Joey Stuckey 0:00

Welcome to the Stuck on Sound Podcast. And once again, friends, we have such a cool lineup for you today. A man that I have always respected and have been privileged to call friend. And absolutely is one of my favorite people of all time, Dusty Wakeman. And he is joining us in his jammies today. As am I.

SPEAKER_02 0:24

This was audio only. It is.

Joey Stuckey 0:25

That's right. Welcome, Dusty. I appreciate your time, my friend.

SPEAKER_02 0:29

Thank you, Joey. Thanks for inviting me. It's a pleasure to always a pleasure to talk to you. And to play with play music with you.

Joey Stuckey 0:36

Absolutely. Listen, that is that is thrilling. And for those that don't know, uh this is really exciting to me. Um, Dusty has been, when we first met, uh, it was one of those really cool things where you meet someone and you go, oh, this person's instantly a friend of mine, and I'm gonna be, you know, interacting with them for the rest of my life. And um, and and so um, for those of you who have not had this experience, uh, if you are blind and you want to make it through an airport with a guitar, that is absolute sheer hell. And it's just it just is a terrible experience, I'm telling you. And so uh I I uh have known, I knew Dusty um was a fine bass player and a fine musician and a great producer and all these wonderful things. And um, you know, he we we share so many you know common you know thoughts and and sort of have this simpatico relationship. And so um, but I uh Dusty and I played a gig one time uh during Grammy Week. Uh I think we played two or three songs at sort of a jam session at a local venue, and that was a thrill and a half. And then I had this bright idea um that uh I was like, you know, I'm gonna see if I can get someone to pity me and let me borrow a guitar while I'm in LA during Grammy week so I don't have to bring mine because I honestly hate LAX with a passion. I mean, I rarely say anything hateful about anyone, but when it comes to LAX, I mean I don't drink because blind and drunk are bad ideas, but I I want to start day drinking when I have to go through LEX.

SPEAKER_01 2:15

I feel you, man. I'll do anything to avoid LAX with a guitar.

Joey Stuckey 2:20

Yeah, I'm glad you feel the same way. So I called Dusty and said, hey Dusty, how would you how much do you love me? And I was like, Do you uh how would you would you be interested in me borrowing a guitar if you've got one? And uh and he let me use his 1967 telecaster, which was a great thrill and a great honor. And and he and then I said, Well, gosh, Dusty, you know, you're you're since I'm since I'm begging, um, you you want to play bass at this showcase I'm doing? And he he's very nicely said, Absolutely, let's do that. And I said, Well, you know, now that we've got a bass player, we should probably have a drummer. And I said, Can you arrange that as well? So he did. And when I got to meet David Raven. So now we've done we've done our showcase tune. It was so much fun that everybody said, you know, we should do this again. And you don't say stuff like that to me uh and think I'm not think I think I'm not gonna hold you to it.

SPEAKER_02 3:15

So see, we're Hollywood people. We don't think people ever will follow through. Oh, yeah. That's credit to you.

Joey Stuckey 3:22

So you you you have you miscalculated there. So now Dusty has been uh conned into uh uh doing a 45-minute set at the whiskey uh in 26 here, and then uh we're doing a couple recording sessions, and I'm not paying him near what he's worth, but um uh you know I think he's mainly doing it because he knows that the blind have it in with God. We're we're real tight.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

That's right. I just want the brownie points. I want the karma.

Joey Stuckey 3:48

Well, you you know, and I uh you you obviously got good karma because I've met your wife and she's fantastic. So thank you. I agree. You did well. Let me I'll tell you the thing that I love about uh the podcast, and you know, this is a little bit uh of an obvious start, but um I always believe Orange and stories are so important, and uh I want to hear uh you've told me this a little bit, uh, you know, just hanging out, but I want people to hear your story uh of of coming from Texas, uh, you know, and and and coming into LA and and and that whole journey that got you there, and then we'll we'll kind of talk more. But uh you you you know you were in a band and and uh were trying to make it basically is my recollection.

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Absolutely. So I you know, just to kind of start at the beginning, I grew up in Houston, Texas, with a uh a four-year stint in Fort Worth around the time the Beatles came out, and then back to Houston for high school. And I was in a really good band in high school with some really talented guys. Me and the two guitar players all had the same guitar teacher, a man named Dale Mullins, and he had uh a studio uh, you know, back then it was a professional four-track studio. He had a Scully four-track and had uh some uh clips monitors and uh Macintosh power amps. And you know, we would that's where we would have our lessons, and I just fell in love with the gear, you know. So I spent as much time learning like what's this, what's this, what's this, as I did doing my bass lessons. So and then I was always the guy in the band that you know wanted to record the band and would set up the PA. And you know, I I I loved gear at an early age. So uh after high school, went off to Austin to college, and that was that was when around the time Willie w came there and the cosmic cowboy thing was happening, and played in bands. And I got recruited by this band that had been together a long time called the Barons. They played in this this dance hall scene, and it's the same scene that like VFW Halls and American Legion Halls out in the country, and this is the same scene that that BJ Thomas came out of and Roy Head, and it's just a great musical tradition. So we played dance halls on the weekends, but they owned a studio in a little town called Rosenberg. It had a couple of labels, and they were like, hey, you want to engineer? Here's the keys. So my very first session as an engineer was a mariachi trio that the lead figure had found in a Mexican beer joint next door, and uh, which was kind of funny because they didn't speak English and I didn't speak any Spanish then. I speak a little bit now. And uh I couldn't I couldn't convey to them how to overdub. Like when we would try to overdub, they would be like a bar behind. They couldn't get in sync. So it's like, okay, well, that's not gonna work, so I guess we're cutting live. But anyway, I had a really great two-year period there of just kind of living in the studio. We had a uh an Ampex eight track and uh some custom-made board, wasn't very good. But a couple of mics that had an 87 and two 1176s and some AKGs and uh, you know, some some decent pro stuff. And that was just a great time period. Out of that, I got recruited by a band in Houston that was the keyboard player and drummer for the moving sidewalks, which was Billy Gibbons' band before Z Top. And that band was called Buzzbone. They'd been back and forth to LA a few times. They bass player left, they came back and recruited me, and that's what got me to LA the first time uh to record and to showcase. And once I came out here, it was like that's where I need to be. So '77, loaded up the U-Haul trailer, moved out here to either become a rock star or a recording engineer. And I landed at a place called West LA Music uh and worked there for three years. And the timing was just great because that was when Task Cam came out with the first 80-8, their half-inch uh A-track. And I was the only person in the store with any recording experience that wasn't you know intimidated by the gear. So all these rock stars were coming in wanting to buy these 80-8s and a Task Cam Model 5A console, and they'd say, Well, you got to talk to Dusty. That's his his thing. So I had a great three-year run there of selling all these all these Task M eight tracks and then getting hired by people to come over and plug it in and you know, show them how to work it and stuff like that. One of my clients was a really talented guy named Mark Abnet, great guy, and I had sold him a studio. And then around 19, end of 1979, he said, Well, I'm gonna start a studio. Do you want to come join me? And I was really burnt out on it. I'd been r doing retail in LA for three years, so I was kind of burnt out on it. Wanted to, it was kind of like time for me to either become a rep and go to work for Yamaha or Fender or something, or get back to the creative side. And I I chose the creative side. So we started Mad Dog Studios in 1980. Wow. And um that lasted for 25 years, and through that, I was in a band called King Cotton that got signed to Island Records, and that was a fun ride. And then uh I met Pete Anderson in about '85, and we did start working together as a producer-engineer team. We did a couple of records for a small label called Enigma that were called A Town South at Bakersfield Volume One and Town South at Bakersfield Volume Two. And they were all the different bands, there was this great kind of uh we didn't even call it Americana then, but Roots Country, Punk Country, Cowpunk scene going on in LA with Rosie Flores and Dwight Yoakum and Lucinda Williams and Jim Lauderdale and all these great artists that I'm still really close to. Um and that's how I met Pete, and then Dwight got signed, and he's like, Hey, you want to do this record with us? And that started like a 15-year run with Pete. And I did, I think, I don't know, 10 Dwight Yoakum records plus a lot of miscellaneous tracks over that time period. And you know, that was just a huge blessing to be able to go on that ride. And, you know, it was fun because we we recorded at Capitol Records, although Mad Dog was in Venice and it was a small place and we didn't have parking. And Dwight lived right up the hill from Capitol Records in the Hollywood Hills. And, you know, we had a a budget. Remember those?

Joey Stuckey 10:27

I I my clients have never had a budget.

SPEAKER_02 10:29

Okay. Well, this was this was back in the in the old record industry where you actually had budgets. So we recorded at Capitol Records, and then, you know, when Pete got hot as a as a producer, you know, all the major label stuff we did at Capitol, and that was just looking back, that was just amazing to get to get in my car and drive to Capitol Records. Studio B was my favorite studio in the world.

Joey Stuckey 10:52

Now, are they still open or they're not?

SPEAKER_02 10:54

Well, I've heard that they've been closed for about three years, and I've heard they're supposed to reopen this spring, but I haven't heard any hard news.

Joey Stuckey 11:04

I heard rumors too. Yeah, I heard some rumors too, and I just I wasn't clear on that.

SPEAKER_02 11:07

So um And hopeful, hopefully they didn't screw it up because it was just a m magical place, you know.

Joey Stuckey 11:13

Are the rooms still there, or you don't know?

SPEAKER_02 11:15

As far as I know, the rooms are still there.

Joey Stuckey 11:17

Yeah. Um and now now I think if you in in I well, you're very musically smart. So when you were working uh these sessions, I mean, were you were you mostly a producer or mostly an engineer? I mean, how did you, you know, how did you walk that that line?

