Best The Puzzle Factory Podcast Podcasts (2025)

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S2.Ep11 Power Couple: Starting Standout Electrical, Scholarship Wins & a Baby on the Way 52:21

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7d ago52:21

52:21

In this episode of The Puzzle Factory, we sit down with Jacob and Ance—the husband-and-wife duo behind Standout Electrical in Auckland. They’ve just been honoured as recipients of the Master Electricians Master Electricians – Auckland Branch Business Scholarship—a fantastic testament to their commitment to craftsmanship, professionalism, and servic…

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S2.EP10 : Yarns with Andy (Annamalai Alagappan): Bold NZ Construction Industry Predictions, AI Tools & Big Laughs 1:05:49

14d ago1:05:49

1:05:49

In this episode of The Puzzle Factory with Annamalai “Andy” Alagappan from Yarns with Andy, we cover: 🔨 The real state of the NZ construction industry right now – no sugar-coating 📈 Our bold predictions for when the industry will bounce back (and the bet we made!) 🤖 How AI tools are set to disrupt construction & trades – and which ones you should b…

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S2.EP9 : Sam Groombridge: Clever HVAC Design, Innovation & Scaling Big Bang Energy Solutions in NZ 46:39

21d ago46:39

46:39

In this episode of The Puzzle Factory, Alex talks with Sam Groombridge, co‑founder of Big Bang Energy Solutions, a family‑run HVAC and electrical design company servicing Whangārei through to the Bay of Islands. Sam’s story is unique: Despite being colour blind and not a qualified electrician, Sam has built a reputation for clever design and out‑of…

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S2.EP8: Sonya Bloomfield – HRD Global 100 Exec Shares How to Build a Winning Business Culture in Trades ⚡ 1:11:28

28d ago1:11:28

1:11:28

👉 "HRD Global 100 Top HR Executive Sonya Bloomfield shares game‑changing tips to fix your trade business culture – and keep your best people 💡⚡" In this episode of The Puzzle Factory, we’re joined by Sonya Bloomfield, a HRD Global 100 Top HR Executive and now Director at Soul Power Electrical Ltd, to share practical tips you can use today to improv…

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S2.EP7: From Apprentice to Business Success: Matt Bennett’s Journey Building Team MBE 54:02

1M ago54:02

54:02

In this episode of The Puzzle Factory, we sit down with Matt Bennett — founder of Team MBE — to hear the real story behind one of Auckland’s fastest-growing electrical companies.From a working-class upbringing and learning the trade on the tools, to backing himself and building a business from the ground up, Matt shares how he grew Team MBE into th…

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S2EP6: 👉 "How Andrew Murphy turned his passion for renewable energy into Planet Electrical – an eco-focused electrical business changing the game in NZ ⚡🌏 56:02

1M ago56:02

56:02

In this episode of The Puzzle Factory, Andrew Murphy, Director of Planet Electrical, shares how his lifelong passion for renewable energy 🌱 and sustainability shaped both his career and his business. Andrew talks about growing Planet Electrical into a thriving NZ electrical and HVAC company while staying true to his mission of helping Kiwis reduce …

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S2.EP5: From Kaitāia to KiwiSaver King: John Bell on Mindset, Money & Making Smart Moves 45:54

2M ago45:54

45:54

From growing up in Kaitaia to becoming one of New Zealand’s leading KiwiSaver experts, John Bell’s story is all about vision, grit, and smart financial thinking. In this episode of The Puzzle Factory, we dive into John’s journey—from his rural upbringing and love of rugby to building Kauri Wealth into a trusted name in financial advice. John unpack…

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S2.EP4: Jeremy Foster’s Wild Career Ride & 10 Steps to Convert Every Sale | HRV to Fujitsu GM 1:28:41

2M ago1:28:41

1:28:41

Jeremy Foster started in the trenches - knocking on doors, selling direct to homeowners. From those humble beginnings, he helped grow HRV into a household Kiwi brand, and today he’s the General Manager of Fujitsu General NZ, leading one of the country’s biggest HVAC players. In this episode of The Puzzle Factory, Jeremy takes us through: His incred…

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S2.EP3: Provisional Tax Explained (Finally!) | Luke Kemeys on Wealth for Tradies, Boys Get Paid & the Questions You’re Too Afraid to Ask 53:07

2M ago53:07

53:07

In this no-fluff episode of The Puzzle Factory, Alex sits down with Luke Kemeys — chartered accountant, host of Keep the Change, co-founder of Next Advisory, and part of the crew behind Boys Get Paid — to tackle the money topics tradies often dodge. From what provisional tax actually is to building wealth with the right mindset, this is essential l…

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S2.EP2: From Viral Chaos to Business Success | Matt Jordan (SPM) on Brand, Bets & Reinvention 1:05:13

