Recording Studio Rockstars

"Made Loud To Be Played Loud!" Bill talked about recording with his son Michael, how to create cinematographic drums, single mic vocal stacking with The Eagles, producing demos on a boat, how to record great rock guitars, and singing at 8000 feet. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Bill Szymczyk (and his son Mike Szymczyk) a Grammy-winning and multi-nominated American music producer and engineer best known for producing Hotel California by The Eagles. He produced many top albums and singles of the 1970s, though–aside from continuing to work with Joe Walsh–he retired from the music business by 1990  re-emerging in the late 2000s for select projects including the 2007 Eagles album Long Road Out of Eden and the 2008 eponymous debut of Brian Vander Ark. Unlike many music producers, Szymczyk has no background as a musician. He was originally a sonar operator for the U.S. Navy and took some audio production classes as part of his Navy training. Besides his work wit

Delete most of those damn tracks before you mix! Billy talked about narrowing the drum and guitar mics down to the essentials for mixing, his vocal chain, bass eq roll-off, designing the perfect mixing chain plugins, and how mixing mono can help you. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Billy Decker aka The Deckerator is an award winning Nashville mixing engineer known for his efficient and effective mixing method.  He’s mixed 16 Billboard #1”s to date such as Dustin Lynch’s “Riding Roads” and notable artists as Sam Hunt, Chris Young, Rodney Atkins, Parmalee, Colt Ford, and the metal band Starset to name just a few. He also mixed George Jones’s last album before he passed. Billy Decker made history in July of 2014 when Sam Hunt became the most added new artist of all time.  Decker works in a unique way. “I mix really fast. Most of my mixes are finished within an hour. To be able to do this, I use a lot of templates in pro tools. Instead of spending two hours EQ

Is it OK to Butcher a session? Sean talked about recording at the kitchen table with John Prine, capturing powerful vocals with Sturgill Simpson, when to use goboes and figure eight mics, and why the fiddle player texts you during a tracking session. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Sean Sullivan a 3 time Grammy award winning engineer, mixer and producer based in Nashville. After graduating from MTSU a chance opportunity landed him at The Butcher Shoppe Studio, owned by John Prine and producer David Ferguson, where he continued to work for a decade before the building was sold and demolished in the summer of 2020.  Notable artist that recorded at the studio include Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, The Black Keys, Kurt Vile, Jake Bugg, The Devil Makes Three, Margo Price, The Steeldrivers, and The Del McCoury Band. Since the Butcher Shoppe's closing Sean has primarily been working out of The Tractor Shed studio in Goodlettsville, TN and his personal home mi

It's all about the vibe! Adam talked about recording the Bloc Party Alpha Games, overdubbing cymbals, recording like Al Schmitt, guitar pedals mixing in the box, why the Mini Moog has nothing new to say, and where to use Slate Virtual Console. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Adam Greenspan A Grammy-nominated engineer, mixer, and producer who had a pretty good start to his career engineering Faith No More’s “Album of the Year” at age 20. He later spent time at two world-class studios, Westlake Audio and The Village Recorder, working with artists such as Marilyn Manson, Rage Against the Machine, and Bono before going freelance in 2000. Adam has been a guest on the show for episode RSR289 when we talked about his background in music. Today we will see what's new in his studio. Thanks so much to Adris Evelis at JZ Microphones for making our introduction. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! https://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com https://www.Spectra1964.com https://MacSales

How many recording engineers does it take to change a light bulb? Joe talked about tracking to tape without headphones, mixing in the box using headphones, ns10s, and Auratones, creating cool drum sounds with plugins, and vocal mic and mixing tips. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Joe Costa a freelance engineer/mixer in Nashville, TN, originally from Dartmouth MA. A Berklee College Of Music graduate, Joe started out at Syncro Sound in Boston before moving to Nashville in 1993. Since then, he has worked in many great studios like Sound Emporium, Treasure Isle, House Of David, and RCA Studio A, and with many great artists, producers, and engineers through his career like Richard Dodd, William Shatner and Joe Baldridge, and also for more than a decade with Ben Folds. Joe’s credits also include Amanda Palmer, Elizabeth Cook, Lyle Lovett, Sara Bareilles, Kesha, and Caitlin Rose, among many others. He has been a guest on the show on episode RSR090 to talk about

