Hi, I’m Brett Buddin, a software engineer and sound recordist in New York City.

Contact & Collaborate

• brett@buddin.org
• github.com/brettbuddin

Engineering

I’ve worked professionally as a software engineer for over 15 years and specialize in distributed systems. Most of the software I manage with these days is written in Go or Rust.

I currently work at Lightstep where my team helps build and scale the core observability platform.

Sound

I build audio tools in my free time. Most of my projects are experimental, but I do publish generally useful work on occassion. Notable among these are QUARK and Shaden.

In recent years my lifelong interest in sound has developed into a regular practice of deep listening through field recording. In 2020 I started publishing these recordings as a podcast called Phonogrifter. My recording equipment choices are largely budget constrained, but that’s helped my kit remain minimal and portable.

Recorders

• Sound Devices MixPre 6 II is my primary recorder. It lives in a K-Tek Stingray MixPro bag at all times.
• Sony PCM-A10 is a more portable option when I can’t carry a full sound bag with me. The built-in microphones are a bit noisy, but it pairs nicely with a set of 3.5mm Clippy microphones for a lightweight kit.
• iPhone 12 Mini with Just Press Record when all else fails, because it’s always there.

Microphones

• Clippy EM272 as an omnidirectional stereo pair for ambiances and quiet sounds.
• sE Electronics sE7 as a cardioid stereo pair to focus on more distant sources.
• Rode NTG4 shotgun for more noisy outdoor situations or I need the most directionality.
• Crank Stergeon Contact Microphones are used to capture vibrations in materials and structures.
• A few of homemade microphones using Primo capsules.

I’ve settled on Rycote for windjammers and shock mounting, and I have a small collection of custom cables from Event Horizon & Services.