US mix engineer and producer for top-tier artists including Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa and Bad Bunny, Josh Gudwin has installed a pair of Augspurger Monitors Duo 8 Sub 212s in his personal room at the historic Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood.
Reflecting on his choice, Gudwin notes that changing monitor speakers is a bold move: ‘You know, it’s a big investment, but I went for the Duo 8 Sub 212s – that’s the perfect fit for me. I love the dynamic range of them. ’ve been very fortunate to work in the best studios and with the best gear – and I see Augspurger everywhere. They’re beautiful speakers, and I’ve used them throughout my career. They just sound right.’
Gudwin is the Governor of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Recording Academy, and has had a unique journey into music following his tenure in the Marines. It was during a trip to Los Angeles that a new potential career sparked his curiosity. ‘I was visiting some friends, and a couple of their buddies were making music in their bedrooms. I used to do that as a hobby, but I really didn’t know that it was a whole career path. I just got really inspired.’
This intrigue led him to enroll at Full Sail University in Florida, where he studied Recording Arts of Applied Science for two years, before heading back to LA. ‘After I left Full Sail, I started interning at Track Records. It was here that he met Jan Fairchild, who told me about Record Plant and said he knew Rose Mann-Cherny. I interviewed for a job and Rose hired me.
‘Record Plant really gave me such an insight, a bigger picture of the music industry, with giants like Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, and all these huge artists, working out of the studios.’
His time at Record Plant would prove invaluable, giving Gudwin the opportunity to meet influential figures including Hit-Boy, Ester Dean, and producer Kuk Harrell. Harrell, in particular, became a key mentor, helping him hone his skills in vocal production and engineering. ‘I got to work with Kuk a lot – he took me under his wing,’ he says. ‘I learned how to vocal produce, how to treat artists, how to stand up for myself, how to travel, how to get the studio right, catch the vibe – all that stuff – so many wonderful things.’
This collaboration led to an opportunity with Justin Bieber, which dramatically shifted his career trajectory. ‘After we’d worked on a couple of Justin’s albums together, Kuk went on the road with Rihanna. A couple of days later, Justin shot me a message, like, “Hey, meet me on the road, I want to record something”, and we’ve worked on ten studio albums since then. It was during that process that I learned how to mix.’
Gudwin’s studio features two main rooms: an immersive 9-1-4 room and a stereo room, each optimised for specific aspects of audio production. For mixing, Gudwin has a MixDream summing mixer connected to a Lavry Gold converter for optimal D/A conversion. The studio’s EQ and dynamics are handled by high-end outboard gear, including a BAX EQ, Fearn VT5 EQ, VT7 and Elysia Museq. Gudwin also uses a Bricasti and an Orban Spring for reverb. His tracking chain also features an API 3124 preamp and a BG2 compressor from Highland Dynamics, noted for its distinctive sound.
Integral to the set-up are the new Augspurger Duo 8 Sub 212s monitors and Amphion Two18s with sub-basses, powered by their respective amplifiers. Routing is via a Crane Song Avocet II and a TT patchbay, allowing extensive configuration options. Additional studio monitors include Yamaha NS10s and Avantone MixCubes through a Coleman selector, powered by a Bryston 4B amplifier. The studio also houses a variety of creative tools like an Echo Fix tape echo, a record player, various guitar pedals, and a diverse mic collection.
‘The new monitors have massively impacted the sound quality in my studio,’ Gudwin reports. ‘The Augspurgers complete the room as far as a monitoring system goes – it’s a level up. I love the way they sound quiet. I love the way they sound loud. I love the way they look. They’re just awesome.’
His ongoing relationship with Augspurger Monitors’ President Dave Malekpour and the wider support team underscores his commitment to achieving the best sound possible for his clients. With this upgrade, Gudwin is set to continue his trend of producing and/or mixing hit records, now backed by Augspurger.
More: https://augspurger.com
