Recording Studio Rockstars

You're not serious until Taylor Swift fires you! Todd talked about playing the guitars on Kacey Musgraves records, songwriting with Lera Lynn, keeping the magic in the music during tracking sessions, and how to find new chord shapes for your guitar. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Todd Lombardo, an ACM acoustic session guitar player-of-the-year nominee, producer and songwriter living in Nashville TN. Most notably known for his contributions to Kacey Musgraves “Golden Hour”. He is also responsible for Canadian platinum productions as well as numerous number one country hits as a session player. I first met Todd when he brought the artist Mickey Cash over to The Toy Box Studio for me to mix. I was struck by his great production ideas, arrangement decisions, and guitar playing. Years later we reconnected over at Craig Alvins East Nashville studio which he occupies now. It also turned out we were both interested in weird stuff beyond music like Wim Hof and

My fingers are in tons of pies! Hugh talked about songwriting from dusty notes, Monty Python animations, shooting music videos, piezo mics for guitars, creating sounds from voice memos, pushing through writer's block, and podcast editing for money. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Hugh Macdonald aka Fairhazel a British/South African singer songwriter, artist, and producer born in Brighton but raised in London, Cape Town and Paris. Hugh left Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2018 returning to London to work with Communion Music under the name Fairhazel, releasing his first single 7x7 in February 2018 to critical acclaim. Roisin O’Connor of The Independent described it as having "tender, whispering vocals that recall the likes of Villagers, Ben Howard and Sufjan Stevens”. Inspired by artists France Gall, Harry Nilsson and Andy Shauf among others, Fairhazel has established himself as a musical storyteller blurring the lines between fiction and true sto

Give it all you've got because that might be all they get! Chuck talked about Nashville history, mixing "Money For Nothing", how to record acoustic and vocals, and why your favorite microphones could change in the future of mixing for immersive audio. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Chuck Ainlay, a four time Grammy winner with Ten ACM, Two CMA’s Awards & Two Tech Awards. Chuck has over thirty five hundred credits to his name, including work with legendary and defining country music artists such as; George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Steve Earle, Lee Ann Womack, Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris and The Chicks.  Chuck has placed his distinctive production and engineering stamp on projects with more mainstream artists such as Dire Straits and nearly the entire solo career of Mark Knopfler as well as Peter Frampton, Taylor Swift, Lionel Richie, Ann Wilson, James Taylor, Jewel, Bob Seger, Pentatonix and Sheryl Crow.  His work in immersive mixing has resulted in

Nothing is bigger than you! Joakeem (our youngest guest yet) talked about producing Hip-Hop-J-Dilla-Haitian-Komba music, midi studio signal flow, AI studio assistants, why you need Twitch & Discord, and a thorough breakdown of iZotope plugins & apps. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Joakeem Gaston a Boston-born musician, producer and photographer growing up in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and a graduate of the Full Sail recording program. As a first-generation American of Haitian immigrants, Joakeem was exposed to a variety of artists, music and people. Hearing different languages and different genres were hand in hand with his upbringing. Through his networking skills he learned in High School he was able to land at iZotope where he worked on the Customer Care and Artist Relations team. I met Jaokeem through his time working with iZotope and we got to connect at AES 2022 when I heard some of the cool vocal featured groove-based music he was creat

Does your mix need a spanking? Tom talked about mixing on SSL consoles and the UF8 & UC-1, why Pro Tools works great for mixing, how to get a bigger chorus, set up your monitors, how to create a killer snare, and the secret to nailing your vocal mix! Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Tom Lord-Alge aka TLA a Multi Grammy winning mixer who started out as a young engineer in New York like his older brother Chris Lord Alge. Tom began his career as a touring lighting director before being thrown into the FOH seat when the original FOH engineer went ill.  After 5 years of touring, Tom moved his focus to studio work and with his brother Chris worked at Unique Recording in New York. Then he was the resident mixer at what used to be known as "South Beach Studios", located on the ground floor of the Marlin Hotel in Miami Beach Florida. TLA received two Grammy Awards for his work on Steve Winwood's Back in the High Life (1986), and Roll with It (1988), both win