SPEAKER_02 11:34

Engineer first. And uh, you know, Pete and I were a producer engineer team. He was the producer and I was an engineer. But you know, engineers start to get like, hey, I want to make the decisions, I want to call the shots, and that's kind of how I I drifted into producing.

Joey Stuckey 11:50

Yeah, because that's that's what I always think of you as for some reason. I'm not sure why. Uh but Yeah, well, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:55

I produced Lucinda Williams and Jim Lauderdale and Rosie Flores and and then some other uh stuff more on the rock side, uh, a couple of bands that, you know, did okay.

Joey Stuckey 12:06

Yeah. I I mean what what is your I mean this this this is it it really I think all of us in this business that survive it uh end up with sort of being at the right place at the right time uh i is a lot of it, I think.

SPEAKER_02 12:24

Absolutely.

Joey Stuckey 12:25

And then the other part is being too dumb to quit.

SPEAKER_02 12:27

And then you know that's yeah, too dumb to quit and also being having the chops to like when when you do get your shot, being able to to follow through with it.

Joey Stuckey 12:36

Absolutely. That that I'm always ready, man. I'm always ready.

SPEAKER_02 12:40

And just say yes. My motto is just say yes. Hey, can you do this? Yes, yeah. Okay, let me figure out how to do that.

Joey Stuckey 12:47

I have done that. I've done that like like someone will say, Can you do so-and-so? And I'm thinking, I don't really know if I can, but I I think I can. So I'm gonna just say yes and I'll figure it out. Exactly. Exactly. And that's part of, but really that's part of my DNA as a brain tumor survivor. Like that's you know, like everything is like say yes to life. And uh, you know, when I was in school as a ch as a child, I mean there was no ADA, uh, there was no accommodation. I just had just sort of toughed it out and figured it out as we went along. And that's still kind of my my mode. But but how much now how because because I got into the business initially, I was also very fascinated with the with the technical side. And I I used the scientific method that you use, like what happens if I do this? Um you know, and I think that's a great way to learn. Um, though, I mean I'm certainly not against going to school for it too, if you can. Um but but the other thing, what I was gonna say is like how I I got in the business to be an artist, but then found that you know what really paid the bills was being uh an engineer producer um and and that kind of thing. And for me as a blind person, like I thought the studio was a good way to bring people to me without it being kind of weird. Like I can't I as a youngster, I couldn't drive myself. And you don't want your mama, you know, bringing you to the gig, you know what I'm saying? So yeah, not that she didn't on the I mean, you know, I had sometimes you have to take what ride you can get. But but like my question is, how much um over these years that you did all these things, how much of it did you get to to work on your own art and to play bass on records and stuff like that? I mean, how how how did you keep your chops up in that arena?

SPEAKER_02 14:26

Well, uh, I kind of never stopped playing uh in the you know, when I moved out here, I was in a band called Navasoda, uh, that was a Houston band. And they played every Thursday night at a legendary club out in Calabasas called the Sundance Saloon. And then most most Friday and Saturday nights we work. So even while I was working at West LA Music, I was playing every weekend and keeping my chops up. And then after that, that morphed into King Cotton and we had to deal with Island Records and played on all that stuff. And then, you know, I just, you know, working in the studio, especially it was in that kind of low budget years, the early years, you know, people need a bass player. It's like, I'll play for you. Yeah, you know, I'm here, my bass is in the closet, let me get it. A lot of that. But here's something I think you'll find interesting, you know, because a lot of guys come out here and would start as like a runner in a studio and then become an assistant. And I didn't follow that path. I mean, I mean and Mark Abnett, we built a studio and just kind of figured stuff out. So when I started working at Capital, that was kind of like getting my official training. I mean, I had these great assistants that were staff engineers at Capital that were way better engineers than I was, in a in a technical sense at least. And I learned so much from them. One of the I think the smartest thing I did is when I walked into Capitol Records for the first time into Studio B, and the guy said, Where do you want the drums? I said, I don't know. Where do you like them? And then they lighten up, they light up a little bit. It's like, well, I like them over here. Great, let's put them over there. What mics do you want? And I'm like, well, here's the deal. I've got 87s and 421s and 414s, but but what do you like? You know, what what's cool that I don't know about? And then they really light up. Oh, check out like I've never seen the C24 before, you know, which is a stereo C12. He goes, Oh, I I love a C24 for for room right about here. Let's do that. So I worked there so much. And Pete Dell, who's uh you know Pete Dell, mastering engineer now, but he was a staff engineer there. And Christina Picari was there. And I learned so much from those people. I mean, they were like my that was like getting my graduate degree in engineering.

Joey Stuckey 16:43

Right.

SPEAKER_02 16:44

Anyway, it was kind of funny because they were actually assisting me. I was the first engineer, but I was I was at least smart enough to know what I didn't know and to learn from those guys.

Joey Stuckey 16:54

That is really interesting. I mean, that that is it's kind of backwards. Yeah, that's fascinating. Well, you know, it's it's the thing. I mean, you know, that's you, you, you got the same sort of you know, mentality, like I don't pretend to know everything. Um, that's not to say that you don't you don't present yourself with uh uh you know a confidence or anything, but I'm just saying like you know, you you don't pretend to know everything and and uh you can learn from anybody. And uh man, you just keep your mouth shut and learn. That's that's a that's a great way to to to to figure things out and to surround yourself by people, excuse me, surround yourself by people who you know have been in that space, and that was brilliant. That's a that was a that was a great call. And it makes sense.

SPEAKER_02 17:35

But it you know, I did learn a lot. I'll tell you a funny story. I I got to be really good for friends with the legendary Al Schmidt later on. But early days of working at Capitol, we were mixing in Studio C, which was kind of a mixed room that just had a little overdub booth, and it's where I did all that early Yoakum stuff. And Al would be over in Studio A, which was kind of like the big band room, you know? Right. And I didn't know Al then, so I'd be like, Can we go in there? So we would wait till he was at lunch and then go in and look at the console. And I'd be like, there's no he's not doing anything, there's no EQs engaged. This is like a big band session, right? Yeah, there's like there's a compressor on the vocal and a compressor on the bass, and that's about it. There's no EQ anywhere. It's like, how does he do this? And it's like it's the right mic in the right place.

Joey Stuckey 18:27

Damn straight. And it's like, what wow? That is absolutely that that is my one. I mean, I think for me, uh the right mic in the right place is kind of my mantra. I mean, that's that's that's why you want a blind man uh running your record, because I'm not doing anything else but listening. That's what that's right. That's the only thing I'm doing. And uh and and it it really is. I mean, my room, you know, is not huge, uh, but I know I know it. And uh I know how to I put a um and people people are just amazed by this, but I put a string quartet in this room, and you know, close mic to everybody. But then I had um uh um a match stereo pair uh of microphones, and I put them in in uh in so in in the room, and everybody's like, why are the mics aimed like that? Why, you know, this looks stupid. And I was like, trust me. And when you when we did the playback, it sounded like the room was huge. And it's it was all just like you know, mic position. I I had one guy, um, and this vexed me to no end. I don't know if you've ever had this happen, Dustin. You probably haven't, but uh, I had my mic aimed a little strange um in his opinion. And uh and he's he uh he thought that because I couldn't see, I wasn't aiming it correctly. And he went and he went and changed it. Uh thinking thinking he was being helpful. Like, hey, my mic doesn't sound right anymore. What what what's happened? Oh, I I aimed it for you. Uh no, you you took it away from where I wanted it. And uh so you know, but but I I want to I think this is a a a beautiful segue uh to what you are primarily doing now when we talk about microphones, because you are uh, you know, in my mind, one of the microphone kings uh because you are and and correct me if I get this wrong, but you're basic you're the CEO of Mojave Microphones.

SPEAKER_01 20:23

Right, Mojave Audio.

Joey Stuckey 20:25

Yeah, Mojave Audio, and um and and and uh and you know work with the truly genius level person of David Ruiger. Um and uh and and yeah, I mean he's you know he's I remember I remember the first time I met him and uh and and uh and I think I think it was you, I think you said I think you said this. I don't want to attribute it to you if it's not you, but I think it was you. Uh said, uh you know, he'll he'll he'll talk to you for hours about this stuff. Um he's like if we need you know if you need to go, just let us know. No, I I'm this is like this is you know, David's sort of the microphone Buddha. And uh, you know, I will listen to him talk about microphones as long as he wants.

SPEAKER_02 21:10

I mean, because you know, I've been working with David for 21 years and I'm still the same. I mean, I you know, he's just like a walking encyclopedia database of not only microphones but audio.

SPEAKER_03 21:22

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:23

And but I tell people, look, if you're gonna ask him something, get comfortable because you're gonna be there for a while.

Joey Stuckey 21:29

But it but it it it is a real privilege. I mean, I mean, it's just you know, and and what I'd like to talk about because you uh to to we're gonna backtrack slightly. So you had Mad Dog uh for a while. And if I am not mistaken, you you eventually moved from the Venice location to a bigger space. Is that is is that correct?

SPEAKER_02 21:47

Yeah, we moved in ninety five from our little storefront place in Venice to this big six thousand square foot uh uh complex with three studios in it in Burbank.

SPEAKER_03 21:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:56

And um it was just a great place. So I Uh after that we, you know, we started doing Dwight's records there and started doing everything there because it w it was big and really cool. And that lasted, let's see, we moved there in 95. I started Mojave in 2005, and then there was about a three-year overlap after that where I was doing both.

Joey Stuckey 22:18

That sounds hard.

SPEAKER_02 22:20

Yeah, well, it wasn't really that bad because it everything was in Burbank. Most of my professional life has been in Burbank, which is kind of cool because it's a city that's devoted to, you know, TV, film, music.

