Production Expert Podcast

In this podcast episode Ashea is joined by Mark Gittins, immersive audio engineer and owner of SenSound studios, currently working on broadcast for a major international football tournament, and Peter Doms, co-founder of AREAL Technologies from Belgium. Together they discuss the invention and development of immersive audio monitoring technology, the Aerial SR1 headphones, and how spatial audio is transforming professional audio production.
Pieter shares the fascinating origin story of how AREAL Technologies was born during the pandemic, starting as a Tomorrowland festival request to convert stereo music to immersive audio in real time. Mark discusses his experience using the headphones for remote mixing during high-pressure broadcast work, and both explore the challenges and opportunities in immersive audio adoption.
In This Episode:
The Origin of Aerial Technologies — How Pieter Doms and his team created an upmix algorithm during the pandemic
The SR1 Headphones Development — The creative journey from a joke about building a studio in a headphone to a functioning solution
Non-Binaural Immersive Monitoring — How the SR1 achieves 3D soundscape representation without relying purely on HRTFs
Remote Mixing for Broadcast — Mark's experience using the headphones while working on tournament broadcasts
Challenges in Getting Started with Immersive Audio — Infrastructure requirements, learning curve, and barriers for engineers
Binaural Monitoring Limitations — Why traditional binaural platforms struggle with height representation
Room Simulation & Personalization — Head width parameter optimization, EQ customization, and virtual room simulation
The Chicken-and-Egg Problem of Adoption — Why immersive audio adoption is slow and the role of content availability
Immersive Audio in Mainstream Media — Dolby Atmos prevalence in streaming, TV, and film
The Future of Spatial Audio — Wearable and augmented reality applications
About Our Guests:
Mark Gittins:
Immersive audio engineer and owner of Sensound, a professional mixing studio specializing in immersive projects. Originally from Birmingham, England.
Pieter Doms:
Co-founder of AREAL Technologies from Belgium, with over 20 years of professional sound engineering experience. As a live sound engineer for major events including Tomorrowland, his technical expertise in algorithm design led to the creation of AREAL Technologies during the pandemic.
About Our Host:
Ashea is a platinum-selling songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer from the UK. With credits spanning notable artists, major labels, and prestigious broadcasters, Ashea brings authentic conversations between industry professionals to the Production Expert Podcast. Instagram: @iamashea
Resources & Links
AREAL Technologies — https://areal.world/
SendSound Studios — https://www.sensoundaudio.com/
Megatone Studios — Birmingham-based tracking and control room
Tomorrowland — Festival featuring immersive audio experiences
Dolby Atmos — Immersive audio format for streaming and broadcast
Virtuoso — Binaural monitoring software
Genelec UNIO — genelec.com/unio
Sponsorship
This episode is brought to you by Genelec. If you've ever been disappointed with the way your mixes sound on other playback systems, check out Genelec's UNIO monitoring ecosystem. Visit genelec.com/unio to learn more.

Quiz Time! In this podcast episode, immersive audio engineer Mark Gittins joins Ashea from Kansas City to go head-to-head with AREAL co-founder and audio engineer Pieter Doms for our World Cup Music Quiz.

England vs Belgium just took on a new, immersive meaning!

In this podcast episode Ashea is joined by Eloise Whitmore and Tony Churnside, award-winning sound designers and co-founders of Naked Productions, for a frank discussion on how AI tools like Descript are fundamentally changing audio production—and not always for the better. Eloise and Tony address the critical issue of how AI-assisted editing is eroding the art of natural dialogue pacing, how younger generations of producers are losing foundational skills, and what audio professionals must do to preserve the human artistry in sound design.

This conversation tackles the uncomfortable truth about AI tools in professional audio production: while tools like Descript and Adobe Enhance can be lifesavers in certain situations, their overuse is removing the nuance, emotion, and natural rhythm that makes dialogue compelling. For audio engineers, music producers, podcast creators, and anyone interested in the intersection of technology and craft, this episode provides critical perspective on maintaining quality and authenticity in an increasingly automated creative landscape.

