In The Studio - The Podcast: Recent Episodes
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In this episode, I break down one of my personal high-resolution audio and CD playback systems, including the components I selected, how they connect, and why they work together.
Over the years, I’ve worked with and owned a wide variety of power amps, speakers, receivers, mixers, preamps, and studio monitoring equipment, but this particular system is focused on achieving accurate, punchy, professional-level sound without spending a fortune.
The complete budget hi-fi system delivers what I consider excellent CD playback for just over $700 USD, all-in.
I've used these simple techniques to build multiple playback systems for Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, and Elizabeth Taylor. I hope this episode helps you realize that high-resolution, studio-quality audio can be more attainable than you might think!
Equipment used in video (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/shop/inthestudiowithmj/list/3DW62CB84XFIK?tag=onamzbradsund-20&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_mixed_d&ccs_id=c253ff56-507e-456c-a064-fffd0ac94207
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HighResolutionAudio #HiFi #AudioSystem #ProAudio #CDPlayback #AudioEngineering #AudioGear #24Bit192kHz #michaeljackson #mj
A conversation with an old friend is always fun, especially when that old friend is Michael Jackson's musical director, Brad Buxer.
Brad pops into my events every now and then, so I thought it would be fun to dig deep into what it was like to tour with Michael and be part of one of the biggest productions in music history. I'm very well versed in working with Michael in the studio, on video shoots, and at Neverland, but traversing the globe with him was something I never got to do.
This conversation was filmed in front of a live audience, and we took a stack of great questions from them!
Thanks for watching, and as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. If you enjoy these conversations, please subscribe for more stories from the studio and beyond.
Brad Buxer Livestream August 29th: https://tinyurl.com/yeywjhmt
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It's time for another battle to determine the best-sounding version of "HIStory"! We have vinyl, Spotify, and CD, but this time I'm bringing a new fighter into the ring: Qobuz.
Of course, these results are purely my opinion, and I welcome your thoughts in the comments.
It made for a fun and slightly ear-opening battle! Thanks for tuning in!
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For most people, Tony Black is known for his incredible work as a Grammy Award-winning producer with artists like Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, and many of the biggest names in New York hip hop and R&B. But for me, Tony and I go back to our days working together on Michael Jackson's "HIStory" album.
In this episode, we reminisce about our time with Michael before diving into Tony's remarkable career and the New York studio scene of the '90s. While my musical roots were rock, pop, disco, and gospel, Tony was in the world of hip hop and R&B - and has some amazing stories to share.
I had a great time learning from Tony, hearing his stories, and comparing our experiences in the studio. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
Tony's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TonyBlackNYC
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Michael Jackson's Neverland Valley Ranch had a lot of hidden technology to help make it the remarkable place that it was, including many concert-grade sound systems in the amusement park. I had the privilege of building these sound systems, so in this week's episode I break down some of the unique ways I accomplished this.
I hope you enjoy and I hope to see you for the full Virtual Tour Of Neverland livestream this Saturday! We are hosting two to better accommodate different time zones, choose the one that works best for you!
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A few weeks ago Brad Buxer and I talked about how fun it would be to watch the "Michael" movie together, so while we were in Berlin we made it happen!
This was Brad Buxer's first time watching the movie, so right after it ended we had a conversation debriefing and hearing his thoughts with a live audience! Thank you to Marcos Cabotá for filming this interview and to SAE Institute Berlin for hosting us. And thank you to the ITSWMJ Berlin guests who watched the movie with us and asked some great questions as well!
Enjoy hanging out in the studio with us!
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This week, I'm putting "Dirty Diana" to the test in another Vinyl Battle! How does Spotify compare to CD and the original Bad vinyl? Join me as we explore the trade-off between convenience and quality in today's music world.
Enjoy hanging out with me in the studio!
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June 25th is one of those days when I always remember exactly where I was when I heard the news of Michael's passing in 2009.
In this episode, I do a bit of reminiscing about the many amazing things that happened as a result of my friendship with Michael. I make it a point not to dwell on the sadness of loss, but rather to celebrate the incredible talent he shared with the world.
