Helping you make your best record ever..

RSR038 – Ian Brennan – How Music Dies (Or Lives)

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If you dig the show I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

RSR038 - Ian Brennan - How Music Dies (Or Lives)

My guest today is Ian Brennan a recording artist, producer, concert promoter, activist, and author. He is a GRAMMY-winning producer with four GRAMMY-nominated records for Best World Music, and Best Traditional Folk.

Ian has many interesting tales to tell. Whether performing a weekly show in a San Francisco laundromat for five straight years, or producing records in the recording studio, or promoting concerts for crowds of thousands, or traveling the world recording some of the most fascinating music you might hear, Ian Brennan is always creating, recording, and writing about it. And as a result, has an intimate understanding of music.

He has written a fascinating book called “How Music Dies (Or Lives): Field Recording And the Battle for Democracy in the Arts” that shares his deep understanding of music, culture, and recording. He helps us look beyond what the world recognizes as music through popular recordings, and into the core of what music really means to us as human beings.

It is an ear opening journey around the world with the intent of preventing us from deafley stumbling toward the end of music through innocent global homogenization of culture, by guiding us to a better understanding of what music really sounds like when it matters the most.

Ian has had a long career of recording his own music and producing other’s music, both in the studio and outside of the studio. His client list is loaded with names that you might recognize like Kyp Malone & Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio), Flea, Lucinda Williams, David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Nels Cline (Wilco), DJ Bonebrake & John Doe (X, the Knitters), Bill Frisell, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Jonathan Richman, Richard Thompson, and many more.

But it’s the names that you wouldn’t necessarily recognize that tell a truly remarkable story of Ian’s recording career. Projects from around the world like the Malawi Mouse Boys, The Zomba Prison Project, Hanoi Masters, and Italy’s Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino are recordings that Ian passionately writes about in his new book.

Here are the three main labels where most of the releases can be found...

http://www.sixdegreesrecords.com

http://glitterbeat.com

http://www.irl.bigcartel.com

"In the USA last year they estimated over 100,000 [music] releases, yet most countries in the world didn’t have a single release internationally of popular music"

-Ian Brennan

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Sainkho Namtchylak

She’s virtuosic, has a 5 oct range. The last record she collaborated with rhythm section from Tinariwen. It was more song oriented with instant composition, for the most part they wrote songs on the spot. We recorded a double album literally in 5.5 hours in one afternoon. We didn’t release all of it, but that type of singer gives new meaning to what it is to be a vocalist. Somebody who not only has that range but somebody who has a range in terms of tone you know where they can literally sound like other people and even like other species, mirroring the sounds of the environment (water & wind).

Malawi Mouse Boys

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. The Malawi boys have been singing together since they were small children in their village with no electricity, radio, tv, or running water, and they have built all their own instruments. Music is a part of their daily lives and they literally learned to sing together so they’ve never sung apart. I think when you stumble upon that, any mic that's within six feet of them is going to capture something potentially cool. The depth of the musicality is so profound because they’re not viewing it in a consumeristic way, they’re viewing it in a very natural way. They don’t feel that it's in limited supply. And one of the most incredible things about their group is the ability to adapt instantly. So if they feel like it, one of them might switch and sing lead on another song without ever having done it before and without planning and rehearsing it

Zomba Prison Project

We went into the maximum security prison from Malawi and worked for almost two weeks with the men and women there on songwriting and recording. We recorded over six hours worth of music which is a lot because it involved 60 people and most songs were recorded just once. From that we released a record and much to everyone’s surprise it received a grammy nomination at the end of 2015. That became a big story internationally. The individuals involved were age 27-70. With the men, we recorded in their little rehearsal area, with the women, we recorded in the dirt courtyard of the prison. As far as the EQ area, I always turn mixes over to better engineers such as John Golden of Golden Mastering.

Ian Brennan
Learning to Use Your Own Voice

I think it’s fine to have influence but it's fairly consumeristic and can be somewhat indulgent and there's nothing wrong with that either I think for a lot of artists it’s good to purge themselves, abstain from listening deliberately to recorded music and to try to listen instead to things that are more random. There's not silence. There’s no such thing as silence, but the sounds that they are surrounded by. That’s one aspect and I think that it's often times good for people to go to the other extreme and really to embrace something is an obsessive compulsive way. Something that might really move them it might be a single song or a single performance and that's kind of an ancient traditionally musically technique sometimes to literally play the same song until you drop for days at a time. Learning to forget, where it becomes so deeply embedded that you’re able to then move on to the level of expert, where it’s all forgotten… get into the zone and do things that no one can consciously produce

Jam Session

Q - What was holding you back at the start?
A - I think it's always fear that holds people back. You know, I think rather than trying to deny fear which is often times people's goal, I think to acknowledge it and then to proceed is usually the better course. When I began equipment was so hard to come by I mean this is before the Tascam Portastudio, so it's been brilliant to see the accessibility of recording for people that doesn’t require that pressure to go outside their own home and spend huge amounts of money, that they can develop more organically and build up to something bigger.

Q- What was some of the best advice you got early on?

A- Some of the best advice I ever received was make sure musicians are standing up and moving when they’re recording. More specifically, I would refine that to make sure that people are doing whatever they normally do. So if they normally play guitar and sing, they should play guitar and sing and not track a guitar and try and sing to it. Everybody’s different.

“If everyone’s happy you’ve hit some kind of compromise medium that lacks point of view” -Ian Brennan

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Q- Share with us a recording tip, hack, or secret sauce.

A - Again I think it comes back to the point we were just talking about, record in the manner people are comfortable recording. Meet them where they are at. So if they’re a night person, record at night. If they’re a morning person, record in the morning. I really believe in recording somewhere that has meaning to the individual so that it does have a sense of time and place even if it's not outdoors.

Q - Share a favorite hardware tool for the studio
A- When I’m recording outdoors I use battery operated recording devices: Tascam is kind of the origin of home recording, Zoom. Outdoors the sounds that present the most problems are wind and transient sounds. But otherwise with proximity, when the mics are close, that’s all you tend to hear.

“When [artists] surrender to who they truly are, they are embraced” -Ian Brennan

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Q - Share a favorite software tool for the studio

A - I think that any noise reduction is going to be invaluable. This is the thing about the digital era that is so incredible to be able to do things today that we couldn't do two years ago, let alone five years ago. iZotope, Waves, Cedars, it's a miracle what can be done. I’m sure they’re going to become more plentiful in the next coming years

Q -Share with us a tip for the business side of the recording studio

A - Pollstar.com is a great resource, its about live recording but I think its a way of learning anecdotically about how the business works. They put out the equivalent of billboard for the live music industry. Even though I’m not very concerned with the commercially aspects of the business, it can be very fascinating to see the changes. One of the big misconceptions that people have is that the music industry is dying and the music industry is in fact growing. They are making more money every year, it's pretty stable. They are making more of it from live rather than recordings, and they’re making it from fewer people which is a sad trend.

“I think all recordings are field recordings” - Ian Brennan

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Q - If you had to start over what gear would you need? How would you find people to record? And how would you make ends meet while you got started?

A - I think knowing that you don’t need so much equipment as much as people might believe and that the relationships are going to be what's important is something that can lead to contacts. If you’ve got a Tascam 680 and a VRE20 and a lavaliere can always come in handy and a couple of 57s and 58s and AKG 451’s, and ideally a couple of those sound device preamps but even without those, I think you can record just about anything quite well. As far as meeting people and going about it, I believe hugely in volunteering and giving people a sample. It better to be proactive and active then to sit back passively and wait for someone. I’d much rather go out there and just agree to record someone for free!

Q - What are some things you need for recording and traveling?

A - Duct tape. Duct tape is about all you need. If you've got duct tape, you’ll find a place to put the mic. In most cases there’s going to be chairs around, just tape it to a chair. If you’re outside, you tape it to a tree. It’s not ideal, but necessity is the mother of invention. There’s usually a way to make it work. Also I really believe in laying microphones on the ground that you can get really good sound that way. Particular if you are talking about specifically foot taps or wanting to get more of a mono sound of a single solo performer, it can sound really great! That’s the only place there’s going to be any reflection if you are outdoors.

“Necessity is the mother of invention” - Ian Brennan

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Q - What is the single most important thing a listener can do to become a rockstar of the recording studio?

A - Tell the truth. It means, have integrity, be direct with people, but also in the music itself try to find the truth of the experience and again there's no right or wrong way to do things but i think that when people share a genuine experience people value that almost more than anything else. You know people are starved for attention, but people are also starved for honesty. People that are very nice and social and try to too hard and ultimately are maybe being artificial sometimes have less success socially than people that can be quite blunt and I think we should be empathic with people and sensitive and care, but at the same times, it's amazing how a bit of candor can go so far with people because it does eliminate fear ultimately. They realize they’re with someone who's going to tell them the truth and they don’t have to guess and doubt and I can take it or leave it.

Contact: IanBrennan.com

Big Thanks to Tyler Cuidon & Merissa Marx for this week's episode!!

RSR037 – Tommy Wiggins – Tommy’s Tracks

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If you dig the show I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

RSR037 - Tommy Wiggins - Tommy's Tracks

My guest today is Tommy Wiggins a singer/songwriter, producer, educator, and mastering engineer now living in Nashville TN. He began his career in Minneapolis as an award winning recording artist releasing many records through the 80s and 90s, and even establishing his own record label called Chilidog Records to focus on alternative music.

With his experience in recording music, Tommy then added teaching audio to his resume at the Minneapolis Hennepin Technical College and later as the program director for Cuyahoga Community College's department of recording arts in Ohio.

Tommy is also creator, host and artistic director of five-time Emmy® winning music interview program “Words & Music” and concert performance program “Crooked River Groove” with 400 episodes since 2001.

More recently Tommy lives here in Nashville TN and records and masters music from his own studio, Tommy’s Tracks.

Singer/Songwriter

Tommy is always writing, recording and performing his music, as a solo artist, with the Americana vocal duo “Wiggins and Haack” and with his Baja band “Los Hombres Del Norte.”

Check out his solo Album Cool Saturdays

“You record because it’s coming out of your soul”

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Mastering Engineer

I’ve been mastering records since the early 90’s. I remember buying my first 1GB, used hard drive for $1,000 and a 5 pack of CDRs for $150. If you screwed up you had the world’s most expensive coaster. Mastering really is a niche that not everybody can do. My ears have really refined and tuned so I’m thinking in half DB increments, and its not what frequency but how wide of a curve (Q) you have or how narrow. To me I want to make records that I would want to listen to, so what I do is really have the artists and the producers back. What is the intent of the record? You have to try to make a really great listening experience for the listener. You want them to put the headphones on and to defy the norm of today of being able to shuffle through your day on your phone. I want to take them away on an experience. You shouldn’t be mastering with that L2 plugin you have because you don’t know where your frequencies are. I have speakers that cost probably more than your car, and I know exactly what the frequency response should sound like. It's a thing where you really have to give up your control at a certain point in order to make a better sounding record.

“The best way to be a producer is to be prepared”

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Producer

Tommy's Tracks

Tommy's Tracks was designed for Tommy. The whole idea is to be able to record a five piece band and a vocalist at once. I’ve always wanted to put together a studio band and be able to make music whether it's mine or me producing someone else. The space is like a clubhouse with a spa. The idea is to create a nice space where people can come and hang, that sounds good, and everything is there. The keyboard part of me is well represented as well with “20 feet of keyboards,” all plugged in and ready to go.

“There’s two kinds of recording: you’re either documenting or you’re creating. Choose one”

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Jam Session

Q - What was holding you back at the start?
A - Myself. I was holding myself back because I was insecure with the technology. There's a book called Modern Recording Techniques and I had it by my bedside for several years. I’m the kind of learner that can only read so much, but I need to get in there and do it. Knowing what my brain is like and finally coming to grips to say I’m going to make a bunch of mistakes and I’m just going to do it until I think it sounds good and then remember what I did.

Q- What was some of the best advice you got early on?

A- To be prepared. Go in and know your song, you’ll waste less time in the studio; practice your butt off. Being in Nashville as a musician, I look at myself as the luckiest guy in the room because to be better, I can hire and work with people better than me and then I aspire to be better than what I am. So I’ll rehearse and rehearse and have that song down cold. No matter who you have in the session, you’re the cat on the date right now. They are going to play the songs because they are professionals. You have to meet the expectations of them.

“Everybody in the world wants to belong to something bigger than they are”

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Q- Share with us a recording tip, hack, or secret sauce.

A - A secret sauce is: less is more. The less you play the more space you're going to create and the more drama you can create. Eventually, the easier it's going to be to mix. One thing I learned early on, if it's not going right, I’d try to add another instrument. Instead, get the best sound you can out of each instruments and all of a sudden you can have less instruments and each one sounds like a million bucks.

Q - Share a favorite hardware tool for the studio
A- 1176. I bought my first one for $250, I still have it 30 years later. I have had the same vocal chain for 20 years. Which is Neumann 582 with a large capsule (its an east german Ghelffly thing) into an API preamp 512 into an API 560 EQ, into 1176 into the channel.

“We used to have to arrange our song because we only had so many tracks”

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Q - Share a favorite software tool for the studio

A - I use Wavelab for mastering and its really a great DAW, but I’ll also use ProTools. I used to be the director of the school we had 80 Protool systems and you had to deal with all the changes with computers and everything so I totally respect the modern DAW and totally respect the trouble you can get into from using it. Wavelab is designed specifically as a mastering software, but it can do other things.

