Them
- Word of Mouth Marketing and Wondering What's Next
- Chicago's Studio Scene: Narwhal, Brian Deck, and the DIY Wave
- Steve Albini and Electrical Audio
- Owning the Building vs. Renting — Lessons From Chicago Studios
- Live-Work Lofts as an Option for Engineer-Owners
- Getting Back Out to Shows and Reconnecting With the Scene
- The Red Room: Chicago's Fifty-Cap DIY Listening Venue
- Dana Nielsen Listening to the Episode and the Buttoned-Up Business

Matt's RANT!: Getting the Job Done Part 2

Links and Show Notes:
- SHIRK Studios
- WCA #363 with Chaz Root
- WCA #137 with Anthony Gravino
- WCA #607 with Dana Nielsen
-WCA #164 with Steve Albini
Credits:
- Guest: Stephen Shirk
- Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
- WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
- The Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 609, Matt talks with Eric M Lichter — multi-instrumentalist, producer, and owner of Dirt Floor Recording in Connecticut, where he’s been in business for twenty years. Eric came up singing in chorus, spent time on Martha’s Vineyard playing the Hot Tin Roof and landing in Carly Simon’s living room with Danny Kortchmar and Jerry Marotta in the liner notes, then moved to New York, recorded at Sear Sound on a Polygram AR’s dime, and eventually landed back in Connecticut to open a studio on a wing and a prayer in 2006. They talk about the Ed Wood approach to recording — get the vibe before the moment is gone — why he leaves the beauty marks in, pitching a studio to 90-year-old landlords, keeping a tight ship with bankers hours, vetting clients for energy, a proposal-based pricing model, and the Caribou Ranch mentality that has everyone leaving with fresh eggs from the chickens out back.
In This Episode, We Discuss:
Twenty Years of Dirt Floor Recording in Connecticut
Growing Up in a Sports-First Town and Finding His Voice in Chorus
The Soccer Coach Who Changed His Life
John Mayer, Keith Richards, and Goose — Connecticut’s Quiet Music Scene
The Hot Tin Roof on Martha’s Vineyard — and Carly Simon’s Living Room
Danny Kortchmar, Jerry Marotta, and Reading the Credits as a Kid
New York City, Polygram, and Recording at Sear Sound
Failing Guitar 101 in College and Trusting the Natural Thing
The Troubadour Years — Singer-Songwriter on the Road
Watching His Brother Make a Record With Jerry Marotta at Jarysville
Discovering Tape Op and Saying Out Loud “I’m Going to Be in That Magazine”
Starting Dirt Floor in Chester, Connecticut in 2006
The Ed Wood Approach: Getting the Vibe Before the Moment Is Gone
Beauty Marks — Why He Leaves the Imperfections In
Why Real Music Is Winning Against AI
Kids Discovering Van Halen and AC/DC on Their Own
Ethan Johns, Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner — Who Inspired Him
The Rented House That Became Dirt Floor’s Current Home
Pitching a Studio to 90-Year-Old Landlords — and Winning Them Over
Keeping Overhead Low — The Case for Renting vs. Owning
Vetting Artists: Why He Turns Down Projects That Drain the Room
Bankers Hours: 9:30 to 5:30 and Going Home
Other Engineers Working Nights — The Studio Humming When He’s Not There
Pricing by Proposal — Hourly, Day Rate, and Full Project Budget
The Caribou Ranch Mentality — Full Hospitality for Artists Who Stay
Everybody Leaves With Eggs — The Dirt Floor Signature

