Speaks Volumes - A Podcast About Mastering and Life Outside Mastering
Published by Dan Coutant and Mat Leffler-Schulman
Music Interviews
Music
Speaks Volumes is a podcast hosted by mastering engineers Dan Coutant and Mat Leffler-Schulman. We talk about supporting our fellow engineers, work/life balance, and maintaining good mental health in a stressful and competitive industry. For more information on Dan and Mat: https://srmastering.com - https://matlefflerschulman.com
Speaks Volumes is back for Season 3, and we're kicking things off with someone who went from mopping floors at Chicago Mastering Service to owning the place. Greg Obis interned at Electrical Audio, talked his way into CMS in 2012 by offering to vacuum and grab groceries for Bob Weston and Jason Ward, and spent a decade working his way up from quality control to full-time mastering engineer. Then in 2024, Bob announced he was moving to Portugal, and Greg made him an offer. Mat Leffler-Schulman and Dan Coutant talk with Greg about the surreal jump from employee to owner, the lost art (and real fear) of cutting lacquers, why he asks clients to remove peak limiting, the loudness "come to Jesus" talk, reference mixes from The Replacements to Converge, and balancing life as a business owner with his band Stuck. Greg's latest record with Stuck, Optimizer, is out now on Exploding In Sound Records. Music in this episode: "Sicko" by Stuck, from Optimizer. About Our Guest Greg Obis is a mastering engineer and the owner of Chicago Mastering Service, where he has worked since 2012. He has mastered records for artists on labels including Sub Pop, Matador, ANTI-, Numero Group, Sacred Bones, and International Anthem. He also co-founded Born Yesterday Records and plays guitar and sings in the band Stuck. Topics We Covered From intern to owner. Greg's path from Bennington College and an Electrical Audio internship to offering Bob Weston studio chores in exchange for a foot in the door, then a decade climbing from QC and archiving to a full mastering workload Buying CMS. How Bob's move to Portugal turned into a handover instead of a shipping container, why building a new room from scratch priced itself out of the running, and the "child emperor" phase of suddenly running the show Wearing every hat. Taking over project management, invoicing, and scheduling while keeping his own clients happy, and how coming up through quality control made him a better communicator Revisions and being the fall guy. Why the mastering engineer, like a monitor engineer, is the last one in the chain and the first to catch blame, and why recall requests are the most valuable education in the business Reference mixes. Greg's listening playlist: "Bastards of Young" by The Replacements, Yes, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Kendrick Lamar, and Converge for when he needs something absurdly loud. Plus the legend of a Daft Punk record allegedly mastered twice Lacquer cutting. Learning on Bob's Neumann VMS 70, the fear of a blown cutter head, how cutting changed his digital work, and the great lathe-versus-house-down-payment debate now that the VMS 70 lives in Portugal Peak limiting and loudness. Greg's "limiter on or limiter off" philosophy, asking clients for unlimited mixes, 32-bit float delivery, and talking a client back from the loudness ledge with help from Tone Projects Uni-L When to say no. Mostly when it's a mix problem mastering can't solve. Otherwise: offer the professional opinion, then respect that it's their record Life outside the racks. Stuck's new album Optimizer, touring while running a business, cooking, weightlifting as a third space, and Greg's dream of a gloriously unlistenable side project made purely for the joy of it Links Chicago Mastering Service: https://chicagomasteringservice.com Greg Obis: https://www.gregobis.com Greg's Substack, Live. Laugh. LUFS.: https://livelaughlufs.substack.com Stuck, "Sicko" from Optimizer (Exploding In Sound Records): https://stuckchi.bandcamp.com/album/optimizer Born Yesterday Records: https://www.bornyesterdayrecords.com
Our guest today is Sarah Register, a mastering engineer, from New York City, NY, USA. Sarah has worked with The Shins, Lee “Scratch” Perry, John Mayer, Meshell Ndegeocello, The Donnas, and Wye Oak. We talk about early memories of experiencing music, starting out mastering records in NYC, managing your body and time, how community plays in to work and life, working with Kim Gordon, keeping physically active, and what does success mean? This episode’s music is brought to you by Bel from Philadelphia, PA - USA. For more information on Bel, head to instagram: @iz.fur For more information about Sarah: Check out: https://sarahregister.com/ And Instagram: @ _sarah_register