SPEAKER_03 22:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:33

You know, the whole economy runs on that. So it's it's it's kind of like a small town within a big town that's devoted to the arts. So I I really like it. We're still in Burbank now. Um but I would just I wasn't really engineering or producing much, but I would, you know, go I'd do my work at Mojave and then just head over to Mad Dog afterwards and do my bookkeeping and owner stuff that I had to do. And it worked out okay. It was a it was a good a good three-year period.

Joey Stuckey 23:04

Well, I mean, so so that's the thing. I mean, that but did you you know, did I guess what without without uh without getting into your personal business too much, but what was the what was the transition like for? Because it sounds like if it was working really well, um how d why did you transition away from the studio?

SPEAKER_02 23:22

Like what was the Well, a couple of things happened. I mean, I I engineered nonstop for 25 years. Yeah. And you know, you know, engineering is like flying the plane. I mean, I love it, it's thrilling, but there's no like you know, there's no days off for the engineer. That's right. And you're responsible for the whole thing, and you know, it's just a high stress thing. And I I did it, I had a lot of success at it, and I kind of fulfilled that dream. And then in the early 2000s, after 2000, after September 11th in 2001, the record industry kind of fell off a cliff along with the rest of the economy. And they stopped doing artist development, which they don't do now. I mean, small labels do it, but major labels don't even try anymore. And a lot of our business for, especially for our A-room, was bans on their first major label record. And back then they would have, you know, 150 to 250,000. And these great engineers like David Bianco and Sylvia Massey and Joe Barisi would come in for four weeks and track the record. And then a lot of times they'd go back then, it was like record on an Eve and mix on an SSL. So they'd go off and mix somewhere, go to record plan or someplace like that to mix. Right. And that was really our bread and butter. And then I'd be me and other people would be doing our indie stuff in the other rooms. And it was it was just a great little beehive of activity. But once the major labels stopped doing artist development, that just kind of dried up. And all those people had to go out and open their own rooms, just like you have your own room so that you can so that you can work.

SPEAKER_03 25:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:06

And the industry just changed. Plus, I'd just been doing it for a long time. I was just kind of tired. That that's one reason I got more into producing. It's like, I want to sit on the couch. I don't want to be driving, I don't want to be flying the plane. That's great.

Joey Stuckey 25:19

Well, there is that is true. I mean, there you are right in that, you know, uh, well, first of all, I mean, anytime you own your own business, you're never off duty. I mean, that's that's right. That's right. That is that's uh always a stressor. And you know, I've tried and I'm I'm sure you've had a similar experience. I work really hard uh because I tell people that Joey Stucky is a drama-free zone. And if you can't be happy um in the studio, this is not the place for you. Right. We we keep it light, we keep it fun, but having almost died a bunch of times, I am not spending a whole bunch of time with people that are cranky.

SPEAKER_02 25:54

I'm just not gonna do it. I feel yeah. I feel yeah. You know, it's an honor, it's a privilege to get to go in the studio.

Joey Stuckey 26:00

It is, it's a real privilege, and it's it's thrilling you know, it's and I love like I say, I love it. I mean, with all my heart. I mean, I want to die behind the console. I mean, I I want to I just want to drop or drop dead on stage. Either one's fine. But I'll never I'll never retire uh unless I you know get weird and senile and start wandering around town with no underwear. But yeah, I mean, you know, it can happen. But but the thing is what I was gonna say is that you know, I I um I do like understand what you mean because one of the things that that you have to manage um is you know uh you you uh there's never I'm never really stressed at my place because I know that whatever it takes to make it right, I'm gonna do. And so there's no stress. Like there and you know, if whatever I have to do to make the record right is what we'll do. And you usually that means I don't get paid what I should. But that but the thing is, I mean, you know, I'm I'm always calm and together, at least on the surface. And you know, you know, I might be I might be feeling otherwise, but but the client will never know. And uh, you know, so you're responsible for the computer crashing, you're responsible for someone tripping over a microphone and breaking your microphone. You're saying, you know, you're you're responsible at some. I mean, if I'm the producer, I take on the added responsibility, and I'm not sure every producer does this, but I really watch the budget. Um, you know, it's like I look, we can't afford to do this. I mean, it's like you don't have the budget.

SPEAKER_02 27:19

That's part of the job. Yeah, that's part of the job. So I mean Well, I'll tell you what's funny. Uh part of my transition from engineering to producing was my refusal to learn how to work Pro Tools. Because I was an analog guy. And then I had these young assistants that had grown up with this stuff and that are just like so fast on Pro Tools. Oh, I know. That's like, well, I'll sit back here and you sit up there and play video games and we'll make a record. And I was I I would still mix and I would still get sounds and place mics and all that stuff, but I would I wouldn't be sitting there punching people in and out.

Joey Stuckey 27:55

Oh, yeah. Well, it's funny you say that because um I had the chance several times to work with Alan Parsons and um and and uh you know and he he's the same way. I mean he sits at the console and does all the analog stuff and all and all the mics and all that, and he has you know 20-year-old running Pro Tools. Right. And he just he never touches it because he just doesn't, it's not he just doesn't want to. Um for me, the reason is because I'm blind and because honestly, though I can do it on my own and sometimes do, um, the fact of the matter is a sighted person is just faster. I mean, it's just you know, I mean, if if I say I I have just found an assistant that I actually wanted to hire full-time, and he he graduated from one of the schools, one of the big schools, and uh unfortunately doesn't, I'm not gonna say which one, but they weren't real clear on signal flow, and they sure didn't teach him uh mic, mic technique uh online. But but when it comes down to the editing and the quant, you know, all the different things that you can do in the DAW, I mean, this guy's great, he's got good eyes. And I could say, hey, measure 34, second beat, the bass and the kick, the bass guitar, the kick are not together. Just line that transmit marker up for me and just slide that into place. And in two seconds, it's done. Uh yeah. You know, and uh that would have taken me 15 minutes because I have to drag, listen, drag, listen, drag, listen. You know, right and he's he's really good, he's really talented, and you know, he's he's learning a lot from me and he's doing a lot for me. It's great. So he sets by the computer and I I make all the decisions and uh you know set at the console and you know, do all the analog stuff. And and I am a gear freak like you are. I mean, I just I I uh I'm obsessed with it. I may have a problem. Um I I I'm gonna tell you my my I'm hoping this gets to her somehow. I Sylvia Massey, I am a fan, but I am coming for your microphone collection. I am Oh man, well, she's got one. I'm worr I'm gonna before I die, my goal is to surpass her microphone collection by one mic. So I don't really want the dildo one. She can keep that. Uh the the uh but anyway, the I I I think that um you know being being uh an owner of a microphone company obviously has its own stressors. How does that work uh when you come out with a product? I mean, what is that process like deciding we're gonna make this microphone? I mean, how how does that how does that work?

SPEAKER_02 30:22

Well, just to back up a little bit, the way I I got into this, first off, I did an album with an artist named uh Michelle and Deggio Cello. Oh yeah. The producer was named Craig Street, and he came in, this was at Mad Dog, he came in, this is probably like 1999 or somewhere around there. Uh and he came in with a box full of coals. And I wasn't really a ribbon mic guy. I mean, we didn't have ribbon mics, there was no Reuters then.

SPEAKER_03 30:52

Right.

SPEAKER_02 30:53

And I, you know, ribbon mics were something that you go to Capitol to do to do a horn date and they'd break out the RCAs, but you didn't use them on drums and guitars.

Joey Stuckey 31:01

Oh god, no.

SPEAKER_02 31:03

And I didn't I wasn't really hip to them. And he had all these calls, and this this album, it was it was Abe LeBore Jr. on drums, who's played with Paul McCartney forever now, and Doyle Bramble Jr. on guitar, and Lisa Melvoyne from you know Prince and Wendy and Lisa on keyboards. It was like this superstar band.

Joey Stuckey 31:26

Wow, that's cool.

SPEAKER_02 31:28

And Craig, I would say, well, what do you want, what do you want to use on the drums? He goes, he thought, Well, try the coals. And we ended up just using coals on everything, and I just fell in love. It's like, oh man, where have you been? Or where have I been? More like and right after that, it's like I got to get some ribbon mics. About a month later, I'm reading Mix Magazine and I see an ad for the Royer 121.

Joey Stuckey 31:52

Classic.

SPEAKER_02 31:53

And they're in Burbank. They're in the, you know, they're five minutes away from me. So I just call him up and say, hey neighbor, um, I'm down the street, love to get to know you. And I met John Jennings, who was the VP and the head of sales and marketing, and still a dear friend to this day. Um, and I became I bought a couple of 121s and I bought an SF-12 and I became a Royer endorser. And then he started bringing mics over to do RD at my studio, like their first sample CD. A lot of that was done at Mad Dog. Okay. And just we got to be friends. I'd I remember doing big band dates, and I'd be like, hey John, can I borrow like, you know, a dozen microphones this weekend? Yeah. He'd be like, sure, man, what do you want? It's like, well, I need I need six 121s and six 122s and an SF-24. Great.

Joey Stuckey 32:43

Yeah, the S F2 starts with that's the tube one, right?

SPEAKER_02 32:46

Yeah, stereo. Well, the SF-24 V is the tube one.

Joey Stuckey 32:49

Oh, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02 32:50

But back then, before they even released it, there was one. It was a prototype that Dave made. And I used to borrow that all the time. It was just a magic mic.

