"Audio Engineer" Will Burger Interview
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Interview by Roger Zee (03/11/22)
Roger Zee: Who inspired you to get into audio engineering? Do you sing or play any instruments?
Will Burger: I grew up playing guitar, singing, and songwriting. I eventually started a band and fell in love with the process of making music come to life. In high school, I recorded with two guys named Scoops and Drew. They inspired the crap out of me and became one of the biggest reasons I pursued a career in audio engineering. Sound engineering's one of the more practical careers in music. And I fell in love with helping bring other people's music to life.
RZ: Where did you study and train?
WB: At SUNY Purchase, I studied under some excellent engineers including Peter Denenberg (The Spin Doctors, Deep Purple), Jon Jetter (Joe Jonas, Loote), and Phil Joly (Lana Del Ray, Daft Punk).
RZ: We first met the other night when you provided exquisite sound for Powderfinger at Lucy's in Pleasantville, NY. Talk to me about the other musicians and groups you record, produce, and gig with.
WB: Lorkin O’Reilly's the most notable person. He’s gathered over 250,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and I gained the honor of mixing his last record and single, “Twist.” In 2018 I interned with the Lemonheads while they recorded their album "Varshons 2."
RZ: What specific audio equipment including consoles do you currently use?
WB: For consoles, I work with whatever a venue or client provides. These usually include the X32 and M32, Xr18, Allen and Heath SQ-5/6, Yamaha TF1, and many more. They all more or less work the same with slight differences. But my core knowledge of them's enough to hone in and get comfortable with anything fairly quickly.
RZ: Tell me about your home studio.
WB: When I record, I use a space in Marlboro NY called "The Building." It's a beautiful, re-purposed church -- great for tracking all types of music. Owned by musicians, the studio comes stacked with gear.
At home, I own a fairly proficient mixing set up that includes Neumann KH120 monitors and six acoustic panels placed throughout the room with one on the ceiling over top mix position. Between the treatment and a program called Sonarworks, I can really dial my room to sound super flat and accurate.
RZ: Do you teach music or sound engineering privately?
WB: No, but I'm not opposed to it.
RZ: How has the Pandemic affected you? What's on the horizon?
WB: Like most, I find it kind of hard to deal with the Pandemic. But at the same time, I managed to survive as a full-time audio engineer. So not much for me to complain about!
RZ: Describe your most special and/or unusual gig.
WB: I work a lot of wedding gigs where I bring an entire PA and run sound for the bands. I once worked one on the top deck of a large yacht. I needed to put all my gear onto a dinghy, drive that to the ship, and then load all the gear onto the boat's top deck. The wind blew hard while the yacht rocked. I seriously thought my speakers would fall into the New York Bay. Somehow I managed to leave there with everything intact and in working order. So thankful for the random people who helped me carry my gear that day. Couldn’t do it alone!
RZ: How do you see the future of the music business?
WB: It will constantly evolve and become more and more accessible to people. The music industry will never die. Music's something we all share in common. I also feel the shows will only keep getting better as the technology constantly improves. Live music's something that no one can replace.
RZ: What advice do you give up-and-coming musicians?
WB: Stay consistent with your work and release schedule. Play as many shows as possible. Meet people in your scene as well as neighboring ones. Enjoy the process!
RZ: Do you live with any animals?
WB: Currently I don't but would love to adopt a dog in the future!
YouTube - "Can't Forget" - The Lemonheads
YouTube - "Teethmares" - Lorkin O'Reilly
©2022 Roger Zee