Q -Share with us a tip for the business side of the recording studio

A - No matter who you are, if you're just starting out a really good resource is someone who’s been doing it longer than you that you can play yours stuff to and ask for advice, and have it come back where it's not a criticism but a critique. You can learn from that and do better work from. Everyone needs mentors. I think you need to find mentors whether they are online or not.

“Everyone needs mentors”

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Q - If you had to start over what gear would you need? How would you find people to record? And how would you make ends meet while you got started?

A - In terms of recording, you need to figure out if you’re a documenter of two track, but chances are you aren't. If you’re a multitrack recorder find yourself a really good 8 channel interface that has really good converters built in, get yourself a laptop, and then use the best cable you can. Buy yourself some good cables or learn how to solder, buy as good of a mic as you can buy: condenser, ribbon, dynamic. For years and years I had a RE20 and a 57 then I bought my first 414 condenser. Then I’d get yourself a good chain and that will take you years to put together. Money doesn’t grow on trees and that stuff costs a lot of money one channel of anything costs $500 and that's buying used stuff. Really its your ears and ability to identify what something is going to sound like recorded in a certain room. So if you don’t have all these plugins, you probably have different rooms in your house that each sound different. Finding people to play music with can come from anywhere.

“If you want to be a better engineer, record better musicians”

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Q - What is the single most important thing a listener can do to become a rockstar of the recording studio?

A - I would say you need to surround yourself the best musicians you possibly can because by recording them you’re going to be better at being an engineer.

Contact: TommysTracks.com
Email: Tommy@Tommystracks.com
Facebook: Tommy Wiggins
Wiggins & Haack

Big Thanks to Tyler Cuidon & Merissa Marx for this week's episode!!

RSR036 – John Mayfield – Mayfield Mastering

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If you dig the show I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

RSR036 - John Mayfield - Mayfield Mastering

My guest today is mastering engineer, John Mayfield. Originally a career musician, John turned to recording and mixing in the 80s traveling to studios all over the world.

A decade later he moved to Nashville TN and started his mastering career with his first Sonic Solutions system. Two decades of mastering have allowed John to work with some very talented artists and clients including the Dave Matthews Band, Sara Evans, Kathy Mattea, Naturally 7, Warner Brothers Records and Universal Music Group-UK, to list a few.

John's Studio: Mayfield Mastering

How Do You Prep a Mix for Mastering?

ONE: Referencing. I'm constantly referencing the competition. Turn the radio on, buy cds, listen to what is successful and selling. As long as you keep referencing your sounds are going to be similar, of the same quality, you're arrangements should be the same. You should model your sounds off of what is actually selling, because that's after all what you’re trying to do.

TWO: The use to high pass filters in digital recording is very important. There's a lot of information that is recorded per mic that is just not needed. A good rule of thumb for determining where to put your high pass filter is to look at the chart look at the piece of music and the lowest note that is played by the instrument go an octave below that and put a high pass filter in at 24DB per octave. And you're pretty much guaranteed not to affect the sound at all, but you’re getting rid of all that low frequency modulation that you may not even be able to hear.

THREE: Use the entire space between your left and right speaker. Don’t be afraid to pan something hard left. What you’re trying to do is carve out a little nest for the most important things that exists in the center image (in contemporary music) that's your kick, bass, snare, lead vocal. The goal is to get that mono instrument away from the lead vocal if you can figure out a way to make it stereo. Making a second track is a wonderful way to do it, or using Ozone 7Advance.

“Don’t be afraid to experiment and try different things”

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FOUR: Converting your signal to digital, your A to D converter. There are a lot of not great converter outs there, a stock converter is not going to be state of the art. State of the art costs money. If you have the opportunity to talk to your production people and lobby for any budget for renting a great A to D converter (with a great clock) for lead vocal or any part that is highlighted. It’s really money well spent. Once you record it, you can’t unscrew it up.

FIVE: Proper mic choice and mic placement. One of the best rules is don’t go to your EQ first, go to the mic placement first. Try to get the source recorded correctly then try to fix it with a bandaid. Knowing your mics and knowing how to use your mics is incredibly important. And don’t be afraid to use a mic in omni!! Using an omni is going to pick up reflections all around the room. Those reflections are basically what you’re hearing when you go out and listen. If you can capture it in a way that sounds closer to the real thing, then you’re doing your job.

SIX: File Naming Conventions. The outside person like myself needs to look at that file and needs to know exactly what it is. At the very least I need the name of the song, and then comes the mix version: master, vocal up, vocal down, which vocal up or down, tv track, stereo instrumental.. All of the information I need to be able to make decisions without picking up the phone. Dates work also. The most recent mix is typically the ones that the client has signed off on, but not in all cases. So if there's any kind of question what master was approved by the client, dates can help. It’s also very nice if you provide a common starting point.

John MayfieldWhy You Shouldn't Master Your Own Work

You’re too vested in the project. You have too much baggage. You cannot be objective, you’re going to be subjective and your decisions about what the track should sound like have already been made because you’ve spent weeks on it. It’s very difficult to come at it with a fresh mind

Jam Session

Q - What was holding you back at the start?
A - Education. You had to get it. You just can’t walk up to gear and expect to know how to use it, so I went to school. I knew that playing live was a young man's game, but I knew it wasn’t going to last me, so I had to get some knowledge.

“Good audio doesn’t have to cost a lot of money”

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Q- What was some of the best advice you got early on?

A- Getting the sound right at the source was probably one of the best things I ever picked up because that is where you get your best sound. Don’t go to your EQ to make it sound right. Move the mic, move the person, change the mic do something at the source to make it sound right. By moving the mic you change the proximity effect (the closer you get to the mic, you get more presence, low end, and pops)

“There’s no musicality added to music when it’s really loud”

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Q- Share with us a recording tip, hack, or secret sauce.

A - One of the huge tricks is I use is the simple and old technology of parallel compression. What you’re doing is combining two signals from the original source: the really compressed version and the original source. You're combining those together that you have brought the overall level up a bit, but by bringing in the original you’re bringing back in some of the original transients. The very ability of the sound that you can create is exponential because at the compressor you'll work with your attack times and releases, etc. to determine the type of compression that you’re going to marry up with the original.

Q - Share a favorite hardware tool for the studio
A- My best and most important tool is my room and the speakers that are in the room, that’s everything to me. You can give me other software or plugins, but I can’t make those decisions accurately without the room and the speakers that I know.

"A lot of your job is just knowing how to work with people and knowing how to make people feel good around you.”

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Q - Have you been in experiences where you’ve gotten to know other rooms that were less than perfect?

A - Back when I was recording and mixing as freelance, because of the variance of rooms you’re going to walk into, you need to create some common things that you can depend on. Thus, I carried my own set of speakers, my own amps and set them up before work. But the first thing I did before I walked into any room that I had not worked prior to was sat down and listened for a good 30 min; you have to know the room. I’m using my own speakers and amps and cables, but they’re going to sound different in every single room so I had to sit down and listen to a number of different of references. That taught me how those speakers were reacting in that given room.

“You can get used to any speaker”

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Q - What are the simplest ways to improve the sounds of the space in a home studio?

A - The smaller the room the worse it gets. Anything to break up any standing wave issue. You’ve got to find a way to stop the reflections from bouncing back and forth. A couch will address low frequencies very well, some people put big thick triangle shaped absorbing panels in the corner. First you have to stop the standing waves. Any parallel wall or floor to ceiling arrangement, if they are 100% parallel you’re going to get standing waves. The simplest solution is to put up soft panels, fabric covered 703.

Q - What is the single most important thing a listener can do to become a rockstar of the recording studio?

A - Referencing. You’re creating a commodity. Look at it like a business. If you wanted to go into the business of manufacturing a mechanical pencil. What's the smartest thing to do? Go out and buy every mechanical pencil that would be your competitor. You bring them back, tear them apart, and make sure you’re product is as good or better than anything that’s out there. This is basic economics. That’s all you need to do in this business, your products have got to sell. One of the best tools out there to learn about what sounds good is the commercial music that is out there and is successful. Buy it, listen to it, sit down and study it. You need to teach yourself the ability to create a mental solo button in essence. You need to be able to listen to a piece of music and automatically switch your mind to one instrument in that mix and not listen to anything else and as quick as you did that you need to be able to pop back to that entire song. Just like you would like a solo button on your console. It's one of those tools that you really need to teach yourself. Honestly you've got the best education available and it's free!

Contact:
MayfieldMastering.com
(615) 383-3708

Big Thanks to Alex Skelton & Merissa Marx for this week's episode!!

RSR035 – Cameron Henry – Vinyl Mastering

(Press play on the green strip above or listen on iTunes with the link below)

If you dig the show I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

RSR035 - Cameron Henry - Vinyl Mastering Engineer

My guest today is Cameron Henry a mastering engineer at Welcome to 1979 Studio specializing in vinyl mastering. He has mastered over two-thousand LP & 45-single releases, including Bela Fleck, John Mayer, Sturgill Simpson, Bonnie Raitt, JD McPherson, Spiritualized, Steve Earle, Dinosaur Jr., John Prine, The Rolling Stones, Whitney Houston, and many others.

And since Cameron's mastering room is located in a full-on recording studio, Cameron & studio owner Chris Mara have been able to record direct-to-disk releases for artists such as Pete Townshend, Josh Hoyer, and a handful of others.

One of the very cool things that Cameron also does here is to host a "vinyl camp" at Welcome To 1979 Studio, which is focused on teaching the basics of disk cutting, with hands-on demonstrations, using attendee's music, & a chance to participate in an actual direct-to-disk recording session. The goal of the camp is to provide knowledge to mixing engineers & producers so they can have the foresight to properly prepare an album for a vinyl release.

“Vinyl is heavy, bulky, & takes a lot to manufacture, but it has seen the birth and death of every format that was intended to replace it.”

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The Process of Creating Vinyl Records

Neumann VMS70 Cutting Lathe

In the room I have a Neumann VMS70 cutting lathe which is a giant spaceship looking machine which cuts a lacquer and that's the first record. The process of making a vinyl record starts with a machine like mine. The music is pumped into the amplifiers of the machine it vibrates the cutting stylus on the cutter head and it just literally, in real time, cuts the groove onto a lacquer.

The cutting stylus on the lathe cuts the groove and is vibrated by the music so that when you put the playback needle on your turntable into that groove it vibrates the same way. A record is cut in a midside fashion where all of your center information is causing a lateral, horizontal groove to be cut on the record. And anything stereo is happening vertically.

A lacquer looks a lot like a record. It’s an aluminum disc with a coating of like nail polish on it. That gets sent to a manufacturing plant where it gets nickel plated. When they peel off the nickel from the record that has grooves on it the metal part has ridges on it, it’s the opposite of a record. That goes into the press which is a complicated looking waffle iron and hot plastic sits between the two stampers and just presses out every copy. So whatever record I cut in here is going to be identical to every record copy that's out on the market.

Record Pressing

When a record is pressed, there’s a hot hockey puck sized piece of plastic that goes between the two stampers. The stampers push down with a bunch of pressure and the plastic spreads outward, much like waffle batter.

How should you Mix and Master for Vinyl?

Basics - Make sure your music sounds good. If you’re music sounds good, it’s probably going to translate well to vinyl. Listen to the low end and make sure its in phase and actually in the middle, also listen to the sibilance. Those are two frequency ranges that cause the most trouble in a record.

Mastering for vinyl is completely different then it is for digital. Mastering has a chain with a starting point and an end point. The end point is whatever format it’s going to be so if it's a cd it's making a cd. There’s a point maybe three quarters of the way through the mastering process where vinyl could take a completely different path from digital and a lot of that has to do with dynamics and overall volume. Digital music is way louder than vinyl it’s a totally different reference point.

Dynamic music fits on a record better. The physicality of how a record works is you have a disc and there’s a spiral going around and around. The more that groove deviates and moves around then the more space of each groove is required so you can only fit so much time. So, the louder the music is the more space the groove is going to use up. The quieter it is, the less space. When you have dynamic music, in the quieter moments you can cram the grooves together. So over time with the less compressed master you have an overall higher volume output.

“A vinyl master and a digital master aren’t optimized in the same way” @Welcometo1979

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Check Out Cameron's Vinyl Record Label

Jam Session

Q - What was holding you back at the start?
A - One of my biggest things was thinking that if only I had the ability to go into a real studio to make a record I would totally do that. I grew up in Toledo, OH and had a port-a-studio and two mics and would make records on that thing. At the time I didn’t realize that what I was doing was super awesome and important to understanding how recording works, by just working with semi-pro equipment. There were times where I thought we could do this song, but we might need this other piece of gear to do it, and that’s the wrong attitude to have.

Q- What was some of the best advice you got early on?

A- Since I worked on the port-a-studios it would be me recording in my garage, I’d be focused on how close do I get the mic to the guitar or this or that, and somebody told me once, why don’t you just sound good in the space you’re in and put a microphone in the space and it should sound good. Don’t worry about where I’m going to put the mic first, worry about what’s happening musically sound good in the space that it’s in.

“I think opportunities are born out of failures” @Welcometo1979

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Q- Share with us a recording tip, hack, or secret sauce.

A - I give this tip to a lot of people who ask me, ‘I’m mixing for vinyl what should I do?’ Once you think you’re mix is good put an EQ on your mix bus and put a high pass filter at like 60 or 70 hertz and a low pass filter at like 13k. Take that away, walk away for 15 min and then go back and listen to it and does it still sound like music to you? If it does, you’re probably ok. Those frequencies are the ones that you’ll trick yourself into thinking are good. The sub sonics and ultrasonics are great for fidelity purposes, but you got to realize the song needs to stand alone even coming out of an earbud

Q - Share a favorite hardware tool for the studio
A- A fun hardware tool is actually a unit by Behringer called the Combinator. It’s this multi-band limiter, equalizer, compressor that was actually intended for live purposes so you could shape music to the room you’re in. It’s an awesome piece of gear.

