WCA #612 with Brian Starley – Utah, Cartage, Building a Studio in LA, and Relationships Before Gear

For episode 612, Matt talks with Brian Starley recording and mixing engineer based in North Hollywood, California, and owner of Bergatron Music Studio. Brian grew up in Salt Lake City with a dad who transferred vinyl to cassette for the car, chased a hockey career to Ontario, came home to Utah without a plan, and found recording through a coworker who'd interned at the Blasting Room. After learning Pro Tools at twenty bucks an hour and getting out of Utah in 2005, he landed at Musicians Institute in LA and then at Lon Cohen Studio Rentals a cartage company where he spent six years moving Tim Pierce's guitars and Mike Elizondo's Logic rig around the city. After going freelance in 2013, he built a YouTube live session channel, had his busiest mixing years during COVID, and then spent the better part of two years fighting LA permits, tariffs, and a construction crew to build his dream studio — refinancing the house to do it. They talk about what cartage taught him about gear and sessions, the mobile recording revelation that shaped his whole approach, building a studio in 2025 LA, the stress that put him in the hospital with diverticulitis, and why you should focus on relationships before gear.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

- Growing Up in Salt Lake City, Utah — The Zion Curtain

- A Dad Who Transferred Vinyl to Cassette and Filled the Car With Music

- Hockey, Rage Against the Machine, and a Dream of the NHL

- Moving to Shelburne, Ontario to Play Junior Hockey

- Coming Home to Utah and Finding Construction Work for His Dad

- A Coworker From the Blasting Room Who Changed Everything

- Learning Pro Tools at Twenty Bucks an Hour on a Digi 001

- Getting Into Trouble and Getting Out of Utah — Moving to LA in 2005

- Musicians Institute and Finding the Path Into Recording

- Landing at Lawn — a Cartage Company for LA's Top Session Musicians