So comfy luck can't find you? Jacob talked about beating imposter syndrome, building a commercial studio with a staff of session musicians and teachers, how to get great vocal, guitar, and drum recordings, and how to be super organized in business! Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Jacob Light a musician, record producer, and audio engineer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been playing, writing, performing and recording music with bands and solo artists on stage and in the studio for 25 years. He has been credited on hundreds of commercial recordings for his work as a producer, engineer, guitarist, bassist, vocalist, songwriter, and arranger. Jacob is the founder, owner, musical director, and head engineer of ModernTone - a full-service recording studio and music education facility in Lafayette, CA. Jacob runs the studio with his team of pro session musicians, producers, audio engineers, and educators. Together they cater to recording artists,

Which panels sound-proof your studio? Wrong question! Wilson explained the difference between sound-treatment and sound-proofing, how to deal with floors, walls, and windows, how to build your studio, and where to set up your perfect mix position. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Wilson Harwood a producer and mix engineer in Nashville, TN. He founded his company Soundproof Your Studio in 2020 after building a soundproof studio in his backyard. He knew the world needed better explanations of how to soundproof a recording studio so he set out to teach soundproofing through his Youtube channel, podcast, blog and courses. Harwood's goal with Soundproof Your Studio is to provide scientifically backed approaches to Soundproofing that are easy and practical to implement. He now helps thousands of people from all over the world with their own DIY soundproofing projects whether it is a shed out back, a basement in a house or a spare garage. THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR

Six ingredients can make a masterpiece or a bowl of dog food! Kevin talked about mixing in mono, stereo or Atmos, how to set up a home studio and get a pro sound using headphones and a bucket for monitors, when your mix is done, and how to backup! Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Kevin Paul an audio engineer, mixer, and mastering engineer who worked with the Kinks at their studio before moving to Mute records to become head engineer. While there worked with pretty much every artist on the label including Depeche Mode, Goldfrapp, Erasure, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Luke Slater and many many more.  He also worked with David Bowie and recorded his album Hours and after leaving Mute records began working for Apple and iTunes in their festival season where they recorded and mixed Bruno Mars, Adele, Ed Sherran, and Fleet Foxes among many many others. Kevin recorded and worked with Nick Cave for over 10 years and run his own online mixing mastering service. 

Find the universal in the specific! Colin talked about writing grant proposals for records, organizing local show live albums, drum edits, and mixing templates in Logic Pro X, and how to create cool vocal harmonies in a "rock-in" closet home studio. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Colin Scharf a songwriter, producer, filmmaker, author, event organizer, occasional actor, and English professor living in Mankato, Minnesota. He moved from NYC to Mankato Minnesota and has an indie rock band with his wife called Good Night Gold Dust. Conlin has been on the podcast before to talk about his discovery of this podcast in 2020 and how it helped him make his best record ever to produce his first major album: a holiday compilation featuring musicians from my city performing standard and original songs. Colin has also produced over a dozen short films and starred as Buddy Holly in the biographical musical Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story (2016, 2022). He is the recipien

Vocal production starts with a hand-shake! Nick talked about the secret to a great vocal performance, mixing with the SSL UF8 and Neve Satellite, building a barn studio, running a studio business successfully, and how to mix the perfect vocal track! Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Nick Bullock a Nashville based producer, engineer, musician, and artist. One of the many things I was taught as a young man was to follow my curiosity. That curiosity led me to music school, to my band of ten years (and over fifteen hundred shows worldwide), and to my love of recording today. It leads me to ask questions even when I felt stupid asking them. Each and every one of those questions, and the discoveries that came afterwards have led to a wonderful life and relationship with music, and the artists I work with. Following that curiosity is one of the main reasons I'm still in love with music and recording. Every day I do my best to live by some pretty simple principl