And the irony that the Michael box office numbers could surpass $1 billion on or around June 25th is not lost on me. Rather, it puts a bit of a smile on my face—just like seeing his music all over the charts again. I hope you'll consider hanging out with me In the Studio.
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I had a great conversation with acclaimed recording engineer John Van Nest about the heartbreaking reason he was brought in during the final weeks of production on Off the Wall. He first told me this story a few years ago, and I've wanted to share it with you ever since.
This episode is dedicated to Steve Conger, who should have been there to see this incredible album through to its completion.
Thanks to John for sharing this tragic backstory behind one of my favorite Michael Jackson projects.
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"Chicago" was never released as a single - but thanks to TikTok and the Michael biopic, it's debuting on the Hot 100 for the very first time, alongside a slew of MJ classics charting around the world! The movie, the music, the excitement... and the grumblers. Join me In The Studio to recap the week!"
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Bradx2 is back! I had a great convo with my close friend Brad Buxer discussing our work with Michael Jackson and the song "Heal The World." Brad really is like a brother to me as we spent so many years working together, I had a great time catching up with him!
We will be reuniting in person in just a few weeks in Berlin for one of my "In The The Studio With MJ" weekends at SAE Institute! We will share lots of stories, music, laughter and memories the weekend of June 26th - 28! In the meantime I hope you'll enjoy my conversation with MJ's Musical Director of many years - Brad Buxer!
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Music on a train? Sure, I can do that.
A mobile entertainment system to travel with Michael Jackson on tour? Easy enough.
A voice-controlled system that matches the music and lighting to your mood? Let’s give it a go.
I’ve built some unique music systems for entertainment legends, and I thought it might be fun to share a few stories. Plus, we’ll recap the box office numbers for the Michael movie and cover a few other topics. Pour yourself a glass of your favorite beverage and hang out with me In The Studio for a few minutes!
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(Note: when I mention the Mitsubishi X850 I actually meant the Mitsubishi X-80)
Seth Riggs is a rock star behind the rock stars. He worked as a vocal coach for everyone from Ray Charles to Barbra Streisand to Stevie Wonder, but of course, his decades of work and friendship with Michael Jackson are what he is best known for. Seth and his lovely wife, Margareta, continue to work together as vocal coaches to this day. They were kind enough to have a conversation with me, reflecting on Seth’s 95 years of life, music, and amazing experiences. I appreciate the time they took to share so many memories. Enjoy!
The Riggs Vocal Studio: theriggsvocalstudio.com
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One of my favorite photos of Michael and me is the one where we’re playing Jenga in the studio. It was a true candid moment of us just having fun between sessions. There were countless of these moments, but only few caught on film.
Because of a certain "Twister" scene in the “Michael” movie, I wanted to share this story and let everyone know just how much fun we all had together in the studio — as well as how competitive Michael was. Enjoy the story, along with a few other thoughts I have on this week’s episode!
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The "Michael" movie has officially been out for a week and seeing you guys show up and drive those box office numbers despite the critics has been incredible to witness. Michael's fans are truly like no other!
In this week's episode I did another Vinyl Battle, this time comparing "Don't Stop 'Til You get Enough" and "Bad" from the “Michael: Songs From The Motion Picture” album and the original "Off The Wall" and "Bad" albums. Join me as I break down what makes each of these records hit the way they do, and how they compare to the movie soundtrack.
Finally, I wanted to answer a few questions from last week's episode, and ask you guys a few questions as well. Please comment and share your thoughts, and what you think of the "Michael" soundtrack as well.
Enjoy!
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Everyone in the MJ Community is talking about the Michael movie - it's finally out! My buddy Jared Bradshaw and I saw an early access screening together and immediately went to my podcast room to record our initial thoughts, we had a lot to discuss! I hope you'll enjoy our conversation and let us know your thoughts as well. Enjoy!
