Studio Stuff

Ever finish an album and realize every song sounds… just a little different? Yeah... we’ve all been there. In this episode, we dig into how to keep a full record sounding cohesive without killing the vibe or getting lost in “template land.” We share our real-world album mixing workflow: how we craft a strong “first-song” mix, build a flexible mix template, what actually carries over between songs...

Ever record with delays, reverbs, and panning to “get the vibe,” then wonder if you should wipe the slate clean before the final mix? In this episode we unpack where the mix actually begins —during tracking or at mixdown—and how we decide what to keep, what to reset, and why. Then we answer a great listener question about routing: should your FX sends (like drum reverbs) return to the drum bus or...

We’ve all felt it: you see the fancy meter, the iconic logo, the higher price tag—and suddenly it “sounds” better. This week we unpack placebo in the studio : how visuals and expectations shape our judgment, why blind tests change everything, and why different versions of the “same” unit can legitimately sound different. We also share practical A/B methods you can try today and a slick Cubase Cont...

Do You Really Need Audio Theory to Mix Great? Some of us love the graphs. Some of us love the vibe. In this episode, we (Chris & Steve) talk about the sweet spot between technical knowledge and practical decision-making . How much theory do you actually need? When does ear training beat book learning? And how do you keep your mixes translating on cars, phones, earbuds, and studio monitors with...

Everyone talks about “flat” headphones for mixing… but what does flat actually mean? In this episode, we sit down with Rok Gulič of OLLO Audio to unpack the myths and realities behind flat response, low end, calibration, and translation when mixing on headphones. We dive into why “flat” isn’t one curve, how calibration really works, and how psychoacoustics shape what we think we’re hearing, especi...

Studio Stuff Podcast #19 |The Most Powerful Tool in Your DAW Automation: it’s more than fader rides, it’s storytelling. In this episode, we’re unpacking how automation evolved from a handful of engineers riding faders on an analog desk to today’s unlimited possibilities inside the DAW. And more importantly, how we use it every day to make music feel alive.    You’ll Learn: Why automation...

Studio Stuff Podcast #18 | Live Sound vs Studio Mixing: What We’ve Learned From Both Worlds Some of us are at home in a controlled studio, tweaking every detail until the mix is just right. Others thrive under the pressure of a live show, mixing on the fly in front of thousands. We’ve done both — and in this episode, we’re unpacking the lessons each world has taught us. From corporate gigs to chur...

Studio Stuff Podcast #17 | Good Lazy, Bad Lazy: What We Skip in the Studio (And Why) We all have those things we should do in the studio… but don’t. In this episode, we’re getting real about the habits we tend to skip—not because we don’t know better, but because sometimes it’s just easier (or smarter?) not to. We’re talking about “studio laziness” in all its forms—from forgetting to print stems t...

Studio Stuff Podcast #16 |  Stop Chasing the 'Perfect Mix' - Start Doing THIS Instead  Mixing is a bit like golf. You never really win—you just keep playing, keep tweaking, and (hopefully) keep getting better. In this episode, we’re diving into that idea: the journey of mixing as a constant evolution rather than a race to perfection. We talk about our ever-changing templates, plugin chai...

Studio Stuff Podcast #15 | Fake Band, Real Streams: Is AI Stealing the Spotlight? What happens when a band doesn’t exist… but they chart on Spotify anyway? In this episode, we dive into The Velvet Sundown —a band that’s racking up serious stream counts, releasing album after album, and might not even be real. Yup, it’s our first deep-dive into AI-generated music as a product, not just a tool. We b...

Studio Stuff Podcast #14 | What We'd Tell Our Younger Selves About Mixing, Gear & Music Theory If you could go back in time and give advice to the younger version of yourself—the one just starting out in music production—what would you say? In this episode, we get honest about the lessons we learned the hard way. From arrangement mistakes to gear addiction, from music theory regrets to what “p...

Studio Stuff Podcast #13 | Buses, Sends & Mix Flow: Inside Our Routing Workflow If you’ve ever looked at your DAW session and thought, “Where is everything going?”—you’re not alone. In this episode, we’re untangling the spaghetti of buses, groups, sends, and routing strategies that make up our mix sessions. We’re walking through how we use group channels, why we (sometimes) skip the drum bus e...

Studio Stuff Podcast #12 | Parallel Compression, Slapback & Secret Sends: Our Vocal FX Setup   We’ve talked recording, comping, editing… and now we’re wrapping up our vocal series with the good stuff—parallel compression, slap delays, long reverbs, throw delays, saturation, and all the FX that give your vocals that final polish. In this episode, we break down how we set up our vocal FX ch...

