S1, Ep5 - Jo Miln

In this episode, I’m speaking to Jo Miln, Co-founder and Director of Soundgas, a Derbyshire-based company specialising in vintage and rare recording equipment. I had the opportunity to meet Jo in person as part of a work experience day, where I was able to learn more about the business and the many different roles involved in running a company within the music technology industry. Soundgas restores and supplies vintage studio equipment, including classic synthesisers, tape echoes and other rare recording equipment, while also designing modern hardware inspired by vintage technology. Their equipment is used by musicians, producers, collectors and major recording studios around the world. Alongside Tony Miln, Jo is involved in the business side of Soundgas, including finance, HR, operations, apprenticeships and staff development, helping the company continue to grow while supporting the next generation of people entering the industry. In our conversation, we talk about Jo’s journey into the music technology industry, the story behind Soundgas, restoring and working with vintage studio equipment, and what it takes to run a business within the music industry. We also discuss apprenticeships, developing skills for a career in music technology, and the different opportunities that exist beyond the more technical and creative roles. During our conversation, Jo also briefly referred to a piece performed at the Royal Albert Hall as being by Delia Derbyshire; we later realised this was a mistake, and Jo kindly apologised and clarified that the piece was actually by Daphne Oram. Please excuse some of the background noise in this episode! This conversation was recorded live during my work experience day at Soundgas, so there is some natural background noise from the working space.