This week’s episode of The Occasional Podcast features a bit of a double header. The first half features awards for the best high fidelity products of the past six months. The back half reunites with co-host Bryan Beasley for his time at the legendary 5150 Studios, Van Halen’s recording studio located Los Angeles, CA.
Placed squarely in the foothills of Studio City, 5150 Studio’s was home to Van Halen’s 1984 album onwards. With the recent passing of Eddie Van Halen, his son Wolfgang (who played bass in the band) is prepping for the upcoming release of his first independent album under the name Mammoth WVH. Bryan gives his take on the studio, with commentary from his access to all the backrooms, recording booths and treasure trove of Van Halen archives.
This week also marks TOP’s collective picks for products of season. Season 5 has taken place during some serious times, but their was no slowdown from the PartTimeAudiophile network in terms of listening and reviews. Congrats to the winners, a lot of great sounds come out of the past year.
The Occasional Podcast has now reached the ending of Season 5, with new interviews, how to’s and more from audio’s greatest talents, including a rare interview with the late audio legend engineer Al Schmitt. The latest includes a conversation about British HiFi, Subwoofers/Setup/Tips, and the how to: Budgeting From Entry Level To High End. Last season’s highlights include Joseph Audio, Pro-Ject Turntables, and Rob Watts. One can still download this season’s educational show with TOP’s Beginners Primer To High Fidelity Digital Audio alongside our latest on Two-Way Speaker Design. Fan favorite What Is Mastering? What Happens When An Album Is Remastered? is also still available for download from last season. If you are interested in further exploring the analog realm, the Guide To Buying A Turntable (and records) might point you in the right direction.
Options to stream this week’s episode of The Occasional Podcast Studio 5150: direct from the embed below or subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform including iTunes, Android, Google, Deezer, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more.