Where are you right now?

I’m currently working from home, my office is also my home studio setup so I’m surrounded by synths, outboard and instruments all day. There’s worse places to be.

What is the last album you listened to?

Sort/Lave by Richard Devine. I’ve recently been drawn back into more experimental electronic music after a bit of a hiatus from listening and working with electronics in general. I really admire the sound design & production quality of this album, in particular it’s use of space, ambience. Richard’s music, particularly more recent releases, is always super through provoking. I’d love to understand his process more.

Describe 2022 so far in one sentence.

Complex, shifting & challenging – but I remain optimistic.

Has the pandemic permanently changed the way you work?

Since the pandemic Source have been very flexible with remote working – so I am now able to work from home a couple days per week. Our company is well organised with good software deployed throughout to complement our remote working, so it really doesn’t feel too different from being in the office – aside from my commute being 5 metres instead of 35 miles!

What’s the biggest change to the pro audio industry this year?

Since lockdown many producers and musicians have shifted to having working studio environments at their home, so we’re starting to see complex setups being created in is less traditional spaces. Technologies for optimising spaces acoustically like Genelec’s GLM have risen in popularity quite significantly.

Also with the wider adoption of ATMOS and spatial audio, we’re seeing more Studios make use of technologies like GLM and complementing those setups with multi-channel audio interfaces. Higher I/O counts have never been easier to manage in my opinion.

What live event did you miss most over recent years?

It’s not a live event per se, but NAMM has always been a firm favourite industry show for me personally – I wasn’t able to attend in 2021. I leave the NAMM show feeling enthused and energised about what I do professionally. It’s a great opportunity to catchup with manufacturers, media and customers alike whilst experiencing the latest innovations with like-minded people. I still don’t think there’s an international show that equals its wide appeal whilst remaining “niche” and focused.

What’s the best live event you’ve been to this year and why?

I saw Deftones at Kentish Town forum earlier this year in a super low capacity venue off the back of their appearance at Download festival. It was the best show I’ve seen them play. They’ve remained a favourite band of mine even as my musical tastes moved away from heavier music – it feels like their tastes have evolved with mine.

Tell us something you’ve never told anyone else?

I once blew a FireWire port on a friends studio machine by accidentally pulling the cable out of his iMac whilst he was out of the room… and didn’t own up to it and tell him it was my fault. You know who you are…and sorry it took me 15 years to ‘fess up.