“If you looked at a record groove under a microscope, it's a “V” shape” @Welcometo1979

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Q - Share a favorite software tool for the studio

A - I really like BrainWorks plugins. I use their BX control which is a mid-size “mastering” console. It’s got a great device called a monomaker on it which is emulated off of a elliptic equalizer that was intended for cutting discs. Its got a threshold point where everything below is subbed to mono everything about it in stereo.

Q - Share with us a tip for the business side of the recording studio

A - Having a good invoicing software. I use this company called invoice-to-go. I can easier and daily download the whole backlog and it generates reports in real time so I can easily say how much did I make? Who hasn’t paid me? Who has paid me? Etc.. It’s great to just keep track of all that, and I can do that no matter where I am.

“Don’t use a turntable that’s plastic” @Welcometo1979

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Q - If you had to start over what gear would you need? How would you find people to record? And how would you make ends meet while you got started?

A - I would find the bars musicians are playing in and start hanging out and got to know them personally by being there all the time. Over time they’d find out I’m a recording engineer and we’d starting talking about making records. Find if there’s people to record and cater to that.

“Vinyl is a really weird medium because there’s no definition of what anything is” @Welcometo1979

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Q - What is the single most important thing a listener can do to become a rockstar of the recording studio?

A - Record things. Everybody’s bad at one point. Best way to get good at recording is to record things.

Contact:
Welcome to 1979 Facebook

Welcome to 1979 - Vinyl
Email: mastering@welcometo1979.com

Big Thanks to Tyler Cuidon & Merissa Marx for this week's episode!!

RSR034 – Brad Jones – Alex The Great

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If you dig the show I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

RSR034 - Brad Jones - Alex The Great

My guest today is Brad Jones a Producer, Engineer, Mixer, and Musician based in Nashville. With Robin Eaton he has co-owned the Alex the Great Recording where we are now since 1993. This is a particularly special episode today because Brad was also my mentor when I started out in recording. Alex The Great was the first studio where I learned how to record, and Brad was the one who taught me how to make the musicians feel at home to capture a great performance.

Brad’s production credits are extensive including Jill Sobule,

Bobby Bare Jr., Butterfly Boucher, Hayes Carll, Caitlin Cary and Thad Cockrell, Steve Forbert, Government Cheese, Jason And The Scorchers, Josh Rouse, and The Shazam to name just a few.

Brad is also a songwriter and performer. His solo record Gilt Flake released in 2000 was recognized as a master work of power pop, and I’ll include links in the show notes. He also plays regularly on Nashville stages with The Long Players, a group of musicians that recreate favorite albums in their entirety, everything from The Doors, and REM, to Cheap Trick or The Beatles. So as you can imagine Brad knows many of the classic records intimately, and understands how to create those sounds in the studio as well.

Check out Brad's Solo Record Gilt Flake!!

“We knew that we wanted to offer imagination to people and so that's why we called it a non studio name, Alex the Great.”

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Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'N' Roll

Brad raved about this Peter Guralnick book he just finished about the great Sam Phillips. Sam created Sun Records in 1950. He discovered a lot of the greats such as Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash! His whole life was centered around bringing about whatever was unique in each artist.

Brad Jones - On Sam Phillips -

There are some mistakes that are just bad mistakes but there’s others that if you just give it a moment and listen to it a second or a third time the beauty of that unexpected, unintended thing starts to come out and it starts to sound less like a mistake and more like an inspiration or a mutation. That is after all how the human race or any animal organism gets better over time is by mutating. So it could be that some of those mistakes are mutations and we should embrace them

“I spend all of day one listening to the artist, instead of the artist listening to me”

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Other Things We Talked About

How Brad started his studio from nothing
Brad’s go to vocal mic and settings
Bobby Bare Jr.'s album “Longest Meow”
Mixing in stereo vs mono
Building Alex the Great
How coloring tracks influences your perception of the music

Jam Session

Q - What was holding you back at the start?
A - Well now you can get a studio in a box with your Mac. Back then you had to figure out how to get in a studio or how to buy gear and it was expensive! It’s not even inflation adjusted its the same or more back then as it is now per hour, plus I grew up in Iowa and there weren’t opportunities.

Q- What was some of the best advice you got early on?

A- Just looking at this room, Bill Halverson when we were setting up the control room, I asked where we should put up the big speakers? He said put them in the back of the control room to get the artist out of your hair, lets you be up front actually getting some work done. That was his take on where you put your big speakers, which is why they are there right now!!

“We forget that the microphone is here to serve the music”

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Q- Share with us a recording tip, hack, or secret sauce.

A - I recently got a shotgun mic. Shotgun mics are condenser mics that were used on movies so that you could have a mic picking up the dialog from 5 feet away and it wouldn’t show on the camera frame. It has such a tight pattern, without a lot of room bleed you can still hear the person talk 5 feet away. So I've been experimenting with those because my objective is to not have to mic an acoustic guitar at 12 inches anymore. To not have to mic an upright bass because there's other people playing and there's bleed. I want to hear what that bass sounds like a few feet away from it. The problem with all rooms that you're in is that there's going to be weird wall reflections. So if you use a U87 5 feet away, you’ll hear the bass in a way that sounds way more realistic than that bass would ever sound than if you were up close to it. But the downside is bringing all that weird splashy wall reflection, and that’s kind of an ugly meat-locker sound. So my shotgun mic has been a way for me to sort of hear that bass at 5 feet without the wall reflection.

Q - Share a favorite hardware tool for the studio
A- I love my harmonica mic, my green bullet, I put on everything. Let me put in a pitch for the API 550 because there is some philosophy behind this. Everyone knows the API 550A is the original, great API 3 band EQ. The reason I think it's worthy to reach for in the studio, even the plugin version, there is not a half DB boost on it. If you choose 1.5k, which is the frequency I choose more than any of the others, it forces you to do either a 2 or a 4 DB boost or cut. There’s no little pansy half moves. It forces you to carve big and recklessly, and that's what I adore about it!

“Each record is its own puzzle, each record has it own set of problems and its own things. You have to approach each record that way”

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Q - Share a favorite software tool for the studio

A - I get so much use to this very day out of the most unsexy, oldest plugins that there are. I find that Digidesign lowly proprietary EQs are intensely usable. They are laid out not with vintage knobs, they are just dull grey backgrounds with a slider. That slider is so much quicker and easier to use. To be able to type in the exact threshold or time that I want rather than putz around with some knob that doesn’t work right. I think there's a lot of visual hocus pocus going into these newer plugin for eq and compression where the older ones are much easier to work. I’m a big believer of McDSP’s they are not sexy to look at, they look cheap. They do everything, and they do it really super well. I use the Digidesign pitch shift all day long.

Q - Share with us a tip for the business side of the recording studio

A - I don’t have a very good answer for that. We’ve never been very ambitious here, it’s always been word of mouth thing, but in today’s environment if you’re out with a studio from scratch you really want to carve out some niches for yourself. Be a studio that specializes in doing location recordings at megachurches or be a studio that specializes in jingles that are geared toward internet placement or be a studio that's geared towards unplugged and acoustic music. Give it a thrust, it might be harder than ever to be all purpose.

“Working in mono all day long causes you to carve harder and make bolder, bigger choices”

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Q - If you had to start over what gear would you need? How would you find people to record? And how would you make ends meet while you got started?

A - Back to what I was saying earlier, find your niche. Make your gig mobile, record church choirs or sporting events. If you're set up in your home become good at mixing a particular kind of music. On the production side of it, picking undervalued stock. If you’re a new and unknown guy in town go see music as many bands and singer-songwriters as you can. You’ll see the ones that have people hover over them because they are the current buzz band, you’re not going to get that band you need to make an approach to a band that’s being somewhat ignored and you think you know the reason why and the easy fix. You make your pitch to that band explaining why their message isn’t getting through and why you’re the guy to get their message to start coming through, or you have a whole new idea for them. Two things could happen, they think you’re crazy and fire you because they don’t want to hear it, or they think you’re crazy and they give you a shot! A couple months later, when the fans say they’ve never heard the band sound so good.. that's when you're the hero; that’s when you go from chump to champ.

“We don’t need music that is beautifully blended because there's enough of [it]. We need bolder moves”

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Q - What is the single most important thing a listener can do to become a rockstar of the recording studio?

A - Put in the time with understanding how music is put together. Put in the musical time. Learn a new instrument, analyze the musical structure and chords of a song. Figure out why a Beatles melody is so fresh and why others aren’t. Figure that stuff out, it takes thousand of hours to do it too.You have to put in the time.

Contact:
AlexTheGreat.com

Big Thanks to Tyler Cuidon & Merissa Marx for this week's episode!!

RSR033 – Jon Tidey – Reaper Blog

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If you dig the show I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

RSR033 - Jon Tidey - Reaper Blog

My guest today is Jon Tidey, a home studio engineer, blogger, podcaster, and audio jack-of-all-trades from Vancouver British Columbia. Jon has quite a few things going on: epicsounds.ca, audiogeekzine.com, reaperblog.net and homerecordingshow.com

He is a self described mix guy and mic slinger who selected Reaper as his DAW of choice.

In 2010 Jon started ReaperBlog.net where you can find over 100 free videos teaching you how to use Reaper for your home studio. The aim of Reaper Blog is to be an indispensable resource for the REAPER user community, providing news, reviews, tips & tricks, and detailed tutorials on music production using the REAPER software.

And now he has launched an in depth course called Mixing In Reaper volumes 1&2 to show you exactly how he mixes a song from organization through mastering. So if you are ready to truly learn how to use Reaper for your recordings then you have come to the right place.

If you don’t already know about Reaper it is a super powerful DAW that also happens to be super affordable and flexible. For me it was a little intimidating when I first tried it out. So it is awesome to have an expert like Jon here on the show to tell us more about it.

WHY REAPER??

Why did you switch from ProTool to Reaper?

It opens so fast, so if I just wanted to play guitar real quick it would launch in 5 seconds and I was recording in another 5 seconds, so it was a big change in ProTools which would take several minutes. There’s no copy protection (keylock) for Reaper. Just a little license file that gets emailed to you, and you can authorize it for multiple computers.

“The program is so efficient I can run twice as many tracks with twice as many plugins and I had a wider variety of plugins available.” @reaperblog

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What can Reaper do that is unique?

The appeal, at least for me, is the customizability. If you come from Cubase or ProTools or Logic, you are used to the way the mouse works when you move it over an item or how it scrolls through certain keys. All of that can be changed in Reaper. It's completely open to a larger degree than any other program. You can assign a key to an action, but also create your own actions, so you can chain multiple actions together.

Is it expensive?

Super Affordable! You get 60 days for free. After that they ask $60 for someone with a small business license and you get 2 versions. You can upgrade after that.

Check Out - Mixing in Reaper Volumes 1 & 2

These videos are a look at how Jon mixes a song in Reaper. Throughout, there are tons of:
- Mixing Tips
- Production Tips
- Reaper Specific Tips for Optimizing Workflow.

Use Code:
ROCKSTAR
For 25% OFF!!

START MIXING IN REAPER TODAY

Jam Session

Q - What was holding you back at the start?
A - It was lack of knowledge. My first recording experiences were with my high school band and we had no idea how to use the equipment. We didn’t have anyone we could ask and there was hardly had any internet. I ended up having to go to audio school to figure it out, MetalWorks Institute. I took a one year audio production course. It was a great school, well balanced curriculum. We got to mix on SSL’s and a Digidesign Icon console. There were three different mixing rooms. I learned a lot and it took probably a year and a half of doing stuff on my own for that knowledge to actually click.

Q- What was some of the best advice you got early on?

A- Using analog style gain staging. Keeping your levels lower the way that your equipment is designed to be handled. What I mean by that is not hitting inputs as hard as possible just before clipping. You want like -18 DAW meters as the ideal signal level. That actually makes mixing easier. I can mix with my meters around unity rather than down at -30. Making sure the input of the plugin is the same as the output in terms of volume. That really affects your perception of how things are sounding. Equal loudness.

“First you listen, second you react”’ @reaperblog

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Q- Share with us a recording tip, hack, or secret sauce.

A - Here is a tip that I have for making your headphones more comfortable. So the foam padding around headphones gets squished and sometimes the actual driver is sitting on your ear. I would take a short piece of tubing or a dead guitar cable and i would cut that out into a 7” length and tuck it under the foam in your headphones so it spaces it by a quarter inch and that little change makes every pair of headphones I’ve tried on more comfortable.

Q - Share a favorite hardware tool for the studio
A- I do love my Space Echo, but it’s very rarely used. It's a great piece of hardware, but it's a specific sound that's so dark sounding or using that on a snare drum makes it instantly dubby. I never work on that style of music and I never get to use it, but I love it!!!

“I’ve got a nostalgia thing for 80’s sounding music” @reaperblog

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Q - Share a favorite software tool for the studio

A - Besides Reaper, Izotope RX is indispensable. It can declip things, depop things, decrackle and dehum and clean up your noise floor better than your gate can. I do a lot of podcast and dialog editing for my videos and I can’t work without it. But also in music projects, you know sometimes the overheads will have a loud ticking sound from the stick on the ride cymbal, sometimes it's a really nasty, short click. You run Isotope’s declicker on the track and you won’t even hear it anymore. Ever since version 2, I’ve been convinced this software is magic, it works too good.

