Behind The Glass is a long-form examination of how experienced engineers think while records are being made.

Not the gear they use.
Not the settings they choose.
But the decisions, priorities, and mental shortcuts that shape outcomes long before sound ever reaches a listener.

This is not a tutorial.
It is not a workflow checklist.
It is not a collection of “secrets.”

It is an attempt to articulate something most professionals understand intuitively but rarely explain:
why simplicity, judgment, and context matter more than equipment — and why myths persist even when better information is available.

Why This Exists

Modern audio culture has no shortage of information.
What it lacks is synthesis.

We have endless reviews, comparisons, and technical explanations — yet many engineers feel less confident than ever. More options, more tools, more opinions… and less clarity.

Behind The Glass exists to address that contradiction.

It explores:

• Why certain tools dominate across decades while others disappear

• How experienced engineers reduce complexity rather than add to it

• Why decision-making under pressure matters more than technical perfection

• How industry myths form — and why they’re so difficult to let go of

This work is not about being contrarian.
It’s about being accurate.

What This Is Not

To be clear, this is not for everyone.

Behind The Glass does not offer:

• Step-by-step production recipes

• Presets, templates, or gear shopping advice

• Validation for expensive purchases

• Optimized workflows for social media output

If you’re looking for fast answers or shortcuts, this will feel frustrating.

If you’re interested in how professionals think when there is no obvious right answer, you’ll recognize yourself in it immediately.

How It’s Structured

The essay unfolds in 12 chapters, each examining a different aspect of professional audio work — not as isolated techniques, but as interlocking habits of thought.

Rather than moving chronologically through a session, it moves conceptually:

• From perception to decision

• From tools to priorities

• From mythology to reality

Each chapter is designed to stand alone, while also building toward a cohesive argument:
great records are the result of judgment, not accumulation.

This is meant to be read slowly. Revisited. Lived with.

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Why It Sits at the Center of This Site

Everything else published here flows outward from this work.

The essays, articles, and critiques you’ll find across the site are extensions, applications, and counterpoints to the ideas introduced in Behind The Glass.

Think of it as the lens through which the rest of the writing makes sense.

If you’ve ever wondered:

“Why do I know more than I used to, but feel less certain?”

This is where that question gets taken seriously.

Access

Behind The Glass is included in the Intellectual Membership.

Membership is not positioned as a purchase, but as participation — a way to stay engaged with ideas that reward attention rather than speed.

Begin Inside

Here’s what’s included:

• Your copy of our 12 part essay “Behind The Glass”. A 12 chapter essay on Reflections on Recording, Technology, and Studio Judgement. A MUST READ!

• 12 additional “Core Essays” that expand upon the ideas in the book.

• Access to the FX Studio 2 Research Library (22 videos, 22 long form essays)

• Access to the “Decision First Engineering” system

  Note: A preset password will be sent to you via email for access to all “Members Only” content