2M ago1:05:13

1:05:13

He went viral for skulling the worst booze on Facebook. Now he’s a professional gambler, personal brand powerhouse, and sharp operator in the digital game. In this episode of The Puzzle Factory, Alex sits down with Matt Jordan — the man behind SPM — to unpack how he built a cult following, monetised chaos, and stepped away from full-time work in hi…

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S2.EP1: Why Trade Pricing Is Broken | Rapid QS Founder David Baker Exposes the Truth 35:55

3M ago35:55

35:55

In this powerful relaunch of The Puzzle Factory, Alex sits down with David Baker, founder of Rapid QS — the estimating service shaking up the New Zealand construction industry. We dive deep into the broken state of trade pricing, including inflated quotes from government departments and why transparency in construction costs is long overdue. ✅ Why …

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We're Back on July 9th 0:32

3M ago0:32

0:32

The Puzzle Factory Pod is back Bigger and Better! We've got a new look, better production and the guests are next level. Get amongst it!!!

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Episode 10 - Wrapping Up Season 1 – 8K Listens, Lessons & a Giveaway! 14:14

6M ago14:14

14:14

We made it! In this season finale of The Puzzle Factory, Tait and I look back on an incredible first season—nearly 8,000 listens and views across platforms! We dive into the steep learning curve of launching a podcast, share what we’ve learned along the way, and, most importantly, thank all of you—our listeners and amazing guests.As a special thank…

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Episode 9 – How Mugsy Built a Thriving Electrical Business (and Went Viral with a Dolphin) 39:04

6M ago39:04

39:04

Guest: Mike “Mugsy” Mugglestone – Director, Full Power Electrical (Warkworth) This week on The Puzzle Factory, we’re joined by Mike “Mugsy” Mugglestone, the man behind Full Power Electrical in Warkworth. After relocating and starting his business in the area 8 years ago, Mugsy has steadily grown it into a well-known name in the trade. We dig into w…

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Episode 8: How to Quote an Electrical Job 26:56

6M ago26:56

26:56

Episode 8: How to Quote an Electrical Job with Alex Hulme Pricing electrical work isn’t just about throwing out a number—it’s about accuracy, profitability, and making sure you’re not selling yourself short. In this episode, host Alex Hulme gives a candid, no-nonsense take on how he approaches quoting, packed with practical advice you can put into …

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Episode 7 - Paul Sievers Unfiltered: Apprenticeships, Protecting your Turf & Good Work Stories 42:08

7M ago42:08

42:08

The Puzzle Factory - Episode 7 🎙 Guest: Paul Sievers – Devonport Electrical Episode Summary: Ever been burned by a “guaranteed leads” digital marketing promise? Or wondered why NZ’s electrical apprenticeship system feels a bit… outdated? This week, Paul Sievers from Devonport Electrical joins Alex to expose the biggest traps tradies fall into, why …

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Episode 6 - Business Credit, Risk & Deep Sea Cod? Ronnie Tan on Financial Transparency & NZ’s Economy 58:51

7M ago58:51

58:51

The Puzzle Factory - Episode 6 Guest: Ronnie Tan – Creditworks Episode Summary: In business, trust is everything—but how do you know if a customer is actually good for it? This week, Alex sits down with Ronnie Tan from Creditworks, a commercial credit expert who helps businesses navigate financial transparency, avoid bad debts, and stay ahead of fi…

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Episode 5 - Seb Weaver - Blackout Electric - How to become 'The Local Sparky' in your Area! 44:32

7M ago44:32

44:32

Blackout Electric - Episode 5 Guest: Seb Weaver – Blackout Electric Episode Summary: In this episode, Alex sits down with long-time friend andBlackout Electric owner, Seb Weaver, for a conversation packed with laughs, business insights, and a deep dive into what it takes to build a standout family business. From carving out a unique space in the ma…

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Episode 4 - How Matty went from an Electrician to the King of NZ BBQ 38:08

7M ago38:08

38:08

The Puzzle Factory - Episode 4 Guest: Matt Melville - Rum and Que Episode Summary: In this episode, we catch up with Matt Melville, the founder ofRum and Que.Matt and Alex talk about his journey emigrating from Australia, working as a sparky, to starting a BBQ comp team, and finally turning his passion into a full-time business. Now,Rum and Que is …

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Episode 3 - 5 Steps to Thrive in Business this Year 32:11

7M ago32:11

32:11

Hosts: Alex & Tait – Business Growth Expert Episode Summary: In this episode ofThe Puzzle Factory, Tait shares 5 actionable steps to prepare your business for 2025. From conducting a SWOT analysis to segmenting your customers, Alex offers practical strategies for strengthening relationships, improving your credit checks, and optimizing your time ma…

