Stu Watts chats with Nick Franklin, who is a mastering engineer, (sometimes) recording and mixing engineer and the owner of electronic gadget company Franklin Audio.Nick grew up in a small coastal town on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, playing in bands and recording music with friends. His parents were incredibly supportive—soundproofing the garage, helping him buy his first recording equipment, and ultimately encouraging him to pursue his dream of moving to the city to study audio engineering.Shortly after completing his studies, a chance encounter with legendary mastering engineer Rick O’Neil led to a position as an assistant engineer at Turtlerock Mastering, then the largest mastering studio in Australia. The role proved to be an intense crash course in mastering and client work, laying a strong foundation for the rest of his music career. Like many studios, however, the Turtlerock building was eventually demolished to make way for apartments, leaving Nick jobless and uncertain about the next step.In search of steady work while figuring out his next move, Nick accepted a lecturing role at JMC Academy, teaching Pro Tools, electronics, and music production. It wasn’t long before he became fully immersed in the world of education, eventually taking on the role of full-time studio manager. In that position, he oversaw the campus’s relocation to Ultimo and the commissioning of four large-format consoles. During a studio tour for local producers, he connected with a studio owner in need of a new house engineer—an opportunity that brought him back into the professional audio world.Over the next five years, Nick recorded hundreds of artists and bands at Linear Recording, refining the craft of capturing live instruments. During this time, he also built his own studio just a block away—poetically located in the newly established Turtlerock Mastering building.Alongside his music career, Nick had been nurturing an electronics business, which he officially launched in 2021. That same year, he was once again forced to demolish his studio to make way for development. This time, he chose not to rebuild, instead committing full-time to Franklin Audio. Since then, the company has grown into a six-person team with customers around the world.
Chapters:00:00:00 Intro00:03:35 About Nick Franklin00:04:15 Early experiences with music00:09:11 Learning audio at JMC00:13:27 After college and Rick O'Neil's mentorship00:18:40 Key learns from his early mastering experiences00:22:35 The next stage of Nick's journey as a lecturer00:28:35 Meeting Chris from Linear Recording00:31:02 Reflections on the higher education system00:35:11 How Franklin Audio got started00:41:52 How Nick's previous experiences help with running a business00:45:36 How Franklin Audio approaches social media00:54:14 What can a producer/engineer learn from a business owner?00:57:17 What is still surprising/exciting about being around music?00:59:46 What's coming up this year01:00:51 Best bits of advice for producers/engineers, artists and business owners01:06:02 Conclusion/Outro
How you can support the podcast:
Follow on Instagram: @whatsthatsoundpodcastStu Watts: @stu.watts.audio Nick Franklin: @fricknanklinFranklin Audio: @franklin_audio
Stu Watts website
Listen to Stu's work on Spotify
Listen to Nick's work on Spotify
Enquiries and suggestions: podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com
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