Sound Systems

About Sound Systems

Unlock the secrets to building a thriving, streamlined music business on Sound Systems, hosted by Max Bernstein, Founder of Relationl. Max is on a mission: to help the music industry move beyond spreadsheets and disconnected tools. Having founded a record label, festival, and tech platform himself, Max now designs custom, automated operating systems for music companies featured in Billboard and Rolling Stone. Every episode dives into the day-to-day challenges of music management and operations. Max interviews music moguls and industry executives who are leveraging relational databases and workflow automation to achieve clarity, control, and massive scale. If you're ready to stop wading through manual effort and start running your business with maximum efficiency and transparency, Sound Systems delivers the blueprint.

Publisher

Max Bernstein

Category

music · music · music

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

21 Nov 2025

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

22 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Chris Lisle on the hidden mental health crisis in live music

   In this episode of Sound Systems Podcast, (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mberns01/)Max Bernstein (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mberns01/) speaks with (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lisle-61a4398/)Chris Lisle (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lisle-61a4398/), Production Designer & Owner at CLLD, LLC (https://www.clldllc.com/) and Executive Director at ECCHO Live (https://www.eccholive.com/), about the creative and operational world behind major live music events. Chris shares his journey from discovering lighting design in the early 1990s to becoming the lighting designer for major tours, festivals, and events including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, and performances with artists such as Robert Plant, OneRepublic, Babyface, Alice Cooper, Keith Urban, and Miranda Lambert. The conversation explores how massive festival productions are designed and executed, from creating flexible lighting systems for headliners to managing overnight changeovers between completely different productions. Chris also discusses the realities of touring life, including the physical and mental challenges faced by crews, and how Echo Live provides mental health, financial, and wellness resources for professionals working behind the scenes in live entertainment. Key Takeaways: How Chris built a 35-year career in live entertainment from a first lighting job on tour. The role of a festival lighting designer and how major stages adapt to different artist productions. Why artists invest heavily in live production to create memorable fan experiences. The complexity of building and moving large-scale concert productions overnight. What life is really like for touring professionals working long hours on the road. The hidden teams behind live shows, including rigging, audio, video, lighting, staging, and local crews. The impact touring life can have on physical health, relationships, and mental wellbeing. How Echo Live supports entertainment professionals through counseling, financial coaching, and community programs. Why building a healthier live entertainment industry requires supporting the people behind the shows. Noteworthy Quotes: “It was my aha moment in life where I discovered this amazing career that encompassed all these things that I love so much — travel, music, and creativity.” – Chris Lisle “Tour life is not for everybody. It can be one of the most rewarding, amazing careers, but it can also come with a lot of sacrifice.” – Chris Lisle “You become part of a second family. It’s a chosen family.” – Chris Lisle “People that do what we do often get lonely and depressed when the gig is done.” – Chris Lisle “The best clinical tool in your toolbox is your eyeball followed by your nose and your ears and your mouth.” – Chris Lisle “We wanted to make sure that money and finances were never an obstacle for those in our industry to be able to go and get the counseling and therapy that they need.” – Chris Lisle Key Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to Chris Lisle and his role at Lollapalooza 01:20 - Designing festival lighting systems and integrating headliner productions 03:54 - Managing supporting acts and festival stage changeovers 04:40 - Why artists are investing more in live production 09:44 - Working with major artists and designing major festivals 10:54 - The realities of long-term touring and life on the road 16:56 - Life on tour buses and the realities of crew life 20:09 - Mental health, substance abuse, and the challenges of touring 25:22 - Funding Echo Live and expanding wellness programs 29:35 - Closing thoughts Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review. Follow Our Guest, Chris Lisle: Chris Lisle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lisle-61a4398/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lisle-61a4398/) Echo Live Website: https://www.eccholive.com/ (https://www.eccholive.com/) CLLD, LLC Website: https://www.clldllc.com/ (https://www.clldllc.com/) Follow the Host, Max Bernstein: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mberns01/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mberns01/) X: https://x.com/relationlco (https://x.com/relationlco) Follow RELATIONL: Website: https://www.relationl.co/ (https://www.relationl.co/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@relationl (https://www.youtube.com/@relationl) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/relationl/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/relationl/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relationlco/ (https://www.instagram.com/relationlco/)

2. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Dylan McDougle on why execution is no longer a valuable skill in music

