Well folks, Cauliflower Audio has officially been in business for 4 years now. To think, I started out working at a small Ikea desk in my dining room with a Macbook, some KLH speakers, and meager handful of Waves plugins.

It’s been an enjoyably slow and steady rate of growth since, each year picking up more pieces for the arsenal. It started with a set of Dynaudio BM6A’s, a Benchmark DAC converter, and a move to a more symmetrical spot in the dining room. Wow, a stereo field! The next year, I began building my analog chain with a Cranesong HEDD and a Pendulum OCL-2 compressor. Wow, vibe and tubes! Then we bought a house and built the studio, throwing out a couple years of “knowing” my monitors and trading it for a happier spouse. The next year, a Manley Massive Passive EQ and an Avenson Mid-Side box. Holy smokes… just, wow.

A couple weekends ago, the wife and I drove to Chicago and picked up my newly eBay’d pair of B&W Nautilus 804 speakers. Two days later, my Bryston power amp arrived from a lovely fellow on Audiogon. I spent half a day reorganizing and reassessing the studio, and spent the better part of the evening enjoying some drinks and listening to my favorite records on the new set-up.

I am a firm believer that you can do good work on modest gear, it just might be a little harder and take a little longer. If I truly believed that the gear alone made the engineer, I never would have even attempted any of this. That said, I’m really enjoying the new speakers and am starting to feel pretty good about my set-up. At this point, with the tools I have at my fingertips, the only limitations I now have are my own skills and the quality of the source material. It’s both daunting and exciting.

In keeping with gear talk, I would like to call out Benchmark Media Systems for going above and beyond what I expect from a manufacturer. Over the past couple years, the volume pot on my converter has been getting a bit scratchy. I’ve known that I needed to have it taken care of… nothing screams half-assed to a client like that unnerving “sshhhhhh” sound when turning a knob. I just depend on the damn thing so much that I couldn’t imagine being without it for even a day while it was being repaired. I got in touch Benchmark and explained my predicament. They issued an RMA and told me it would be turned around the day it came to them, for FREE no less (keep in mind I bought it 4 years ago and the warrantee has long expired). I sent it on a Monday and wouldn’t you know it, I got it back on Friday! Totally incredible, such a great experience, works like a champ.

Contrast this with another hi-tag item I currently own. It’s been exhibiting a particular infrequent “issue” since about a year after I purchased it. I’ve researched the problem online and there have been numerous reports of this issue plaguing other users. It’s not a normal wear and tear problem, nor is it a problem from use or abuse. It’s clearly a manufacturing defect. I contacted the company and asked them what could be done, sending them links to several forums where the problem is discussed. The company told me to send the item back to them and there would be a $130 bench charge on top of materials (again, this is somewhat of a big ticket item and components aren’t cheap), not to mention who knows how long I’d be without it. In my opinion, a pretty crappy way to run your customer service department.

Deep breaths. Positive thoughts.

So… I couldn’t be happier with the quality of work I’ve been receiving lately. I am in the process of finishing not one but 2!!! TRAVELOGUE full-lengths, the first dropping in January, and the second in April. Incredible synth stuff… dude makes his own instruments is all I am saying. And the songs are super catchy too. I also mastered for vinyl the debut release for hometown heros FOUNDING FATHERS… crazy, dirty, and sweet, just like Cleveland. As I write this, the OCCUPY XMAS benefit compilation (featuring Os Ovni, Textbeak, Aaimon, and tons more) is about to drop today. Thankfully, I tag-teamed the mastering effort with Australia’s Toby Borrow, since the compilation is pretty immense. Also just finishing up a rippin’ EP of punk barn-burners from Cleveland’s THE ZAPGUNS (recorded by Restless Hab shredder Peter Woodward), and this weekend I’ve got the fourth album from instrumental juggernauts SPY-FI, and a new book-on-tape from dark storyteller LORIN MORGAN-RICHARDS.

And… I’m putting the finishing touches on mixing (yes, mixing) a new 3-song EP from ROBERT CHERRY, featuring the likes of Craig Ramsey (Bears) and John Curley (Afghan Whigs), and yes, it is as amazing as it sounds like it would be. Pure, excellent power pop. I’m really excited about this one.

I’ve got a some really cool stuff coming up before the holidays, and then I’ll be taking a break from studio work to make the outside of the studio look as nice as the inside. Plus, there’s still that DAMN floral wallpaper in the stairway that I vowed to remove 2 years ago. Oh, btw, did you see the interview by troubadour DAVID ULLMAN of yours truly in Chez Cauliflower? You didn’t? Well, click this LINK, fool! David has been documenting every step of the production of his forthcoming record, and he stopped by to talk to me about mastering for vinyl in addition to just taking a mini-tour around the studio. It was a lot of fun, and if you’ve got a few moments, check out some of his other videos (and tunes!); they are good stuff.

Finally, I got my hands on more product. Look.

Anyhow, thank you everyone for making this year an absolutely incredible one. I’m not going to lie, it looked a little bleak at the beginning of the year, but 2011 is officially going to go on the books as being one of the most enjoyable years I’ve spent in a studio, period.