SPEAKER_03 32:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:58

And you know, I'd put that over the conductor for the big band stuff and for for drums, just put it out in front of the kit, you know, waist high. And it's like, oh man, that's that's magic right there. Um, but that's how I got involved with those guys. So Eddie Kramer used to work at my studio and a lot, and he was in there tracking something. And I was a big U67 guy. U67s were just my daily go-to microphones. I had a really nice pair, and they were always up. I was always using them on something. Love U67s. Oh, yeah, me too. So Eddie was using them for drum rooms, and John brought over the very first prototype for the MA200. And Eddie said, well, put it out there with the 67s. Let's see what it sounds like. So we put it up, and the three of us are in the control room switching back and forth. And I'm like, you tell me which one's not a 67. And John's like, yeah, well, this is basically David Royer's take on a 67. And it was, it was love at first listen.

SPEAKER_03 33:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:00

So at that point, my second kid was coming along, and I'd been engineering nonstop for 25 years. The budgets had dried up, and I was just kind of like, what else can I do with my life? And I just said, hey, if you need any help with this, I'm kind of looking around. And he's like, Well, we're starting a new company and we need somebody to run it. And fortunately, thanks to Mad Dog, I'd gone back to school and taken some accounting classes and some business law. So I knew how to do books, I knew how to do QuickBooks, and I knew how to talk to bankers and accountants and stuff. And that that plus my studio experience allowed me to do the Mojave thing to, you know, to help start a company and to run it. Yeah. And that's that's been 21 years. But it was it was my love for U67s that got me into the mic thing. So that's we started the first damn show I went to, uh, we had one microphone, which was the MA200. And and then it's like, okay, well, let's do a small diaphragm to Mike. And that led to the MA 100. And then but it basically is just kind of what David felt like designing.

Joey Stuckey 35:07

Did he have a strategy behind like what was missing in the industry, or is it just what fascinated him?

SPEAKER_02 35:12

It just what he felt like doing. Okay. There was there was no business. That was more my department, but and you know, talking to our dealers and stuff. But uh, you know, he he just he creates what he creates, but fortunately they've all been amazing microphones. And it's like, well, let's do a solid state version, you know, let's do this. And I mean we talked about doing the uh MA37, which is his his version of a uh C37, Sony C37. We talked about that for 10 years before we ever actually made it. Really?

Joey Stuckey 35:46

Yeah, but because that was my entree to you. Oh, was it? You you may not remember this, but I read that you were making them, and I was blown away with the it was a short video with you and David. Right you know, comparatively short. And uh and I said, I I gotta have one of these. This this is this is what my studio needs to do the things I like to do. And I was just so impressed with it. And I and I called up and was like, okay, you know, how do I get one of these and all that stuff? So I I was one of the very first, I don't know if I was the first, I don't think I was, but I was one of the very first people to get one um when they came out. And uh, and it was it was and and my first conversation with you, and you probably won't remember this, but my first conversation was I am blind, and there's a hole in this microphone where you have to put something to to change the pickup pattern, and I am scared to death to do this. Like, like I was like, I was like, how do you what do you use to poke into this hole? And you know, it's like what you know, I was like, this is this is just so I I made because I just know my luck with that, and I'm like, I will somehow do something and destroy this microphone. Right. And and I mean, I was like, you know, I appreciate David wanting to make it, you know, uh uh similar to the old days, but really do we have to have the hole? Can we not have a switch? And so and so uh but apparently you you have to have the hole uh to change to change the way things are on the inside to make it omnidirectional. So I have uh just decided that it will always be uh in the cardioid pattern because I am not sticking, I'm not sticking nothing in no microphone. So anyway. She's a nurse, I just well you say that, but I mean see with my budget. Uh if anything were to happen to this microphone, I'd be like, oh God, what am I, you know, I just it makes me so nervous. Um and so and so I was like, this is just I'm just gonna leave it. So anyway, but uh but that was my first uh real conversation with you about you know, and and and you were so helpful and and so kind and like no, it's not a problem, and you you know, it's easy to do and all this kind of stuff. And I still just said, I think we'll just leave it. Right, right. But it it's it is an amazing microphone.

SPEAKER_02 38:09

That back in the analog days, there was this thing called a tweaky tool. They were they were green, and and they it would it had a little clip on there, it'd fit in your pocket protector, and that's what you use to align tape decks. Oh, okay. And so there was piles of them in every studio, and that was the perfect thing to stick in there and rotate that that little knob 45 degrees or 90 degrees to close close the chamber and make it omni. But by the time we came out with it, you know, there was no tape decks anymore. So studios didn't have piles of green tweaky tools everywhere. So we include a little screwdriver now that's designed to fit in there.

Joey Stuckey 38:50

Well, now in that instance, mine did not come with one. So when I see you in LA, I'm claiming my screwdriver.

SPEAKER_01 38:56

Oh, okay. Yeah, I got one for you next time.

Joey Stuckey 38:59

Okay, because I I didn't get any but I was Sans screwdriver on that. The uh, but you know, you were so helpful talking to me um uh the first time and you know didn't know anything about me, which and just you know, we're just the kind, wonderful person that you are. And um, and it it's it was just a revelation to to hear all these microphones and and uh and it was real interesting um you know to read about them and and the you know the different philosophy. And there are as you know, there are several versions of um uh of little interviews with with uh David Royer, which are you know, I highly recommend you know going to the Mojave site and checking that out.

SPEAKER_02 39:35

Yeah, go on our YouTube channel, there's tons of them there.

Joey Stuckey 39:38

Yeah, I mean it's just really great. It's it's a it's a good way to spend some time. And the other so so with the microphones, um, you know, I I the music business is tough at every level and every um you know sort of fact phase of it. Like so it's I mean, whether you're a music manufacturer or you're an artist or whatever, I mean it's a really tough place to negotiate. And so um I am really so impressed uh, you know, that that that you're able to make these quality products at at a really good price point and uh and and and you know do it at a high level and and have people lots of people love love these microphones. And the the currently, you know, this is 2026 as we're we're talking now. Uh you got a brand new one out, um, which I was privileged to see before the 26 uh 2026 NAM. And once again, uh you said to me, uh, unscrew the griddle on this microphone. I was like, I uh Dusty, I don't do that because uh what will happen is there'll be a little wire that will get stuck when I screw it back on and it'll close it. I have a phobia. I have a phobia. Um and so he said, No, I'm telling you to just unscrew it. And uh it's absolutely fantastic. The capsules there uh revealed without any wires sticking out, which was made me happy. But what was interesting about the MAC um is that it it it had the uh switches inside under the capsule, which was a really cool design. And um, I wanted to talk a little about the MAC since it's it's the the current uh you know hot latest and greatest uh from from Mojave. So tell me a little bit about it and and why you did it and and some of the cool people that are using it, because I've seen some videos.

SPEAKER_02 41:26

Well, it's a handheld condenser, and it's um you know, it's a studio mic in a handheld format. Right. And there's a couple others, you know, Neumann makes the K KSM 104, and a couple other companies have handheld condensers. They're really for singers that have mic technique. You know, we make the MAD, which you've used, and oh yeah. That's that's our kind of like our SM58. That's the one that for loud stages and you get right up on it.

Joey Stuckey 41:56

This is the one you won the technical award for? Did you win it for that one?

SPEAKER_02 41:59

Or what we were nominated for that. We won for the MA37, we were nominated for the MAD, we were nominated for the wire MAD wireless head that we have. Okay, and uh that's doing really well in the front of house and house of worship markets.

SPEAKER_03 42:12

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 42:12

Uh, but the the MAC hopefully will be nominated uh for that one. It wouldn't surprise me because it is pretty innovative. It's very cool. It's a it's a singer's microphone. I always so here's the funny story. I always tell people think Nora Jones. Because I know her front-of-house guy, Jamie, and I worked with Nora a little bit 20 something years ago. And I think, you know, as soon as I say that, everybody knows exactly what I mean. Because she's so popular and crosses boundaries between rock and jazz and uh Americana, you know, everybody loves Nora and everybody gets it. It's like, oh, okay, that kind of a singer, somebody with some mic technique that's not playing like super loud on stage.

SPEAKER_03 42:56

Right.

SPEAKER_02 42:57

So I know her front of house guy, Jamie, he's a great guy. He had reached out. And our our 201 fets have become like the hot microphone for drum overheads for live use. Yeah. Like they've really taken off thanks to a couple of superstars, Chris Raybold and and Ken Pooch, Van Duten, who have been preaching the gospel for like five years now, are those mics. And it's all thanks to them. But Jamie, her front of house guy, he uses 201s and he'd reached out to me and we developed a you know a professional relationship. And I told him, it's like, look, we've got this mic coming out. As soon as I have one, I want to get it in your hands uh to try on Nora. He was like, great. So we had some production problems. It was just stupid stuff, just getting the paint right on the bodies, but paint matters. So yeah, you know, got to get it right. So that that slowed down the process, and it's taken longer than we wanted to to actually get them to market. But he reached out to me, this has probably been a month ago now, saying, Hey, we're coming. To LA, we're doing some TV shows. Can I get my hands on a mic? And that was on a Monday. So on Tuesday, I took you know one of my few prototypes that I had to the Sunset Marquee Hotel in Hollywood and left it with the concierge. Then on Wednesday, I get an email from him and saying I used it, it sounded great. Watch Kimmel tonight. So she's going to be on Jimmy Kimmel's show, and that's past our bedtime. So first thing on Friday morning, Sue and I are sitting there and we we find Kimmel and find Nora Jones. And we didn't know if they'd actually use it or not because TV they can be weird. You know, sometimes you can use what you want, and sometimes they're like, no, we don't we don't do that. We have a deal with Sure. We only use Shures or whatever, you know. Right. So I wasn't sure if it would make it. So the camera kind of pulled back, and we're like, I think that's it. And then there was a c a close-up of Nora sitting at the piano with it. And Jamie had strategically placed the the logo to point towards the camera. Oh nice! Yeah, there it is. So to have Nora Jones like kind of do the world premiere of it, it's it's a it's her and Josh Hami from Queens of the Stone Age doing a duet of the Frank Sinatra classic, um, something stupid.