Mix with your ears closed! Bobby talked about mixing using only visual meters, why playlist mixes are the new radio mixes, immersive audio, simple home studio sound treatments, mixing in headphones, and how to take your mix from muddy to magnificent. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Bobby Owsinski a Producer/engineer and one of the best selling authors in the music industry with 24 books that are now staples in audio recording, music, and music business programs in colleges around the world, including The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook, Social Media Promotion For Musicians, and The Music Business Advice Book.  He’s also a contributor to Forbes as a category expert on the new music business, his long-running production and music industry blogs have won numerous industry awards, and he’s appeared on CNN and ABC News as a music branding and audio expert.  Bobby’s highly-rated Inner Circle podcast is now in its 9th year, with more than 400 episodes that feature mo

We need more kettlebell! Josh talked about mixing in Studio One so your song sounds like a finished record, a healthy studio lifestyle and working routine, understanding compression, mixing dance kick and bass, and producing in Poland and Romania. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Josh Harris an internationally known producer, composer, engineer, remixer and music industry educator. His credits include top artists like Seal, Madonna, The Killers, and James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem). His corporate clients include NBC, ABC, MTV, VH1 and USA Network. Classically trained as a pianist and composer, he has always focused on fusing different musical genres, resulting in memorable songs and productions that stay with you long after the first listen. No stranger to working with major label recording artists, in 2008, Josh toured with Grammy award winning artist, Seal, as his musical director and keyboardist. In both 2007 and 2008, Josh received nominations from the I

Don't be afraid to grab the guitar when engineering! Warren talked about choosing the right mic for your studio, why modern mics sound so clean, giving back to the community, the future of the clicktrack, TEC award, the Beatles, and session players. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Warren Huart an English record producer, musician, composer and recording engineer based in Los Angeles, California who is most associated as a music producer and/or engineer in the recording industry as a multi-platinum producer for The Fray, Daniel Powter, Marc Broussard, Trevor Hall, Korn, Better Than Ezra, James Blunt, Matisyahu, Ace Frehley, Aerosmith and Howie Day.  His film and television credits include Inglourious Basterds, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, MTV’s The Hills, Lost, Scrubs, and Grey’s Anatomy. Huart is the owner of Spitfire Studio in Los Angeles, California, and runs a DIY YouTube Channel called "Produce Like a Pro" with over 670,000 subscribers worldwi

There's beauty in Blumlein! Wessel talked about the power of mixing quickly, trusting your gut before your ears, why you need great low end in monitoring, how to record double bass, the future of immersive sound and mixing to multiple busses. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Wessel Oltheten a mixing and mastering engineer in the Netherlands, who has been on the podcast on episode RSR152 to talk about his mixing studio and philosophies. He is also a published author of the book Mixing With Impact on Focal press and teaches at  Utrecht University of the Arts.  Wessel is very prolific and in 2021 was able to work on no less than 862 tracks. His discography sounds really great working with very cool bands like Dewolff, Pocket Knife Army, Black Oak, and many others. Whether it's art rock, electronic music, or singers up close and personal Wessel has the ability to make it sound great with his thoughtful mixing and mastering. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! https://Ulti

Can't have Too Much Joy in the studio? William talked about best practices for producing and recording vocals and guitars over the internet, mixing in Pro Tools like a console, Slate Raven, Stream Deck, Sound Flow, drums and his mix bus template. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is William Wittman, a Grammy Award-winning independent Producer/Engineer/Musician/Songwriter based in New York. He began his career as a musician and moved from there into work as a studio engineer and producer. He held the position of Chief Engineer at several major recording studios. As Producer and Engineer, his credits include the multi–platinum debuts from Cyndi Lauper, Joan Osborne, the Hooters, and The Outfield.  His success as an independent producer led to several years as an A&R Vice President and Staff Producer at two major record labels (Sony/Columbia and BMG/RCA). As a musician, he has appeared on nationally televised shows including The Late Show with David Letterman

