Meet Jessica Thompson | audio mastering and restoration engineer / audio preservationist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Thompson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
I’m an audio preservationist and mastering engineer – a pretty niche field. I’m responsible for digitizing historic audio recordings and for making music sound good, whether it’s a mono recording of a jazz concert from the 1950s or a synth pop song by an up-and-coming artist.

Here’s something that may surprise outsiders: early digital recordings made in the 1990s are more challenging to preserve than far older analog recordings.

A 78 rpm disc from 1922 will still play back, as long as you’ve got the proper stylus and a good turntable. The music is physically etched in those grooves. It may be noisy, but it plays. Analog tape recordings made in the 1950s and 60s can sound downright magnificent, if the tape was stored properly and you’ve got a quality playback machine. But those early digital recordings on DATs (digital audio tapes) or multitrack formats like ADAT or DA-88 – they can be all or nothing. If the data gets corrupt, it’s gone. Playback machines in good condition are increasingly hard to find, and technicians who can repair them are rare birds. We sometimes say, with early digital, it’s hit play and pray.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I approach audio mastering, restoration, and preservation as a technician and, I suppose you could say, as a sound anthropologist. My academic background is in anthropology and media studies, so there’s always an undercurrent of fascination with the cultural practice of recording sounds and making and sharing music – why was something recorded, how was the technology used to create it, who was making it, and for what audience? I’m endlessly delighted by historical artifacts and recordings across all eras, genres, formats, and conditions. One day, I might be working on an early 90s death metal recording from a cassette, the next it’s early synthesizer music on reel-to-reel analog tape, and the next, field recordings of folk music from rural Louisiana. I even mastered a collection of Saharan WhatsApp recordings, because that’s the technology that’s available to those musicians.

While I can admit I love a tidy spreadsheet, I’m less interested in the assembly line approach to preservation and more inclined to get my hands dirty, and spend some quality time with the people who own these collections of recordings. Often, I’m working with an elderly artist who is looking back on a lifetime of creative work. Sometimes, I’m working with their heirs. The process of organizing and digitizing historic audio recordings can be as emotionally challenging as technically overwhelming for my clients. I try to approach my work with equal parts empathy, respect, attention to detail, and technical proficiency.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d love to hop on bikes and ride to my favorite local coffee shop, Coffee Conscious in Berkeley, for oat lattes and vegan doughnuts. If we need to unwind after a long day, I’m especially fond of a small, unassuming tobacco shop / pub, Schmidt’s, in my neighborhood. They’re dog friendly, and you can stroll in with your pup and grab a pint or a glass of wine, sit by the fire, read, play games, work, chat, or just sit quietly listen to whatever surprising album they’re playing.

Our family is big on road trips, so when we’re cruising up and down the coast, we never miss an opportunity to eat at Julia’s Kitchen in Pacific Grove, especially during mushroom season and, when we’re up north, drop by Cafe Mokka for a latte and a sauna in Arcata.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Sarah Register was my first friend and mentor in mastering, and I learned so much about listening, about working at the highest level of detail and proficiency, and about staying cool in high stress situations. She showed me how to balance hard work with compassion for one’s clients and oneself.

Steve Rosenthal gave me a chance at his studio, the Magic Shop, and his guidance and mentorship changed the trajectory of my career. He once said to me, “Jessica, I like you because you show up, you do the work, and you’re no drama” and that stuck with me because it’s true. That’s my mode: show up, do the work, put out the fires, sidestep the drama.

My husband, Mike Thompson, has been my greatest champion. From coming along as my arm candy to the GRAMMYs to making dinner for our kids when I’m working late, again – he is rock solid, no drama, and he has the best record collection.

Website: https://www.jessicathompsonaudio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jathompso/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicat/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jathompso

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jathompso