In This Episode, We Discuss:
Twenty Years of Dirt Floor Recording in Connecticut
Growing Up in a Sports-First Town and Finding His Voice in Chorus
The Soccer Coach Who Changed His Life
John Mayer, Keith Richards, and Goose — Connecticut’s Quiet Music Scene
The Hot Tin Roof on Martha’s Vineyard — and Carly Simon’s Living Room
Danny Kortchmar, Jerry Marotta, and Reading the Credits as a Kid
New York City, Polygram, and Recording at Sear Sound
Failing Guitar 101 in College and Trusting the Natural Thing
The Troubadour Years — Singer-Songwriter on the Road
Watching His Brother Make a Record With Jerry Marotta at Jarysville
Discovering Tape Op and Saying Out Loud “I’m Going to Be in That Magazine”
Starting Dirt Floor in Chester, Connecticut in 2006
The Ed Wood Approach: Getting the Vibe Before the Moment Is Gone
Beauty Marks — Why He Leaves the Imperfections In
Why Real Music Is Winning Against AI
Kids Discovering Van Halen and AC/DC on Their Own
Ethan Johns, Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner — Who Inspired Him
The Rented House That Became Dirt Floor’s Current Home
Pitching a Studio to 90-Year-Old Landlords — and Winning Them Over
Keeping Overhead Low — The Case for Renting vs. Owning
Vetting Artists: Why He Turns Down Projects That Drain the Room
Bankers Hours: 9:30 to 5:30 and Going Home
Other Engineers Working Nights — The Studio Humming When He’s Not There
Pricing by Proposal — Hourly, Day Rate, and Full Project Budget
The Caribou Ranch Mentality — Full Hospitality for Artists Who Stay
Everybody Leaves With Eggs — The Dirt Floor Signature

Matt’s RANT!: Getting the Job Done!
Links and Show Notes:
Dirt Floor Recording
WCA #363 with Chaz Root
WCA #341 with Cynthia Daniels
WCA #552 with Daniel Holter
WCA #575 with Michael Beinhorn
Tape Op Magazine

Credits:
Guest: Eric M Lichter
Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
The Voice: Chuck Smith

For episode 608, Matt talks with Julian Kindred — Canadian producer, engineer, and songwriter based in London, where he runs Nonsuch Park Studio in Epsom, Surrey. Julian grew up in St. John, New Brunswick — a working-class port city he describes as a place where people punched in all week and played blues in bars on the weekend — and found his way into recording through a part-time job at a music shop and access to synthesizers. Too broke for Berklee, he took a corporate function band gig that got him to Nashville, where he cold-called Music Row for a year and a half before landing a spot at Studio Nineteen. Ten years on Music Row followed, and then a move to London in 2003. They talk about what Nashville taught him about song craft and on-the-floor tracking, learning persistence in two different cultures, surviving a lull before the Ellie Goulding record turned things around, managing money as a freelancer, and why longevity attracts a different kind of client than talent alone ever did. Enjoy!

In This Episode, We Discuss:
- Growing Up in St. John, New Brunswick
- "Sultans of Swing" as a Portrait of His Hometown
- A Musical Family and a Father Who Taught Guitar
- Keyboards at Eleven and a Part-Time Job at a Music Shop
- Access to Synthesizers and the Recording Bug
- Too Broke for Berklee — and the Corporate Function Band That Got Him to Nashville
- Cold-Calling Music Row for a Year and a Half
- Studio Nineteen: A Five-Week Course, a Trident Desk, and Patsy Cline's Living Room
- Learning the Craft in Nashville's Legendary Rooms
- What Ten Years on Music Row Taught Him About Song Craft
- On-the-Floor Tracking: Finishing a Record in One Session
- Nashville vs. London: Tracking Rooms, Production Rooms, and Culture
- Moving to London in 2003 for a Woman — and Building a Career From Scratch
- Learning Persistence in Two Different Cultures
- The Lull, the Ellie Goulding Record, and the Comeback
- Universal, Polydor, and Building a Repeat Client Base in the UK
- Nonsuch Park Studio: A Purpose-Built Room in the Back of the Garden
- Managing Money as a Freelancer: Living Below Your Means
- Why Longevity Attracts a Different Kind of Client
- The Conversations About You That You'll Never Hear

Matt's RANT!: Random Items
Links and Show Notes:
- Julian Kindred
- Nonsuch Park Studio
- DriveDX
- ExifTool
- NeoFinder

Credits:
- Guest: Julian Kindred
- Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
- WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
- The Voice: Chuck Smith