WCA #600 with Andrew Scheps – Atmos, Imposter Syndrome, Coding Plugins with AI, Climbing Walls, and 600 Episodes

Matt celebrates episode 600 of Working Class Audio with a guest who's been there since the beginning — mixer and producer Andrew Scheps, who first appeared back on episodes 009 300 & 477. Andrew joins from his home in rural England to talk about winning MPG Atmos Mixer of the Year for his work on Low Roar, how he approaches Dolby Atmos delivery and client approval, why he switched from Sony headphones to the Audeze LCD-MX4, and what he's learned about training your brain to externalize binaural audio. The conversation also covers writing his own plugins with Claude and the JUCE framework, why he quit drinking four years ago and found rock climbing instead, breaking his foot, the realities of working with a manager, what "retirement" even means when no one tells you you're done, and why — 600 episodes in — Working Class Audio still matters in a way that's different from everything else.In This Episode, We Discuss:600 Episodes In — Andrew's Long History with the ShowWinning MPG Atmos Mixer of the Year for the Low Roar CatalogThe MPG vs. a US Equivalent: Advocacy, VAT, and Saving StudiosBeing an American Honored Inside a UK OrganizationWhy the Low Roar "House in the Woods" Atmos Mix May Be His Best WorkThe Pressure of Paid Work vs. Unpaid Passion ProjectsStill Battling Imposter Syndrome After Decades at the TopWhy He Hates Sending Mixes OutAtmos Delivery Workflow: Binaural, MP4, ADM, and the Two-Page PDFTraining Your Brain to Externalize Binaural AudioWhy He Starts Atmos Mixes in Headphones, Not SpeakersSwitching from Sony Headphones to the Audeze LCD-MX4Steven Wilson and Staying True to the Music in AtmosDiscovering Rock Climbing as Moving MeditationBreaking His Foot — and Five Weeks on the SidelinesAlex Honnold, Free Solo, and the Idea of Minimizing RiskQuitting Drinking Four Years Ago and Stepping Away from Pub CultureIs There a Calculation Behind a Career? Building Extra Income StreamsThe Retirement Question: "They'll Just Stop Hiring Us"Writing Plugins with Claude and the JUCE FrameworkWhy You Need an Idea — Not Just AI — to Build a PluginAI as a "Knowledgeable but Completely Blinkered Friend"AAX, PACE Code Signing, and the Nightmare of Plugin UIBoard Games, Astronomy, and Life in Rural EnglandWhy He Can't Imagine Living in LA AnymoreWorking with Manager Frank McDonough — and What a Manager Actually DoesThe Reality of Getting Paid by Major Labels (180-Day Cycles)Matt's RANT!: 600 Episodes!Links and Show Notes:Andrew Scheps Low Roar WCA interview with manager Frank McDonoughJUCE frameworkAudio Developer ConferenceAudeze LCD-MX4Free Solo (Alex Honnold)Bounce Factory Credits:Guest: Andrew SchepsHost/Engineer/Producer: Matt BoudreauWCA Theme Music: Cliff TruesdellThe Voice: Chuck Smith