Ben Watson

Dev Portfolio

I fix Python and ML pipelines that break on real-world hardware and dependency mismatches — the stuff that works in the tutorial and fails on your actual machine. I read source code instead of guessing when something doesn't add up, and I document what broke and why, not just that it's "fixed now."

Debugging a legacy voice-cloning pipeline on unsupported hardware

Got a 2023-era voice-conversion toolkit (RVC) running from scratch on an unsupported configuration — an Intel Mac with no CUDA GPU, against modern library versions the project was never tested on. Root-caused five separate breakages: a changed PyAV API, a hardcoded CUDA-only device call with no CPU fallback, a genuine logging bug in the project's own error-handling path, and a removed matplotlib API — then pinned the right combination of Python/PyTorch versions to make the whole chain work together. Verified end to end with a real training run producing a working exported model.

Root-causing a deadlock in an async Python SDK

Traced a hang in the Claude Agent SDK to an unbounded wait on a CLI control-response acknowledgment, by reading the actual library source rather than guessing. Built a standalone reproduction first to confirm the diagnosis, then fixed it with proper timeout handling before shipping.

Skills

Python
Debugging
API Integration
Machine Learning
PyTorch
Audio Processing
Speech Recognition
Async Programming
Dependency Management
Legacy Code
Automation
macOS Development

Career Highlights

Two parallel careers, running concurrently for over 30 years: live video/broadcast production, and audio engineering at independent music venues.

HBO's The Wire — Film Electronics / Sound Utility / 2nd Boom, Seasons 3–5.
Presidential Inaugurations — worked every Presidential Inauguration from 1983 through 2009.
Keystone Korner (Baltimore) — audio engineer at the Baltimore revival of the legendary jazz club, Baltimore's first full-time jazz home in 30+ years.
NFL Kickoff 2002 — Site Coordinator for the national live broadcast opening the season, featuring Mary J. Blige, Britney Spears, Aretha Franklin, and Aerosmith.
The Grog & Tankard (Baltimore) — venue that hosted national touring acts including Nine Inch Nails and Concrete Blonde.
America's Most Wanted — Director for reenactments, 1998–2007.

My Story

On November 21, 2022, a total laryngectomy — surgery to remove throat cancer — took my voice. I was one of the first people in the United States to use the Ava Voice device, made by Laronix, at Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC). It restored natural-sounding speech without another surgery.

I was declared cancer-free roughly ten months after the laryngectomy, and remain cancer-free today. Getting my voice back changed how I connect with the people I love — and I'm sharing my story to help other laryngectomy patients know what's possible.

Press coverage

Try the free Voice Recovery Planner app → — a tool I built for tracking voice exercises, device care, appointments, and recovery milestones after laryngectomy.