Los Angeles-based engineer Bob Wayne recently released Reel to Real Tales: Notes from Both Sides of the Recording Console to share his career experiences as an audio engineer, studio owner, and musician. This self-published book even comes with a cool custom Reel to Real bookmark with a piece of 2-inch audio tape attached to it! Reel to Real includes highlights from sessions Wayne led with musicians such as Micky Dolenz (The Monkees), bluesman Doug MacLeod, renowned jazz bassist Al McKibbon (Thelonious Monk), and keyboardist/engineer Wayne Peet [Tape Op #99] to name just a few.
Along with providing insight into Wayne’s sessions over the years, Reel to Real offers readers a chance to learn what it is like opening a commercial recording studio. Wayne details the challenges of building a studio at a residential property in the mid-1970s – the first iteration of his three commercial studios, all known as Sunburst Recording – and shares many photos of the build from start to finish. Throughout the book, Wayne effectively describes how he navigated the business of simultaneously working as an engineer and a studio owner.
Interestingly, Reel to Real contains lots of music and pop culture references throughout. For instance, Rhino Records, the iconic venue the Palomino, and The Dr. Demento Show are all discussed. Anyone familiar with the greater Los Angeles area from circa 1970 to the early 2000s will get a kick out of these stories.
The first five chapters cover Wayne’s emergence as a musician, including founding the band Big Daddy, who had a top-ten song on The Dr. Demento Show: “Hamster Love”! Chapter 6 is where Sunburst Recording becomes the focal point of the book. As you might imagine, Wayne’s sense of humor comes through whether he is performing, recording, or writing a book. There are plenty of funny anecdotes that keep the reader engaged and smiling.
Reel To Real is well documented with footnotes, tons of photos, and lots of website links. At no fault of the author’s, the book could benefit from an editor, and you'll find some minor formatting elements that might have been better addressed. However, the amount this book has to offer greatly outweighs any defects. There’s a lot to learn in this book for a variety of people, and it makes for a fun read.