The Production Workshop - Digital recording studios

Good friend of the Production Workshop, Daryl Braithwaite has released his long awaited DVD "Live".

The project was mixed and mastered through the Production Workshop, using our mobile recording facility, and features many of his hit songs: Rise, One Summer, Let Me Be, Higher Than Hope, As The Days Go By, Don't Hold Back Your Love, and The Horses.

The DVD is available (just in time for Christmas) through the Band T-shirts website.

On December 1st Derek Pellicci (drummer, LRB), his wife Ann, and my wife Karen were invited to the last performance of Dolly Parton at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on her current Australian tour. I had met one of Dolly's musicians, Jim Salestrom, some 25 years ago when he was here touring with Dolly and Kenny Rogers.

Derek knew the Lead Guitarist of Dolly's band: Kent Wells who was also Dolly's Producer and Musical Director, and a big fan of the Little River Band. We were given the "royal treatment" with backstage passes and a most hospitable time so thanks to Kent, the band and of course Dolly Parton.

All the band were in fine form, playing and singing fantastically, and Dolly was truly great, showing why she is one of the true world stars as a singer, performer, and songwriter. We took a few happy snaps of the event. My wife Karen, Dolly and self (above). Self, Kent Wells, and Derek Pellicci (below). and one the band.

18-19th November 2011. The Arts Centre, Melbourne.

I was on a panel of Music Producers with Andy Stewart (Journalist, Producer, Engineer for Gotye), Paul McKercher (Producer for Josh Pyke, You Am I, Pete Murray and Eskimo Joe), and Mark Opitz (Producer for Cold Chisel, Hoodoo Gurus, Richard Clapton).

The session was a question/answer forum for the audience, and was a great success considering the combined experience of all on the panel, discussing studio experience and the artist.

Geoff Emerick was the headlining guest speaker at the event. He is a living lengend in the audio industry, being the Beatles studio engineer for most of the Beatles albums including the iconic Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road.

The last time we caught up was when I was the lead guitarist in LRB and Geoff engineered the Little River Band record Time Exposure recorded in Monserratt in the West Indies, Produced by Legendary Producer Sir George Martin. It was fantastic to catch up and have a laugh about old and new times.

At Integrate 2011 I was on the Songwriting panel along with Greg Walker, Blair Josceyne, Steve Kilby Australian Rock legend from "The Church" discussing the art of songwriting.

After that, I delivered a class on demystifing the Mid-side Technique in mastering - quoting from the original Alan Blumlien patent and demonstrating the construction of the M-S Matrix in Protools.

On day three I was on the Mastering Panel with Rick O'Neil,Jack the Bear, Leon Zervos, and William Bowden - discussing all things relating to Mastering audio.