Building a 1176 Compressor From Scratch: What I Learned From the Hairball Audio DIY Kit
Dee Kei is building a compressor. Specifically, a 1176 Rev A blueface/silverface clone from Hairball Audio in Seattle — unsponsored, bought with his own money, and not yet finished at time of recordin...
15 Sep 48min
Are Audio Engineers Underpaid? What a Low Job Posting Reveals About Engineer Wages and Self-Worth
This episode almost didn't get released. Dee and Lu spent 20 to 30 minutes before recording debating whether to even touch this one. They went ahead — and it's one of the more honest, nuanced conversa...
8 Sep 1h 22min
What We Taught at the Mixing Masterclass: Pricing, Compression, LUFS, and the Value of a Mix Engineer
This episode is a recap — and an expansion — of the six-hour Mixing Masterclass that Dee Kei hosted live in his LA studio. Lu was in the room. The audience brought mixes. Things got real. Now Dee and ...
1 Sep 1h 3min
Is Analog Gear Making a Comeback? Plugin Fatigue, Hardware Resurgence, and the Future of the Studio
Fair warning: Dee Kei opens this one by saying he doesn't know if he's going to release it. Congratulations — you found it.This is a looser, more speculative episode than usual, and that's exactly the...
25 Aug 37min
Why Talented Engineers Say No to Opportunities — Imposter Syndrome, Thinking Fast and Slow, and Career Confidence
Lu brought the topic this week — and it's one of the most universally felt things in audio that nobody talks about directly: the feeling of not belonging in the room. Not because you don't have the sk...
18 Aug 1h 11min
Analog Plugins vs. Hardware: What Blind Tests Actually Show — And Why Engineers Still Buy Gear Anyway
This episode starts with a confession: Dee Kei wants a new compressor. Specifically, he's been eyeing the Heritage Audio Grandchild 670N — a $3,000 stereo Fairchild-style compressor in a 5U rack unit ...
11 Aug 1h
Ozone Assistant, Auto-Tune, Dynamic EQ — Have We Always Been Using AI? A Solo Deep Dive
Lu's on vacation. Dee Kei is alone with a page of talking points and one of the most contested topics in audio engineering right now — and the result is one of the most thoughtful solo episodes the sh...
4 Aug 41min
What Your Personality Type Says About You as a Mix Engineer — The Big Five OCEAN Deep Dive
Before you do anything else, pause this episode and go take the Big Five personality test at https://bigfive-test.com/ — it's free, open source, and it's the entire point. Dee Kei and Lu share their r...
28 Jul 1h 27min
