RSR490 - Duncan Ferguson - Mastering for Vinyl at Voltage Exchange Studio in East Nashville
01/24/25 • 137 min
Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com
My guest today is Duncan Ferguson, a mastering engineer based in East Nashville with a true passion for critical listening and collecting all kinds of recordings. Duncan got into mastering naturally and has earned the nickname “the music librarian” from his close friends. Over the years, he’s honed his skills to bring music to life across all listening applications.
Duncan’s mastering studio, The Voltage Exchange, is all about solving problems for clients. After seeing the shifts in the music industry over the past decade, he’s focused on offering solutions for artists, producers, and mixing engineers while making the process as seamless as possible. Duncan believes in collaboration and transparent relationships — he loves having clients present during sessions and sharing his techniques, equipment, and choices to ensure their true vision shines through.
As someone who also collects vinyl, Duncan offers full-service in-house vinyl mastering and disk cutting with a new Sillitoe lathe. Duncan's mastering studio is right nearby me in East Nashville.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
http://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com
https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.makebelievestudio.com/mbsi Get your MBSI plugin here!
https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academy
https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/
Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4oZdXUCxUBz4sGLa5i1tWp?si=fbd381f435314baf
If you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/Review
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRockstars.com/490
Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com
My guest today is Duncan Ferguson, a mastering engineer based in East Nashville with a true passion for critical listening and collecting all kinds of recordings. Duncan got into mastering naturally and has earned the nickname “the music librarian” from his close friends. Over the years, he’s honed his skills to bring music to life across all listening applications.
Duncan’s mastering studio, The Voltage Exchange, is all about solving problems for clients. After seeing the shifts in the music industry over the past decade, he’s focused on offering solutions for artists, producers, and mixing engineers while making the process as seamless as possible. Duncan believes in collaboration and transparent relationships — he loves having clients present during sessions and sharing his techniques, equipment, and choices to ensure their true vision shines through.
As someone who also collects vinyl, Duncan offers full-service in-house vinyl mastering and disk cutting with a new Sillitoe lathe. Duncan's mastering studio is right nearby me in East Nashville.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
http://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com
https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.makebelievestudio.com/mbsi Get your MBSI plugin here!
https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academy
https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/
Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4oZdXUCxUBz4sGLa5i1tWp?si=fbd381f435314baf
If you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/Review
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRockstars.com/490
Previous Episode
RSR489 - Dave Derr - Empirical Labs Creator of the Distressor, Arouser, BIG FrEQ, Fatso, and Pump
"The Distressor is an iconic piece of gear." Dave talked about his journey from musician to audio engineer, creating the iconic Distressor compressor, the role of distortion, harmonics, and thoughtful gear selection in achieving masterful audio mixing and production, and offered practical advice for aspiring recording engineers.
Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com
My guest today is Dave Derr, a musician raised in a family of engineers destined to rock and make his mark on the recording industry. Dave started with studying classical piano, composition, and theory as a Music Major in college but still loved ripping solos on his '67 Gibson SG Special. This passion for music led him to a 12-year journey with the band Jack of Diamonds, touring the Philadelphia, Delaware, and Maryland areas.
But Dave wasn’t just rocking the stage—he was also the guy fixing the band's guitars, keyboard rigs, and PA systems. This hands-on experience sparked his path to becoming an Electronics Technician and eventually a studio engineer.
Dave landed a gig at Eventide and worked alongside industry giants, contributing to the design of iconic gear like the H3000, H3500, and DSP4000. And after hours? He ran his own recording studio at home, refining his craft night and day.
In 1994, Dave’s talents culminated in the creation of the Distressor—a modern classic that’s now a staple in major studios worldwide. Empirical Labs now has over 42,000 Distressors sold and an entire line of analog processors and digital plugins and their latest creation, the PUMP, a powerful 500 Series compressor based on the Distressor is breaking new ground for getting killer sounds in the studio or out in the field.
I am super excited to have Dave Derr joining us on the podcast today. This is a big day for me, the show, and definitely a bucket list interview!
PS Go to empiricallabs.com to find the Arousor and BIG FrEQ plugins where you can use the coupon code RSR10 for 10% off.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
http://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com
https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.makebelievestudio.com/mbsi Get your MBSI plugin here!
https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academy
https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/
If you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/Review
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRockstars.com/489
Next Episode
RSR491 - Will Kennedy - Mixing Atmos with Matt Wallace at Studio Delux Immersive
Taking care of oneself enhances professional interactions! Will discussed his journey from a small town to the music industry, emphasizing the importance of mental health and self-care within the field. He addressed the balance between technology and artistry and explored adapting to evolving production landscapes, such as Atmos mixing. Will also shared his insights on career transitions, the impact of music budgets, and recording techniques.
Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com
My guest today is Will Kennedy, a platinum-selling producer, mixer, and recording engineer whose credits include U2 on Songs of Experience and Songs of Innocence, O.A.R. on Live From Madison Square Garden, and OneRepublic’s Oh My My. He’s also known for his work on The 88’s “At Least It Was Here,” the theme from the hit TV series Community. In 2021, Will teamed up with longtime collaborator Matt Wallace to create Studio Delux Immersive, a cutting-edge mixing studio at the legendary Sound City Center in Los Angeles. Together, they’ve mixed over 200 songs in Dolby Atmos and other immersive formats, bringing new depth to classics by Jason Mraz, Black Sabbath, The B-52s, and Selena Gomez, as well as enhancing new releases from Dave Matthews Band, Tank and the Bangas, Ondara, and Grouplove. Will’s expertise in immersive audio and multi-genre mixing has established him as a pioneer in the field, and he continues to inspire a new generation of engineers with his innovative approach and technical skill.
His personal studio in Los Angeles (Studio P) features an incredible array of modern digital equipment (Avid, Universal Audio, Waves, Soundtoys, Arturia, Korg), custom-built analog processing by JCF Audio, and vintage analog gear including a 1963 Vox AC 30 guitar amplifier, and restored 1973 Ampex 440-B reel-to-reel tape machine available for all mixing projects.
Will was also one of the originators of the popular “Mix Notes From Hell” podcast, and was the music producer for the East African singing contest show “Maisha Superstar.”
Thanks to Matt Boudreau at Working Class Audio for making our introduction!
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
http://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com
https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!
https://www.makebelievestudio.com/mbsi Get your MBSI plugin here!
https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academy
https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/
Listen to this guest's discography on Apple Music and Spotify: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/immersive-mixes-by-matt-and-will/pl.u-Z6ppTR0zgV https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Gf5jNX58nyRQADahlZzOe?si=ef7c3bf4611e4707
If you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/Review
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRockstars.com/491
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