Show Notes
Stu Watts chats with Joe Carra, who is the chief mastering engineer and owner of Crystal Mastering. With over 3 decades of experience, Joe has mastered for cassette, vinyl, CD, and in recent times, embraced the immersive audio of Dolby Atmos. In 2020 Joe received a Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, for the Teskey Brothers ‘Run Home Slow’ album.
Joe has mastered various ARIA award winning albums and in 2023, was recognised with a nomination in the MPEG Awards for 'Mastering Engineer of the Year’.
Having mastered successful releases on the ARIA & American Billboard charts, Joe’s clients include Pond, The Slingers, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Courtney Barnett, Amyl & The Sniffers, Genesis Owusu, The Murlocs, San Cisco, Babe Rainbow, Bliss N Eso, The Waifs and many more.
In addition to his regular mastering duties, Joe shares his knowledge as a guest lecturer at colleges such as SAE, JMC, RMIT, and Box Hill Institute. Through these engagements, he imparts his deep understanding of the intricacies of mastering to aspiring students.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Intro 00:02:34 About Joe Carra 00:03:34 Attending university 00:04:56 Learning instruments 00:07:25 What music Joe grew up listening to 00:08:30 What university was like and learning synthesis 00:15:07 Searching for a job 00:18:01 First job at Dex Audio 00:22:41 Tape Op & Assistant work at Newmarket Studios 00:25:55 The early years of CD Mastering 00:30:21 Joe's early Mastering experience & why loudness was so important 00:39:24 Learning In-The-Box Mastering during COVID 00:44:36 Donate to the podcast! 00:45:00 The beginning of Crystal Mastering 00:51:43 Moving Crystal Mastering to Thornbury 00:56:03 High-calibre engineers & artists vs. Amateur engineers 01:00:02 The creative aspect of being a mastering engineer 01:04:41 The importance of great relationships & collaboration 01:07:54 Misinformation on Instagram Reels and TikTok 01:09:15 Continuing with in-person consulting & collaboration 01:14:45 Joe's best pieces of advice 01:23:27 Conclusion/Outro
Make sure to subscribe or follow this channel and share it on your socials!
Instagram: @whatsthatsoundpodcast Stu Watts: @stu.watts.audio Crystal Mastering: @crystal_mastering
Stu Watts website
Crystal Mastering website
Listen to Joe's work on Spotify
Listen to Stu's work on Spotify
Donate to the Podcast!
Email [email protected] for any enquiries.
More from What's That Sound?
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]
Stu Watts chats with Darius Papak, who is a Melbourne-based recording/mix engineer, and music producer specialising in Indie-Pop Rock, Rock and Pop-Folk. Working out of his inspirational, sunlit Mudbrick Studio in Lower Plenty, he creates warm, organic, and thoughtfully crafted productions that prioritise artistic vision and sonic exploration.With over 20 years of experience writing and recording music and having worked with various producers and engineers, he has honed his approach towards production to ensure the artist knows he cares about their vision and their music.Darius draws inspiration from producers renowned for their innovative soundscapes and artist-empowering approaches, including Sylvia Massy, Dan Nigro, Catherine Marks, and Shawn Everett. His process emphasises patience and openness, ensuring he's never satisfied until the artist is. 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 Darius Papak on Instagram Stu's Website Listen to Stu's work on Spotify Enquiries and suggestions: [email protected]
Stu Watts chats with Craig Kemp, who is a Melbourne-based producer, mixing engineer, and songwriter who brings over a decade of music industry experience and a foundational background as a guitar teacher to his deeply collaborative studio process. Infusing his work with a mentor’s patience and insight, he helps artists articulate their vision and uncover the truest, most powerful versions of their songs while ensuring the creative environment is built on trust and inspiration. Craig's production and compositions have achieved broad commercial reach, featured across advertising campaigns, independent short films, and the major streaming platform Stan. Ultimately free of ego, Craig’s core mission remains steadfast whether scoring for the screen or shaping a record: to craft authentic, connected final mixes that enhance a project's emotional narrative and allow the music to speak honestly to the artist’s intent. How you can support the podcast: Sign up to our monthly newsletter Subscribe on YouTube Buy some merch Donate What's That Sound? on Instagram Stu Watts on Instagram Craig Kemp on Instagram Stu's Website Craig's Website Listen to Stu's work on Spotify Listen to Craig's work on Spotify Enquiries and suggestions: [email protected]
Stu Watts chats with Malcolm Besley. With gold and platinum records, an ARIA nomination and four triple j feature album’s; Malcolm’s work is recognised world-wide. Based out of his own studio in Melbourne, Malcolm has produced and mixed for artists such as Northeast Party House, Slowly Slowly, Partiboi69, City Calm Down, Client Liaison, Shouse and many more. His approach to production is one of nurturing integrity, fidelity and character. How you can support the podcast: Subscribe on YouTube Buy some merch Donate What's That Sound? on Instagram Stu Watts on Instagram Malcolm on Instagram Stu's Website Malcolm's Website Listen to Stu's work on Spotify Listen to Malcolm's work on Spotify Enquiries and suggestions: [email protected]
Stu Watts chats with Miggy, who is a Sydney-based producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist working across R&B, hip-hop and pop.His credits span a range of established and emerging artists including Day1, Amanda Reifer, Sam Fischer, QUIN and Keiynan Lonsdale, alongside a plethora of works that have connected with major publishing and label systems.With a track record across artist releases and sync placements, including projects with Warner Chappell Music, Sony Music, BMG, UMPG and Netflix, Miggy operates at the intersection of culture and commercial viability.Currently further scaling his reach into international territories, Miggy’s work remains defined by a sonic signature of collaborative chemistry, emotionally resonant, genre-fluid production with a strong crossover appeal designed to stick. How you can support the podcast: Subscribe on YouTube Buy some merch Donate What's That Sound? on Instagram Stu Watts on Instagram Miggy on Instagram Stu Watts Website Miggy Website Listen to Stu's work on Spotify Listen to Miggy's work on Spotify Enquiries and suggestions: [email protected]