"Sonically good without the sonic soul is crap!" Michael talked about why it's the emotional stuff, not the technical stuff that makes a great mix, how to understand multi-bus mix compression, why plugins are fun, and mixing in Atmos on headphones. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Michael Brauer a Grammy-winning New York mix engineer. His many credits include "Best Pop Vocal Album" for John Mayer's Continuum, "Best Alternative Album" for Coldplay's Parachutes, and also "Best Rock Album" for Coldplay's "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends". Other artists include The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Jeff Buckley, David Byrne, Paul McCartney, Ben Folds, KT Tunstall, and Martha Wainwright. He also invented the technique known as 'Brauerizing', in which mixes are routed through multiple compressors and busses to create a blended sound. And he is a co-founder of Mix With The Masters which has been running for over a decade.  Michael has been a guest on the show p

Who wants 20 drum mics? Danny talked about how to mix drums with samples, why a bass amp is best, mixing in Atmos, the Tascam cassette eight-track, how to use compression, and why you should put a single Coles 4038 over the drummer's right shoulder. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Danny Reisch a multi-instrumentalist writer, producer, engineer, and studio owner. Originally from Texas, Danny built an incredibly successful recording studio called Good Danny's, where he began to establish himself as a world class producer and engineer. Since then, Danny has moved to LA to pursue more opportunities, including film and TV mixing. Recently, Danny has just finished mixing for the Local Natives EP, as well as LP's for Bayonne and Barns Courtney. In the film scene, Danny has just wrapped score mixing for Disneys "Peter Pan" and Wendy, as well as AMC's new show "Interview With The Vampire" Thanks to Kelle Musgrave Glanzbergh at Linear Management for the introduction

Nashville tuning for rock guitars? Dave talked about shooting out vocal mics, recording overheads from the drummer's perspective, mixing the Jayhawks for Rick Rubin, starting at Oceanway Studios, click tracks, perfect hand claps, and mixing in Atmos. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Dave Schiffman a Grammy winner and Multi–Platinum selling producer, mixer, and engineer came up the ranks as Rick Rubin’s engineer. Together they produced monster hits such as Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘Californication’, System Of A Down’s ‘Toxicity’, which reached # 1 on Billboard, certified double platinum, and earned multiple awards and nominations. They also produced ‘Hypnotize’ which once again hit Billboard #1 and led the band to be the first-ever rock outfit to have two #1 LPs in one year. Dave’s production and mixes have topped the charts recently with The Strumbellas Hope from which the single ‘Spirits’ hit #1 on the Billboard Alternative charts, took home the Juno Award f

"Does it go to eleven?" Paul talked about why level matching sucks for a real studio session, Recreating classic doubler and flanger plugins, designing immersive analog consoles, and why you should mix in 7.4.1. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Paul Wolff. In his own words - “In 1972, I was hanging out at a local TV shop, a guy comes in with a Strat with "no sound". The shop owner had no clue, I pulled the jack out and fixed it, the guitar player said "from now on, your name will be FIX…". That was the beginning of my course on the road to the studio to designing. Both parents were in Big Bands during the 40’s, and later my Father was a civil engineer and my mother was a custom jeweler. A club in Washington DC called the Bayou, I did FOH for such bands as Foreigner, Dire Straits, Pat Benatar, etc. I was the FOH for many showcase bands attempting to get signed. In June of 1985, I was offered API at a very low price because the current owners wanted to trim th

How big and fat is your snare? Jon talked about getting great drums sounds, ribbon vs condenser overhead mics, miking guitar amps, shopping bands to labels, calibrating the console for mixing from Pro Tools, and getting the kick and bass phase right. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Jon Fintel a producer/engineer in Columbus, Ohio and owner of Relay Recording studio. Way Yes, The Worn Flints, Snarls, Girl Fox, and Mark Lomax are just a few of the artists that have worked with Jon at Relay. Jon has been a guest on the show on episode RSR199 to share his backstory and talk about recording at Relay Recording Studio. Today we will talk about what's new at the studio and dive into more recording and mixing tips for your studio. Thanks again to Jason Knox for making our original introduction. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! https://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com https://www.solidstatelogic.com https://www.Spectra1964.com https://MacSales.com/rockstars https://iZotope.com/

