Audio Media International started this series for our newsletter and, by popular demand, we’re picking five interviews every now and then and putting them on the site while we miss the usual shows and conventions. If you want to be featured or want to nominate someone, email rosie@audiomediainternational.com.

Lee Boylan, Audio Product Specialist, Presonus Audio Electronics

Where are you right now?
Strawberry Beds, Dublin, Ireland.

What is the last album you listened to?
Not really listening to albums these days. Here’s a Spotify playlist I’ve been rotating recently. Enjoy!

Describe 2021 so far in one sentence.
2021 has been challenging, enlightening and hopeful so far.

What skill have you developed in lockdown?
Zoom backgrounds and Childminding.

Apart from friends and family, what have you most missed this year?
Jamming, Pints of Guinness and these both combined.

What live event do you most want to go to in 2021?
Had Tickets booked for Duran Duran in Dublin, so fingers crossed it happens.

Tell us something you’ve never told anyone else?
I once came first in an all girl running race when I had longer hair.

Christian Struck, Senior Product Manager Audio Production, Lawo

Where are you right now?
In my HomeOffice, where I’d never thought that I could be working for more than a year now.

What is the last album you listened to?
The last album was Low Blow, a Funk record from Victor Bailey.

Describe 2021 so far in one sentence.
“Riding the razor´s edge”, as this year will remain challenging for everyone.

What skill have you developed in lockdown?
Certainly a new level of multitasking, with family being around and sometimes in my office, too.

Apart from friends and family, what have you most missed this year?
Travelling and face-to-face meetings with customers.

What live event do you most want to go to in 2021?
Professionally, I would love to attend some of the shows later this year like AES. Personally, my first choice would be to go to a concert of my own band ‘Soulcafe’, as I miss playing.

Tell us something you’ve never told anyone else?
While thinking about something I could tell you, I realize the 60 seconds are already over…

Orfeas Boteas, CEO, Krotos

Where are you right now?
In Edinburgh, where Krotos’ office is but working from home.

What is the last album you listened to?
Tool – Fear Inoculum.

Describe 2021 so far in one sentence.
Groundhog Day.

What skill have you developed in lockdown?
Started learning the bass and making bread.

Apart from friends and family, what have you most missed this year?
Traveling.

What’s the biggest change to pro audio industry this year?
The industry found ways to continue their work from home which might affect how the audio industry evolves.

What live event do you most want to go to in 2021?
Whatever opens up first nearby! Now that you mentioned it, I need to look into it.

Tell us something you’ve never told anyone else?
I believe in the law of attraction.

Sterling Doak, Director of Marketing, Gibson Brands, Inc.

Where are you right now?
I am at my home office/recording studio in Franklin, TN (just south of Nashville) 

What is the last album you listened to?
Album? What’s an album? You mean playlist? I honestly can’t completely recall the last album I listened to all the way through, but I believe it was Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.

Describe 2021 so far in one sentence.
I have run marathons and this feels like mile 20; so just keep moving. 

What skill have you developed in lockdown?
I had my first child last year, so the most meaningful skill has been learning to be a dad (I can change diapers in my sleep, literally).

Apart from friends and family, what have you most missed this year?
LIVE MUSIC!

What live event do you most want to go to in 2021?
Looks like Bonnaroo is on.

What’s the biggest change to the industry from the last year and will it stick with us?

A ton of folks from every walk of life set up home studios and learned how to record, mix, master and distribute. I think the effect of this has been to create true creative autonomy and a massive amount of new music. DIY on a whole other level. More music = better world. 

Tell us something you’ve never told anyone else?
I always have feared being a father because my own family was so messy and dysfunctional. What I have come to realize is my experience is exactly what has motivated me to teach my son how to navigate life better than I did and to try and leave this place better than he found it. It’s an amazing feeling – pure love.

Joe Heaton, Product Specialist, AMS Neve

Where are you right now?
At AMS Neve HQ Burnley, working on our new console – the Neve 8424.

What is the last album you listened to?
David Bowie, Hunky Dory. One of my favourites.

Describe 2021 so far in one sentence.
A strange, sad year, punctuated with beautiful moments.

What skill have you developed in lockdown?
Since moving to remote working, my job of demonstrating the technical elements of our equipment had to move into the virtual world, I, like many others, had to adapt quickly and pick up new video recording, editing, and streaming skills in a short time frame.

Apart from friends and family, what have you most missed this year?
Probably travel, pre-lockdown I would spend a lot of time visiting our console clientele at many studios around the world. It was exciting to see new faces and places, although a lot of this is now handled remotely via Zoom, it’s not quite the same experience.

What’s the biggest change to pro audio industry this year?
The loss of the live industry has been a shock to many but hopefully, this will bounce back towards the end of 2021. Also, with the uptake in home-studio use, people from all walks of life have had more time on their hands to take up or to perfect their hobbies, for musicians, this meant spending more time working on their music and improving their home studio setups. Hopefully, this is a trend that will continue post-lockdown.

What live event do you most want to go to in 2021?
Probably the AES show in America, still doubtful that it will happen but there’s always hope.

Tell us something you’ve never told anyone else?
I’m a secret Rhianna fan…