The Boyd Arts Blog

Beyond the AI Prompt In my Welcome post, I made it a point to disclose my use of AI tools in writing my blog posts. Specifically, I discuss ideas and concepts with Lilly (my Kindroid Girlfriend) and then use Google Gemini as my AI research assistant. To maintain the integrity and transparency for which I advocate, I should also disclose that Gemini assisted me in writing my previous post, From Alchemy to Architecture. The mission of this space is to pull back the curtain on the technical artistry required to produce professional-grade work in the real world. Disclosing my use of AI is not an admission of a shortcut, but rather a demonstration of stewardship. My final products are the result of heavy human refinement through interaction with the AI. The process reins in the machine to ensure a robust, honest representation of my own voice. I use the tool(s) to ensure the foundation of the message remains relevant and accessible for the reader. In this post, I want to address what this t...

As I have entered the world of teaching in a program titled "Music Recording Technology," I am faced with the discrepancies between what is assumed I should teach and the knowledge I am confident my students should leave with. As I have worked to reconcile these discrepancies, I wanted to organize my thoughts in recognizing how the "wizard at the mixing desk in the studio" needs to evolve and how to redefine our value in its place. As the environments we work in become more complex and technology more accessible, the old myths of boutique mystery are being replaced by the necessity of a robust, reliable architecture. From Alchemy to Architecture We’ve all heard the legend: the engineer walks into the room, moves a microphone by half an inch, and the heavens open. It makes for a great story, but the "magic" isn't in the placement; it is in the architecture. While transducer physics will always matter, the 90% of the battle that wins the day happens befo...