diff --git a/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/resque/audiomixer.rb b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/resque/audiomixer.rb
index 850c9f9a7..8bb0f5aa3 100644
--- a/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/resque/audiomixer.rb
+++ b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/resque/audiomixer.rb
@@ -7,24 +7,49 @@ module JamRuby
 
   class AudioMixer
 
+    @@log = Logging.logger[AudioMixer]
+
     def self.perform(manifest)
       audiomixer = AudioMixer.new
       audiomixer.run(manifest)
 
     end
 
+    def initialize
+
+    end
+
+    def validate
+      raise "no files specified" if !@manifest[:files] || @manifest[:files].length == 0
+    end
+
+    def fetch_audio_files
+      @manifest[:files].each do |file|
+        filename = file[:filename]
+      end
+    end
+
     def run(manifest)
-      manifest_file = Dir::Tmpname.make_tmpname "/var/tmp/audiomixer/manifest-#{manifest['recordingId']}", nil
+
+      @manifest = manifest.symbolize_keys
+
+      validate
+
+      fetch_audio_files
+
+      manifest_file = Dir::Tmpname.make_tmpname "/var/tmp/audiomixer/manifest-#{@manifest['recordingId']}", nil
       File.open(manifest_file,"w") do |f|
-        f.write(manifest.to_json)
+        f.write(@manifest.to_json)
       end
 
       #{"files": [{"codec": "vorbis", "offset": 0, "filename": "TPD - bass.flac-stereo.ogg"}, {"codec": "vorbis", "offset": 0, "filename": "TPD - bg vox.flac-stereo.ogg"}, {"codec": "vorbis", "offset": 0, "filename": "TPD - drums.flac-stereo.ogg"}, {"codec": "vorbis", "offset": 0, "filename": "TPD - guitars.flac-stereo.ogg"}, {"codec": "vorbis", "offset": 0, "filename": "TPD - lead vox.flac-stereo.ogg"}], "output": {"codec": "vorbis", "filename": "mix.ogg"}, "timeline": [{"timestamp": 0, "mix": [{"balance": 0, "level": 100}, {"balance": 0, "level": 100}, {"balance": 0, "level": 100}, {"balance": 0, "level": 100}, {"balance": 0, "level": 100}]}]}
 
-      path = "/var/lib/audiomixer/audiomixer/audiomixerapp"
 
-      system("tar zxvf some_big_tarball.tar.gz")
+      audiomixer_cmd = "#{APP_CONFIG.audiomixer_path} #{manifest_file}"
 
+      @@log.debug("executing #{audiomixer_cmd}")
+
+      system(audiomixer_cmd)
     end
 
   end
diff --git a/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/resque/audiomixer_spec.rb b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/resque/audiomixer_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f01519dbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ruby/spec/jam_ruby/resque/audiomixer_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+# these tests avoid the use of ActiveRecord and FactoryGirl to do blackbox, non test-instrumented tests
+describe AudioMixer do
+
+  let(:audiomixer) { AudioMixer.new }
+
+  describe "validate" do
+    it "no files specified" do
+      expect{ audiomixer.run({}) }.to raise_error("no files specified")
+    end
+
+    it "no codec specified" do
+      expect{ audiomixer.run({ "files" => [ "offset" => 0, "filename" => "/some/path"] }) }
+    end
+  end
+
+end
diff --git a/websocket-gateway/Gemfile b/websocket-gateway/Gemfile
index 301837131..0d8737bf8 100644
--- a/websocket-gateway/Gemfile
+++ b/websocket-gateway/Gemfile
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ gem 'aws-sdk', '1.29.1'
 gem 'bugsnag'
 gem 'geokit-rails'
 gem 'postgres_ext'
+gem 'resque'
 
 group :development do
 	gem 'pry'