   In this episode of Sound Systems Podcast, Max Bernstein (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mberns01/) speaks with Dylan McDougle (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-mcdougle), founder and engineer at SUPERSONICS (https://www.linkedin.com/company/supersonicsfm/), who has spent his career working at the intersection of music and technology. Dylan shares how his journey from DJing and engineering led him into software development, where he began creating tools to solve operational problems he experienced firsthand in the music business. From using no-code platforms like Airtable to building custom applications, Dylan explains how curiosity and industry expertise helped him transform frustrations into software products. The conversation explores Dylan’s latest platform, Headroom, which helps recording and rehearsal studios streamline bookings, payments, and operations. Dylan also discusses the changing role of AI in software development, why human judgment will become more valuable than execution, and how music professionals can use new technology to solve problems without waiting for traditional solutions. Key Takeaways: How Dylan’s career evolved from DJ and engineer into a software creator. Why the music industry has struggled with fragmented workflows and outdated systems. How no-code tools, automation, and AI helped Dylan learn software development. The story behind Superlist, Dialed, and Headroom. Why specialized software built for specific industries creates better experiences. How Headroom helps studios automate bookings, deposits, and customer management. Why AI reduces the value of execution and increases the importance of decision-making. How creators can use curiosity and technology to build solutions for real problems. Noteworthy Quotes: “The new piece is taking that experience and creating things as opposed to pushing existing things.” – Dylan McDougle “Don’t let ‘I don’t know how’ stop you from doing anything, because the information has never been more accessible.” – Dylan McDougle “The barrier to execution is gone completely. The challenge lies in deciding if that is a feature you should add.” – Dylan McDougle “The new valuable skill is deciding what to execute and how to execute it.” – Dylan McDougle Key Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to Dylan McDougle and his career in music technology 03:00 - Identifying the music industry’s systems problem 05:10 - Learning Airtable, automation, and software development 11:00 - Creating Dialed to solve live production challenges 18:36 - Introducing Headroom for recording and rehearsal studios 25:00 - Product development, customer feedback, and feature decisions 33:46 - Advice for music professionals adopting technology 39:00 - Using AI effectively and avoiding over-engineered solutions 42:00 - Closing thoughts on creativity, technology, and the future of music Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review. Follow Our Guest, Dylan McDougle: Dylan McDougle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanmcdougle (https://www.instagram.com/dylanmcdougle) Dylan McDougle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-mcdougle/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-mcdougle/) SUPERSONICS: https://supersonics.fm (https://supersonics.fm) Follow the Host, Max Bernstein: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mberns01/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mberns01/) X: https://x.com/relationlco (https://x.com/relationlco) Follow RELATIONL: Website: https://www.relationl.co/ (https://www.relationl.co/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@relationl (https://www.youtube.com/@relationl) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/relationl/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/relationl/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relationlco/ (https://www.instagram.com/relationlco/)

3. 

   2 Sept 2026

   Should every song be mixed for spatial audio? Brad Smalling weighs in

   In this episode of Sound Systems Podcast, Max Bernstein (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mberns01/) speaks with Brad Smalling (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-smalling), Chief Executive Officer at Immersify Audio (https://www.linkedin.com/company/immersifyaudio/) also, Atmos Mixing & Recording and Mastering Engineer at Evergroove Studio (https://www.linkedin.com/company/evergroove/), an expert in spatial audio, source separation, and high-end music production. Brad shares how immersive audio experiences are created through object-based mixing, Dolby Atmos, and advanced source separation techniques. The conversation explores how artists and engineers can future-proof their music, remix legacy tracks, and leverage AI-driven workflows without compromising human creativity. Brad also discusses practical considerations for delivering high-quality audio across platforms, including headphones, home theaters, and large-scale venues. Key Takeaways: How spatial audio immerses listeners by placing individual instruments and vocals in a three-dimensional sound field. The technical setup of Atmos, including horizontal, LFE, and overhead speaker channels. Differences between stereo, upmixing, and true spatial audio workflows, and why upmixing can degrade quality. How source separation uses AI and machine learning to extract individual stems from legacy and modern recordings. The importance of human listening in evaluating and refining source-separated tracks. Practical uses for source separation: Atmos mixes, remixes, sync opportunities, and restoring lost multi-tracks. Future-proofing music production for VR, 3D audio, and immersive experiences. Considerations for mixing tracks to different listening devices, including phones, headphones, and high-end systems. Noteworthy Quotes: “Spatial audio allows us to immerse the listener, put them in an environment, and really have them experience and feel that music.” – Brad Smalling “Upmixing can create a technically Atmos track, but it’s a poor representation of true spatial separation.” – Brad Smalling “Source separation uses AI to identify individual instruments, but human listening is still crucial.” – Brad Smalling “Most music should be prepared for Atmos to future-proof it for VR and emerging technologies.” – Brad Smalling “Even with legacy tracks from the 60s, 70s, or 80s, source separation can give new life without re-recording artists.” – Brad Smalling “People are listening to spatial audio on AirPods, Apple Music, and even in cars without realizing it.” – Brad Smalling Key Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to Brad Smalling and the topic of spatial audio 01:17 - What is spatial audio and object-based mixing 02:52 - Comparison between stereo and spatial mixes; workflow considerations 03:55 - Who is the audience for spatial audio 08:45 - How spatial audio works on headphones and head-tracking 12:06 - Preparing legacy tracks for Atmos from original multi-tracks 14:35 - Source separation techniques and AI use 19:03 - Practical uses for source-separated stems 22:39 - Listening across devices: phones, headphones, and studios 23:37 - How to hire Brad’s studio and access spatial audio services Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review. Follow Our Guest, Brad Smalling: Brad Smalling LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-smalling (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-smalling) Immersify Audio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/immersifyaudio/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/immersifyaudio/) Evergroove Studio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/evergroove/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/evergroove/) Evergroove Studio Website: https://www.evergroove.com/ (https://www.evergroove.com/) Follow the Host, Max Bernstein: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mberns01/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mberns01/) X: https://x.com/relationlco (https://x.com/relationlco) Follow RELATIONL: Website: https://www.relationl.co/ (https://www.relationl.co/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@relationl (https://www.youtube.com/@relationl) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/relationl/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/relationl/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relationlco/ (https://www.instagram.com/relationlco/)

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.