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On March 28th I returned to The Hit Factory to host an ITSWMJ event with my good friend Tony Black. Walking through those doors brought back so many memories from 1994 when I was working on the HIStory album. For this episode I wanted to share a few of those insights and memories that came flooding back. I hope you'll enjoy returning to The Hit Factory with me!
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I wanted to share a couple stories from many years ago when I first joined Michael's studio team. One of my first challenges was handling the playback of the "Bad" album for the Epic Record's execs pre-release. A lot of suits, a lot of shrimp cocktails, and a thunderous playback party at the Beverly Hills Hotel!
Then I talk about the time during that same era when Michael commissioned me to install a playback system for his dance floor at Hayvenhurst - the first system I ever built for Michael! Finally we'll chat about upcoming events and destinations. Enjoy!
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The tracklist for the "Michael" movie was released, so for this week's episode I'll go track by track and share my thoughts and specific memories from the songs listed.
Overall I think it is a great selection of songs and I can't wait to see how they will play out in the film. Let me know your thoughts on the tracklist and if you've gotten your movie tickets yet in the comments below!
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What a week it's been. From significant losses in the MJ community to a last minute reunion with an old friend. I hope you'll join us as I share some memories about Bea Swedien, Bruce's loving wife and wonderful friend to me and Deb, and the incredible Tom Bahler. You may not know Tom by name but you absolutely know some of his songs and arrangements.
Lastly I got to reconnect with the uber-talented and musical powerhouse Teddy Riley. I haven't seen Teddy since likely 1993 and it was great to catch up with him after so many years. Teddy lights up any room he walks into and seeing him again was a bright light in an otherwise tough week.
Tributes are never easy, but I hope you enjoy listening to a few stories about some good friends of mine.
Under the Red Blanket by Bea Swedien: https://www.amazon.com/Under-Red-Blanket-Anderson-Swedien/dp/1780920032
My Life as a Studio Wife by Bea Swedien: https://www.amazon.com/My-Life-Studio-Wife-Lifetime/dp/B0FK9W5Y6M/ref=sr_1_1?crid=D1COPNNT3S7R&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.nWqIw0cMok21eFfgd7zt6VCrkoftKCZ2NWhv87zhQ7o.eFaZ6ktwbIpGHFQzi99QIZVnNswSdGxQkbAXyC5q3fM&dib_tag=se&keywords=bea+swedien&qid=1773352666&s=books&sprefix=bea+swedien%2Cstripbooks%2C152&sr=1-1
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My good friend Chris Lacy was in town so I thought it would be fun to go to The Magic Kingdom and let Chris ask me any questions he wants!
Join us as we explore the park and we discuss everything from the Michael biopic, to recent song leaks, and of course memories from my many years in the studio.
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The Vinyl Battle continues, this time with a bit of science and a couple unexpected twists! I hope you will enjoy my comparison of "Man in the Mirror" from the original Bad vinyl, the 1987 Mexico Bad vinyl, the Bad picture disc, and the original HIStory vinyl. I hope you'll enjoy, and share your thoughts below on what you think the best version is!
Our first Vinyl Battle! A mostly unscientific comparison of one song from the original Bad album, the HIStory album, and the Michael Jackson Ones album! Welcome To The Jungle - I mean Studio!
The "Michael" movie trailer was just released and the 2026 Grammys just happened, it's been an exciting week! In this episode I share my thoughts on both recent events, and then discuss my experience at the 1988 Grammys when Michael Jackson performed "The Way You Make Me Feel". I hope you will enjoy!
The "Michael" album has caused significant conversation, frustration and anger since it's release in 2010. I had no direct connection to it, although I did know and like a couple of the songs.
The MJ fan community knew something was "off" with at least three of the songs, leading to a deep investigation by my friend Damien Shields. He and his is stop-at-nothing team created a long-form very detailed account of the "Michael" album missteps, presented in his "Faking Michael" podcast.
In this episode I share my thoughts on Damien's findings and talk about how and why recording Michael's vocals (ironically sung by Michael) was such a rare and unique process to be a part of.