“I’m easy to get ahold of and happy to talk Reaper Stuff” @reaperblog

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Q - Share with us a tip for the business side of the recording studio

A - I’ve stopped sending invoices. I do a lot of work for clients internationally and in the states, mostly remote work. Now I use paypal.me and add in how much they owe me and they pay it. Maybe it's a little less good for my paperwork, but it's amazing to not log into paypal to send someone an invoice, you can just type in a URL.

Q - If you had to start over what gear would you need? How would you find people to record? And how would you make ends meet while you got started?

A - I would start off with having recording be your hobby until you can spend more time on it or until you can afford the equipment that really benefits you. But you can do a lot with a simple setup with a Macbook Pro and a two-channel interface and one or two mics. You can get a lot done with just that.

“I think it's really encouraging just putting in half hour effort once a week to making music” @reaperblog

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Q - What is the single most important thing a listener can do to become a rockstar of the recording studio?

A - The single most important thing that you can do is realize that you suck today and you’ll be a little bit better tomorrow. Keep at it. There's a steep learning curve. If you look back at 60 days of sucky recordings, you’re better today than you were 60 days ago.

Contact:
AudioGeekZene.com

HomeRecordingShow.com

Beatfixx.com - Drum Editing Services

Mixinginreaper.com

The Reaper Blog

Twitter - @reaperblog

Big Thanks to Kevin Freund & Merissa Marx for this week's episode!!

RSR032 – Slau Halatyn – BeSharp Studio

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If you dig the show I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

RSR031 - Slau Halatyn - BeSharp Studio

My guest today is Slau Halatyn is a recording engineer, Producer and owner of BeSharp Studio in New York City where he specializes in classical, jazz and musical theater recordings as well as rock and pop music.

Slau has credits with many Grammy, Oscar, and Tony-winning artists like Steve Houben, Ulysses Owens Jr., Vince Giordano, Dennis Diken, and Shawn Pelton to name a few. But you might be more likely to know these names for the artists and bands they represent such as Steely Dan, King Crimson, The Smitherines, James Taylor, Hall & Oates, Cassandra Wilson and Wynton Marsalis.

He is also the host of a great podcast called Sessions With Slau where he takes you behind the scenes at BeSharp studio to listen to excerpts from sessions, gear reviews, and equipment shootouts. Go check out some his past interviews with Rockstars like Ed Cherney, and MixerMan.

And I have to give a thank you for today’s interview to one of our own Rockstars, Jose Neto, who enjoyed listening to my interview with Blessing Offor so much that he reached out to connect me with Slau for this interview.

What do Jose, Blessing, and Slau have in common? They are all blind recording engineers, and make great records despite this obvious obstacle. In fact Slau works directly with AVID to help make Pro Tools accessible for blind and visually impaired audio engineers and musicians.

Engineering with Visual Impairment

What is it like to record using only your ears?

I was trained at a time where everything was quite tactile so I was working with consoles that had dedicated EQ buttons, faders, etc, and that's why to this day I still prefer to mix using a control surface because its so much faster for me. Back in the day when I was working with tape, I still had enough residual vision to be able to see a VU meter. Over time I wouldn’t look at the needle so much as I would the peak light.

How do you address a level now? Is there a method to let you know you’re peaking other than sounding like it distorting?

In ProTools the UI elements are actually exposed to the built in screen reader in OS10 which is known as Voiceover, so I can keep track of that. I don’t worry about preamps so much. I got to the point where I use my preamps so much, I just happen to know pretty much exactly where to set those pre’s for an average singer. I usually keep them -10, -6 maximum.

“When you work with great musicians... they make you sound great” @SlauBeSharp

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Slau on Plugins

How do you compare different plugins?

Everything with plugins, as far as the way voiceover sees it in ProTools, is just parameters. You see what the parameter is, what it’s value is and you can boost it, cut it, change the frequency, etc, but you’re not at all influenced by what it looks like.

Are there some new plugins that have new settings that are remarkable to you?

Plugins like Sound Radix drum leveler. Holy shit I am stunned by what it can do in terms of gating and stuff like that. I could never get that result or effect with any other plugin. The SPL transient designer. I used the hardware unit once in a rental situation, but I did know that was something I wanted to look into, so I got the plugin. It’s just fantastic. I usually ride things into the SPL designer.

Jam Session

Q - What was holding you back at the start?
A - I don't think there was anything holding me back per say. When I was kid Music/Recording didn’t seem like that viable of an employment option and It did take me years to get to that point. I just didn’t think that I could do that for a living.

Q- What was some of the best advice you got early on?

A- Two things. One relates a little bit more to music. My old piano teacher said “A musician, no matter how good they are, can only be at one gig at a time. Meaning, there a plenty of gigs out there for the taking. So it doesn’t matter if you’re the best. There’s always going to be something for you. The other piece of advice is “Talent will not get you the gig, but talent will allow you to keep the gigs you get."

“Talent will not get you the gig, but talent will allow you to keep the gigs you get” @SlauBeSharp

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Q- Share with us a recording tip, hack, or secret sauce.

A - There’s this one thing that I started doing on drums room mics. I’ve asked a lot of engineers and I haven’t heard of anyone doing this. It is to take a blumlein pair of ribbon mics and point the nulls at the drums. So then what you’re getting from those mics, is just room. Yeah you’re getting some direct signal, but it’s a way to get a room sound that sounds even bigger than if the mics were facing a drum kit. Then it’s just getting the corners of the room. Then take that and crush the shit out of it. It’s Fantastic.

Q - Share a favorite hardware tool for the studio
A- If I had to start all over again, The first thing I would buy would be the Microtech Gefell um70’s. They are fantastic, they are my favorite mics, and I could record anything with them.

“To me recording music is sacred. It’s something that's so deep and so moving” @SlauBeSharp

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Q - Share a favorite software tool for the studio

A - Waveburner from Apple. I still use it to this day. It runs on the latest version of OS and I love it. It’s fantastic just to make DDP files or anything like that. I use it all the time.

Q - Share with us a tip for the business side of the recording studio

A - Use Square. The studio at one point used to just be cash or check. But since, I started using square last year, It’s fantastic. I mean, if you’re not taking credit cards there's like no excuse.

“Who cares what tool you’re using? It’s what you’re doing with it” @SlauBeSharp

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Q - If you had to start over what gear would you need? How would you find people to record? And how would you make ends meet while you got started?

A - I think people generally know that a laptop is the way to go with some type of either apoggee or UA basic interface. Then get a couple of mics. Then you know, get involved in the music scene. Just go out there, meet people, hang. There’s like no replacement for that. Because you can do all the science experiments you want in your studio. But if you don't get out there and meet people it's not going to lead to anything. You have to network. I would volunteer to record a few live events. I might also undertake recording things like panel discussions, conferences and not only music venues. Audio is required everywhere.

Q - What is the single most important thing a listener can do to become a rockstar of the recording studio?

A - I don’t think there's a single most important thing. Because, you as a human being are a whole person. You are not a pro tools operator, you are not a person who knows what the business end of a 57 end. You a person with a personality, you are a person with opinions, a person with interesting things to say. I think that you as a person, has to try as a person to become the most knowledgeable, the most fun person to be with. People are going to come to you because they trust you, and feel good about being around you, especially if you have an 8 or 10 hour session in a day. I think you have to become the best all around person that you can be in order to become a rockstar. It doesn't matter how much you know, because if you’re an asshole no one's going to want to work with you.

Contact:
Email - slau@besharpstudio.com
Twitter - @slaubesharp

RSR031 – Dave Tough – Producer’s Room

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If you dig the show I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

RSR031 - Dave Tough - The Producer's Room

My guest today is Dave Tough, a Dove award-winning producer, engineer, and songwriter based here in Nashville, TN. He is also a music industry educator at Belmont University, and an active voting member of the Recording Academy (Grammy Awards).

Dave has won the Grand Prize in the John Lennon songwriting contest twice...in 2013 (Electronica Category) and in 2009 (Country Category). He has written and produced over 150 songs for major motion pictures and television including Pretty Little Liars, Empire, Glee, Nashville, and CSI.

And Rockstars, you may also enjoy his television show called Producer’s Room with Dave Tough, featuring interviews with music industry creators, and studio tours.

"The focus of the show is a little different, we talk more about the creative process rather than focusing on the technical side"

YouTube Channel: The Producer's Room with Dave Tough

“It's not our job as engineers to judge the lyrics, we’re judging the tonal qualities of the recording” @DaveTough

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Songwriting

Writing for TV and Film

"Film is more emotion based meaning the texture and temporal quality of the recording has as much to do as the lyrical content. It's the antithesis of Nashville. In Nashville it's all about the lyrics. We are gonna look at the floor and say that's a red rug with purple flowers on it and we're really going to describe everything about it. In film and tv we leave it more ambiguous. We’d say that rug makes me feel delicious. It’s more of a John Lennon approach. It evokes an emotion, not only the lyric but the texture of the song."

Writing Tips for Electronica Pop:
"My wife and I have a band called Xavier & Ophelia. Our song “Falling Down” won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2013. For this song we wanted to do a Hall and Oates chord progression to a dance beat. So when I sat down to record it, I used references, I like this high hit on this song and this drum beat on this song.. As far as tonality there aren’t any rules besides managing the low end. Side-chaining the bass to the kick."

Mixing Tips for Country Music:
"The first thing is the lyric. Lyric’s got to be heard and cut through so vocal intelligibility is number one. Clearing out the low end besides for bass and drums. Making the others crosshatch together and finding little places in the spectrum that they’ll work together."

“If you’re going to record music.. you should understand music” @DaveTough

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Jam Session

Q - What was holding you back at the start?
A - Two things, one I started from a musical perspective. But when I first said I’m going to be an engineer I thought it was a science. I thought man I can do a calculation to get from point A to point B if I once again do this compression ratio, but the more you live you realize it’s more of an art. The second thing was I had gear acquisition syndrome. I realized after a long time that you don’t have to have all of that.

Q- What was some of the best advice you got early on?

A- It’s all about the song and the arrangement and all of that… With my students I’ll play them a really good song, and a really bad produced song and ask them which one they want to listen to. It really depends on their frame of mind, but they see that the production is not what it’s all about. So if you don’t start with a good song, good arrangement, good players, you’re not going to get too far in the engineering world.

“If you want to eat in this town, you’re going to be working on other genres that you may not be a huge fan of” @DaveTough

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Q- Share with us a recording tip, hack, or secret sauce.

A - I would say a really solid signal chain on the front end. I’m all about the pre-production, good tones, good arrangement. If I’m speaking for producing I would say also keep a rolodex of musicians. What I typically like to do is if I go out and see a show I take a note on my iphone this drummer is good at rock. Being able to cast players for different kinds of records.

Q - Share a favorite hardware tool for the studio
A- Favorite hardware would be a good instrument, and then my signal chain of choice would be something simple like a U87 a solid state condenser mic that has a flat response so I can tweak it later and a nice preamp.

“Engineering was only a function of composition for me” @DaveTough

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Q - Share a favorite software tool for the studio

A - Believe it or not, I actually dig the CLA bundles the Waves OneKnob. Everyone’s like you have the be a beginner engineer to use those. I think one of the most important things as an engineer is to capture your initial gut reaction and if I’m going through plugins and tweaking stuff for 30 min to get a bass sound.. I lost my gut reaction, I lost my initial impression. So with those types of tools the general CLAs, JJPs, Waves Bundle, that kind of stuff that has little pre-sets and their signal chain is built in, I can capture 90% of what I’m hearing within 3 minutes. Other stuff I was thinking about, I use Waves RVox I use a lot, of course everyone uses the UAD stuff. Another tool that changed my mixing was the oxford bundle by Sonnox's. The oxford limiter on the master bus, the oxford eq… One other piece is gear is the warm audio 1176. For $500 it’s pretty nice!

Q - Share with us a tip for the business side of the recording studio

A - The problem with engineers, is they only want to hang with engineers. That’s totally the opposite of what you need to do if you are trying to start a business! You need to go hang out with the people that need you. So like here in Nashville you need to go to NSAI where all the songwriters hang out and they don’t have any technical chops. And those are the people you need to hang with because then it's a win win. They can use what you do, you can use what they do or their money.. Either way.

“That’s what I love about engineering and music in general.. There’s something to learn everyday” @DaveTough

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Q - If you had to start over what gear would you need? How would you find people to record? And how would you make ends meet while you got started?

A - First of all I would go out to the clubs and meet some of the musicians and pick their brains. After that, as far as a setup, when I worked with Bruce Swedien (Michael Jackson’s Engineer) one of his ten commandments was always mic in stereo. So maybe two U87’s, two LA 610’s and maybe some apogee converters and a laptop. As far as making ends meet, I heard a good piece of advice from a songwriter once to get a job at night so you can use all your fruitful energy during the day for your craft and then when you’re sleepy you go to work.

Q - What is the single most important thing a listener can do to become a rockstar of the recording studio?

A - Find what your deep driving desire is and find your unique voice, I think that’s so important. It may take you not 10,000 hours but 20-40,000 hours to find your unique voice. If you think about all the great artists, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, George Massenburg, they all have a unique voice in their genre. On the flip side always try to work with an artist with a unique voice. When you can start becoming selective, dont record that guy that sounds like John Mayer, because we already have John Mayer. The label doesn’t need him, society doesn’t need him. You need to find someone with a unique voice that’s saying something unique lyrically but also sounds different and that’s where you’re going to have your best chance at success.