Joey Stuckey 45:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:17

And it's just it's just amazing. So uh he's trying them out now. There she's about to start on a tour, and uh he's got one, and hopefully she'll be using it on tour. But that was just too crazy to have Nora Jones be the because like I say, I've been telling everybody, thank Nora Jones.

Joey Stuckey 45:36

Yeah, you just put it out in the universe long enough, it happened.

SPEAKER_02 45:39

Exactly. Well, uh just tell everybody I think I manifested that.

Joey Stuckey 45:42

Yeah, I think you did too. I think I did. And you know, talking about the paint, I mean, one of the things that's interesting is you have it in two colors, if I recall, and one's white and one is gray, I think. Um, but you know, you're right. I mean, for me, it doesn't really matter. But for but but artists, you know, when they go out on tour, uh, if they are of of enough uh power that they can design their own stage set and stuff like that. I mean, all those things come into play. Uh you know, the color of the mic and how it looks. And and I I just have to say, you know, having held the mic, um, you know, I think it was two days, two or three days for NAM this year, uh, it has a really good feel to it when you when you hold it. Um, and that that's all by design and the the paint job, while I can't see the color, is a real smooth finish. Um, it just it's just a real quality microphone. And uh what I mean, just because I'm a nerd, uh, and I we think of this podcast as for nerds by nerds. And um, yeah, you know, what what was the reason of hiding the switches under the uh grill?

SPEAKER_02 46:47

Well, you don't want you don't want singers to have access to them when they're on stage and accent accidentally flip a pad on or turn the high pass filter off. Uh so it's designed primarily as a vocal mic, but then like all of us engineer nerds love to find other uses for a mic. I mean, the first thing I always do is stick every mic on a snare drum. I just have to. I'm I'm compelled to, you know, whether it's designed for that or not, I got I gotta know.

Joey Stuckey 47:17

Try it out and see. Well, I want to talk about that because you um so so anyway, so you and and and our and my you know new friend, uh David Raven, uh are you know making some music together. And um and it's and it's absolutely a privilege and an honor and a pleasure and just to visit and hang out and and and and just there's I don't know, there's something special about you guys that are it's just uh it's a spiritual thing. There's there's there's uh just a nice connection between the three of us, I feel. And and uh and so um you know one of the things I said, we were we're doing two recording sessions, and one's at Raven's house. Uh he has a home studio, uh, and one is at the Les Paul studio, uh, that's in the United uh building. And uh I basically pestered them until they agreed to let me come and and record uh because uh I found I heard about it two days before I was leaving LA from my yearly jaunt to ma'am and Grammy Week. And uh I got in uh at the at the last at the 11th hour and asked for 15 minutes just to touch the console. You know, it's all too restored from Les Paul's origin it's his original console. And you know, it's only eight channels, but I I did that and uh I asked for 15 minutes and I got two hours. And uh was just treated royally by Tom Camuso, and it's just like, you know, um, and I said, Tom, you know, uh what's it gonna take to get me in here to I can record in the space? Because as a blind person, uh I'm always exploring, you know, the effects of the the the space on the art. And you know, what what what can we do that's interesting? You know, what can we do that makes this next record uh uh uh something uh different and that's you know still the same brand but but unique. So anyway, we we are we're gonna be in there, and I said to you, like you know, we need to use Mojave microphones to capture all this stuff. And uh, and then I said, you know, what I'm gonna I'm gonna leave it to you being the expert on on the company or anything of what what what we want to use um to record. So I'll I'll leave that to you. And uh and interestingly, you know, the MAC was one of the things you said, I think I want that on the snare. So that was uh yeah, so that was kind of cool. So uh clearly, you know, these mics ha have uh a multitude of of functions, even if they're designed specifically for a specific task. You never know when they're gonna be an awesome choice for something else. And it's kind of like my wife, uh, who's an advanced practice nurse, uh, specializing in women's health and a midwife. Um, you know, there's lots of medicine that that people use for a certain thing, and then you find out, oh, yeah, I can do this too. So it's the same thing.

SPEAKER_02 50:01

Off-label applications.

Joey Stuckey 50:03

Yeah, yeah. So it's the same thing with these mics. And you chose, I don't know if you'll remember, um, but you did choose choose the MAC for the uh for the snare. I think the uh MAD for the kick, if I'm remembering correctly. I've slipped a little bit since we talked last, so I may be forgetting something.

SPEAKER_02 50:18

I actually have a kick drum prototype that I think we want to try on. Oh that I can't talk too much about, but it's okay. It's it's it's our kick, you know. Yeah, it's hopefully our upcoming kick drum mic.

Joey Stuckey 50:30

Well, now I feel special. Um and well, you are. Well, yes, in a in in in a watch this guy, he's a little stranger. I know what you mean. No, I'm kidding. I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_02 50:40

Air quotes special.

Joey Stuckey 50:41

Yeah, yeah, oh yeah. Special. Only only about two years ago did I discover air quotes. Uh I'm in my late 40s now, and I have been missing air quotes my entire life.

SPEAKER_01 50:52

People have been air quoting at you all these years.

Joey Stuckey 50:55

All these years, and then I've I've finally learned how to do it myself.

SPEAKER_02 50:58

Uh well to backtrack just a little bit uh about the switches, yeah. Uh and even uh backtrack a little bit more because I want to talk about we were talking about the color and the feel and all that stuff. So I'm colorblind. Oh yeah, I'm colorblind.

Joey Stuckey 51:13

And no, just specific colors or all colors.

SPEAKER_02 51:16

Well, it's the common red-green colorblindness that 10% of the male population have it. Only only 1% of females have it. Interesting. Like it's very common. Yeah. So I'm I'm not great with traffic lights, you know, out in the out in little towns in Texas, I would say, is that yellow? Is that light yellow or red? You have to ask somebody. Oh my god. But but so we wanted to do, we had a request from one of our dealers to do a white version of the MAC because they get requests for it, and there's not a lot of white microphones out there. And then the gray color is like that's that's the main color. That's the one we settled on for the, you know. It's like we're doing gray, but we're also gonna do something white. So my partner, who is also my wife, Sue, has a uh background in the fashion business. I mean, I haven't bought myself a shirt in decades.

Joey Stuckey 52:06

Oh, I I know, I understand. I just Jeffer just says wear this and I do it.

SPEAKER_02 52:09

Yeah, so yeah, me too, me too. And it's and it works out just fine. It's fine. But she has a background in the fashion business. She said, You're doing white. Do you know how hard it is to get white right? And I'm like, no, I don't. It's white. What's the big deal? Yeah, the people thing. Yeah. What's the big deal? And you know, I love UA products. I'm a huge UA fan, but they're white microphones, they look like stormtroopers from Star Wars. I mean, it's just like, oh my, oh my God, they look terrible.

Joey Stuckey 52:35

Yeah, that's that's yeah, that's strange.

SPEAKER_02 52:37

You know, how did that get through? Such a great company. I don't know. I'm sure there's a story there. But so white's really hard. Okay. To come up with the white. I mean, Sue worked really hard, and it was a long process to get to get the colors right. And then the first ones we got, they were too, they weren't glossy enough.

Joey Stuckey 52:56

Yeah, they are these are very smooth finished, they're glossy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:00

Getting the right amount of gloss on there so it's not too much too reflective, but that it has a good feel and a little shine to it. That was a whole thing. The first ones we got, the prototypes didn't have any gloss on them. And immediately Big John, our you know, awesome tech, oh, he's awesome got fingerprints on him just immediately, like within five minutes. It's the last thing we want. It's like I think we have a problem here. So it it was a long process of getting the colors right, the amount of gloss right. And then with the switches, we put them in there because since it's primarily and I I got a fun story for you. Uh, one of the videos that we have, it's up on our site and it's on the on the YouTube channel too, is of a great artist named Stacy Ryan playing piano and singing. We did it in East West on their nine foot, whatever that awesome piano is.

SPEAKER_03 53:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:55

Um, and I hadn't recorded with it before, and we we had a limited amount of time to get this video shot. And I was in the control room, it sounded fine. She's amazing. She's kind of a Norah Jones style, kind of jazzy piano and vocals. But when I got the tracks out and listened to them, there was horrible plosive problem, peepops for the for the civilians out there. I'm like, oh no. Yeah. So we ended up changing the value on the high pass filter um for the production models. And fortunately, on her recording, we had Isotope and you went in with RX, man. RX saved us on that one. Just I turned on Plosives remover and boom, it was perfect.

Joey Stuckey 54:42

Oh my god, you have to dial it in. No, no, you just drop it on the track and you're done.

SPEAKER_02 54:46

Yep. And then we our second video is with a great artist named Chris Pierce, and he's playing acoustic guitar and singing. On Stacy's, we used three MACs, two on the piano and one on her on her vocal. Oh, so you use on the piano as well. Yeah. And then on Chris, we had one on his vocal and one on his acoustic. But that was after we discovered this problem and changed the value of the high pass filter. Uh, we raised it from 100 hertz to 200 hertz, which really just solved the problem. We were trying different amounts of foam and wire acoustic wire mesh and stuff in the grill to try to deal with it, but that ended up being the solution. And uh on Chris's, that's after we discovered that. So there were you know, there was no problem. So we well, I just the when we ship out a mic, it's got a little card that David Royer signed saying that he personally listened to that mic and it's got the serial number and how to register it and all that stuff. On the back, we we put a sticker that says, you know, this is this mic ships with the high pass filter engaged, since it's primarily a vocal mic. So if you if you want to put it on something else, then there's a switch inside, you can turn it off. But we decided since it's primarily a vocal mic to ship it with the high pass filter engaged, that's smart. So singers would be good to go. And then there's also a 15 dB pad in there. So if you're gonna put it on something loud, you can engage the pad.