Studio Stuff Podcast #11 | The Vocal Chain Deep Dive: From Raw Takes to Radio-Ready     We also dig into how we treat doubles, how we automate delay times, and the FX we put on a bus that nobody talks about … but should. 🎧 Plus, we answer a great listener question about how to stay objective when you’re mixing your own music—especially when the project drags on.   You’ll Learn: How...

Studio Stuff Podcast #10 | The Art (and Chaos) of Recording Yourself at Home This week, we’re turning the mic around—literally. Chris and Steve explore what it’s really like to record vocals on your own, in a home studio setup where you’re the singer, engineer, and producer… all at once. From gear choices and room noise to workflow hacks and accidental plumbing victories, this episode is both prac...

Studio Stuff Podcast #09 I Recording Vocals is More Than Just Hitting Record   This week, we (Chris and Steve) are diving into one of the most emotional and surprisingly complicated parts of making music—recording vocals. It all started with a delayed omelet and a questionable bathroom comment, but somehow we ended up exploring everything from mic choice to the psychology of singers. If you’v...

Studio Stuff Podcast #08   What If Analog Gear Isn’t About the Sound at All? Chris and Steve kick off this episode with some laughs and lighthearted banter about Fahrenheit vs. Celsius and the quirks of 24-hour time—but things quickly take a turn into one of the most honest and overlooked conversations about analog gear : what if it’s not just about the sound? This episode dives into the emot...

Do You Trust your Studio Monitors or AirPods? Studio Stuff Podcast | Q&A Episode 7 When do you call a mix finished? In this Q&A episode, we answer a question from Marshall in Dallas: “Do you trust your monitors, or test it on other systems before sending it off?” We get into our own habits—like why the car isn't always the gold standard, how AirPods became the new "real world" reference, a...

Mixing Drums, Time-Align Debate & Poor Hi-Hats | Studio Stuff Podcast #07 Drums are the heartbeat of a track—but getting them to feel right in the mix? That’s a whole other story. In this episode, we (Chris and Steve) pick up where we left off in Part 1 and dive deep into the art of mixing drums . From building the sound around overheads to layering samples, managing reverb, debating time alig...

The Secrets Behind Songs That Make You FEEL Something! This is the Q&A from Episode 6, where we answer a great listener question: What parts of songs really bring out emotion for us? We dive into how little imperfections, unexpected arrangement choices, and second verse magic often create the biggest emotional moments. From the charm of old vinyl records to how we approach mixing to enhance th...

What Should You Buy Next for Your Home Studio? | Studio Stuff Podcast #06 Building a home studio can feel like navigating a never-ending gear jungle. Mic? Interface? Preamp? Cables? What should you actually buy next—and what can wait? In this episode, Chris and Steve walk through how they’d prioritize studio gear purchases if they were starting from scratch today. Whether you're working with a tig...

Kick, Snare, and a Bathroom Mic: Our Drum Recording Philosophy | Studio Stuff Podcast #05 Recording drums in a small studio can feel like a mix of science, art… and sometimes total chaos. So how do you get great drum sounds without a million-dollar room or a warehouse full of gear? In this episode, Chris and Steve break down their drum recording philosophy—covering everything from choosing the rig...

When Is a Mix Actually DONE? | Studio Stuff Podcast #04 Mixing a song feels like an endless loop sometimes—you tweak, adjust, listen again, and suddenly, you're back at square one. So, how do you actually know when a mix is finished?   In this episode, Chris and Steve dive deep into the never-ending question: When is a mix really done? They break down their own mixing workflows, share the str...

The TRUTH About Music Producers (What They Really Do!) | Studio Stuff Podcast #03 Music production isn’t what it used to be. Gone are the days when producers just sat on a couch, sipping coffee, while engineers did all the work. Today, producers are arrangers, mix engineers, problem solvers, psychologists, and sometimes even the artists themselves. In this episode, we dive deep into how the r...

The Struggle is Real: Mixing Bad Recordings | Studio Stuff Podcast #02 Mixing bad recordings—every audio engineer's nightmare! In this episode, Chris and Steve dive deep into the challenges of handling poorly recorded tracks and share real-world solutions. From digital clipping disasters to phase issues and excessive room noise, they break down their go-to techniques for salvaging flawed audio. Pl...