Our guest today is Jeff Lipton, a mastering engineer from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Jeff has worked with Agnostic Front, Arcade Fire, Click 5, Throwing Muses, Superchunk, The Magnetic Fields, and Andrew Bird. We talk about process/quality control, getting started in the Boston music scene, Fort Apache, working with Stephin Merritt, how it used to be with A&R historically, video chats for mastering sessions, never figuring out a work/life balance, working in and educating clients about spatial audio, and Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies. This episode’s music is brought to you by Valories from Nashville, Tennessee. For more information on Valories, head to instagram: @itsvalories For more information about Jeff: Check out: https://www.peerlessmastering.com And Instagram: @peerlessmastering
Our guest today is Chris Gehringer - a mastering engineer from Edgewater, New Jersey. Chris has worked with Dua Lipa, Drake, Ed Sheeran, The 1975, Rihanna, Harry Styles, and Selena Gomez, and is part-owner of Sterling Sound. We talk about getting started at Greene Street Recording, Trutone Records, and the Hit Factory, changes and evolutions in the music industry, teaching newer clients what mastering is and isn’t, caring about your sound and individuality, being cognizant about balancing work and family life, listening to music passively and actively seeking out new music, credits for records, meeting new people and networking, NAMM, struggles in your career, respecting the mix, and your favorite limiters. This episode’s music is brought to you by Plant Dad from Baltimore, Maryland. For more information on Plant Dad, head to instagram: @plantdad_music For more information about Chris: Check out: https://sterling-sound.com/engineer/chris-gehringer/ And Instagram: @chrisgehringer
Our guest today is Izzy McPhee - a mastering engineer from Bristol, England. Izzy has worked with Dream Wife, Marla Kether, Walt Disco, and COWZ. We talk about getting started as DJ, mentorship, how the virtual mastering house Weird Jungle functions, the community of the Bristol music scene, building a studio in your house, managing routine, working in the box, and accessibility in the music industry. This episode’s music is brought to you by Peter Groppe from New York, New York. For more information on Peter, head to: Instagram: @_petergroppe For more information about Izzy: Check out: https://www.izzymcpheeaudio.co.uk And Instagram: @izzymcpheeaudio
Our guest today is Anna Frick - a mastering engineer from Boulder, Colorado. Anna has worked with Wood & Wire, Billy Strings, John Denver, Clay Street Unit, Della Mae, The Grateful Dead, and Third Man Records. We talk about getting started at AirShow Mastering and the audio industry as a whole, the weight and responsibility of working on Glee, audio restoration with analog tape, being a metadata geek, and actually managing your business. This episode’s music is brought to you by Stevie Matthews from Queens, New York. For more information on Stevie, head to: https://www.mynameissteviematthews.com and Instagram: @stevie_zucchini For more information about Anna: Check out: https://allysound.com And Instagram: @frickinanna
Our guest today is Simon Lancelot - a mastering engineer from Paris, France. We are also joined by Speaks Volumes’ original creator, Dan Coutant. Simon has worked with Dijon, Mk.gee, Kelela, Hendrix Harris, Abel31, and Hovvdy, and Bren Joy. We talk about working with tape, taking risks and working out of your comfort zone, making pizza, and working with Dijon and mk.gee. This episode’s music is brought to you by Jenna May from Boston, Massachusetts. For more information on Jenna May, head to: https://www.mayroseandmagic.com and Instagram: @mayroseandmagic For more information about Simon: Check out: https://www.simonlancelotmastering.com/ And Instagram: @masterinparis
Our guest today is Amy Dragon - a mastering engineer from Portland, OR. Amy has worked with Big Thief, Sam Prekop, Marisa Anderson & Tara Jane O'Neil, Silversun Pickups, and girlSperm. We talk about how having a background in social work and community advocacy can influence your workflow, cutting lacquers, being a DJ, listening to records as a whole, knowing when to do nothing, and the open-mindedness and kindness of the mastering engineer. This episode’s music is brought to you by Gerecki from Novi Sad, Serbia from their upcoming EP. For more information on Gerecki, head to: https://www.instagram.com/gereckigerecki/ For more information about Amy: Check out: https://amydragon.com And you can find her on Instagram: @amy__dragon
