Show Notes
Stu Watts chats with Nick Franklin, who is a mastering engineer, (sometimes) recording and mixing engineer and the owner of electronic gadget company Franklin Audio.Nick grew up in a small coastal town on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, playing in bands and recording music with friends. His parents were incredibly supportive—soundproofing the garage, helping him buy his first recording equipment, and ultimately encouraging him to pursue his dream of moving to the city to study audio engineering.Shortly after completing his studies, a chance encounter with legendary mastering engineer Rick O’Neil led to a position as an assistant engineer at Turtlerock Mastering, then the largest mastering studio in Australia. The role proved to be an intense crash course in mastering and client work, laying a strong foundation for the rest of his music career. Like many studios, however, the Turtlerock building was eventually demolished to make way for apartments, leaving Nick jobless and uncertain about the next step.In search of steady work while figuring out his next move, Nick accepted a lecturing role at JMC Academy, teaching Pro Tools, electronics, and music production. It wasn’t long before he became fully immersed in the world of education, eventually taking on the role of full-time studio manager. In that position, he oversaw the campus’s relocation to Ultimo and the commissioning of four large-format consoles. During a studio tour for local producers, he connected with a studio owner in need of a new house engineer—an opportunity that brought him back into the professional audio world.Over the next five years, Nick recorded hundreds of artists and bands at Linear Recording, refining the craft of capturing live instruments. During this time, he also built his own studio just a block away—poetically located in the newly established Turtlerock Mastering building.Alongside his music career, Nick had been nurturing an electronics business, which he officially launched in 2021. That same year, he was once again forced to demolish his studio to make way for development. This time, he chose not to rebuild, instead committing full-time to Franklin Audio. Since then, the company has grown into a six-person team with customers around the world. Chapters:00:00:00 Intro00:03:35 About Nick Franklin00:04:15 Early experiences with music00:09:11 Learning audio at JMC00:13:27 After college and Rick O'Neil's mentorship00:18:40 Key learns from his early mastering experiences00:22:35 The next stage of Nick's journey as a lecturer00:28:35 Meeting Chris from Linear Recording00:31:02 Reflections on the higher education system00:35:11 How Franklin Audio got started00:41:52 How Nick's previous experiences help with running a business00:45:36 How Franklin Audio approaches social media00:54:14 What can a producer/engineer learn from a business owner?00:57:17 What is still surprising/exciting about being around music?00:59:46 What's coming up this year01:00:51 Best bits of advice for producers/engineers, artists and business owners01:06:02 Conclusion/Outro How you can support the podcast: SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE BUY SOME MERCH DONATE Follow on Instagram: @whatsthatsoundpodcastStu Watts: @stu.watts.audio Nick Franklin: @fricknanklinFranklin Audio: @franklin_audio Stu Watts website Nick Franklin website Franklin Audio website Listen to Stu's work on Spotify Listen to Nick's work on Spotify Enquiries and suggestions: [email protected]
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Get 20% off The Home Studio Drum Recording Masterclass: https://buy.stripe.com/cNidR86Un8SUcAYeqkbZe03?prefilled_promo_code=WTS20 Stu Watts chats with Joel Farland who is the music director and composer trusted to deliver stadium scale with orchestral precision for many of the world’s biggest artists, brands and events. Founder of Far Land Creative, Joel is equally at home with Parkway Drive as he is on a luxury runway. His expertise stems from a conservatoire education – First Class Honours from the Royal College of Music, London – tempered by tour smarts from years on the road. He has music directed for 50 Cent, Charli XCX and Rita Ora, co-produced with Tones and I on her feature in Aquaman 2, led the music on ABC New Year's Eve since 2020 and built the TikTok Awards performance segments four years running. His ceremony work spans the Australian of the Year, Global Citizen Nights, Cartier's Inter-Regional High Jewellery Gala, the First Nations concert First and Forever, and the 2026 Asian Women's Cup where he was ceremonies music director and composer of the tournament anthem. As a producer, he has recently made records with Tones and I, Peach PRC, Matt Corby, Kita Alexander and Midnight til Morning, and is currently producing Parkway Drive's live symphonic album and concert film, Home. How you can support the podcast: Sign up to our monthly newsletter Subscribe on YouTube Buy some merch Donate to the podcast What's That Sound? on Instagram Stu Watts on Instagram Joel Farland on Instagram Stu's Website Joel's Website Listen to Stu's work on Spotify Listen to Joel's work on Spotify Enquiries and suggestions: [email protected]
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