“You will become what you are...whatever’s in your heart, it will manifest itself” @DaveTough

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Contact:
DaveTough.com

Facebook

The Producer's Room with Dave Tough

RSR030 – Nick Bullock – 52 in 52

(Press play on the green strip above or listen on iTunes with the link below)

If you dig the show I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

RSR030 - Nick Bullock - 52 in 52

My guest today is Nick Bullock, a musician, teacher, producer, songwriter and music blogger. Nick has been an educator in music as well, founding a successful music school in Ithaca NY while playing and recording music with his band, The Sound Awake. And after years of running his business, playing in a band, and producing both his own records and others, he made a leap of faith and moved to Nashville TN to pursue his larger vision for songwriting and recording.

With his move to Nashville, Nick decided to focus on his own music. He built his home studio, and began to rehearse, write and record with a passion. In 2015 he launched an intense studio project with his band called 52 in 52 where he committed to writing and recording 52 songs in 52 weeks.

Nick’s intense journey has produced some stellar recordings, a blog, and also led to new productions with new artists. I am psyched to be here at Awake Studios to speak with Nick and learn more about the process of creating on such a high level.

What is 52 in 52?

52 songs written, recorded, and released in 52 weeks. Inevitably by the end I wasn’t able to release one song a week for a variety of reasons, but by the end of the 52nd week all of the songs were done and released on my SoundCloud page. Everything that I released, I’m not necessarily happy with it all, but there's at least one thing in each song that I really like. I view songwriting as a craft, so not everything that I write has to be great, not everything that I write has to be done, you just have to do it. Big thanks to Kevin Harper, Tom Elefante, Greg Herndon, Brain Cox, and Clark Singleton who supported and participated in the project.

Check out Nick's 52 in 52 Blog!!

“I guarantee you every single person no matter how brilliant they are has felt the fool before”

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Nick Bullock - On Goal Setting -

Holding yourself accountable is one of the hardest things, but also one of the most important things to do. If an idea comes to me more than once, then I have to do it. Setting and reaching goals builds confidence and self esteem. You learn from the trials and tribulations as much as the successes if not more. For me, it’s part of my everyday life. I’ve always been self-employed so goals are just part of who I am. Advice on completing goals is number one break it down to a bottom tear goal as you possibly can. If your goal is to write, record, and release a song, it’s really about breaking those goals down into a really easy digestible pattern of behavior that you know you can complete.

Jam Session

Q - What was holding you back at the start?
A - I would say what was holding me back was confidence and lack of experience. [As far as starting 52 in 52] stress was holding me back. Just the overall overwhelmed feeling of trying to be a human being and make enough income for the family of now three and trying to finish all of this at once. I don’t know if it held me back, but I definitely have more grey hair on my head then needs to be.

Q- How did you get past that initial fear?
A - The courage part is the biggest factor. I’d be the guy that went first, just get it over with. I have no problem making myself look like a fool. Whether it was asking questions of engineers that were mixing my songs about equipment or tape hiss or whatever. I guarantee you every single person no matter how brilliant they are has felt the fool before. It’s just a universal thing that’s a part of life and the quicker you can get over that, the better you’ll be.

“Imagination is where the genius lies in all of us”

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Q- What was some of the best advice you got early on?

A- I think how to stay organized is probably the biggest ones, and my wife was really good at talking me down. Just having somebody in your corner, whether it's your mom or wife or whatever. Having a brotherhood and sisterhood out there to just give you support is a huge thing. In every creative process an idea that is born that’s new and different has the potential to be great. But if there's no support system for that idea, it's just going to wither on the vine and die. Surround yourself with people who support you and have your back. From Steve Jobs to Einstein to Mozart to John Lennon. Every kernel of new idea they had was new to the world at the time. I guarantee if they had been in a different position, there would have been somebody that said this is a terrible idea and a waste of time! Look what the world would have lost out on. Surround yourself with love, man.

Q- Share with us a recording tip, hack, or secret sauce.

A - One of the more fun ones for getting a good vocal sound is using clip gain (gaining down the actual wav file before it ever hits the plugins in your mix) instead of a D-esser of some kind. I’ll go through and highlight the section in protools and cut it out (apple + E) and use clip gain to really adjust the breaths or consonants. I’m pretty sure you can use that in logic too.

“I think there’s huge value to be learned from other people’s mistakes, experiences, and knowledge”

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Q - Share a favorite hardware tool for the studio
A- Probably my 335 or my 65 Twin. I do everything in the box, but all of my investments all kind of stem from instruments first. It goes from instruments to microphone to preamp.. All that sexy stuff comes after. But it's really those first three that are most important in capturing a great sound. So the bulk of my career has been investing the those. My Wurlitzer is a beautiful piece of vintage gear. My piano, I know exactly what it does, but my 335 is probably my favorite.

“I’m more of a melody and chord guy”

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Q - Share a favorite software tool for the studio

A - The UAD stuff is amazing. The Apollo Quad is my interface and I use ProTools. Some of the Waves stuff is decent too!

“Holding yourself accountable is one of the hardest things, but also one of the most important things to do”

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Q - Share with us a tip for the business side of the recording studio

A - I just downloaded this app called invoice2go that's very handy. One important lesson I’ve learned is when you’re cutting a record talk to who’s cutting the check.

Q - If you had to start over what gear would you need? How would you find people to record? And how would you make ends meet while you got started?

A - If they want to make a full time living maybe that’s a different set of parameters. For me, since I did it directly. I was lucky with the selling of my previous business to give myself some buffer. As far as something practical, I like to spend my money on the front of the chain rather than the back of the chain. Don’t spend money you don’t have to. Settle for a laptop and interface of some kind. The Apollo is really great. Then you have this library of plugins that come with that and all you need is a guitar and a mic!

“I’m just not interested in playing it safe”

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Q - What is the single most important thing a listener can do to become a rockstar of the recording studio?

A - Always be open to learning from anybody and everybody. Always have a mind of curiosity. Be generous with your presence.

Contact:
awakestudiosnashville.com

Soundcloud

Thesoundawake.com

Facebook- Nick Bullock Music

RSR029 – Craig Alvin – Badass Mixer

(Press play on the green strip above or listen on iTunes with the link below)

If you dig the show I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

RSR029 - Craig Alvin - Badass Mixer

My guest on the show today is Craig Alvin, a fantastically talented recording and mixing engineer originally from Portland, OR before moving to Nashville TN.

He has been making records for over 20 years, and has an eclectic discography having worked on several Grammy nominated projects. His work spans Contemporary Christian Music on one end of the spectrum, to cool pop, and rock music on the other end.

His credits include Amy Grant, Vanessa Carlton, Lady Antebellum, Frankie Ballard, Chase Rice, Will Hoge, The Features, Butterfly Boucher, Erin McCarley, Hanson, and How I Became The Bomb to name a few.

I’ve known Craig for years as a badass magician of mixing that can take the tracks I’ve recorded and make them sound like what I imagined they could sound like. He has long since mixed with a hybrid of digital and analog gear that brings the best of both worlds together to create a sound that is powerful and compelling.

“I’ve had records that I’ve worked on that have won awards, that have been hits in various markets, that have been nominated for Grammy’s...and none of them are records that I really love, or am proud of, or have on my demo reel. The records I’ve made that I’m really proud of tend to go unnoticed.”

Craig Alvin

“It took me a long time to listen to how [music] makes me feel rather than to think technically about what I was doing” @CraigAlvin

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Craig's Studio:

I have a Harrison Series 12. It's about 20 years old, its digitally controlled analog. Its sort of like having protools mixing but in analog form. I can take a sound from ProTools send it to outboard gear, then back into the console on a fader. When I work, I start a conversation with the song. It keeps me in a positive mindset and thinking on the thing I’m supposed to be thinking about which is the song, and the song should be speaking back to me. Once you’ve been sitting in the same room for 8 years mixing by yourself, you have to develop some ways to trick yourself into thinking you’re working on music with people.

Harrison Series 12

“Music is meant to be shared and experienced as a group” @CraigAlvin

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Favorite Effects or Outboard Gear:

1. Distressor (super versatile compressor) I have them set up as parallels for my kick and snare trick I learned from Joe Chiccarelli. On kick it gives me a solid punch sound that I can bring up. On snare, i have it pretty squishy so i can give it more length.

2. I have a AKG BX10 spring reverb that I’m absolutely in love with. It’s the only reverb I ever found where I can drown a vocal in reverb and people still think it's dry.

Gates Sta-Level

3. Gates Sta-level. I bought my sta-level back around 1990. From a guy in Portland in $50, I then traded it to Seasick Steve, he used it for about a year and traded it back to me for a mic that he wanted. That thing has been on every lead vocal of every mix I've done since about 1996.

4.I have a Neve 33609 that lives on my drum bus and that compressor can do no wrong. It doesn't matter how hard you hit it, just running through it makes things sound better.

Favorite Albums He's Worked On:

Ryan Lindsley’s - White Paper Beds

Erin McCarley - Love, Save the Empty
Peter Barbee - Among Savages

Andrew Belle - Black Bear

“Ryan Lindsley’s White Paper Beds, is one of my favorite records I’ve ever worked on” @CraigAlvin

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Tips for Recording Great Drum Sounds:

I have a philosophy that some things should be left alone or done with minimal processing such as my close mics. (kick snare, toms, overheads should be set up to get the best sounds without a lot of processing) then I have the opposite where I have mics set up specifically for lots of compression or EQ or distortion to give the kit its character. At mix those can be varied or eliminated. I also tune (the drums) to almost every song.

“Engineering 101: if you’re studying audio engineering, gain staging is everything. What I’ve found, is when I gain stage certain pieces of gear, I start to get this affect where I have optimized everything. I start off every mix by getting my low set, I set my kick drum and bass guitar and they always hit and they always hit the console at the loudest part of the sound at the same meter. Once you have set that, that's where you know your low end sits best, ..I do the low end first because the low end requires the most amount of energy then I start to build up the rhythm section around that. Those two don’t change because we’ve hit the optimal spot for the console”

“You cant just watch a video or read an article and be good at it right away, you have to train your ear and learn the technique”

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Jam Session

Q - What was holding you back at the start?
A - I think it was that I wasn’t focused. I wanted to play bass, I wanted to be in bands, I was in school trying to learn theology and I was just not focused on it. I took a decision to stop playing in bands, stop running live sound for everyone, get out of school and just focus on recording.

Q- What was some of the best advice you got early on?
A - The very first time I walked into the studio and Joe (Chiccarelli) was there setting up drums and working on a 24 track we needed as many tracks as we could get. So we decided to mix the overheads with high hat and tom mics and I looked at him and said, “we’re gonna mix these now?” He looked at me like I was the biggest idiot in the world, he said, “We’re mixing right now. We’re always mixing, mixing is our job.” And that was a huge revelation to me. The truth is when you choose a mic, you’re mixing. When you choose a location for that mic, you’re mixing. When you choose a particular musician to play a part, you’re mixing! There’s another bit of advice that I got. I lived in Oklahoma for a few years and my friend Ted, who spent some time in the music business, would always say, “the difference between whether something happened or didn’t happen, it whether it happened or not.” It makes no sense, but what he meant was, if something's not happening in a mix and you choose to let it go by, then that’s your choice. It didn’t happen because you didn't make it happen. I think he said it to make you take responsibility for the situation

“I can now have a studio where the knobs never turn on the outboard gear” @CraigAlvin

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Q- Share with us a recording tip, hack, or secret sauce.

A - The first thing I do (when it comes to vocals) I believe in the careful care and feeding of compressors. And what you’ll notice when looking in ProTools is that the waveform will be very loud in the bridge and quieter in the chorus. The first thing I do is go through with clip gain and even that out in a general sense so it’s kind of one volume the whole way. I do it visually so it’s more or less the same volume. The reason why is because I want the compressor and the other effects to be more or less in the “butter zone.” I get it so I can set my compressor once and leave it. Then I use automation to turn the volume up and down, after compression. After that I’ll filter out low end rumble and vocal pops with the RX plugin or the linear EQ from waves and use that in audio suite. After that the best thing i’ve learned for a vocal is something we used to do with tape. I have the UAD studer plugin. This the custom "Craig Alvin" setting on that: 456 tape with noise turned off. Then I run it at 7.5” per second, I turn the bias all the way up to make it darker and turn it to +9 to get more saturation. Right above the bias, there’s a high frequency tilt that’s on the record side, and I turn that up till the high end sounds right again. What this does is it gives you tape saturation, but that works in a really beautiful way with s’s. You can get by with so much less de-essing, and it’s probably the best vocal compressor that you can find

Q - Share a favorite hardware tool for the studio
A- You really can’t underestimate the power of having good delays. Like in particular the PCM41 by Lexicon. They’re kind of looked down upon because the 42 is supposedly the better version. I think its important to have bad gear laying around. The great thing about having bad gear like the PCM41 is that it has built in character. It has a sound that harkens to a particular era. With the 41, I will turn the delay all the way off but turn the mix all the way up and run acoustic guitar through it. You can turn a really nice sounding Martin guitar into a crappy old archtop that way. A lot of old altec consoles have these crazy, really kind of bad sounding mic pres and EQs that are phasey weird spring reverbs and stuff. Those things are fun to record percussion. When I was working on the features Wilderness record, I went around to pawn shops and bought all the old 12 bit audio gear I could find. I found this thing called the Yamaha Rex50, which is a 12 bit version of the SPX90. That became really a big part of of his sound he had to go out and find a couple to keep with him when he tours.

