

Working Class Audio
Working Class Audio
The Working Class Audio Podcast pulls back the curtain on the professional recording world. Host and audio engineer Matt Boudreau talks with guests from music, film, games, restoration, and beyond—diving into their real-world journeys. No fluff, just honest conversations about the wins, losses, money, collaboration, and survival strategies that define a career in audio. It's recording life from a working class perspective.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 30, 2021 • 1h 23min
WCA #350 with Leslie Brathwaite - Island Culture, The Craft of Recording, Taking Pride in Work, Valuing Peace, and Salads for Whitney Houston
My guest today is recording and mixing engineer Leslie Brathwaite, who has worked with Pharrell Williams, Outkast, Björk, TLC, Jay Z, Madonna, Ludacris, Young Jeezy, Akon, T.I., Monica, Michael Jackson, Cher, Mary J. Blige, 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G just to name a few. In this episode, we discuss:
Virgin Islands
Calypso Music
Birth of Hip Hop
Drum Machines
Island Culture
Making Dubs
Leaving The Island
Full Sail
The Craft of Recording
Dallas Austin
Salads for Whitney Houston
Apple IIE
Taking Pride in Work
Good and Efficient
Building Relationships
The Cup Test
Turning Work Down
Valuing Peace
Mixing in the Box
Money Talk
Mix Philosophy
Matt's Rant: Revisiting HabitsLinks and Show Notes
Leslie on Instagram
Leslie on Twitch
Atomic Habits
WCA on Instagram
Connect with Matt on Linkedin
Current sponsors & promos
Credits
Guest: Leslie Brathwaite
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab

Aug 23, 2021 • 56min
WCA #349 with Craig Alvin - Muscle Shoals, Mentors, Survival, Bible College Neves, And A Brand New Studio
My guest today is Grammy-Winning Mix Engineer and Producer Craig Alvin. Craig's recording credits include Hanson, Little Big Town, Amy Grant, Vanessa Carlton, Will Hoge, Andrew Belle, Brittany Howard, and a Grammy for his mix work on Kacey Musgraves' Golden Hour album in 2019.In this episode, we discuss:
Vancouver, Washington
Bible College Neves
5 O'Clock People
Joe Chicarelli
Always Be Listening
Oklahoma City
Advice on Nashville
Muscle Shoals
Mentors
Larry Crane
Aretha Franklin
Cost of Living
New Studio
Work/Life
Survival
Quality of Tracks
Matt's Rant: Do We Always Need to Get Paid for Our Stuff?Links and Show Notes
Craig's Site
Craig On Instagram
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Connect with Matt on Linkedin
Current sponsors & promos
Credits
Guest: Craig Alvin
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab

Aug 16, 2021 • 51min
WCA #348 with Mike Blodgett - Reno to East Oakland, Starving Musician, Building a Studio, and Becoming an Electrician.
Today, my guest is producer, engineer, composer, and electrician Mike Blodgett, the owner of Electric Sparky Land recording in East Oakland. In this episode, we discuss:
East Oakland
Live/Work Space
Reno, Nevada
Viola
Field Recording
4 Tracks
Starving Musician
Becoming an Electrician
Business Practices
Building a Studio
Creating A Record Label
Recording Bands Live
Choosing Gear
Talking Electricity
Hiring an Electrician
Matt's Rant: Atmos Studio UpdateLinks and Show Notes
Mike's Studio
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Connect with Matt on Linkedin
Current sponsors & promos
Credits
Guest: Mike Blodgett
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab

Aug 9, 2021 • 1h 5min
WCA #347 with Beckie Campbell - Controlling The Live Beast, Building A Resume, Planning for The Future, and Running Your Life From The Road
My guest today is Live Sound engineer Beckie Campbell. Beckie does FOH for major acts like the Indigo Girls and the Commodores. She's also the owner of B4Media Production LLC, where she Produces corporate events, festivals, and live shows all over the US. In this episode, we discuss:
Live Sound
Union Work
The UP of Michigan
FullSail
Building A Resume
Worship Sound
Controlling The Live Beast
Building Troubleshooting Skills
Setting Rates
A1 AND A2 Distinctions
Working On Digital Consoles
Taking Deep Breaths
Recording Shows
Hearing Protection
Money Management
Planning for The Future
Health and Wellness
Work/Life Balance
Running Your Life From The Road
Health Insurance
Matt's Rant: Making time for your imaginationLinks and Show Notes
Beckie on Facebook
Beckie on Linkedin
Beckie on Instagram
Beckie's Website
Soundgirls Site
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Connect with Matt on Linkedin
Current sponsors & promos
Credits
Guest: Beckie Campbell
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab

Aug 2, 2021 • 57min
WCA #346 with Dante Fumo - Post Production, Immersive Audio, Recording for 6 Packs, Finding Work, and The Sunk Cost Fallacy
Today's guest today is sound designer, mixer, composer, and writer Dante Fumo. Dante started recording indie bands in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has since branched out into sound design for film and games and relocating to Minnesota. In this episode, we discuss:
Copywriting
Prog Rock
Audio School
Recording for 6 Packs
Basement Studios
Day Jobs
Freelance Writing
Building a Studio
Working From Home
Post Production
Game Sound
Immersive Audio
Selling Gear
Lower Overhead
Studio Identity
The Sunk Cost Fallacy
Finding Work
Volunteering
Local Work Opportunities
Slack Channels
Hobby vs. Profession
Finances
Matt's Rant: Dolby Atmos UpdateLinks and Show Notes
Dante's Site
Dante on Instagram
Dante on Twitter
Sound Anchor DAW stand
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Connect with Matt on Linkedin
Current sponsors & promos
Credits
Guest: Dante Fumo
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab

