My name is Ben Thompson and I am an audio engineer and educator.
Audio Equipment Development & Construction
I began exploring audio electronics in 2006 when I started Alphabet Recording Studio. I started by experimenting with building equipment from kits and learning to repair and modify my own equipment. Since that time I have maintained an electronics workshop and continued to service my own equipment in addition to other peoples’, as well as explore audio technology design. The equipment I have built includes microphones, reverbs, equalizers, and compressors, amongst others. I have designed the hardware and written the software for equipment that interfaces with MIDI-equipped synthesizers. What I love most about audio engineering is that it is a unique union between creativity and science. Working with audio technology in this capacity allows me to engage deeply with the scientific side of that union.
This is a promotional video I put together for the Music Production & Audio Engineering pathway. I think it does a good job of illustrating some of the strengths of the program I've built, including how some of my students engage with it.
Experience as an Educator
Over the last 8 years, I created, developed, and ran the Music Production & Audio Engineering Pathway at Northeast Early College. I am now an adjunct professor with the Community College of Aurora and as such, the program is able to offer concurrent enrollment courses including MUS 163/164: Music Audio Production I/II, MUS 261: Advanced Music Audio Production, and MUS 262: Developing a Producer’s Ear. The Music Production & Audio Engineering Pathway offers a full four years of courses and I have developed a curriculum that is being used by other similar programs in the district. In 2016 I developed the Denver Youth Music Awards - a contest and event for young musicians in Denver that provides an opportunity for young people to showcase their talents, network with other musicians, and learn from professionals in the industry. For the last three years, I have been recognized by my evaluators and Denver Public Schools as a Distinguished Teacher and in 2019 I was selected for the Music Education Innovator Award by the Give a Note Foundation. I’m incredibly proud of the program I’ve built, but I am never more proud than when I see my students proud of something they have created.
Audio Engineering & Composition
In 2006, I opened Alphabet Recording Studio, a not-for-profit recording studio in Fort Collins Colorado. Since that time, I have been honing my skills as a recording, mixing, and mastering engineer, performing these services on many records. In addition, over the last decade, I have been refining my abilities in composition, creating musical pieces in genres including rap, r&b, and film scores. After all these years I still think making records is as mysterious and exciting as ever, and I still light up at the prospect of going into the recording studio. Come see the current incarnation of Alphabet Recording Studio here.
I recorded, produced, mixed, & mastered this one. There is a lot I am proud of here, but, from an engineering perspective, I am especially happy with the vocal treatment, and as far as the composition goes, I really like how the Moog bass coexists with the 808s, the forward momentum of the simple melody, and the bouncy, modern drums.
I recorded and mixed this over ten years ago, but it remains one of the recordings I am most proud of. I am particularly happy with the drum sound. The drums were recorded with a very lean complement of microphones and I leveraged the room mic and the acoustics of the space to create the vast, washed-out sound we were after. The mix as a whole feels massive and eerie to me.
I wrote this with the idea that it could be part of a film score. I have always loved film scores and have been particularly enamored with the work of Carter Burwell amongst others. I am also always drawn to emotional melodies including melodies from traditional Scottish and Appalachian folk songs, which probably had some influence here. I am not entirely sure where this melody sprang from - I can’t recall whether I just found myself humming it one day or if I was fooling around on the Wurlitzer. I feel like the vocal harmonies do a good job of supporting the melody and I particularly like the movement that the double bass part provides.
This is a good example of my more sample-based production. The main sample is from a song called "What's Your Name" by the Moments. I like the way the sample is chopped and I feel good about the sequencing in that I was able to create a distinct and intentional hook section. I am also really happy with the drums - I think it has the feel of a drum break, even though they are programmed, and I am especially proud of the tom fill going into the hook.