“We have a listening deficiency going on right now. People believe the hype machine, the believe the rumor mill, but they don’t spend the time to be diligent and just go listen to everything” @CraigAlvin

Click to Tweet

Q - Share a favorite software tool for the studio

A - I am completely in love with the UAD tape emulation especially the ampex and the studer. But I found Echoboy from Soundtoys and I turn off the delay and turn the mix all the way up. They have all these filtered sounds that essentially are what I was talking about with the weird audio gear and you can vary them in all kinds of ways and I do that ALL the time. I’m using a delay, but not as a delay, more like a channel strip.

Q - Is there any trick we should know about how to effectively name pre-sets and keep them organized?

A - I remember these in context through the song, so I name them based on the context. I have a reverb named Adam Lester Magic because there was a guitar player names Adam Lester and I found this pre-set that made his guitar come alive. And I use Adam Lester Magic on a lot of guitars now.

“I do some records simply because I have to pay the rent, but I think you should always strive to do meaningful work” @CraigAlvin

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Q - Share with us a tip for the business side of the recording studio

A - I’m not good with the business side. Honestly the thing that’s helped me the most is getting management to negotiate for me because I always sell myself too cheap.

Q - If you had to start over what gear would you need? How would you find people to record? And how would you make ends meet while you got started?

A - If I was in that situation, I wouldn’t think of gear yet. I would go find a job someplace where musicians gather maybe a bar, coffee shop, lyft or uber driver, someplace you can meet the people making music. Make a budget and figure out how much money you need a month to live and save until you have 3 months saved. Put that away and do not touch it. Now, by this time you’ve met the musicians, keep doing your job, and get behind those people and push life crazy. Help them record, help make their studios better, engineer for free, help them unload after a gig, do that stuff, make yourself invaluable to that scene and you will succeed. But you have to have money in the bank first so that you don’t go crazy.

“I really believe you get better results when you don’t mess around with the basics” @CraigAlvin

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Q - What is the single most important thing a listener can do to become a rockstar of the recording studio?

A - Practice mixing everyday for hours a day. Seriously, get ahold of track do everything you can to practice making them sound better. Listen and compare your mixes to ones you know are good, and keep working on them until they sound as good as those mixes. You have to discipline yourself and spend a lot of time doing this. But once you do that, you’ll have trained your ear to know what a good sound is.

