Inside The Recording Studio

Chris and Jody waltz into the minefield of hardware vs software synths. What are the pros and cons to each side of the fence? What particular side of the fence do they land on? What is the practical application of each and what do some of the more successful musician producers tend to use in the studio or in a live situation? They're ready for the blowback on the controversial topic.

Chris and Jody detail the journey they have taken learning the ropes of choosing the right vocal mic. Discussing different types of mics and how they go about figuring out what mic will suit a voice. Plus what advantages we now have with modern mic setups that gives the end user a better way to choose the right mic to compliment a voice for a recording.

Chris and Jody look into the outer reaches of the effects to use for productions. What would be called Esoteric effects. What are they? Why would we call them that? How to go about putting some of them to use in productions and mixes. What are our favorites that we reach for when needed? It's all in here and a little more.   *****************************************   Gear We Used: Jody’s Mic & Vo...

Chris and Jody hit the autobahn of decisions. To tune or not to tune vocals or other instruments, that is the question. It's a subject many don't like to chat about. It's also an important part of modern music's DNA. What does the ItRS duo do? What do they use? What are the major players in the world of tuning? It's all here and a little bit more.

Chris and Jody delve into the tasty subject of production candy. What elements make up production candy? Why think about production candy? Are there overused elements of production candy? How can you implement production candy into your mixes and production? Should you implement production candy in them? It's all here and then some.

Chris and Jody delve into the inner workings of what makes up Chorus as an effect. Talking about how the sound is achieved and where it really got it's comeuppance. Explaining some of the common parameters that control Chorusing and describing how they use it. Plus divulge what their favorite Chorus units are.

Chris and Jody come with a partner chat about reference tracks for production and writing emulation. What are reference tracks for production and writing and do Chris or Jody use them? What's the point of emulation inspiration? Are there pitfalls to making use of reference tracks for this purpose? Where should they fit into one's workflow and what should be avoided if using them? That's the burnin...

Chris and Jody kick off 2023 with a chat about reference tracks. What are reference tracks and do Chris or Jody use them? What's the point of reference tracks? Are there pitfalls to making use of reference tracks? Where should they fit into one's workflow and what should be avoided if using them? That's the burning core of this episode.

Chris and Jody take stock of 2022. Talking about things they've learned, things they've changed and things they think the future will hold. Plus there's some added bonus of goal setting.

Chris and Jody take a side street with today's episode as we come down the alley to the end of 2022. It's parallel compression. How do you do parallel compression? The methods that can be used to achieve it. Why would you want to do parallel compression? What to watch out for and how often we use it. Is there a compressor we each use more often than others to work with parallel compression? Come a...

Chris and Jody bring on the creative powerhouse Venus Theory. Find out about his humble beginnings on Mount Olympus and the unique way he got into music. We dive into making music, matters of life, ways to create and so much more. It's a power-packed 90 minute interview with Cameron aka Venus Theory. https://venustheory.com

Chris and Jody cut to the chase with some workflow tips to help you when it comes to not wasting client's time in the studio. They have 5 tips to put on your front burner to simmer into your workflow. Plus there's a few personal choices to help color the stew.

Chris and Jody unwind the simple choices that producers need to make when tackling electric guitars. Hardware choices like amp heads and cabs to pair with mics. Or going the software route.

Chris and Jody head over to the other side of the glass. Going into a checklist for musicians, artists, and bands looking to go into a studio and record. What are the do's and don'ts? How can this help you find the right fit of a studio. How it can help a studio owner better serve those who wish to record at their studio. Plus we give a few personal examples we've dealt with. It's also not unlikel...

Chris and Jody decide it's time to think about mono compatibility. With so many smart speakers on the market these days, it's a wise choice to start thinking about how a mix will translate on them. What are the reasons for mono compatibility? How to check for mono compatibility? What are some of the pitfalls that can ruin mono compatibility? All this and more this time around. It's also not unlike...

Chris and Jody pull into the station on a listener request. Talking about time management and good studio scheduling. Making sure you stay busy, but not feeling over worked. Making sure you're not under scheduled and scrambling to find more work. Also, hints to keeping track of your time in order to figure out how long you take and what you should be charging. It's all in here and more. It's also...

Chris and Jody get an early bird worm look at a new reverb plugin, BigSky from Strymon. This is Strymon's first foray into the world of plugin computing and what better way to introduce itself to your DAW and digital rig setup than with the luscious BigSky? Chris and Jody discuss putting the plugin thru it's paces. An in-depth look at all the reverb playgrounds. Plus an extra deep dive into severa...

Chris and Jody go exploring the SSL 4000 console. Giving a brief look at the history of the company and the board. Then they get into the nuts & bolts of all aspects of the channels and the SSL sound. The input, the dynamics, the EQ, the filers and more. It's all here and then some. It's also not unlikely that there will be some nonsense discussed.

Chris and Jody unload about how to be productive while having down time. You know that time when you're not super busy recording, mixing, mastering all the latest tracks from the current hot band who requested your special skills. There are 3 categories of ideas presented here to help you get your mind right when you're between projects. It's also not unlikely that there will be some nonsense disc...

Chris and Jody lay out a list of mistakes that are easy to make when starting on the journey to becoming a mastering engineer. There are no less than 10 mistakes laid out to take in, internalize and then let go of. Come on inside and figure out the path to mastering bliss with us. It's also not unlikely that there will be some nonsense discussed.

Chris and Jody make quick work of ways to operate when you've got short deadlines. What are some real world examples we've come across. Best practices that have helped us and can certainly help you. It's also not unlikely that there will be some nonsense discussed.

Chris and Jody divide and conquer the subjects of corrective EQ and sweetening EQ. What is the definition of each? Where do we approach each style of EQ? What is the process value of each style of EQ? All this is discussed and more. Don't forget the Friday Finds that we found this week for you!

Chris and Jody weigh in on the concept of knowing music theory. Should a producer, a musician, a mix engineer know music theory? Will it help or hinder the situation in the studio? How about the writing process? Are there pitfalls to dealing with artists that don't know music theory? It's also not unlikely that there will be some nonsense discussed.

Chris and Jody (with their kinda fun podcast) sit down to chat with songwriter, producer, VI maker extraordinaire - Mike Greene. You've likely heard Mike's handiwork on "bad" TV shows or some artist's records. Or maybe you've heard of his VI company Realitone. We go deep with Mike and find out what makes him tick. Plus we learn a rather interesting connection between him and David Bowie. Find out...

Chris and Jody open up some windpipes on the methods of learning how to hear what compression is doing. Covering the controls of a normal compressor, to extreme settings that should really accentuate what it's doing to a signal. Plus a few more little tricks to the trade that we've used to learn to hear what a compressor is doing and use it to your advantage. It's also not unlikely that there will...