Joey Stuckey 56:14

Yeah. I love that. I mean, I think that's I think that's way cool. And I'm I'm so fascinated that that um that you were able to use them on the piano as well. So that's really cool.

SPEAKER_02 56:23

Oh, it sounded great on the piano. Sounded amazing.

Joey Stuckey 56:26

Yeah, yeah. And you know, the the uh the the um the MA37s, um, you know, uh you you had I I haven't I only have one, so I have to uh get lonely, Joey. I know you're in pairs. I was hoping I could mate have it mate with something, but apparently that's not gonna happen. Uh apparently that that future is still too far away.

SPEAKER_02 56:49

But what I was gonna do is I was gonna make an off-color whole uh joke about that hole that's on the back.

Joey Stuckey 56:55

Well, let's let's just assume that you have.

SPEAKER_02 56:57

We'll let people fill that in for themselves.

Joey Stuckey 56:59

There's yeah, this is a podcast where you have to do work. That's right. But I know but you were saying that you thought that for for our session at the Les Paul studio, uh, you were gonna maybe use two of the MA37s as overheads, which I haven't done yet.

SPEAKER_02 57:12

So because only Oh, I love them for overheads. Here's the thing about that mic that's a that's a connoisseur mic, it's different than all of our other mics.

SPEAKER_03 57:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 57:20

Because most, you know, most of us are doing a riff on stuff that Dr. Neumann invented, you know, 80 years ago, whenever it was.

SPEAKER_01 57:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 57:29

And and that, you know, you go up to our MA 1000 or 300 or any of our other mics and go check one, too, and you're gonna go, wow, that sounds great. The MA37 is dark, it's low output, and it's almost like a ribbon mic. And it's a magical microphone. It's just so 3D and warm and deep and all those things. But if you don't know what it is, I mean, we had them initially people bought them without really knowing what, you know, either watching the video or knowing what a Sony C37A was like. Right. And they would return them and say, there's something wrong with this mic. It's really dark and the output's low. And I'm like, yeah.

Joey Stuckey 58:08

Yes, and you do have some responsibility as the shopper to educate yourself too. Right.

SPEAKER_02 58:15

And I'd be like, you know, I think maybe you'd be happier with a with an MA 1000. Yeah. And that's our, you know, that's that's David's version of a 251. And that mic is just, you know, it is heavenly, but it's bright, bright and airy and open. And the MA37 is not that. It's closer to a ribbon mic, but it does a magical thing. So I think, especially since we're in the Les Paul studio, I think that the MA37s will just be a great choice for drum overheads.

Joey Stuckey 58:42

I well, once you said it, I go, oh, I get it. That makes sense. And you know, the the thing for me, I'll I'll tell you the mic, I have a guy here in town who is uh a fantastic uh sax player. And he was in the military and played uh played in military bands. Um, I I think it was the Air Force. I can't I may be wrong about that. But he also, so he lived in Germany for a while and then like played a bunch of gigs, like you know, just in the local community. And, you know, he's got some of the best tone you've ever heard, just real powerful uh player, and just he's super loud. I mean, he's just I mean, I have to like I was like, wait till I get out of the room before you start playing because Joey cannot lose another sense. I can't see, I can't smell. I've got to be able to hear. Yeah, I've got to be able to hear. Uh so but he's just but anyway, he he will not let anyone in town, uh he's uh he's in his 70s now, I guess, but he won't let anyone in town record him but me. He just he just refuses. He's like, you know, if you can't do it, I'll just wait until you're available. And so, but what he does is he does because he's written several books on um saxophone and and uh and stuff like that, you know, he's he's got a bit of a reputation uh in circles uh that that love um you know 50s and 60s uh horn playing and stuff like that. So he does a lot of um remote sessions with the power of the internet, you know. He comes in, I track it, and then we send the file off to whoever. And uh, but I you know I've I've used uh a U87 on him for a million years and whatever else, but he's always so happy, you know, when I when I engineer for him. But the the thing is, normally I will not take a session that's under two hours because it's just a waste of my time. Uh and and it's a waste of the client's time because it's hard to get anything done in that amount of time by the time you set up and all this stuff. So, but with him, he actually gets it done in an hour, and I will I will break my own rule. But anyway, I wanted like the the Rudy van Gelder uh sound as you know, as close as I could get of some of those classic jazz records that were made. And I just I just knew that MA37 was gonna give it. And uh and it absolutely does. And and one of the things that people don't think about, uh, and this is Uber Gurdy, but I'm gonna say it anyway. Uh the fact of the matter is, you know, there's the fundamental frequency of the instrument, and then there are all the overtones or partials or harmonics, whatever you want to call them. And uh, you know, in in jazz, sometimes it's more about those than it is the fundamental frequency. Sure. And and boy, the the the the MA37 really is suited to to to capturing uh I mean it sounds great on the fundamental frequency too, but what I'm saying is like, you know, it's really good at capturing more like vibe of the room and the horn and the fact that it's darker, you know, it it it really just works so well on on saxophones, specifically one that's a guy that plays so bright. Um because his tone is is great, but it is very bright. So anyway, it is a great microphone for so many different things. I've used it on vocals, I've used it on the you know, the horns.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:06

It's great on guitar amps.

Joey Stuckey 1:02:07

It it yeah, and I have I've used it on the acoustic guitar as well. Um, and and then, but like I said, I I only have one, so I can't do the drum overhead thing with it. So uh but anyway, um it's all mono, Joey. Uh I mean, you know, mono's for wussies. No, I'm just kidding. Uh but anyway, but yeah, I could throw it up, I suppose, as a mono room mic. But uh, but anyway, I I love it and it's great. And uh my goal is to have two of every mic, and currently I I can't say that with my collection, but uh it's mostly that way. Um I do have two Mojave uh 201s, and I've got a 300, and I've got uh I've got about six of the MADs, and um and the first time we we really got a chance to to visit for a long period was when that microphone just came out and I came to Mojave HQ and and we did did some singing on that thing, and and uh and that's that's on the YouTube channel as well, I'm assuming.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:04

Yeah, you're up there. Yes, well, just to back up a little bit on the MA37 before we move on. Please. Uh there's two videos on our YouTube channel. One is kind of like the origin story of the MA37, and it talks about the Sony C37A. Yeah, because that that mic was never huge, but it was really popular in Southern California in the wrecking crew era. Oh, I didn't know that. In the 60s, it's all over those records. Wow. And then it it they stopped making it, and uh, you know, it people it's one of those, if you know, you know mics, but they're not near as well known as the Neumans are globally. But in Southern California, they were really popular. So we've got a really great video that's the origin story of the MA37, and then there's another great video. Um I've got some other really close Mojave family members, uh Tony Austin and Miles Mosley. And they're these amazing jazz uh artists that grew up here in LA. They play with Kamasi Washington. Oh cool. Tony, the drummer, not only plays with Kamasi, but he also engineers and co-produces the stuff. And, you know, that's a huge band. Okay. He's a big, they're both big Mojave guys, but uh there's a great video of Tony. He's at Sunset Sound, and he's talking about using the MA37's recording Kamasi and and especially for drum overheads, how it just like gets the the relationship between the cymbals and the the drums just right. Like it kind of tames the symbols and brings the tone of the drums out. Well, that's the trick. That's the trick. Right. And there's no harshness, it's smooth. And if you need to add some sparkle on the top end, they eq great. You know, you can't. Oh yeah, that's fine.

Joey Stuckey 1:04:52

Yeah, it's easy to EQ it. It doesn't, it doesn't, it doesn't, you know, sometimes you EQ stuff and you're like, oh man, this this this this made things too brittle or whatever. Right. Um, you know, that's that's the thing but I mean yeah, no, it it it absolutely is easy to to eq. I mean, you know, I I kind of I kind of try to, you know, go like we were talking earlier about about doing the the owl method of uh you know not touching something unless I have to.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:16

Well it's so funny. We were talking about my background and and you know in in the 80s, I mean, the way you got a sound was it's like okay, play the kick, and you would solo the kick and start e just dive for the EQ.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:28

Right?

SPEAKER_02 1:05:29

And then, you know, okay, snare drum, dive for the EQ. Like just that's the way we did it back then. And then I learned it's like that's really exactly the wrong way to do it.

Joey Stuckey 1:05:42

I mean, you know, it's funny too, because I mean, it depends on what gear you're using, because like Alan Parsons, you know, has a classic snare drum. I can recognize Alan Parsons' snare drum a mile away. And um and and you know, I said to Alan, you know, uh what's what What's the secret here? What's how you know, how are you doing that? And um not always, but often uh he uses the like real vintage uh Neumann KM84 on the snare. Um and you know, um, and then he he said I I bring up 10k uh on the EQ. And I said, Well, how how much? He's like, until the knob stops turning. I love it. I love it. And I said, So, so when I got home, I said, Well, I'm gonna I have to try this. But on my console, like it sounds terrible.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:38

Yeah, what so you know what what what console he was talking about?