Contact:
facebook.com/craig.alvin
craigalvin@gmail.com

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Just what I needed
September 11, 2019 by jonathan_day from United States
This podcast was like water in the desert. Once I found it, it turned out to be just what I needed. That was almost 2 years ago. I’ve learned a ton from this podcast. Lij asks the “dumb” questions which makes you feel not so dumb. So honest. So real. Keep it up!
great podcast
September 1, 2019 by Chat-Happy from United States
Always enjoy this one. Good guests with good insight on studio stuff of all kinds
Fantastic podcast!
August 26, 2019 by ??‍✈️?? from United States
Recording Studio Rockstars in an invaluable resource for those in the the audio engineer, recording, and music creation communities. If you are a student, hobbyist, or a seasoned professional you will gain valuable insight from the experience of Lij Shaw and his guests. Highly recommended! Charles H. Root, III Electric Owl Works, LLC
Warm tone across the spectrum
August 19, 2019 by Matt7_7 from Australia
Like any good podcast you can take this one anywhere with you and it's like having an old friend there. This is largely due to the host Lij's wonderful manner - warm and playful, and self-deprecating almost to a fault. Personality aside, it is clear that Lij possesses a wealth of experience and knowledge extending to all areas of sound, recording and production. He also has a wonderful range of guests on the show, so rather than just listen to engineer after engineer talk gear, you might one day hear an acoustician talking spaces, and the next a songwriter talking processes and giving practical tips. And of course there are a couple of engineers in the mix (excuse the pun). And what might at times seem highbrow and beyond the reach of many aspiring students of recording, Lij is able to condense into simple 'take-aways' - a credit to his broad understanding of all things sonic, but also to the needs of (some of) his audience. Thanks a lot Lij and keep up the great work!
TapeOp was in podcast form
July 26, 2019 by rockstar 336 from United States
This podcast is as inspiring as TapeOp. I learn so much each episode. I love the format and the humor! This is a must listen!
Great Podcast
July 12, 2019 by Ruckus Studio from United States
Full of wisdom, great insights, and valuable knowledge. I learn a lot, even from people who work in genres I have no interest in. Love this podcast!
Recording rockstars podcast
June 21, 2019 by isrealmac from United States
Very interesting listen!!
Trumpet for a 4 track!!!
June 13, 2019 by Sullyrocs from United States
Sounds like an awesome podcast not everyone understands studio sound or live sound enjoyed your interview
This is a well made podcast! Excellent!
May 30, 2019 by Bob Barney from United States
I’ve listened to many podcasts, YouTube videos, whatever, on the subjects Lij covers, and these are extremely valuable. If you just listen, these folks plainly say really impactful clues and kinda “big picture” stuff right there on the show. Then there’s Lij’s questions / comments. Really awesome!
God I love this podcast
May 25, 2019 by Scott h Stevenson from Australia
See above ?
Simply amazing!
March 27, 2019 by MetalJethro from United Kingdom
Yes this podcast has helped a lot with incites into every part of the studio life ! Lij keep them coming!
Two thumbs way up
March 23, 2019 by Cfahitfjeo from United States
Love this podcast. I learn something almost every episode and even when I don’t I’m still entertained.
Valuable Resource!
March 16, 2019 by lnxguit from United States
Lij Shaw’s show is educational and entertaining. I’ve learned a lot from him and his guests. It’s hard to believe these podcasts are free of charge!!
Awesome
March 9, 2019 by Jimbo21120 from United States
I love listening to this!
95% fun 95% info...
March 4, 2019 by Fruity2x! from United States
...I save the other 5% for sleep (see episode 181 for the joke) Honestly though this is a really great podcast not just for the info but Lij is a really cool dude. The times I’ve made a comment on Twitter or FB he has replied back and even poked me about a typo that still makes me laugh sometimes when I hear him joke around with his guests. The cool thing is he gets his guests to tell stories and you never know what coolness will come from it, hell sometimes I find out I’m doing things real producers and engineers do!!!
Great stuff
February 18, 2019 by Jimmy Record from United States
Really valuable conversations and insights, loving it.
Into the groove
February 15, 2019 by T. myradar P. from United States
Lig, I appreciate that you aren’t afraid to dig deep into the grooves and thoughts of your guests to find out what and why they do what they do and what makes it “work” for them. Very insightful. Even on a budget, it’s great to be able to apply methods used by Wessell, Charles Holloman, and every awesome guests to the tools available to to a DIY passionate music lover like myself. Even though my studio is my home, the results are amazing and can only improve. Appreciate you keeping it real! Keep up the good work!!
Good Stuff!
February 12, 2019 by drum u from United States
This has been a valuable tool to for me starting out in recording. It’s so helpful to hear real stories and tips from some of the industry’s top mixers.
Lij rocks
February 3, 2019 by AAU14 from United States
And so does this podcast!!
Always a good time
January 31, 2019 by L0123NZO from United States
So glad I stumbled upon RSR and this killer community. Lij is an expert conversationalist with a deep love for music and recording (and some incredible guests) - I love the honesty and accessibility of his work. Are you ready to rock???
Can't get enough!
January 24, 2019 by KatherX from United States
This is actually the 1st Podcast I'm reviewing (which says a lot) because it's THE BEST ONE FOR RECORDING/MIXING/MASTERING! I've been listening to Lij's Podcast for the past 6 mos or so and I'm hooked! I'm a drummer and have a jam band here in Denver, CO. I started recording my band on a handheld recorded about 6 years ago, moved to multitracking in Garageband and have been a Logic Pro X user for the past 3 or so years. Needless to say, I've caught the recording/mixing bug and my skills have been steadily improving thanks to all those that share their knowledge. Thanks for this Lij!!!
Good resource
January 8, 2019 by gsbe_com from United States
I enjoy this podcast and Lij’s style of interviewing is super laid back. The guests that I’ve listened to have all been interesting and I learned a few things. I’ll continue to listen and would recommend it to other audio nurds
4/5
December 17, 2018 by Shortyboyboy from United States
I am really enjoying this podcast, especially when the interviewees talk more about recording approaches / gear / studio tips. The only thing that gets me about this show is when the audience is referred to as “rock stars”. It makes me cringe - every time. Going back to referring to us as “listeners” would be a good move. I’m only being so blunt about this because i feel like it would greatly improve the quality of professionalism that I feel this show has the potential of gaining. Thanks for reading
Rockstars rockstars rockstars
November 25, 2018 by cyclopian from United States
Great conversations, great guests, invaluable tips and info about recording and production. But, please, Lij, could you stop calling us listeners *rockstars*? It’s not cool or ironic, it just comes off as dad-speak. Or, on the other hand, we could make a drinking game out of it...
Into the groove
November 9, 2018 by T. myradar P. from United States
Lig, I appreciate that you aren’t afraid to dig deep into the grooves and thoughts of your guests to find out what and why they do what they do and what makes it “work” for them. Very insightful. Even on a budget, it’s great to be able to apply methods used by Wessell and other professional guests to the tools available to to a DIY passionate music lover like myself. Even though my studio is my home, the results are amazing and can only improve. Keep up the good work!!
Great podcast !
October 30, 2018 by Bebop1961 from United States
Lij does a great job as an interviewer and really digs deep for interesting answers to real questions. Thx Lij .
Excellent podcast
October 27, 2018 by re@son from United States
Love it man! Wanted to share a tip. If you have an iPhone download the Documents App and link your Dropbox. That way you can listen to tracks and go between songs without having to do all the extra steps while driving.
No 1 on my playlist as it comes out !
October 5, 2018 by Royal Vasquez from United States
Lij does everything to try an cover all questions asked by most of us. A great compilation of amazing talented individuals telling incredible stories and teaching us great information. Thanks Lij!
Great learning resource!
October 3, 2018 by chicago audio engineer from United States
Such a great listen! Doesn’t matter if your a pro or a novice. Lij makes the interviews super interesting and asks great questions with great guests!
So real
September 7, 2018 by Klipf-ud-Jae from United States
I have been listening for years and want to leave this review to say thanks, Lij. I started to listen so I could make the tracks I record in my bedroom studio sound better. Your interviews open up whole new worlds, for people outside of professional music circles, and it's been great listening to your guests talk about their musical and professional journeys, as they share tips and techniques. I enjoy the format. The consistent range of questions posed to the diverse guests has illuminated the broad variety of ways to work and play in the studio. I've learned a lot, been inspired, and it's a "good hang." Keep it up!
Brilliant interviews
August 30, 2018 by ChristopherCf from Australia
This is the best site I have found for home studio information. Lij has the best guests and is a brilliant interviewer. Highly recommended that you subscribe if you have any interest in music recording at home or even in a large studio.
Ten stars
August 8, 2018 by FluxM from Australia
Love your dedication to this, Lij. 10 stars from me.
Dope Info Straight from the Source
August 6, 2018 by saalge from United States
This is by far my favorite podcast about recording
Best educational audio podcast bar none
August 3, 2018 by Mixor Kev from United States
Lij's interview style and thoughtful questions make this podcast one i look forward to each week. His enthusiasm is contagious and the gems of information that one can glean are invaluable. Thanks, Lij! Keep 'em coming.
Life Changing
July 27, 2018 by wilcofann from United States
This show has given me so much clarity. Wow. If it weren’t for what I’ve learned listening to this show, who knows how many more years would have been wasted ignorant of how to create sound. It’s so nice to be able to listen rather than read about this stuff; it seems easier to listen, and maybe that’s all I’ve needed all along to finally be motivated to learn to mix. Thank you Lij Shaw!!
The real deal!! Insightful and entertaining.
July 26, 2018 by Aston Teague from United States
Lij (and his guests) provide such an invaluable and entertaining resources for us audiophiles. It’s like sitting in a room with friends nerding-out on topics that we’re passionate about. I look forward to my road trips now that I’ve found this podcast. Keep up the great work Lij! Another proud and inspired Recording Studio Rockstar!!
One of the best recotding and audio related shows
July 22, 2018 by Viggou from Slovak Republic
Great stuff, great guests, great host. Lij Rocks!
Awesome
July 18, 2018 by Jdhenckdk from United States
This guy rules! I’ve learned a lot already and can’t stop listening. Also love the flow of the conversations compared to others.
Great interview
July 16, 2018 by JohnnieSko from United States
Sometimes recording studios interviews discuss just technical aspects of the business. Even though those topics were discusses, I particularly enjoyed listening to more of the creative and interpersonal relationships that are indirectly involved when producing music. Loved the interview. Thanks!
A must for perspective from the industry.
June 19, 2018 by mrfurst from United States
Lots of great information with interesting interviews. Highly recommend.
Must listen!
June 5, 2018 by benny182 from Australia
Lij is the warmest host, and his guests are more than willing to share their experience and even some tips. Couldn’t recommend more!
This Podcasts Rocks
May 27, 2018 by mlewi1 from United States
Great insight into all aspects of music recording and producing. Excellent resource to hear from those who know how it’s been done. So pleased I found this!
Great podcast! RSR131 Mac Gayden
May 26, 2018 by Water&WoodsGuy from United States
Mac Gayden (Barefoot Jerry) is such an amazing human being! Deep, humble, very talented. I only knew the song "Barefootin' from the 70's and just checked out the album by the same name from 1977. Amazing playing! Amazing recording. I'm new to "Recording Studio Rockstars" and love the podcast. I have a bunch of episodes cued up and can't wait to hear more.
A great informative show
May 24, 2018 by vamvany from Australia
Only just found this podcast and would like to recommend it very highly as a great source of information and has a very knowledgeable presenter who also brings in great guests. If recording is your thing, this podcast id for you.
One of the best podcasts out there
May 20, 2018 by Wanking chariot from United Kingdom
I love this podcast, Lij is a super likeable host with great guests from a wide range musical backgrounds. Keep it up Lij! You are doing great work here!
Addicted to this Podcast!
May 4, 2018 by Sobum from United States
The amount of information that is dropped in just one episode of this podcast can change how you approach production. Lij has a laidback conversational tone and is very inviting and kind to his guests and listeners, explaining things so that even a novice producer or engineer can grasp it. Highly recommend this pod to anyone interested in audio!
Grateful to have found this one!
May 2, 2018 by JerJacques from United States
This is an excellent show and I’m very grateful for the time and work that goes into the episodes. Keep ‘em coming!
Favorite Recording Podcast!
May 1, 2018 by Evergreen Fire from Canada
Lij is a great interviewer, always keeps the conversation flowing and draws out all kinds of great tips from his guests. I've learned so much, and have become addicted to this show!
Unique, Informative, and Fun
April 21, 2018 by DMcK12345 from United States
This podcast features a few people I've heard of, many I haven't, and every one of them has something to share that I learn from.
Can’t wait for Thursday/Friday
April 21, 2018 by Cooloo134 from United States
Lij has a phenomenal lineup of guests. Guests that I’m interested in and some I had no idea I was. The casual conversation is just a blast to listen to. Just enough geeking out, and the back bios are awesome. Lij’s seemingly repetitive format of canned questions might have appeared too formatted at first glance, but I look forward to hear the different responses to the same questions. (Might be cool to splice a montage of answers together!) Would love to see Lij get Mitch Easter and Dave Fridman on a podcast... can allways dream! Great show! Keep up the great work, casual conversation and commitment to help us get our learn on! Thanks Lij!
Woot!
April 4, 2018 by HappyJoshJosh from United States
By far one of the very best music production podcasts I’ve listened to. Keep them coming!
The Best Recording Pod Ever!
March 19, 2018 by spcgrs from United Kingdom
Seriously if there's a better recording related pod let me know I don't want to miss it, I love this show I discovered it about two months ago and have listened to about 30 episodes so far and have learned a ton and been thoroughly entertained through out, even when when it gets a bit nerdy I know info is seeping in that I might use later. Lij is easy to listen to and his upbeat presenting style keeps the guests and show on point. Really worth the time to listen can't recommend it enough. I feel my mixes have improved to from implementing some of the tips I've picked up. Thanks Lij you rock!
Relly great podcast
March 16, 2018 by Riverkingshideout from Sweden
If you want to here intresting stories and other fun stuff. This podcast are all that.
Love this podcast
February 26, 2018 by Is the real aka joe buttons from United States
Every episode is super engaging and informative!
EXCELLENT RESOURCE
February 19, 2018 by STRECK12 from United States
Graet podcast! I love the range of industry pro's Lij gets on this show. It really keeps things interesting. I like the focus and thoroughness in the explaination of audio concepts by both Lij and his guests. There is always great emphasis on source links which give the listener a chance to fully understand the topics discussed in podcast.
Great stuff
February 15, 2018 by Leonardo Valvassori from Canada
Just found you. Great stuff.
Rock's my socks off!!
February 9, 2018 by jeremy2tl from United States
Lij and his guests are a wealth of knowledge about the studio, it's inner workings, gear, AND the music industry! It's like getting the greatest history lesson ever, while learning all sorts of killer techniques and ideas for creating new music! Thank you! Jeremy
Fun and Motivational
February 8, 2018 by Novais from United States
Great job Lij! I can only imagine how hard it must be to keep the bar high on every podcast, but somehow, you keep doing it. Very inspirational. And fun!! Keep it up!!!
So Much. So Good. Amazing Interviews
January 29, 2018 by Jim Edgar from United States
Every time I finish an episode, challenged, invigorated and humbled by the comments and insights from individuals Lij interviews, he outdoes himself with the next episode. Keep bringing it, sir. This podcast rocks.
Incredible!
January 25, 2018 by Ricky Rockstar (Really) from United States
If you're into the music recording process at all, this show is worth the time. The guests are really top dogs and have vast knowledge AND stories that are just great to hear! These stories, and the knowledge could be lost if not passed on. Thanks Lij! Rock On Rockstars!
Great Podcast
January 24, 2018 by ddVibe from United States
I just started learning about audio about 6 months ago when I took an online course and also spent some time in a professional studio. My mentor at the studio encouraged me to check out this podcast, and it has been an amazing help for me to stay informed and inspired to keep working on my skills and knowledge and become a rockstar of the recording studio one day myself. I've listened to several similar podcasts as well, and this is by far my favorite - Lij's questions are on point and he is great at keeping the guest talking but interjecting when it is appropriate. Thanks Lij! Looking forward to future episodes as well as digging back into the older ones.
My Favorite Podcast
January 20, 2018 by missrickety from Australia
Quality and guests and quality content. Thanks for your hard work and passion Lij!
Great resource for recording enthusiasts
January 10, 2018 by Victor_Lara from Mexico
Never miss an episode the interviews are brilliant
Amazing!
January 5, 2018 by Germanitu from Spain
A very nice and informative podcast about the recording business and technics.
Sage Wisdom
December 30, 2017 by Nick J Harvey from Australia
One of the best podcasts that get real experts and audio professionals that have done the “hard yards”, sharing freely their journey, stories and insights. It’s a blast! Want to know how to master your mixes and your stuff, this is an important series of podcasts to listen too. Subscribe now and listen today!
Enjoyable podcast for audio engineers, mixers and mastered
December 28, 2017 by dtrtrics from United States
I’ve listened to every single episode and continue to do so. You’ll learn something different from each guest and the episodes never feel like they are dragging on.
Inspiring Show
December 17, 2017 by FuzzAndFurious from France
Thanks you Lij for bringing us some awesome content. I listen the podcast everyday while going to work.
Wow !!!
December 12, 2017 by GuyfromVirginia2017 from United States
The city of Nashville smackdown on home recording studios is UNBELIEVABLE!!! Thanks for the info Lij. Awesome podcast as always. JB in Virginia
BCJ
December 9, 2017 by rAs 54 from United Kingdom
Can’t say that I’ve listened to all of The podcast, the ones I’ve listened to Are very inspiring, good luck, and I hope you succeed in your struggle.
One of the most inspiring Podcasts available!
November 28, 2017 by UnderGunned Productions from Canada
Lij is a crazy cool humble guy who has the coolest guests and always asks them the greatest questions creating an entertaining, educational and inspirational podcast that inspires us Recording Studio Rockstars to push harder in the studio and pursue our dreams!
Amazing!
November 8, 2017 by lilbrownbass from United States
This show is really great! Jam packed with interesting interviews and some real heavy folks, definitely worth listening to!
The best audio recording podcast!
November 3, 2017 by SLienke from United States
I love the balance of technique and session experiences content. I have been listening since early releases, the Ken Sluiter is my favorite to date!
Another great resource
October 24, 2017 by A Turney from United States
If you read TapeOp or just want to learn more about recording then you have to listen. Great interviews and tips to improve your recordings. Even if a guest doesn't work on the kind of music you typically record there is always something you can learn and apply.
Favorite podcast !
October 7, 2017 by cstgermain from Canada
Great interviews with great guests !
Amazing!
October 5, 2017 by Sixsimple from United States
I love this show! If you're into recording/mixing this is invaluable. Bonus, the host is a big gear and music nerd and he is a lot of fun to listen to.
Fantastic
October 1, 2017 by CakeBacon from United States
This podcast has proven to be an absolutely invaluable resource. I am slowly filling up a notebook with ideas, websites, interesting people to look up, plugins to check out and all kinds of other amazing resources. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the production side of the music business. Thanks Lij, keep up the good work!