Would you say no to a session with Bono and Edge? Dan talked about working at Memphis Sound Productions, recording B.B. King & Paul Schaffer, writing manuals for API, mixing with SSL, and teaching at one of the top recording colleges in Nashville TN. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Dan Pfeifer a professor in the Department of Recording Industry and Graduate Faculty Member at Middle Tennessee State University, and a native of Louisville, Kentucky. He got his Bachelor of Music degree from Middle Tennessee State University in 1983 and Master of Arts degree from the University of Memphis in 1987 with an emphasis in audio engineering and music production.   Before to coming to MTSU, Dan worked professionally as an audio engineer and producer, working with artists that include B.B. King, ZZ Top, Albert Collins, Al Green, Jerry Lee Lewis, and many others. He has also served as 2nd Vice President and member of the Board of Governors for the Memphis Chapter

What does The Scream sound like? Shawn talked about listening to paintings to guide your productions, acoustic guitars as synths, how to record Adele and not f#$% up, room mics on vocals, and how to match real EQs to plugins like a rocket scientist. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Shawn Everett a six-time Grammy-winning music engineer and producer originally from Canada and now in Los Angeles whose credits include Alabama Shakes, Kacey Musgraves, The War on Drugs, The Killers, Weezer, Local Natives, and Julian Casablancas to name a few.  Shawn has previously been a guest on episodes RSR137 and RSR270 when we talked with Shawn about his background and starting his studio in LA, and engineering and mixing Sound & Color by the Alabama Shakes.  Today we will talk more about recording and mixing and find out what's new at Shawn’s studio. Thanks to Lysee and Vanpelt Management for helping to set up this interview. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! https://UltimateMi

Don't touch that kick drum! Bryan talked about riding the drums during fills, adding drum distortion, setting up your Pro Tools mix template, how to mix with reverbs and delays, keeping the vocal realistic, and how to use mix bus plugins and stems. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Bryan Cook a Los Angeles based mixer whose credits include U2, One Republic, the Raconteurs, Fleet Foxes, Iggy Pop, Queens of the Stoneage, Cold War Kids, Damien Rice, The Eels, and Autolu to name a few. He has been a previous guest on the podcast for episodes RSR333 where we talked about his beginning at Berklee School of Music, working at A&M Studios, mixing with composer/producer Michael Andrews, and his recent work on Jeff Goldblum’s latest album. Today we will dive back into talking about mixing, and Bryan’s thought process and workflow in the studio to bring his experience to your home studio and help simplify what can seem like a very complex process. THANKS TO OUR SP

Replace the Replacements? Justin talked about delivering mixes and masters with Samply, remastering Can’t Hardly Wait by the Replacements, the best plugins you can use for mastering, fixed-level monitoring, and mastering with speakers and headphones. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Justin Perkins a mastering engineer in Madison, Wisconsin with Mystery Room Mastering who has worked on remastering projects for The Replacements, En Vogue, Ol’Dirty Bastard, Busta Rhymes, Jason Mraz, and mastering projects for Michael Franti & Spearhead, North Mississippi Allstars, Tommy Stinson, Lydia Loveless The Gaslight Anthem, G. Love, Screeching Weasel, The Figgs, and thousands of other independent bands and artists around the world. Justin also masters nearly all the content for The License Lab which is a library music company based in Milwaukee Wisconsin, and does a monthly livestream for Steinberg Media to help both new and current users of WaveLab Pro get a bett

Where is the attack of a bass anyway? Damian talked about wireframing production, mixing on small speakers, Pro Tools editing by hand, recording modular synths, pen and paper producing, how to get wide bass, and why you don't need no stinking mono! Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Damian Taylor a 10 x Grammy nominated producer, engineer, and mixer best known for his work with Bjork, The Prodigy, The Killers, Arcade Fire, UNKLE, TR/ST, Odette, The Temper Trap, City of the Sun, and Dizzy and recently for Bomba Estéreo’s album “Deja” picking up 4 nominations between the Anglo and Latin Grammys, including an album of the year nomination at the Latins. Damian has also been a guest on the podcast previously for episode RSR316 where we talked about his background in recording. Damian hosts an online community The Complete Producer Network is a positive and supportive place for folks to talk about all aspects of creating and releasing music at www.completeproduce