Joey Stuckey 1:06:42

Well, he always works on these pretty much.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:44

Okay, you know, Andy Johns, the legendary Andy Johns was working at my studio, and he's who first taught me how to like pull the fader down and crank the pre-amp preamp gain up on a Keeve. Yeah. Because I was always trained, it's like you want to set the fader at zero and then adjust the preamp accordingly so you have the right level. And he's like, you know, uh screw that, mate. Here's how you do it. Okay, he would pull the fader way down and then crank that pre-up to where it was distorting, you know, just the right amount, and it's like, oh man, that sounds amazing.

Joey Stuckey 1:07:16

Oh, I'll have to try that. I have I have not tried that. I was taught the same way you were. I mean, yeah, yeah. And and it's and and and I think most people are taught that way uh right now.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:26

When you listen to like the guitar sound on Revolution by the Beatles.

Joey Stuckey 1:07:30

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:30

You know, that's pre-amp distortion. That's that's board distortion.

Joey Stuckey 1:07:34

Interesting.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:35

Yeah.

Joey Stuckey 1:07:36

I didn't know I wondered about that because it it it didn't really sound like amp distortion, but I thought, well, maybe, I mean, you know, it was it was back before I was born, so I was like, well, maybe you know, maybe it was some piece of equipment I don't know, or you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:51

No, that was c that's the that's the classic reference for that kind of distortion. It's like if you want to know what what preamp distortion sounds like, listen to that that Beatles record, and there you go.

Joey Stuckey 1:08:01

That's that's a fan, it's a fantastic record. I mean, well, I'm obsessed with all the Beatles stuff. Oh, me too. Me too. Uh, you know, as a as a sick child, you know, my mom, who's always been so giving, like she's just like a giving person. And on Mother's Day, I'll never forget, I was like six or seven years old. And on Mother's Day, we were going to see my grandmother, and my mom stopped at a store uh at like at like a supermarket. Uh, I don't know if you remember this, Dusty, but the supermarkets used to have at least the one I we had sometimes would have a little rack at the front that had vinyl. Right. And I don't know if they did that in California or or not, or Texas or whatever, but anyway, they had this little rack of vinyl at the front of the store, and the rest of it was all food. And um, and so anyway, she uh she she just she was not a Beatles fan herself, um, but my mom and my dad both were always willing to expose me to you know everything that was going on and like just like make sure my my view of the world was as broad and and and deep as it could be. And you know, as as a blind child who was sick a lot in the hospital a lot, you know, the that was a that was a challenge to to do that. So the uh she she came out of the store, which I I don't remember what she went in to get before we made it to my grandma's house, and but she brought me a Beatles record. And um she's like which one? This is the weird part. So she goes, uh I've she said, This is um a band that's real popular, and I I thought you'd want to listen to it. Um I don't really know their music, but you know they're they're they're huge. It was yesterday and today. Oh wow. And I wore that record out. Right and uh and it was a great source of comfort to me whenever I didn't feel well. I would like put it on, it made me feel better. Oh, that's awesome. And it and it's so so when I and then so then once that happened, uh uh as I got a little older, uh, I started buying, I backtracked and went and got all the Beatles records. And uh, and so but I wanted to ask, I'm leading up to a question for you. Uh so now, of course, every time a Beatles product comes out, I buy it. I mean, that's just I don't have to ask. I mean, it's just a you know, oh, we've remastered it for the third time. I I'll take it. I'll take it. Um, but with these new remixes, um they are uh technologically remarkable, yeah, but they don't affect my spirit the same way. I I miss the grit.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:38

I get it. I get it.

Joey Stuckey 1:10:39

You know, you know, so I I miss the grit and the flaws and the the clipping and the you know, all the stuff that's actually wrong with the original recording. Uh you know, a limitation of the time. Um but but like how do you I mean how do you feel about that as a as an engineer and a producer?

SPEAKER_02 1:10:56

I mean, what's well I love listening to Giles, I think Giles Martin's amazing. Yeah, just genius. But you know, I've lived with those records for too many decades. It's like I'll I know that the harmony vocal is gonna come up, come out of the right speaker, and that's where I want to hear it. You know, I feel used to it. But I'm I've got a big high-res collection. Oh, yeah. And and I've got like uh, you know, I've got my personal list of of what I consider like flawless albums. Yeah, Abbey Road's got to be number one on that list. It's up there with Sticky Fingers and Born to Run.

Joey Stuckey 1:11:31

Oh, sticky fingers is great.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:33

Who's next? And you know, I've got my personal list. These are just flawless records.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:38

And uh I love listening to Abbey Road and on the high-res, you know, the the the original mixes, but the the latest remastered, you know, 96k.

Joey Stuckey 1:11:49

96k, right, right. Yeah. Yeah. But I I'm with you, I like I like the remasters. I mean, but but that original sort of grit is still there, you know. And and and you know, but but it's like it's it's it's also you know, high fidelity and it's it's it's great. But I and I love again from a tech from an engineering standpoint. I mean, I listened to the re remix stuff as like, wow, this is amazing. The technology is so good. I mean, it sounds like they did it today. Um but I just, you know, I miss, I'm like, oh God, I can't, you know, it just it doesn't connect with me as much because I lived like you, I've lived with those records my whole life. Exactly. You know, I'm I miss I miss the I miss the weird spot where you can suddenly hear the drums uh in the wrong place echoing in the background when the piano plays. You know, that's just part of it, part of the music. You know, if if so do now you um do you play much jazz yourself? I mean, are you uh jazz okay?

SPEAKER_02 1:12:48

I can fake jazz, you know. It's like, hey, play, you know, play play jazzy. I'd say, okay, I'll start adding in some more incidentals and you know, wrong notes.

Joey Stuckey 1:12:59

The wrong notes of jazz.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:00

Exactly, exactly. So I can fake it, but I'll tell you what, after hanging out with with Miles Mosley, who's an upright bass player, in fact, he just released a new album. He and it's only available on vinyl. He's do he's doing a series of these, and the first one is his LA one, but he's gonna do a series of them around the world. And he only makes 500 copies. They're hand like hand autographed, and the art's amazing. Oh my gosh. And I just Sue and I just in fact I had to get my receiver fixed so that I could play uh use my turntable and tried to play it, and it was like, okay, got to do some work here. But we, you know, to sit down and listen to a vinyl album from start to finish and get up half of the way through, you know, and but Miles is like the Jimi Hendricks of bass. I mean, he plays, he's Kamasi Washington's bass player and an amazing artist on his own. And his stuff is just a trio. It's him and Tony Austin and this great piano pianist named Cameron Graves, who's they all grew up together. They all went to the same high school for the performing arts here in LA. And they're just super disciplined, educated musicians. You know, I can I love it. And it's like those guys are jazz players. I can I can fake it, you know, but those guys are it's like that's those guys are like PhDs in jazz, you know. Yeah, yeah, they're just amazing. And I I I love I always tell them I I I feel here for just knowing you guys.

Joey Stuckey 1:14:28

Absolutely. That's how I feel about knowing you. Uh for just knowing you. Um I I actually I really mean that. I really do mean that. Um, the uh I will say that what you know I I want to close on this. Um, you know, uh I've uh you know a lot about the music business. Um I used to.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:47

I'm not sure I do anymore. Well, right.

Joey Stuckey 1:14:49

So I know what you mean. But but you and one of the things I should I should mention is a self-lift plug here. We're gonna cut straight to vinyl at the uh Les Paul studio, at least for one song, because we can't.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:59

Oh, that's gonna be so fun.

Joey Stuckey 1:15:00

Oh, that's that's gonna be a lot of fun. And uh I'm gonna, you know, I'm I'm excited about that. But anyway, the what I was gonna say is, you know, listening to a whole album from start to finish is really a treat. And uh and it's the way it should be done, and it's one of the problems I think. Uh I mean, there's a lot of things to be said about streaming. I mean, it is convenient, and you can have like a billion songs in your pocket. I mean, that's that that is kind of cool, but there's there's a but there's a another part that's it's become just you know, sort of disposable. Uh it's not the same level of effort or ceremony to listen to great music anymore. Um, and I miss that. I miss because when I was a kid, and when I was a kid about you know 12 years old, uh my friends would all gather at my house once a week because I had the best stereo, and you know, we we would save up our money for a week or two and go to the record store and buy something, and we'd all get together with our records we bought for the week and listen to them and and listen to them all and and talk about it. And you know, I missed that. Um, but what I wanted to say is with you know, with all the changes, um, from your perspective as a musician, uh, as a producer, engineer, and as a businessman making microphones, what do you think is going to be the trajectory for the music business over the next couple of years, especially considering that we we've got AI as a major disruptor?

SPEAKER_02 1:16:22

Well, I think that I mean, I you know, bottom line, I don't have a clue. Who knows? But I the thing that I've noticed that in fact Sue and I have been talking about this um is people crave the shared live experience.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:40

Like I was just in Sweetwater for a week, and my son, who's in in pro audio, he does marketing for a company called Providence Sound Envision, which is a high-end boutique pro audio dealer here in LA, um picked me and Sue up at LAX, and we drove straight to the forum where they dropped me off. I hopped out of the car to go see Bruce Springsteen. Oh, did not miss seeing Bruce on this tour. You know, he's getting up there. I mean, he's still like at the top of his game, but you never know. And with some of these older stars, you know, each time you see him, it's like this could be the last time.