In This Episode:
Descript and AI Transcription Tools - How Descript revolutionized transcription and some aspects of production workflow, but also introduced new challenges by allowing producers to work with text instead of raw audio
The Loss of Natural Pacing in Audio - Why younger producers and sound designers lack the ability to recognize and preserve natural human pacing, leading to robotic, emotionless dialogue that immediately signals AI involvement
Working with Words vs. Raw Audio - The fundamental difference between editing based on text transcripts versus listening to and editing raw audio, and why working with raw audio teaches critical production skills
Descript's Limitations - What Descript cannot do: it cannot pace dialogue naturally, it removes meaningful silences and hesitations that convey emotion and authenticity, and it simplifies complex storytelling nuances
AI Audio Enhancement Tools (Adobe Enhance, Studio Sound) - How tools like Adobe Enhance sterilize vocals by removing the characteristics that make voices unique, and why these should be backups rather than primary solutions
The Impact of Time Constraints and Budgets - How production timelines have expanded while budgets remain static, forcing producers to take shortcuts that compromise quality and craft
Building a Sound Library - Why aspiring sound designers should create personal sound libraries instead of relying on free or YouTube-sourced sounds, and how this develops a distinctive sonic identity
Advice for Emerging Producers - The importance of learning to listen, understanding speech pacing, recording raw interviews and mixing them properly, and not relying on automation to replace human judgment

About Our Guests:
Eloise Whitmore: Eloise Whitmore is an award-winning radio producer and sound designer with 20 years of experience in professional audio production. She won the Radio Sound Designer and Producer of the Year award in 2013, and co-founded Naked Productions with Tony Chernside. Her experience spans BBC dramas, documentaries, features, and international projects, giving her deep insight into how production workflows have evolved and the critical importance of preserving craft in an age of automation.

Tony Chernside: Tony Chernside is a multi-award-winning sound designer and technical producer with a PhD in audio production. His background in acoustics combined with decades of practical production experience makes him uniquely positioned to understand both the technical capabilities and limitations of AI tools. As co-producer of the acclaimed BBC Radio 4 satire The Skewer, Tony understands the demands of professional audio production under pressure.

About Our Host:
Ashea is a platinum-selling songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer from the UK. With credits spanning notable artists, major labels, and prestigious broadcasters, Ashea brings authentic conversations between industry professionals to the Production Expert Podcast. Credits & Placements Include… Alan Walker, Holy Goof, TS7, Billy Da Kid (Kiss FM), Steve Smart (Kiss FM), The Wideboys, MER, Sony Music, 2Tone Records, BBC, SVT1 (Sweden).

Resources & Links Mentioned
Descript - AI-powered transcription and editing software. Visit: descript.com
Adobe Enhance - AI audio enhancement tool from Adobe
Descript Studio Sound - AI audio processing feature within Descript
Pro Tools - Digital audio workstation used by both producers
Altiverb - Convolution reverb plugin by Audio Ease
Zoom H4N - Portable audio recorder for field recording
Sony D100 - Portable audio recorder
Naked Productions - Award-winning sound design and audio production company. Visit: nakedproductions.co.uk
Genelec UNI-O Monitoring Ecosystem - Professional audio monitoring solution providing seamless bridge between loudspeaker and headphone monitoring for consistent mix translation. Visit: genelec.com/unio

Subscribe & Follow
Subscribe to the Production Expert Podcast on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube
All major podcast platforms

Follow us:
Instagram: [@production_expert_podcast]
Website: [productionexpertpodcast.com]

Sponsorship
This episode is brought to you by Genelec. If you've ever been disappointed with the way your mixes sound on other playback systems, check out Genelec's UNI-O monitoring ecosystem. By providing a seamless bridge between loudspeaker and headphone monitoring, UNI-O allows you to quickly create great sounding mixes that translate consistently wherever you choose to work. No more guesswork, no more surprises — just truthful, accurate audio monitoring from stereo to immersive. Visit genelec.com/unio to learn more.

In this podcast episode Ashea is joined by Eloise Whitmore and Tony Chernside, co-founders of Naked Productions, an award-winning sound design and audio production company specializing in BBC radio dramas and acclaimed audio content. Eloise won the Radio Sound Designer and Producer of the Year award in 2013, and Tony is a multi-award-winning sound designer and technical producer behind the acclaimed satirical BBC Radio 4 comedy series The Skewer.

Together, Eloise and Tony discuss the evolution of radio drama production in 2026, innovative location recording techniques for achieving authentic sound, the craft of sound design and storytelling, and the contrasting workflows between long-form drama and fast-turnaround satire productions. Whether you're interested in audio drama, sound design, radio production, podcasting, or understanding how award-winning audio content is created, this conversation provides insider insights into professional audio production, creative collaboration, and the technical approaches that define modern radio and audio storytelling.

