WCA #594 with Amar Lal – Experimental Roots, Corporate Transitions, Mastering Room Acoustics, and Macro Sound

About this episode

Amar Lal discusses his journey from the New York DIY scene to mastering engineering and studio ownership.

In this episode, Matt welcomes mastering engineer and artist Amar Lal of Oakland’s Macro Sound. Amar shares his journey from the New York DIY scene and touring with Big Ups to a corporate role at Sennheiser and his eventual return to independent studio ownership. They discuss the benefits of an all-digital mastering workflow, the "Active Listening Club" philosophy, and how Amar maintains career longevity through work-life balance and photography. In This Episode, We Discuss: Mastering Engineer Roles Oakland Studio Location Shared Building Benefits Early Childhood Canada Childhood Piano Lessons Experimental Music Scene Circuit Bending Gear High School Recording New York Education Touring Big Ups Facing Career Burnout Corporate Sennheiser Experience Launching Macro Sound Home Studio Logistics Oakland Artistic Community All Digital Mastering Active Listening Club Balancing Personal Life Passion For Photography Artistic Practice Philosophy Mastering Room Acoustics Local Community Ties Remote Working Models Studio Business Logistics Auditory Sensitivity Issues Links and Show Notes: Amar Lal’s Site: Macro Sound Band Reference: Big Ups Sennheiser Active Listening Club Matt's RANT: Doing…

People in this episode

Host: Matt Boudreau

Guest: Amar Lal

Topics covered

• mastering engineering
• corporate transitions
• work-life balance
• independent studio ownership
• experimental music
• digital mastering workflow
• artistic practice

Keywords

• mastering engineer
• Macro Sound
• Sennheiser
• work-life balance
• experimental music
• digital mastering
• photography
• circuit bending
• auditory sensitivity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sennheiser, Macro Sound, Big Ups

Places: Oakland, New York, Canada

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