OLLO Chat ft. Sie and Martin: Show Up. Stay Humble. Engineer the Impossible.

Welcome to OLLO Chat! We don’t do these very often, but when we do, it’s something special. Today, we’re chatting with Sie Medway-Smith (who worked with Björk, Chase & Status, Basement Jaxx, and Yoko Ono) and Martin Roberts (who’s worked with Depeche Mode, Dua Lipa, M83, and Shawn Mendes). They’re both talented engineers and proud OLLO ambassadors. They kindly spent an hour with us to share their stories and insights. Let’s get started!

What we cover:
→ Why real-world experience beats classroom theory
→ What it means to be “worthy of the room”
→ The mindset of the professional beginner
→ Martin’s path from home setups to paid gigs
→ How headphones and remote workflows are reshaping modern production
→ Behind the scenes of Sie’s wild project blending Kodo taiko drums with modular synths

00:00 — Intro
01:42 — Sie’s Journey and Current Work
04:50 — The Role of Education in Audio Engineering Today
07:34 — “You Have to Be Worthy of Being in the Room”
09:30 — Exploring the Concept of a “Professional Beginner” in Audio
13:05 — The Importance of Showing Up in the Industry
20:35 — What is a Playback Engineer? Martin Explains
27:00 — Sie’s Project with the Kodo Drummers: Creativity and Technical Challenges
35:05 — Staying Organised: Tracking Projects and Files as a Professional
36:36 — The Role of Headphones in Creative Decision-Making on the Go
43:05 — How Headphones Influence Your Work?
49:15 — Different Perspectives on “Translation” in Audio Mixing
54:45 — Designing Headphones: The Science and Challenges of Frequency Response
01:06:45 — Learning from Mistakes

Whether you’re just starting out, freelancing your way into pro sessions, or nerding out on process - this episode’s packed with insight, humour, and serious gear talk.

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Sie Medway-Smith is an East London audio engineer, producer, and mixer whose career began the old-school way - making tea and splicing tape in some of London’s top studios. Nearly 30 years later, he's still in the game, having worked with artists like Björk, Chase & Status, Basement Jaxx, and Yoko Ono. His story is one of deep listening, mentorship, and the kind of learning that doesn’t come from a textbook.
https://www.instagram.com/_siemedwaysmith_/

Martin Roberts’ passion for music started young in a musical family. He began DJing at 9, learned piano at 12, taught himself guitar by 13, and started songwriting and producing at 14. In 2004, he launched the House & Garage duo Control-S. Since 2013, Martin has focused on live music as a musician, music director, and playback engineer, working with artists like Shawn Mendes, Dua Lipa, Depeche Mode, M83, and more.
https://martinlroberts.com/