Gear Club Podcast

In this special Gear Club episode, we celebrate the post-Beatle life of John Lennon, who would have turned 82 this year on October 9th. After The Beatles broke up, John and Yoko moved to New York where John produced, recorded, and played songs that spoke to the post-60s generation as they struggled for justice and an end to war. John Lennon impacted the lives of all those he came across, and that impact continues to live on.

To mark the occasion of his birth, we’ve collected first-hand accounts from the producers and engineers who worked most closely with John as he wrote and recorded songs from “Imagine” to “Starting Over”. These people include Shelly Yakus, Jack Douglas, Rod O’Brien, Ed Stasium, Jay Messina, and Greg Calbi.

Mastering engineer extraordinaire Greg Calbi is a dear friend and was our guest on Gear Club Episode #2 way back in January of 2017. Over the last 50 years Greg has mastered a seemingly endless list of albums across every genera of music, and it’s almost a certainty he’s had a hand in the making of one of your favorite records. In this episode Greg and I got to chat about Sterling Sound moving from Manhattan to its new facility in Edgewater NJ, his workflow from converters to compressors to clients, and the unique changes, challenges, and expectations of modern mastering.

Dave Darlington is a Grammy award-winning engineer, producer, mastering engineer, and musician who has recorded, mixed, composed, and played in just about every genre of music. He’s worked with the likes of Wayne Shorter, C+C Music Factory, Sting, and Miles Davis among many others. In this interview, Dave takes us through his journey to becoming an engineer, the joys and trials of running his own studio, Bass Hit, shares his recording ethos and inspiration, and gives some key advice on how to get ahead in the industry.

It's not always about perfection, as illustrated by Rod Stewart's mandolin-laced hit, "Every Picture Tells A Story". The title track from Stewart's classic album of same name, it's rocking without being loud, and everyone seems to be playing a little loose. A classic with charm and imperfection.

In this final installment of our 3 part series recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios the guys sit down with James Brown & John O’Mahony in John’s mix room at Electric Lady. These 2 friends came to NYC from abroad looking to become part of the city’s vibrant studio & music scene. John initially found a home at Chung King Studios, & spent time working as a mix engineer for Andy Wallace. He maintains a keen focus on mixing, lending his talents to the likes of Coldplay, Sara Bareilles, & Metric. James has & continues to fill many roles in the studio, from mixing in 5.1 for Nine Inch Nails shorty after arriving in NY, to engineering & mixing the Foo Fighters in 8 different cities for the album & HBO television series, Sonic Highways. Taking different journeys through their careers, each found success with a passion & dedication to their art, and offer their own special insights into production, process, and the ever changing landscape of the music industry.