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Episode 2 - Craig Heaton - Coffee, Yarns and Lots of Laughs with 2 Sparkys 18:35

8M ago18:35

18:35

The Puzzle Factory - Episode [2]Guest: Craig Heaton - The 1st member to join NZ Trade Group Episode Summary:In this episode of The Puzzle Factory, Alex sits down with Craig Heaton of Heaton Electrical, the 1st official member of NZ Trade Group. We talk about the up's and downs of running an electrical business over the years, the mental health chal…

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Episode 1 - Leigh Olsen - Tradie HR Handling Staff, Restructures and Tough Conversations 25:47

8M ago25:47

25:47

The Puzzle Factory - Episode [1]Guest: Leigh from Tradie HR - The Queen of All Things HR in the Trade IndustryEpisode Summary:In this episode of The Puzzle Factory, Alex sits down with the one and only Leigh from Tradie HR – a powerhouse in the world of human resources for the trade industry. Known as the "Queen of HR" within the trades, Leigh brin…

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This Will Make your Business Successful 3:11

8M ago3:11

3:11

Welcome to The Puzzle Factory, the podcast where the electrical business gets broken down, one piece at a time. Hosted by Tait and Alex from NZ Trade Group, we mix expert insights with plenty of laughs to tackle the tough topics, solve industry puzzles, and keep your business buzzing. Tune in for a dose of humor, practical advice, and a fresh take …

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 323

7+ y ago

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Russ, James and Dan talk about handling criticism, protecting yourself from RSI in your studio and they share community feedback and their finds of the week. Deals Our friend and plug-in guru Michael Carnes at Exponential Audio is having a sale. Now Exponential Audio sales are rare, perhaps only happening a couple of times a year. Until 22nd June 2…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 322

7+ y ago

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Russ, Mike and Julian talk about whether our studios work for us or whether we work for them? They discuss gender imbalance in the Pro Audio industry and share community feedback and their finds of the week. Deals Our friend and plug-in guru Michael Carnes at Exponential Audio is having a sale. Now Exponential Audio sales are rare, perhaps only hap…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 321

7+ y ago

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Russ, James and Kevin discuss monitor choice, innovation in DAW features and share community feedback and their finds of the week. Deals For the rest of May, our friends at Sonnox are running an exclusive discount for the Production Expert community - An amazing 50% off the Sonnox Elite Bundle, which is made up of The Elite Bundle consists of 7 wor…

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Podcast Extra - Dax Liniere Of Puzzle Factory Sound Studio Talks Self Studio Builds

7+ y ago

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In this Podcast Extra interview, Pro Tools Expert Technical Editor James Ivey talks to Producer, Mixing & Mastering Engineer Dax Liniere at his Puzzle Factory Sound Studio in North London that was recently built. Australian Dax is clearly able to turn his hand to most things of a creative nature and the Puzzle Factory is clearly no exception. The f…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 320

7+ y ago

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Dan, James and Alan discuss Vocal Comping, Studio Errors and share community feedback and their finds of the week. Deals For the rest of May, our friends at Sonnox are running an exclusive discount for the Production Expert community - An amazing 50% off the Sonnox Elite Bundle, which is made up of The Elite Bundle consists of 7 world class plug-in…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Extra - Jigsaw24 Audio Over IP Special

7+ y ago

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In this Podcast Extra for Production Expert, Technical Editor James Ivey sits down with Matt Ward and David 'Saxon' Greenep of Jigsaw24 at the Jigsaw24 London headquarters in Golden Square, to talk about all things Audio Over Internet Protocol or AoIP as it is better known. In this podcast Matt, Saxon and James try their best to cut through the jar…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 319

7+ y ago

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Dan, James and Julian discuss studio acoustics and Pro Tools bugs, and share community feedback and their finds of the week. Deals Production Expert has teamed up with Signum Audio to offer the community their brand new product - the Bute Loudness Suite at a 20% discount, so that's £199 (ex taxes) for the Surround version and £159 (ex taxes) for th…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 318

7+ y ago

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Dan, James and Julian discuss the role of rough mixes, microphone choices, receive some community feedback from a Pro Audio celeb and share their finds of the week. Deals Production Expert has teamed up with Signum Audio to offer the community their brand new product - the Bute Loudness Suite at a 20% discount, so that's £199 (ex taxes) for the Sur…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 317

7+ y ago

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Russ, James and Julian discuss the results of our Pro Tools satisfaction survey, the role of workflow when developing new products, our newest team member Woody Brown on and they answer questions from the community and share their finds of the week. Deals Production Expert has teamed up with Signum Audio to offer the community their brand new produ…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 316