I love the smell of analog tape in the morning! Larry shared tips for mid-side two-track remixing, improving your recording craft, four-track cassettes, mixing She & Him, Pavement, mixing in Pro Tools, and referencing with multiple speakers. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Larry Crane the founder of Tape Op Magazine, owner of Jackpot! Recording Studio, a producer/engineer/mixer, and recording arts educator. He has been on the podcast previously to talk about starting out in a band, launching the magazine TapeOp, producing records and mixing at Jackpot! He also talked about recording and curating the musical archives of Elliott Smith, and lots of other fun stuff. Today we will talk about what's new in the studio, various archival/restoration jobs, and more recording and mixing insights. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! https://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com https://www.Spectra1964.com https://MacSales.com/rockstars https://iZotope.com/Rockstars Save up to 50% off

"Damn it Jim I'm a mixer, not a bricklayer!" Collin reminds you to make sure that the arrangement is right before the mixing session, why old houses sound great, how to mix drums with phase and polarity, mix into busses, and soothe bass and vocals. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Collin Dupuis a Nashville and Detroit based multi-Grammy nominated and two times Grammy winning mixer, producer, and engineer who has been on the podcast previously to talk about working with artists and projects including, Lana Del Rey, St. Vincent, Dr. John, The Black Keys, and many others. You can catch those episodes at RSR252 and RSR341  Currently, Collin is busy working as a freelance mixer and engineer, recording, and mixing songs and albums for artists including, Angel Olsen, Yves Tumor, Boy and Bear, Cherry Glazer, Lawrence Rothman and many others. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! https://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com https://www.Spectra1964.com https://MacSales.com/rockstars http

Got mixing questions? Vance answered all your questions from the RSR Facebook group, talked about the challenges of mixing in Atmos, multi-miking Chris Stapleton guitars and vocals, the SSL mixing template breakdown, and how to make a washtub bass. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Vance Powell, a multi-Grammy award-winning producer, engineer and mixer, and owner of Sputnik Sound in Nashville with Mitch Dane. Vance’s many credits include Chris Stapleton, The White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys, and Wolfmother to name just a few. Vance is a repeat guest on the podcast and you can hear his previous episodes on RSR 002, 171, 293 and 360 to hear about his backstory and get some great tips on mixing and mixing in Atmos. Today we will catch up with Vance and see what's new in rock and roll, and find out more about mixing in both stereo and Atmos as well. Vance also has a ton of great videos on Youtube if you want to go learn more plus he has some great courses over at P

Gloria Estefan was right! Stephen talked about Sphere and the history of American consoles, Smoky Joe amps, printing fx plugins, recording drums, acoustic, and electric guitars, deconstructing your tape machine alignment, and stereo ribbon mics. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Stephen Shirk an Engineer, Co-Producer and Musician. Stephen has been a guest on the podcast back on episode RSR272 when he talked about his background and starting Shirk Studios in Chicago restoring a beautiful Sphere console and building a dedicated space for recording full bands to analog tape.  “CONSOLE: 1976 Sphere Eclipse A - Discrete Inline Console.  32 Channels - 24 Mic Pres - 16 + 8 busses (24 outputs during recording) - With Eight 920 EQ’s and twenty four 910 EQ’s - Reichenbach input and Jensen output transformers give the console a punchy tone that defines the pinnacle of the 70’s American console design. Balanced Line Input mod features Cinemag Transformers and Discrete G

Is it bad to print your mix offline? John talked about the importance of arrangement, mastering dynamics in your mix, the Fletcher Munson curve, listening loud and quiet, crest factor, customer care, and why some plugins are different every time! Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is John Mayfield a mastering engineer with over 50 years of experience and owner of Mayfield Mastering in Berry Hill. Originally a career musician, John turned to recording and mixing in the 80s travelling to studios all over the world. He has also been a guest on episode RSR036. Originally a successful touring and studio musician John started out in the studio recording and then mixing all over the world finally settling on Nashville to start his own mastering studio. Dave Matthews Band, Sara Evans, Kathy Mattea, Naturally 7, Warner Brothers Records and Universal Music Group-UK, to list a few. John notes on his website that everyone in music is trying to figure out what is next and de