Should you buy 10 of everything you need? Larry talked about Jackpot! Recording Studio, recording and archiving Elliott Smith's music catalog, mixing on a console vs Pro Tools, recording a song quickly, and audio restoration tips in iZotope RX. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Larry Crane the founder of Tape Op Magazine, and owner of Jackpot! Recording Studio, a producer/engineer/mixer, and a 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! Recording Studio, 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.solidstatelogic.com https://www.Spectra1964.com https://MacSales.com/rockstars https://iZotop

Are you trying or just lying? James talked about why losing weight, staying healthy, and doing rather than trying, how to eat well and find a daily exercise routine for life in the studio, and vocal coaching tips for being able to hit the high notes. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is James Lugo singing and playing music since he was 6 years old. His career as a singer / guitarist / songwriter spans decades and coasts. Cutting his teeth in the late 70’s playing in country and rock bands in Fort Lauderdale to headlining LA’s Sunset Strip in the late 80’s, later playing guitar with Dokken and singing with Nazareth. He toured for years, playing and living in Los Angeles, Nashville, and Austin and wrote countless songs professionally in all genres with much commercial success and TV and film placement.  While living and working in Los Angeles his skill as a vocal coach and music producer began to take off in 2001 when he began working as a vocal analyst and coach

What if you could meet your heroes? Craig talked about connecting with Eddie Van Halen to deliver long-lost Van Halen bootlegs, recording his own triple amp guitar setup, hanging out with Dweezil and Frank Zappa, and soloing John & Yoko's vocal mics. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Craig Parker Adams owner of Winslow Ct studio in LA and accomplished guitarist and producer. Craig was a guest on episode RSR331 when he shared his background in music and talked about running the oldest recording studio in the world dating back to the 1900’s for the earliest sound for film productions. Craig has worked with a great list of which unclides Frank Zappa and got a great write up in Rolling Stone about mixing Frank Zappa and the Mothers’ Epic 1971 Fillmore East Shows for the 50th-Anniversary Reissue 8-CD box set which includes band encores with John Lennon and Yoko Ono and even a recording of the infamous London’s Rainbow Bridge gig that left Zappa nearly paralyze

Can you really get kicked off an island? Joe shared stories of early band memories with Lij Shaw, recording to a double cassette deck and microphone, capturing great drum, bass, and guitar sounds on a 4 track in a home studio and writing cool lyrics. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Joe Armin, a drummer, guitarist, and songwriter and leader of the first band I ever got to play with in St Louis a college cover band called Ayatollah Joe And The Hostages. “Joe grew up in Cincinnati, and started playing piano, drums and then guitar as a kid.  He started multitracking in his basement in 4th or 5th grade. Joe got addicted to playing in bands and recording one-off tunes. In college during the mid to late 80's at Washington University in St. Louis he played music in a handful of bands, one of his first that started doing paying gigs was a covers and originals 4-piece with yours truly, Elijah Shaw.  Joe & Elijah got their first studio experience while taking a re

If you can surf you can mix! Clint talked about designing his new Dolby Atmos control room, mixing binaurally in headphones, choosing the best mix bus eq, the SSL UC-1 plugin controller and lots of great tricks for recording and mixing killer drums. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Clint Murphy a multi-platinum, award-winning producer, engineer, mixer, songwriter, and musician. He has worked on records as diverse as Manic Street Preachers, Enter Shikari, RØMANS, and 50 Cent, racking up hits both in the UK and internationally.  Clint has been a guest on the podcast episode RSR313 where you can hear his backstory of producing power pop rock tracks in the UK. But now he is back in New Zealand and today we will talk more about new projects and production and mixing remotely. Thanks so much to Ryan Smith at (Sterling Sound) for making our introduction. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! https://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com https://samply.app/ Use code RSR20 to get 20% off