Our guest today is John Baldwin - a mastering engineer from Nashville, TN. John has worked with Lou Reed, Sly Stone, Emmylou Harris, Nancy Sinatra, Glossary, and The Jesus Lizard. We talk about persistence in getting an internship, not convoluting the process, leaning on Brian Eno for guidance, retraining yourself to not “grind” yourself until defeat, and getting outside to do things unrelated to mastering. This episode’s music is brought to you by Maggie Mae from Philadelphia, PA. For more information on Maggie Mae, head to: https://www.maggiemaemusic.com For more information about John: Check out https://johnbaldwinmastering.com And you can find him on Instagram: @johnbaldwinmastering
Our guest today is Hallie Melton - a mastering engineer from Nashville, Tennessee. She has worked with Savana Santos, Amber Mark, and Nate Smith. We talk about how great it is mastering on headphones, work/life balance with a family, spacial audio in music, and our favorite limiters. This episode’s music is brought to you by Baywud from Los Angeles, CA. For more information on Baywud, head to: https://www.instagram.com/baywud/ For more information about Hallie: Check out https://www.halliemeltonmastering.com And you can find her on Instagram: @halliemmelton
Our guest today is Ian Stewart - a mastering engineer, author, and audio educator from the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. He has worked with artists, including KRS-One and Mr. Lif, and he codeveloped the Baselane Pro plugin, released by Tone Projects, in 2022. He is currently an assistant professor at Berkeley College of Music and operates out of his home studio, Flotown Mastering which he founded in 2011. We talk with Ian about teaching mastering at Berkeley, getting out of the studio to balance our mental health, and what life has been like since Basslane Pro was released. This episode’s music is brought to you by Broken Robots from Chicago, IL. For more information on Broken Robots, point your web electrons to: https://www.brokenrobotsmusic.com For more information about Ian: Check out https://www.flotownmastering.com And you can find him on Instagram: @Ianstewartmusic
Our guest today is Natalie Bibby, a mastering engineer based out of London, England. She has worked with Bimini, Cinderella Balthazar, Howard Lee — 真心話, 163 braces, Jimmy Eat World, and so many more. We talk about not working in a siloed environment, the future of spatial audio, talking on the phone with clients, having a sound of your own, mastering DAWs, the future of larger-than-life rock bands, the de-localization of scenes since the advent of the internet, and the lasting effect of Nirvana and music of the 1990s. This episode’s music is brought to you by Muttering also from London, England. For more information on Muttering, point your web electrons to https://www.mutteringband.com For more information about Natalie: https://www.thisismetropolis.com/engineers/natalie-bibby/ https://www.instagram.com/compress_her
Our guest today is Dave McNair - a mastering engineer based out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He has worked with Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Los Lobos, Mavis Staples, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Sara Bareilles and many many more. We talk about transitioning from a producer to a mastering engineer, having kids and how that changes your life, Grammy anxiety, knowing when you are done, approaching mastering as a technician vs. a musician, how to get loud masters with out fucking it up, when clients go to other engineers, and when it’s time to raise the rates. This episode’s music is brought to you by Max Cinnamon from Paris, France. For more information on Max, point your web electrons to https://www.maxcinnamon.tv For more information about Dave: http://www.davemcnairmastering.com https://www.instagram.com/mcsnare
Our guest today is Jessica Thompson - a mastering and restoration engineer, audio preservationist, studio owner, and mom based out of San Francisco, California. She has worked with the Bottom Line, Caffè Lena, Woody Guthrie, Erroll Garner, and Barbara Dane Archives. Jessica has also mastered records for Kurt Vile, Pachyman, Michael Daves, Chris Riffle, Occurrence and many more We talk with Jessica about what audio preservation is, cassettes, trends in audio, studio construction, client expectations with change, the gap between analog and digital, and the difference between working with a team or working solo This episode’s music is brought to you by Kitchen Slug from Tulsa, Oklahoma produced by Chris Bell. For more information on Kitchen Slug, point your web electrons to https://linktr.ee/kitchenslug For more information about Jessica: https://www.jessicathompsonaudio.com https://www.instagram.com/jathompso/
