Stuck in the Stems?
- Madi Task
- Sep 3
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 hours ago
Try Shoptalk by So-Cal Studio Owner, Kathleen Wirt
Kathleen Wirt, owner of the legendary 4th Street Recording in Santa Monica, is a passionate advocate for musicians. As a member of the LA Committee for Women in Music, she sees artists for the work they love, not just the work they do. Her Southern Californian studio is known for several wonderful features:
Its Yamaha C7 piano, often dubbed the best in town.
An excellent space for live drum and full band tracking.
An intimate vibe complete with a green room, TV, patio, and Hammond organ.
The Changing Landscape of Music
After over 30 years in the music business, Kathleen reflects on the changes she's witnessed. While barriers against women have lessened over time, she believes the biggest hurdle now is the industry itself.
Every year, she meticulously reviews a copy of Music Connection magazine, placing dots by hand to count the total number of studios operating in Southern California. For Kathleen, it's essential to keep a pulse on the terrain and check in with her community.
“There was just a freefall at some point,” she recalls. “We lost like a third of them in one year.”
Artists Today: More Tools, More Choices
Today’s artists have more tools, transparency, and perspective than ever before. They can make informed decisions about whether to sign with a label or stay independent. Each option has its merits, but it’s never been easier to create and market music from home.
“There’s less product coming out that is financed by the label,” Kathleen observes. “It’s been shifted to people doing their own production. There were always home studios since I first got into it, but the course has shifted. Now most record producers that are successful have their own room somewhere.”
With such a dramatic shift in the industry, 4th Street Recording has become a beloved hideaway for artists and projects where at-home recording just doesn’t cut it.
“A lot of people have come back around to say, ‘Do I really want to spend the next 10 years becoming a great engineer when I should be focusing on the art instead?’” she shares.
The Path to Production: Understanding the Basics
The journey to becoming a producer or sound engineer is packed with technical terms and niche processes. To bridge this gap, Kathleen created and produced Shoptalk, an inclusive panel by Women in Music LA. This initiative explores the fundamentals of audio production, offering a space for the perpetually curious to get answers directly from female engineers and producers.
“People would use ‘mixing’ and ‘mastering’ interchangeably,” she explains. “They wouldn’t understand that they are two different things. I myself didn’t know what ‘comping’ was the first time someone used the term; it was very embarrassing for me,” she laughs. “This was obviously years and years ago. Even at this year’s Shoptalk, I learned things about stems I hadn’t thought about.”
Sure, Google, YouTube, and a full pot of coffee can help some people through the audio basics. But not everyone wants to sift through half-answers buried deep in a 10-minute-long video.
The Importance of Asking Questions
“You don’t know the things you don’t know,” Kathleen says. “How would you know you don’t know that? Shoptalk began as a way to answer questions that people might feel embarrassed to ask.”
When you enter Shoptalk, there’s a bowl, a stack of blank cards, and pens. Guests write their questions down, place them in the bowl, and then an all-female panel picks them out and starts answering. Now, power-holders and experts in the scene are finally getting the credit they deserve.
“Women say, ‘I wish I had access to this information before my first time in the studio,’” Kathleen shares. “I’ve heard nightmare stories about how cruel they can be treated. Even when it’s their own money and they’re the client, they’re spending it. I know people who have just been told to shut up.”
Building a Supportive Community
Kathleen wants guests to come curious and leave inspired. Her professional advice ranges from technical skills to communication strategies.
“Years ago, I was in a focus group about having a woman president — this was long before Hillary ran. One of the things they pointed out about women leaders all over the world is that women seem to gravitate towards compromise more easily than men. Historically, we’ve had to compromise to make everybody happy,” she notes. “Not just to get our own way or to force something. We have to find a way to make everybody want it.”
Being a producer is more than just having the right skills, talent, and equipment. You need people skills, and more specifically, the ability to anticipate and empathize with the inner workings and daily happenings of an artist.
“I think the more difficult someone is to deal with, the lower their self-confidence is underneath,” she reflects, recalling a time when a frustrated guitarist felt disconnected in the studio. They brought up his impressive work on a more obscure record, which changed the dynamic.
Kathleen’s Biggest Piece of Advice
Kathleen’s biggest piece of advice? Love the people who come through. Try to understand where they’re coming from and what they want.
“You have to let people know that you know who they are,” she emphasizes. “And it’s not just what TV they were on or what they’re famous for; it’s what’s near and dear to their heart.”
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