In This Episode:
Radio Drama Production Techniques and Evolution - How radio drama production has changed over 20 years, the shift from traditional studio recording to innovative location-based approaches, and the impact of lockdown on production methods
Location Recording for Authentic Sound - Documentary-style recording techniques that capture real actor movement and ambient sound, using handheld microphones to follow action like a camera, and achieving authenticity through immersive recording
Sound Design and Storytelling - The philosophy of "painting sound worlds" and "telling stories with sound," creating immersive audio experiences, and the importance of sound design in radio drama
Naked Productions: From Concept to Broadcast - Overview of award-winning projects including BBC dramas like Putin and Lockerbie, sound installations, and the diverse range of audio content the company produces
The Skewer: Fast-Turnaround Satire Production - How The Skewer is produced on an extremely tight deadline, the concept of a "river of sound," building flexible structures for last-minute changes, and the collaborative creative process
Actor Performance and Immersive Recording - Why actors deliver better performances when physically engaged in their scenes, the advantages of recording with movement versus traditional studio recording, and how modern techniques benefit acting quality
Pro Tools Workflow and Audio Engineering - Shared session structures, favorite plugins (Altiverb, speakerphone, Avid Pro Limiter), automation techniques, and the evolution from baked-in mixing to real-time automation
Day in the Life of Radio Producers - Comparing the workflows of long-form drama production versus fast-turnaround satire, time allocation between recording and mixing, and the demands of professional audio production

About Our Guests:
Eloise Whitmore: Eloise Whitmore is an award-winning radio producer and sound designer with 20 years of experience in radio production. She won the Radio Sound Designer and Producer of the Year award in 2013, recognition of her innovative approach to audio production and storytelling. As co-founder of Naked Productions, Eloise leads the creative vision for the company's diverse projects, from BBC radio dramas to audio installations, bringing expertise in location recording, sound design, and the technical and creative demands of professional audio production.
Tony Churnside: Tony Chernside is a multi-award-winning sound designer and technical producer with a background in acoustics and audio production. He holds a PhD in audio production and has expertise in object-based audio formats and audience consumption. As co-founder of Naked Productions and the technical producer behind the critically acclaimed BBC Radio 4 satire The Skewer, Tony brings both deep technical knowledge and creative production expertise to professional audio projects.
About Our Host:
Ashea is a platinum-selling songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer from the UK. With credits spanning notable artists, major labels, and prestigious broadcasters, Ashea brings authentic conversations between industry professionals to the Production Expert Podcast. Credits & Placements Include… Alan Walker, Holy Goof, TS7, Billy Da Kid (Kiss FM), Steve Smart (Kiss FM), The Wideboys, MER, Sony Music, 2Tone Records, BBC, SVT1 (Sweden).

Resources & Links Mentioned
Naked Productions - Award-winning sound design and audio production company. Visit: nakedproductions.co.uk
The Skewer - BBC Radio 4 satirical comedy series. Available on BBC Sounds
BBC Radio Dramas - Putin, Lockerbie, and BBC Scotland productions
Pro Tools - Digital audio workstation used by both producers
Altiverb - Convolution reverb plugin by Audio Ease
Speakerphone - Dialogue processing plugin
Genelec UniO Monitoring Ecosystem - Professional audio monitoring solution providing seamless bridge between loudspeaker and headphone monitoring for consistent mix translation. Visit: genelec.com/unio

Subscribe & Follow
Subscribe to the Production Expert Podcast on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube
All major podcast platforms

Follow us:
Instagram: [@production_expert_podcast]
Website: [productionexpertpodcast.com]

Sponsorship
This episode is brought to you by Genelec. If you've ever been disappointed with the way your mixes sound on other playback systems, check out Genelec's UniO monitoring ecosystem. By providing a seamless bridge between loudspeaker and headphone monitoring, UniO allows you to quickly create great sounding mixes that translate consistently wherever you choose to work. No more guesswork, no more surprises — just truthful, accurate audio monitoring from stereo to immersive. Visit genelec.com/unio to learn more.

In this podcast episode Ashea is joined by Matt Lawrence, a Grammy Award-winning mixer, producer, and engineer who has worked on some of the most influential records of the past 20 years. In this first part of a two-part conversation, Matt discusses his journey into the audio industry, his perspective on the current state of the music industry in 2026, and how the landscape has changed for studios, artists, and record labels over his career.
Matt brings invaluable insights from two decades of working at the highest levels of music production, having mixed and produced records that have shaped contemporary music across multiple genres. Whether you're an aspiring audio engineer, a music producer, an artist navigating the modern music industry, or a label executive seeking perspective on industry dynamics, this conversation provides honest, experienced insights into how the music business is evolving and what it takes to build a sustainable career in professional audio production. This is Part 2 of a two-part episode exploring the past, present, and future of the music industry.