Our guest today is Raelynn Janicke, a mastering engineer for Infrasonic Mastering, based in Nashville, TN. Raelynn has mastered and assisted on projects for The Shins, Kayla Hall, Nefesh Mountain, Talia Stewart, Big 50, and Eli Howard. We talk about family supporting our decisions, analog gear vs. plugins, our favorite plugins, keeping your body active, ATMOS’ relevance, the Hudson Valley music scene, and going down the message boards’ rabbit hole. This episode’s music is brought to you by Hammer No More The Fingers Durham, NC produced by J. Robbins. For more information on Hammer No More The Fingers, point your web electrons to http://hnmtf.com For more information about Raelynn: https://www.infrasonicsound.com/raelynn https://www.instagram.com/raelynn_jae/
EP6 - Justin Perkins - Humans Mastering Our guest today is Justin Perkins - a mastering engineer and based out of Madison, Wisconsin. He has worked with The Replacements, En Vogue, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Busta Rhymes, Jellyfish, Michael Franti & Spearhead, G Love, the Figgs and many more. Before transitioning to mastering full-time he also spent time recording and mixing at Butch Vig’s Smart Studios in Madison Wisconsin. We talk with Justin about the evolution of the mastering process, pros and cons of AI “mastering”, the importance of monitoring, upgrading your studio’s weakest link, and coping with and learning from mistakes. This episode’s music is brought to you by Have Mercy from Baltimore, Maryland produced by Brian Swindle. For more information on Have Mercy, point your web electrons to https://www.havemercymusic.com For more information about Justin: https://justincarlperkins.com https://www.mysteryroommastering.com
Our guest today is Jonathan Wyner - a mastering engineer and educator based out of Boston, Massachusetts. He is the chief engineer at M-Works Studios in Somerville and teaches at Berkeley College of Music. In 2021 he was president of AES, The Audio Engineering Society. He’s worked with Jean-Claude Risset, James Taylor, David Bowie, Aimee Mann, and Miles Davis, among many others. We talk with Jonathan about transferring and mastering reels of David Bowie records, spawning creativity in a world of limitless possibilities, AI and getting beyond the lowest common denominator, conversations and expectations with mixing engineers, deconstructing what loudness actually is, and caring about yourself and your craft. This episode’s music is brought to you by nxtime from New York City produced by Mike Rogers. For more information on nxtime, point your web electrons to https://nxtimemusic.com For more information about Jonathan: https://college.berklee.edu/faculty/jonathan-wyner https://www.aes.org/aes/jonathanwyner/ https://www.m-works.com/
Our guest today is Rachel Field - a mastering engineer based out of Seattle, WA, who co-founded Resonant Mastering. She’s worked with Pearl Jam, Brandi Carlile, Thunderpussy, and Whitney Mongé. We talk with Rachel about jumping in to the audio industry, mastering for streaming, running a mastering studio with multiple engineers, pricing, and we do a gear rundown. This episode’s music is brought to you by His Father’s Voice from Limerick, Ireland. For more information on on His Father’s Voice, point your web electrons to https://hisfathersvoice.bandcamp.com
Our guest today is Jett Galindo - a mastering engineer and vinyl cutter who works out of the Bakery Mastering Studio in LA. She has worked on albums spanning a wide array of genres and artists including Barbra Streisand, Haley Reinhart, Weezer, and the La La Land Official Soundtrack. We talk with Jett about minimalism in mastering, how a degree in Psychology and a Filippine upbringing can help you in the music industry, leveling the playing field in the audio engineering profession, and Dan presents the first 5 Commandments of mastering. For more information about Jett: https://www.jettgalindo.com https://womeninvinyl.com https://womensaudiomission.org https://www.wearemovingtheneedle.org https://soundgirls.org
Our guest today is Adam Gonsalves - he is a mastering engineer based out of Portland, Oregon. He owns Telegraph Mastering and has worked with Elliot Smith, Peter Buck, Willie Nelson, Sufjan Stephens, Vampire Weekend, The Jayhawks, and Team Dresch We speak with Adam about the proximity effect of your studio’s location, the struggles of building a mastering studio and he took Dan’s vinyl mastering quiz! This episode’s music is brought to you by Ryan Wright, from Washington DC. For more information about Ryan and her music click here . For more information about Adam and his studio: https://telegraphmastering.com