7+ y ago

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Russ, Dan and Kevin revisit last week's discussion on studio security, share tips for recording vocals and they answer questions from the community and share their finds of the week. Deals Check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section of the Deals page. Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal Audio Do your vocal recordings…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 315

7+ y ago

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James, Julian and Alan discuss studio security, talk about news from Messe and they answer questions from the community and share their finds of the week. Deals Check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section of the Deals page. Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal Audio Do your vocal recordings need more shine? Are you in…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 314

7+ y ago

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Mike, James and Julian discuss the release of Pro Tools 2018.4 with its new , less confusing name for Pro Tools HD, they discuss the role of talent in production and they answer questions from the community and share their finds of the week. Deals Check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section of the Deals page. Talking Points K…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 313

7+ y ago

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Russ and James are joined by new team member Kevin Becka for this week's podcast in which they discuss whether it is the gear or the skills and experience which give a professional value (spoiler alert - they don't think its the gear). They reflect on just how believable our April Fool's story on the new Audio Bin feature on Pro Tools sounds and th…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 312

7+ y ago

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Dan, Julian and Alan discuss two subjects which some of the community hold strong opinions about: Software subscription and the possibility of a driver to bring unsupported control surfaces back to Pro Tools. They answer questions from the community and share their finds of the week. Deals Production Expert has teamed up with Pro Sound Effects to o…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 311

7+ y ago

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Mike, James and Dan question the widely held belief that Pro Tools subscriptions have driven up the cost of staying up to date with Pro Tools and how responsibly audio brands approach packaging their goods. They answer questions from the community and share their finds of the week. Deals Production Expert has teamed up with Pro Sound Effects to off…

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Podcast Extra Interview - Matt Boudreau Of Working Class Audio

7+ y ago

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In this Podcast Extra Interview, Technical Editor, James Ivey chats with Matt Boudreau, host of the Working Class Audio podcast. Matt has been involved in music for 33 years. First as a drummer then moving behind the class as a mixing engineer, recording engineer and producer. Matt Boudreau grew up in Southern New Mexico, moving to San Francisco in…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 210

7+ y ago

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Russ, Dan and Julian discuss the release of Pro Tools 2018.3, the danger that gear sometimes obscures the importance of talent and talk about the biggest story of the week on Production Expert - the Brown on Sound parody tutorial! They answer questions from the community and share their finds of the week. Deals Production Expert has teamed up with …

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 309

7+ y ago

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Mike. Dan and Alan discuss greedy plug-ins and hardware speaker correction systems. They answer questions from the community and share their finds of the week. Deals Production Expert has teamed up with Pro Sound Effects to offer a one-off Exclusive Bundle Deal - The Cinematic Sound Effects Bundle, combining three sound effects libraries by the mas…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 308

7+ y ago

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Russ, Julian and Dan discuss the merits of the Avid ACA survey, whether we really can be good at everything and the history of Pro Tools. They answer questions from the community and share their finds of the week. Deals We've teamed up with e-instruments to offer an exclusive bundle that gives you two amazing Session Keys Grand Pianos at almost two…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 307

7+ y ago

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Russ, Mike and Dan discuss the effect Facebook has on us, the benefits of a simple setup, answering questions from the community and share their finds of the week. Deals We've teamed up with e-instruments to offer an exclusive bundle that gives you two amazing Session Keys Grand Pianos at almost two for the price of one! Normally each piano sells f…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 306

7+ y ago

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James, Alan and Julian discuss shortcuts (not the keyboard kind), the merits of software subscription, competitions, answering questions from the community and sharing their finds of the week. Deals We've teamed up with e-instruments to offer an exclusive bundle that gives you two amazing Session Keys Grand Pianos at almost two for the price of one…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 305

7+ y ago

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Mike, James and Julian discuss our equipment choices, the much anticipated 2018 Mac Pro , competitions and answering questions from the community and sharing our finds of the week. Deals Check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section of the Deals page. Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal Audio Looking to get that big an…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 304 Take 2

7+ y ago

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This is a refeed of Eposode 304 with the correct audio. Russ, Mike and Alan get together to digest the news from NAMM 2018, competitions answering questions from the community and sharing our finds of the week. Deals Check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section of the Deals page. Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal Au…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 304

7+ y ago

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Russ, Mike and Alan get together to digest the news from NAMM 2018, competitions answering questions from the community and sharing our finds of the week. Deals Check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section of the Deals page. Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal Audio Looking to get that big analog console sound from yo…

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Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 303

7+ y ago

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Mike, Dan and Julian get together with discussions about the venerable C|24, our case study on building a powerful, inexpensive PC based system, competitions and our finds of the week. Deals Check out the deals from our Partners in the Partner Deals section of the Deals page. Talking Points Kindly Sponsored By Universal Audio Looking to get that bi…