Huge shout-out to Damien and his team for an amazingly detailed piece of journalism! Check out his series here: https://www.youtube.com/c/FakingMichael
Recently I spent a weekend in Hamilton, Ontario to work on my "Mixing and Stories" event with one of Halo Studio's engineers, Danny Smart. We had some great conversations together so I asked Danny if he would be interested in coming on the podcast to further our discussions on travel, the music industry, and what Michael Jackson song he enjoyed mixing the most. I hope you enjoy our conversation!
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the HIStory album, I gathered my buddies Matt Forger, Rob Hoffman, and Tony Black for a round table discussion swapping stories and memories about working with Michael back in the studio in 1994. We answer questions you submitted, share stories, and reflect on just how fortunate we were to be a part of such an iconic album. Happy 30th HIStory!
I had a great conversation with Hayden Rose who worked very closely with the animals at Neverland Valley Ranch. We had a great time talking about the elephants, staying overnight at Neverland, and even a funny prank Michael pulled on him. I hope you enjoy this conversation!
November 21, 1989 a remarkable album was released by Quincy Jones called Back on the Block. I had the absolute honor of working with Quincy on several projects, including Back on the Block where I was credited as a Technical Director. Quincy Jones was one of a kind and I will do the best I can to share a few memories and insights from this amazing record.
Part 2 to our 36th birthday celebration of the Bad album! What it was like being there during the making of this iconic album.
Happy 36th Birthday to the Bad album! Curious about what it was like in the room where it happened? Pour yourself a favorite beverage and let's dive into it.
Occasionally someone asks what my favorite studio is. Unlike most questions like that I don't have to think twice or hesitate when giving the answer. Let me take you there and tell you a little bit about its history.
My fact-finding team (me) is proud to present my very incomplete list of 10 facts, memories, and tidbits from my 16 months of working on Michael Jackson's HIStory project. I hope you'll enjoy!
Hear MichaelJackson's Dangerous like you never have before with my reflections on what it was like working on this landmark album.
Part 2 of my interview with Matt Forger, and we really get into what it was like for him working on Captain EO, and his experiences all the way down to opening day of the film. Enjoy!
Matt Forger was there for Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory - but today we are going to talk about the iconic collaboration between Disney, George Lucas, and Michael Jackson. Part 1 of 2.
This week we Go Just Around the Riverbend and dig into the amazing Pocahontas film score with my buddy Brian Vibberts, one of the project engineers!
Recording studios almost have a language all their own, and there is a learning curve to understanding why an engineer would want a U-47 feeding a 1073 followed by an 1176.
In this week's podcast I can't wait to introduce you to an old friend and great engineer - Michael Braunstein! We discuss what Record Plant Studios was really like in the 70's (including the infamous jacuzzi), then dive into an amazing Barry Manilow album. "2 am Paradise Cafe". Come join us In The Studio...
School is in session!! Many recording studios have a certain expected etiquette for dealing with musicians and singers. Would you know how to act on a Michael Jackson session?
In this week's podcast I want to take you inside the making of Stevie Nicks' third solo album "Rock A Little". It was the heyday of grand studios and 80's excess. Pour a cognac... come hang out in the studio for a little while!
The MJ Christmas song that never was. Hear the story of how we recorded a Christmas song during the 1994 production of the HIStory album, and hear from two of the "kids" - Donna Vivino and Jeffrey Landman - who were there in the kids choir, and who remember meeting Santa Brad!
The place formerly known as Neverland Valley Ranch sold last week, so I thought you might want to hear about how it all began, at least from my perspective. I was barely 25 years old when Michael asked me to start building music systems at his then-new ranch. And so it began...
Today's episode features my good friend Brian Vibberts! We discuss his work on the iconic Mariah Carey Christmas album and how Brian got to work on the recording. You also might find out what Mariah Carey's favorite studio snack food was at the time. Thank you for listening, and Merry Christmas!
I spent nearly a decade working with Bruce Swedien on projects for Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Barbra Streisand - to name a few.