Jul 26, 2021 • 1h 15min
WCA #345 with Chuck Zwicky - Collaboration, Analogies, Deterministic Latency, Social Media, and Flowers Next To Your Name
Today's guest is producer, engineer, mixer Chuck Zwicky, making a return appearance on WCA. Chuck has worked with Prince, Soul Asylum, The Rembrandts, Mandy Moore, and many others. In this episode, we discuss:
Collaboration
Social Media
COVID
Money
Survival
Analogies
Prince
Nostalgia
AI
Radio
Flowers Next To Your Name
1000 Sheets of Paper
Deterministic Latency
Outboard Gear
Matt's Rant: My Favorite HobbyLinks and Show Notes
Chucks Website
Chucks First Interview on WCA
George Vlad Interview
SonoBus that Chuck mentioned
Facebook Feed Eradicator Matt mentioned
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw
Credits
Guest: Chuck Zwicky
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab

Jul 18, 2021 • 1h 12min
WCA #344 with Tim Palmer - Treating People Well, Remote Clients, Comfort Zones, and Prodixing (Production + Mixing)
Today's guest is producer, engineer, mixer, Tim Palmer known for his work with Pearl Jam, U2, Cutting Crew, Tears for Fears, and many more. This is Tim's second appearance on the show. In this episode, we discuss:
Key to Repeat Clients
Treating People Well
Humanizing Revisions
"Prodixing" (Producing + Mixing)
Remote Clients
Past vs. Present
State of Songwriting
Mutt Lang
Handling Compromise
Studio Building
Hearing Safety
Rethinking Gear
Music Cares
Black Fret
Pricing
U2
Comfort zones
Matt's Rant: Thinking and Working GloballyLinks and Show Notes
Tim's Site: https://timpalmer.com/
Black Fret: https://www.blackfret.org/
Music Cares: https://www.grammy.com/musicares
Tim's First Interview on WCA: https://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-025-with-tim-palmer/
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw
Credits
Guest: Tim Palmer
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab

Jul 12, 2021 • 1h 9min
WCA #343 with Tanner Campbell- Holding Court, Pound Puppies, Quality of Character, Imposter Syndrome, and Audio Dramas
My guest today is podcast engineer, content producer, and thought leader Tanner Campbell. In this episode, we discuss:
Pound Puppies
Holding Court
IT Influence
Podcasts
Marijuana Legalization
Colorado
Podcast Audio Quality
Imposter Syndrome
Portland, Maine
ATM Studio
Joanne Fabrics
Podcast Studio
Corporate Clients
Joan London
Marketing Locally
Quality of Character
Surviving COVID
Bankruptcy Discussions
Binaural Audio
Spotify
Q-code
Audio Dramas
Matt's Rant: Random ThoughtsLinks and Show Notes
Tanner's Studio: https://guthtaigh.com/
Tanner's Site: https://www.tannerhelps.com/
Tanner's Blog: https://blog.tannerhelps.com/
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw
Credits
Guest: Tanner Campbell
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab

Jul 5, 2021 • 1h 12min
WCA #342 with Steve Sykes - Jazz in Philadelphia, The Guys in the White Coats, The Other Side of The Glass, Miami Vice, and The Deli Accident.
My guest today is producer/engineer/mixer, Steve Sykes. Steve has worked with Stanley Clark, Al Jarreau, Smokey Robinson, Enrique Iglesias, and many more. He talks to us from his studio in Los Angeles. In this episode, we discuss:
Jazz in Philadelphia
10th-Grade Education
Lunch in Denver
Homelessness
The Guys in the White Coats
The Deli Accident
Payphone Gig Offer
Learning Drums
Day Labor Jobs
Recording
Mike Chapman
Al Schmitt
Bill Smith
Steve Genewick
Pete Doell
Miami Vice
Syncing
Always Be in Record
Musician Engineers
Work-Life Balance
Matts' Rant: Reclaimed Wood WallsLinks and Show Notes
Steve's Site: https://www.stevesykes.com/
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw
Credits
Guest: Steve Sykes
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab

Jun 28, 2021 • 59min
WCA #341 with Cynthia Daniels - Paying Dues, Proper Training, East Hampton, and The Downton Abbey Effect
My guest today is Grammy and Emmy award-winning producer/engineer Cynthia Daniels. Cynthia has worked with an incredible amount of talented ed people from the worlds of music, Broadway, television, radio, and film. In this episode, we discuss:
Stamford, Connecticut
Early Influence of Audio Equipment
Not The Chick on The Couch
Al Grundy
Institute of Audio Research
Paying Dues
Boot Camp of Audio
Weeding People Out
Proper Training
Phil Ramone
Inspiring Talent
Headphone Mixes
Talking With Other Engineers
Timing
Know Your Worth
Downton Abbey
Psychedelic Spinning Wheel of Doom
Hamptons Studio
John Storyk
Covid Protocols
Lockouts
Alec Baldwin
Matt's Rant: More Dolby Atmos Links and Show Notes
Cynthia's Studio: http://monkmusicstudios.com/
WCA on Instagram: @working_class_audio
Connect with Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboudreau/
Current sponsors & promos: https://bit.ly/2WmKbFw
Credits
Guest: Cynthia Daniels
Host: Matt Boudreau
Engineer: Matt Boudreau
Producer: Matt Boudreau
Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau & Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
Announcer: Chuck Smith
Additional Music: The License Lab