Saturday, June 28, 2025 - in English
Strawberry Sound - Münsingen, Bern

Welcome to the analog altar.

This is not your average knob-twiddler’s retreat. This is a one-day transmission from one of the last great tape sorcerers of our time: Liam Watson, founder of London’s Toe Rag Studios and the ears behind Elephant by The White Stripes, a record that put raw recording back in the charts.

We’re opening the doors to a small group of curious minds and golden ears for a full-day experience at Strawberry Sound, located at Industriestrasse 4 in Münsingen, just a three-minute walk from the Münsingen SBB train station. If you're driving, we’ll confirm a parking spot for you in advance.

No over-editing. No plugin trickery. Just ears, instinct, and the truth in the performance.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

10:00 – Arrival and welcome
Check in, sip a coffee, get your name tag, and collect your workshop materials.

10:30 – Session One: Setting up the session
Liam walks through his real-world setup process. Mic choices, placement logic, session layout, and how to build trust with musicians before pressing record.

12:30 – Lunch break
Eat. Breathe. Let it all settle.

13:30 – Session Two: Tracking and performance psychology
Liam shares his approach to capturing great takes. This is about vibe, instinct, and how to guide a band toward the version that feels alive. Whether we use tape or stay digital, the mindset applies to any format.

15:30 – Session Three: Analog mixing principles
A focused two-hour dive into how Liam mixes without the mess. EQ, compression, faders, and the art of not overcooking it. This is about presence, not perfection.

17:30 – Q&A with apéro
We’ll gather in a relaxed corner of the studio, pour a drink, and open the floor to questions. From technical tips to career insights, nothing’s off limits.

19:00 – Dinner across the street
We close the day together at the Italian restaurant near the station. Your meal includes an apéro drink, salad, a main course (pizza or pasta), dessert, and coffee.

WHO THIS IS FOR

If you’ve ever:

• Wondered how to get a full sound without a million mics

• Hoped to capture great performances instead of editing them into shape

• Or just want to sit close to a master and soak in the knowledge

Then this workshop is for you.

Whether you're an engineer, musician, student, or just obsessed with how great records are really made — you're welcome.

WHAT IT COSTS

We’re finalizing the price now but expect something fair and solid. Your ticket will include:

• The full-day workshop with Liam

• A group dinner with drinks

• Printed workshop souvenirs (lab coat, T-shirt, and a custom clipboard with workshop notes, tips & tricks, and space for your notes like an old BBC tech)

• A summer day of rare company and serious inspiration

There are only 10 spots available. This will be an intimate and focused day of shared learning.

HOW MUCH?

The final price will be given after your application is accepted. This ensures we’re building the right group from the start. We’re finalizing the price now but expect something fair and solid for such an event.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please copy and paste the questions below into the Mister Butler contact form and send us your answers. No pressure to sound fancy. Just be real.

1. Why do you want to attend the workshop?
2. What’s your experience with recording, if any? A seasoned professional, hobby engineer, or know nothing?
3. What are you hoping to take away from this workshop?
4. Tell us your favorite raw-sounding record of all time.
5. Your birthdate and size for your souvenirs?
6. What price would you expect such a workshop costing?
7. Would a video recording for future reference to be of value for you?
8. Anything else we should know? Allergies, strong opinions, love or hate of spaghetti, etc.

Thank you for your interest in the workshop.
We’ll write back with more details. No robots. No ticketing platforms. Just the real deal. Looking forward to hearing from you.

-Mister Butler