Audeze talks with engineer and producer Josh Kay

"My mixes have never sounded so big, and the translation is remarkable. I can't use any other pair of headphones." - Josh Kay

Here's our chat with Josh:

How would you define your main role on most of the projects you work on these days?

These days I mainly work as the house engineer at Woodshed Recording, and do freelance recording, producing, mixing and mastering for clients and friends.

How did you get started in music? What kind of music did you listen to while growing up and how has that progressed?

I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, and started playing piano at age 5. Joining my first band at age 10, I spent the majority of my childhood performing as a reggae keyboardist and vocalist. I then moved to Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music straight and graduated with degrees in Music Production & Engineering and Music Business Management. Upon graduating college, I met Richard Gibbs, owner of Woodshed Recording, who brought me onto the team. A life-long surfer and music maker, I like to bring out the best in artists, players and performers, and take pride in running smooth, efficient and inspiring sessions that result in phenomenal product.

Can you name any factors that influenced the course of your musical life? Heroes, role models, moments, interactions, etc?

I'll never forget the first time I stepped foot into a recording studio! At the age of 15, I was honored to be introduced to Gaylord Holomalia, keyboardist of the band Kalapana and former owner of Island Sound Studios in Honolulu, HI. One of the bands I was playing with had just finished writing our first 5-song EP and Gaylord gave us an incredible rate to record in this world class studio. I remember walking in and seeing this large format SSL console in a room with a bunch of keyboards and synths, and after tracking in that room with Gaylord I thought, "okay - this is what I want to do with my life".

Can you briefly describe a moment of frustration from your past work, and what you may have done to overcome the obstacles? Would you approach it differently now?

Most of my frustrating moments have happened when working with people. Whether it be bad communication, lack of commitment to a project, or just dealing with a variety of personalities in a room or on a stage, it always helps to work with people that you like to be around. While I can't think of any situations in particular, I will say that I continue to learn and grow while working with different people.

Is there any gear you find yourself turning to most when working on a project? What are some of your favorite tools/instruments recently?

I use Antares Auto-Tune, XLN Audio's RC-20, and UAD software religiously! I'm also a big fan of FabFilter plugins, Izotope's production suite, ValhallaDSP, and any VST made by Spectrasonics. As mixer/recording engineer, producer, and keyboardist, these would be my "desert island" plugins.

Do you have any words of wisdom for people who might aspire toward a similar path for their own careers?

This is a people business! It's not what you know, it's who you know. As someone who's been very lucky at the beginning of his career, I will say the all of success thus far has been related to the people I've met and intermingling networks.

How long have you been working with headphones, and how do you typically use them in your workflow?

I work with headphones almost exclusively - especially when I travel. I'm rarely working on music in the same room with the same speakers, so for consistency's sake (and to check my work when I'm working in a room with speakers) I always work with cans.

Do you have any additional comments or stories you want to share?

Having a pair of cans that you trust and know is such an important tool to getting clean and consistent sound with your music!

How have your Audeze headphones affected your work? Can you tell us what you've been working on with them recently?

I have been using and LOVING the LCD-X cans!!!! My mixes have never sounded so big, and the translation is remarkable. I can't use any other pair of headphones. The imaging is spectacular; it almost feels as if I'm listening to my music off of a pair of speakers! As I continue to use them, it's almost as if the high end has gotten smoother and the low end translation is unlike anything I've ever experienced with headphones. I'm able to isolate frequency issues fast, and have a lot more confidence in my stereo imaging techniques on mixes. After mixing four different records and mastering two others for different clients of mine with these headphones, it's definitely some of the best work I've done, and my clients would agree! Thank you Audeze!