Joey Stuckey 1:17:13

You know, I get it. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:15

And he's all revved up, he's doing his political tour, his activism tour. Yeah. And it's like, I can't miss this. And I just bought a cheap seat by myself. They dropped me off and picked me up after, but I literally went straight from the from Fort Wayne, Indiana to go see Bruce. Wow. You know, and I think that it that shared live experience is no matter what happens with recording, you know, it people crave that. And I think it it's probably bigger than ever. I think we crave it more and more because we're so fractured as a country and a world that the things that we can come together for, I think people crave that. And you know, my kids, they went to go see uh Kendrick Lamar at the um the big uh stadium here, the huge new stadium, SoFi, which is I don't know, I haven't been there, but it's you know, 90,000 seat or something like that. It's where it's where the football teams play. It's huge, it's a beautiful stadium, but it's indoor outdoor. But they paid a lot of money to go see Kendrick Lamar and Ciza. And uh but you know, they're my son's twenty-six, my daughter's twenty-two. I mean, that's they crave that experience. And my my daughter is just about to graduate from college, and it's called experience industry management, which is kind of a fancy word for uh event planning. And her focus is on sports, especially women's sports. Her dream would be to work for a professional women's sports team.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:43

And it's cool.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:44

But you know, that it's that's kind of a thriving new discipline to to study because people crave a live experience and there's no substitute for that.

Joey Stuckey 1:18:57

And it's all about connection, it really is.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:58

Yeah, it really is. And you know, for us as musicians, we'll you know, we'll go play in a crappy little bar for a couple of drinks and a burger because we cra we gotta have it, you know.

Joey Stuckey 1:19:11

We gotta have it. It's it's it's a it really is. I mean, music is uh an extension of my spirit, and I'm not uh fully alive without it.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:20

And uh same.

Joey Stuckey 1:19:22

You know, and and uh and I remember we had such an interesting experience. I'm not sure you noticed this, but uh you and I played uh together uh at a at a little bar um uh pub, two or three songs. Ireland 32. Yeah, and uh in the heart of the valley. And it was uh I have to say, it was pretty packed. I mean, there was a lot of people there. Uh it it was a um it was a uh uh an event being run by uh who was running the drummer was it was Dave Raven. Dave Raven, okay. So Dave was I thought yeah, I didn't I didn't really get chance to meet him because he was kind of stuck in the corner. Um and I can't, you know, being blind, like that stage was not really negotiable. So I was just like, oh, I'll just have to I'll just have to say thanks for playing and get off. But as we as we made our way through this very tight packed room, um, I don't know if you remember this, some woman came up to me and pushed money in my hand. And uh it was just it was I don't I don't I don't think I mentioned it because I was hanging onto your shoulder trying not to fall over because it was so tight. But uh it was I I got I got home later and I I think it was like a five dollar bill or something. I can't remember now. But but anyway, the point though is I I do think that uh you know people recognize uh at some level that there needs to be you know human connection uh and and that that is real important, and I think they're willing to pay for it because you know, I I mean, like I paid a ridiculous amount of money to see Ringo Starr. Uh and the seats were not even the greatest seats, but it was well worth it. And uh, you know, with to amplify your point from earlier, it was like, I mean, how many more times is he gonna do this? I better go see him. Sure. You know, and and it's the same thing with Paul McCartney. Um, you know, uh, I mean, and and it just so happens that with Paul, you know, for years he kind of eschewed the Beatles catalog, you know, wouldn't really play much of it. Uh and this concert was like 60% Beatles, which was I know, it's so great. It was so surprised to me. And I was like, oh my god. And he played for three hours. I got my money, man. I got my money worth.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:31

I mean, and that band, that's that band is amazing.

Joey Stuckey 1:21:34

Oh, they're there's just sick. You know, and I'm I'm a lot younger than Paul, and I don't want to play for three hours. Right. And I and I the whole reason I get out of bed in the morning is for music, and I still don't want to play for three hours.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:47

I know. I mean, I used to I've been to some Springsteen concerts. This one was was a reasonable two and a half hours, okay, which was just about right. But I've been at Springsteen concerts where I'm like, please stop playing. Well, it's four hours. It's like I gotta go home, man. Yeah, yeah. Well, he's five years older than me.

Joey Stuckey 1:22:08

Well, you have you you do have a bedtime that you like. Um, I do.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:11

That is true. I like my jammies and my gummies.

Joey Stuckey 1:22:16

And I'm honored that you're gonna uh miss that bedtime to play with me at the whiskey. So that's you know, good. Thanks, thanks for that.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:22

Well, I'll I'll take a nap that day.

Joey Stuckey 1:22:24

So yeah, you you you'll be fine. You're you're fine. But I but I just wanted to say, you know, I do think like with Springsteen, um, I've always I've always been a fan. Um I don't have every record or anything like that, but I mean I do have I do have some of the records, and I've always been a fan, and I have to say that um, you know, there's been a lot of um a lot of people talking about musicians staying in their lane and staying out of politics. And um, and I just find that real surprising because music has always been political. Um I mean John Lennon was political with his music, uh Bruce, you know, Springsteen's always been political with his music, Bob Marley and Bob Dylan too, yeah. Bob Marley. Uh Sally Kuty. Yeah, I mean it's it's always been you know uh and I so I really um I really appreciate it because I do take the moniker of artists very seriously, and I do think that I have some responsibility uh to like you know to to to help with the uh the the introduction of new ideas uh to move to move forward in the way that we think as humans. Um you know, and and I also think that I have a duty to record history and to make sure we remember certain things. And I mean I think art of course you can be entertained by art as well, and that's that's a legitimate function as well. But I mean, I do really feel uh that that be an artist is a serious you know job.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:58

And uh and I just well on this tour with Bruce, it's like he's always been an activist, but in a very politically correct way.

Joey Stuckey 1:24:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:08

You know, yeah, and you know, at every concert, they'll be like, there's some people out there, it's the local homeless shelter or you know, something for veterans. Like he's always had that element, but it's been in a very like uh not taking sides kind of way. But this time, I mean the guy's in his, you know, what is he, the 76 or something like that? And he's he's Bruce Springsteen, you know? Yeah, and he's just like, look, people, yeah, look, he's kind of like Barack Obama. It's like, look, I let's talk about this. Let's name it, you know, this is fucked up.

Joey Stuckey 1:24:44

Yeah, absolutely. And and you know, and and I have to tell you, as an artist, I have been uh I've been struggling with with what uh what I want to say and what I want to do, you know, right vis a vis like the world in which we live. And so what I've mainly done uh with my with like my social media posts and stuff like that is yeah, I just try to remind everybody that we're all neighbors and uh we're all fellow passengers on the spaceship Earth, and it's important to treat people with dignity and kindness and um and I and we all deserve equal protection under the law, and you know, we we have a we have a responsibility uh and a privilege to help each other.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:21

And uh well, I don't see why a rock star or an athlete or an actor's opinion is any less valued than a billionaire's.

Joey Stuckey 1:25:31

I agree. And and the fact is, you know, say the thing is, I mean, you know, we are protected from censorship from the federal government with with the First Amendment. Um and and and you know, but free speech is not consequent free speech. I mean, so sometimes you say something and you know, like the Dixie chicks, it may hurt you, but you have to you have to be true to yourself and true to your spirit and uh you know do what you think's right and then take the take the take the consequences. Take the heat, right? But listen, it's it's it's a a pleasure and a privilege always, and you know so many cool people. Um by the way, Becky from uh JBL said hello. Uh Becky and I'm gonna visit her while I'm out out in in LA. Oh, maybe I'll go with you. Yeah, absolutely. You're welcome. You're welcome anytime, my father. I I will I will I'll shoot you the dates. Um we're gonna we're gonna go say hello. But she she said tell you hello. And I I was trying to uh I was trying to uh tell her that she needed to come out the whiskey. And uh I was like and you I was like you just need to come out and like you know you don't have to pay anything. Just come out and see us. And uh, you know, we we can well I mean we don't mind if you throw hundred dollar bills, that's fine. Um but the problem with with being blind is you don't know if they're ones or hundreds, you just you know you just have to hope. So I can help you with that. Yeah, I know. That's well now I've there is an app on the phone uh that will read it for the blind, but uh that's amazing. Who who has who has time to pull the phone out? I know.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:49

Right, right.

Joey Stuckey 1:26:51

Uh but anyway, but uh it's a true pre you know pleasure and privilege. And I just want to say, I mean, what an amazing you know career you you have and continue to have, and what what a what a sort of a font of knowledge. And and uh I just I just appreciate the time so much.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:08

Oh, thank you. I I've been so blessed. You know, I'm just my my career in life has been beyond my wildest dreams. I I look at my wife sometimes and I'm just like, man, for a kid from the suburbs of Houston done okay.

Joey Stuckey 1:27:22

You have done, you've done, you've done really well, and and I think it's so great. Uh and you know, uh the thing is, I mean, you know, being where you are uh in in in LA and in Burbank and everything, you know, I've I've um I've always I've always said you know it's about being where things are happening. And uh when you put when you have the talent and you have the right heart and the right um you know the right sort of work ethic, uh it then then you you put yourself where things are happening, good things will happen. And uh I think that's I think that really is true, and it's it's certainly been true for me. Um I always I've always just sort of lucked my way into being in the right room and And I've always been blessed to be around people smarter than I am and learn and learn something. So that's great.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:06

Yeah. Always try to be the least talented person. Yeah.

Joey Stuckey 1:28:09

Well, you know, when you do that, it sure makes it makes your life a lot easier. That's right, right.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:14

Well, you know, we just keep showing up and try to be a service. That's right. And one and we'll good things happen.

Joey Stuckey 1:28:19

That's right. One day, uh, one of us will be a rock star. I think it's gonna be you. I well, I don't know. I I envisioned a day where you're like 85 and uh you you you uh you're just yelling at the kids to get off your lawn and holding your holding holding your Grammy in one hand and the uh platinum record in the other. So that's I love you, Dusty. Thank you, my friend.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:43

Love you too, Joey. I'm looking forward to uh more musical adventures together.

Joey Stuckey 1:28:47

Absolutely, and we'll we'll try to keep out of jail. Cool.