A Wealth of Information
September 27, 2017 by The sound palace from United States
I run a small studio and subscribe to a number of audio-based podcasts. Each serves an important role. I cam across Recording Studio Rockstars and was intrigued by the name. After listening to a current one I went back to the first one and listened to each on sequentially. Many had interviews with people I never previoulsy heard of or presented topics I was sure would not be relevant to my situation. Without exception I always took away new useful information and tips for some facet of the audio world. Lij has a natural way about him and tends to ask questions of his guests almost at the moment I was starting to ask myself. Great work, Lij. Keep it up! If you're ever in California, drop by and we'll have our own "Jam Session."
Lij is the man!
September 1, 2017 by _Chris_Graham_ from United States
Love his show, love his personality. Great dude. Great show.
Always informative and entertaining Lij is the man?????
August 24, 2017 by The Workshop from Australia
Great show ,generous with his time and knowledge
Great Work
August 18, 2017 by Studio27Taree nsw Australia from Australia
Hey Lij Mate keepup the good work i dont know how you do it nearly an interview each week i have listened to them all love to meet you one day Cheers John
Essential Listening
August 11, 2017 by Brady_d79 from Canada
I found this podcast about a month ago and I'm now a religious listener. Lij really knows how to dig out the info everyone wants to hear, no matter who the guest is. Absolutely phenomenal listening experience!
Skip School/Listen to this
August 2, 2017 by Andrew Shires from United States
Amazing resource for anyone interested in recording music.
great interviewer
July 9, 2017 by redblackred from United States
lij is an excellent interviewer, highly informative and more than just about gear & tips. really hits the nail on being able to appreciate these people as regular human beings. great stuff
One of my Faves
July 8, 2017 by J3FFd from Canada
Love this show. Learn so much practical goodness. Lij is always steering the ship in a listener centric direction. The episode from Bonnaroo was killer!
Super cool show!
June 23, 2017 by Looper duper from United States
Lij, thank you so much for making this excellent podcast.
Excellent Podcast
June 13, 2017 by Adrian Loera from United States
Sounds like Bill Paxton, I'm in!
awesome!
June 11, 2017 by Herbie Jones from United States
Lij has an awesome podcast here - I discovered my new mastering engineer Alan Douches from their interview. Great real talk on the podcast and highly recommend these two guys for anything!
Great podcast around studio, recording and music production.
June 4, 2017 by bückdichhoch! from Germany
Hey Lij, love your podcast and recently recommended it to the subscribers of my mailing list. Love your work! Cheers, Marc Mozart
Great Podacst
May 27, 2017 by Khgygffvjuhh from United States
I had a wonderful time as your guest Lij. Honored to be part of a great series of shows!
Masterclass
May 16, 2017 by Tommy & The Twins from United States
Lij is fast on his way to having the best karma in the music industry. The fact that you can just hit a button and subscribe to this podcast for free is unbelievable. I feel like this is stuff I would only deserve to know after spending a couple years interning as an engineering assistant. Listen to this podcast with a notepad ready.
An Invaluable Recording Resource
April 23, 2017 by Trolleyvox from United States
An engaging, fact and story-filled podcast. Excellent, sometimes surprising recording tips and advice about everything from recording solutions and mistakes to time and money management to life lessons. I'll even throw in a request here for engineer/producer Brian Beattie to be a guest on the show.
Love the podcast!
April 16, 2017 by 157audio from United States
I just discovered your podcast this week and have loved it so far. You strike a good balance of the personal story, the equipment, and technique. I also LOVE the fact that you ask about mistakes people have made - not only is it a great learning experience but a reminder that everyone makes mistakes, no matter who they are. Keep up the great work!!
Very interesting and informative
April 5, 2017 by Sam in Nevada from United States
Lij is super knowledgeable and articulates himself in a very knowledgeable and entertaining way. This podcast rocks and it's inspirational
Love it!
March 31, 2017 by landonarkens from United States
It's equal parts storytelling, tips and tricks, and support group. I love hearing about what other folks with various years of experience are into!
The only podcast that is always ready to rock
March 28, 2017 by trevorpetrie from Australia
This is by far one of the greatest podcasts for music production tips and tricks. Lij (host) is super positive, upbeat and encouraging. You will not only learn mixing secrets directly from some of the worlds greatest engineers, you will hear their stories, understand how they got to where they are today and most of all, you will learn that you can be a rockstar of the studio yourself.
Love it!
March 9, 2017 by Bill the guitarist from United Kingdom
I've never bothered to write a review before - but I think this is brilliantly done.
I wish there were a 6th star I could check
February 23, 2017 by JamesJackieBaker from United States
Lij Shaw is a name you might not know but he has created a powerhouse of a podcast. I've learned so many tips and heard so many great stories of success and failure that I've been able to incorporate into my work-flow. This is an invaluable resource.
Badass!
February 23, 2017 by Biskopbrask from Sweden
This podcast roxx if you're into studio stuff. Lij is awesome and he talks to a lot of, dare I say it?, even more awesome ppl!
Awesome Podcast!
February 12, 2017 by Eugen Majeri from Romania
Amazing information! The Chris Graham episode, along with many others, gave me a lot of 'A-ha!' moments. Great format, great attitude, great podcast! Keep it going:) I'll keep listening!
Great podcast!
February 2, 2017 by Magnus Pejlert from Sweden
If you're interested in recording, music and music business, you've found the right podcast!
Entertaining and Informative
January 28, 2017 by Jae Daniel from United States
Lij has this thing down. He's asking the right questions each week and the guests give you a true glimpse into what it's like in the working world of production. If you want a taste of entertainment as well as a few tips and tricks along the way, this is a MUST LISTEN podcast.
Excellent show
January 23, 2017 by Dave Arkins from Ireland
The show is probably the best out there. Practical advice, lij has a great attitude and manner, the interviews are very own to earth without any fluff. Funny but without the usual trying to be funny. Great stuff
Great Insights, great guests, great host. Thanks Lij!
January 22, 2017 by Jordan N D from United States
Very impressed with this show. I am a professional recording engineer and music producer and I love listening to this show on my commute to work in the morning. Gives me new ideas and starts my day off with inspiration! I love that there’s someone out there portraying what the music industry is REALLY like…and not just touting gear and trying to sound smart all the time. Keep it up Lij!
Very informative and entertaining
January 17, 2017 by Hermanzaum from United States
Lij shines as a very laid back interviewer (a bit silly sometimes though - but it's all good fun!) that scoops a whole lot of info about the music creation and recording process from renowed professionals. Although I'm a hobbyist, I do find this podcast invaluable and greatly entertaining. Being very well recorded, I can understand every single word from Lij and his guests - which can be hard for non-English speaking individuals like me if recording is subpar. Thanks Lij for this great repository of information!
Pulled the fuse on my car radio!
January 14, 2017 by CaptShakey from United States
Wow- As a musician and recordest I just love Lij's show! Forget the car radio- I pop in my bluetooth earpiece and tune in to Recording Studio Rockstars all before I start the car! Fantastic! Educational and entertaining!
Tons 'o Fun!
January 14, 2017 by Prog Nosticator from United States
Lij's podcast brings lots of cool studio and recording folks onboard for super-cool discussions and great tips, recommendations and fun, useful anecdotes. A real must for folks who get off on studio stuff. Just the right amount of gear talk mixed in with stories and revealed personalities and a dose of reality that come with the studio life. Super awesome personality from host Lij Shaw brings this podcast into the stratosphere. Couldn't be happier with a podcase than I am with this one. Incredible content!
Love this Show
January 9, 2017 by Capn_Chord from United States
For someone that has been a musician and a lover of music since I was a small child this podcast is great. I've only dug into home recording in the last few years and the knowledge you can pick up on this show is killer. It's also great to hear the guests talk about the stories of how the music I loved growing up was made. Keep up the good work.
World-class podcast
January 7, 2017 by Juan Pantelones from United States
Yes, this is a great podcast for sound engineers, musicians and anyone else interested in this form of art.
Fantastic!
December 27, 2016 by MusicForNobody from United States
This podcast is the real deal. Real working professionals sharing their tips and tricks, but more so their philosophy in the scope of framing a career in the industry. Can't recommend enough!
Awesome
December 26, 2016 by Chetto1 from United States
This is a 10 star podcast!!! Packed with info of the recording studio world. Get you inside the walls of the studio with awesome information on how to start, run and succeed in the music business of studio recording. A very big Thank you Lij
LOVE IT!
December 17, 2016 by Doubledeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee from United States
Love this podcast! Inspiring hearing all these stories. People from my small town makin it big. The tips are the best. Im on podcast #40 going in order. My eyes have been opened. Lij is a pretty kool host too. My only thing is that I wish there were more tips per session. But I am super satisfied with this podcast! Great job Lij and thank you!
FANTASTIC
November 29, 2016 by Lives for music from United Kingdom
I have been listening for a couple of months. Hands down one of the best PodCasts for People of all skill levels. Liv is such a cool guy and asks the right questions.
I had a marvellous time!
November 25, 2016 by Limeytron from United States
Thanks Lij for having me on your show! I had a marvellous time! You really are truly passionate about music and the art of recording it my friend! Many thanks Warren
Awesome
November 11, 2016 by Leeee0 from United States
The best recording podcast I’ve found. Lij is a great interviewer, relaxed and down to earth but also gets to the really juicy and nerdy questions we all want to know about. I’ve learned a lot from listening to this and gotten plenty of inspiration.
Inspiring podcast
November 11, 2016 by Peterhog from Sweden
Great podcast for learning the art of recording and mixing!
????
October 16, 2016 by extROYdinary from Canada
Love the guests and love the questions asked. I'm just starting the transition of turning my studio from a hobby to a part time income and can't get enough information and this is one the the best places to get it!! Keep it up Lij!! hopefully I'll be a guest one day!!
A Peak Into The industry
October 15, 2016 by akfrozenmixer from United States
I came across your podcast while listening while listening to Ian Shepherd interview you. I enjoyed the stories that you shares especially the hay bale studio. Any way I went over to check out your show and love it. The Harrison interview was awesome and insightful. As well as the weed whacking drummer. I look forward to listening to the rest of the shows. As well as gleaning whatever information I can to better myself as a pretendgineer. ?. Thanks and keep it up.
Excellent Podcast!
October 3, 2016 by I-ME-ME-MINE from United States
Very informative and geared toward the home studio crowd. Lij is always positive, funny and unassuming. Highly recommend!
Love it!
September 22, 2016 by I eat ding dongs from United States
Great show! Lots of tips and tricks all for free.
Great Podcast!!!
September 16, 2016 by m80rox from United States
Love the podcast. Great job. I've been a singer/songwriter/musician for a long time. I built my own project studio and find your podcast very inspiring.
I'm all in Lij, great recording tips & interviews!!!
September 9, 2016 by B3 W/Leslies + Many Synths from United States
Really enjoying the pods, lots of great info & tips!!! The interviews will bring a smile to your face here & there, great stuff, highly recommended!!!
Carl Tatz Interview
August 19, 2016 by Carl Tatz from United States
I am very impressed with Lij's level of professionalism and attention to detail in his great Recording Studio Rock Stars podcast series. It was frankly beyond my expectations.He really did his homework before he conducted the interview that prepared him to ask intelligent questions that enabled my answers to provide the most value to his large and growing audience. Lij is definately ready to rock and a rock star himself in my estimation.
Entertaining and incredibly insightful
August 5, 2016 by Frustrert Fønix from Norway
This podcast is by a seasoned audio engineer that really knows what he's talking about and conveys very articulately. Each episode features a different engineer to discuss technique, mixing, tracking, gear, even the business side of music production. And presenter Lij, is very humble and communicates well and interacts well with his guests. Even though the episodes are quite long they're jam-packed with tips and good advice. I learn a lot every episode! Thanks so much Lij!
Great podcast
August 5, 2016 by Brute777 from Australia
This show is a fantstic listen with great guests, great inside stories and excellent recording info provided for the listeners. Highly recommended.
Down to Earth
July 30, 2016 by Mirage_66 from United States
I truly enjoy the down to earth interviews you have with your guests. Your questions are well thought out and designed to get the most from the guest. Thank you.
Life-changing podcast
July 26, 2016 by Wyrlwynd from United States
This sounds like an overstatement, but it's not. That's what this has been for me. Lij Shaw interviews people in the business of recording, mixing, mastering, production, songwriting and all things "recording studio". In addition to his own studio chops and experience, he has developed an excellent talent for interviewing the other pros, drawing out the classic tales of missteps, mayhem and meant-to-be happy accidents. Nostalgia, humor and minutiae pervade, but so do legitimate insider tips and tricks. Not all guests are created equal, but on the rare near-snoozers, I find myself listening more to Lij and cheering him on. Thanks to Lij and the different pros that he has exposed his listeners to, I have actually learned how to mix songs. I'm still learning, but suddenly finishing a long lost dream to release my own solo album is within my grasp. If you are interested in recording music, tune in to this podcast. Listen and learn. Lij rocks!
Love the show
July 23, 2016 by Mztzza from United States
I have heard every show and loved every one of them. It has given me an insight into the making of records and has made me a better mixer and musicians. Thank Lij.
Rockin'
July 16, 2016 by Matt Recio from United States
This has quickly become one of my favorite podcasts for pro audio. Along with practical advice about techniques and gear, it's cool to get insight into the industry and craft. The sounds you know from the songs you know--all discussed by the people who made it happen. Rock on, Lij !
Awesome Show!
July 8, 2016 by Rick McVick from United States
This is the only recording podcast I can listen to. Loving every second of it!
One of my favorite podcasts!
July 5, 2016 by Etil2 from United States
This podcast is awesome! Lyj's interview style is the right mix between respect for the interviewee and respect for his own knowledge to get great info. without letting egos into the conversation.
Thank you!
June 5, 2016 by SaveThePolarBears from United States
Hey, Lij. Thank you for everything you are doing. I listen to your podcast regularly at work and the depth of knowledge I am gaining from it has already paid off multiple times while recording. Hearing different techniques and ideas from all of those renowned engineers, producers and musicians (including you, of course) is unbelievably helpful. I am currently on the third installment of your Mix Master Bundle and that is also paying off immediately. I don't know why you decided to open up and share the way you do but I can tell you that it is extremely helpful and sincerely appreciated.
Totally rocks and inspires!
May 30, 2016 by GeorgVie from Austria
Lij is an experienced studio guy talking to interesting people here. Loads of insights and useful considerations!
Gold
May 19, 2016 by Prodrumguy from United States
Are you a studio nerd? These are your people. Lij is a great interviewer, has enthusiasm for audio and has access to the greatest engineers on the planet. The podcast sounds stellar, too. That should be a prerequisite for a recording podcast, right?
Great show!
May 9, 2016 by Armyguy1978 from United States
Lij does a great job and has top notch guests on as well.
Great!
April 26, 2016 by MattB4SBB from Australia
It's just a master piece for people who work with music making stuffs. Have a lot of famous composers as guests and you'll be able to learn more about their sucess!
Ready 2 Rock!
April 26, 2016 by Carl#77 from Germany
Lij really brings us hour long in depth interviews with audio professionals which is as entertaining as it is inspiring! This is just great!
Excellent Pro Audio Podcast
April 11, 2016 by David L from MN from United States
Lij Shaw's podcast is great. He and his guests have useful recording advice and insights into life in the studio. He seems like a really fun guy too.
Insightful and authentic
April 6, 2016 by PobodyNerfect from United States
Ironically, there are so many bad recording podcasts out there, this is one of the few that I keep coming back to you. Keep up the great work, Lij.
Great podcast!
April 4, 2016 by Ephedrine Dream from United States
Lij Shaw's Recording Studio Rockstars podcast has quickly become one of my favorite recording-related podcasts. Lij is a passionate and experienced studio owner and engineer, based in Nashville, setting him apart from the scores of turkeys focused primarily on driving site traffic, ad revenue, and subscriptions. The RSR interview with Vance Powell is one of the best ever; a must-listen!
Well worth subscribing to
April 3, 2016 by Sdnalednas from United States
I'm learning something valuable and new with every episode.
Great and very informative Podcast
April 3, 2016 by A music self taught from United States
Not only that Lij is a great recording and mixing engineer who not only is willing but loves to share his knowledge - he is also a great host and facilitator when he talks to his Podcast guests. Highly recommended, very entertaining but also very informative if you are interested in audio recording and mixing.
Excellent!
April 2, 2016 by musicon197 from United States
Gets better with every episode. This has become a new go-to audio production podcast. Lij balances technique, business and the fun of mixing and recording so well. I always take something away from each episode.
I love this podcast!!
March 29, 2016 by Josh Bakerrr from United States
This is a great show! Very straight to the point with useful information for beginners and professionals alike. Keep up the good work!??? CHEERS
Great Podcast!
March 28, 2016 by theebanjodeb from United Kingdom
RSR is one of the best audio podcasts out there today. Lij Shaw has done a great job rounding up the best talent around who always have interesting tips and stories; every show you learn something new.
Great show with incredible insights!
March 26, 2016 by JB1764278 from United States
Lij has created a great program that offers unparalleled insights from the guys that do this for a living. It's great whether you're a musician, a recording engineer, a mixer or just a fan of all things creative.
Inspiration & how to guide
February 28, 2016 by Rony Tak from Japan
I have only just started with Rockstars, but it has been great. There is always something new to learn and the presentations are simple, organised. The guests are great personalities and there is always some great deals for various things. Keep it coming Lij! Good luck to you and best wishes
So much to be learned!
February 14, 2016 by Joseph PK from United States
Lis runs a fantastic podcast where I learn some new insights and tips from each guest. I love the frequency of the episodes and of course the gentle humor Lij brings as well. Very smart and well done! -Jp October
Most Excellent!
February 9, 2016 by GSpencerDrums from United States
Thanks Lij! Your show has been inspiring! Keep it up!
Great Podcast About Recording
February 5, 2016 by Stephen Turney from United States
Lij knows what’s up as a producer and an engineer and finds great guests from all over the spectrum of the recording world to come in and share what they know about the studio. Great introduction for anybody interested in recording wanting to know more.
Big fan!!
January 29, 2016 by dgloyd from United States
Lij Shaw is truly a rockstar. His commitment to the audio community is invaluable. Inspiring and educational podcasts. The engineers that Mr. Shaw mentors are the real deal! Truly. Thank you!
Only podcast I make sure I listen to every week
January 29, 2016 by JWCouv from United States
I’ve struggled for years trying to record and mix my own music, but I’ve never gotten the results I’ve always wanted. It always felt like I was missing some piece of knowledge to really get the quality I wanted—Lij Shaw gave that to me. I’m now more knowledgeable about music production—but more importantly, I’m more excited about music, and it’s all thanks to this podcast.
Great podcast for anyone into audio recording and mixing
January 25, 2016 by Ezzviah from Netherlands
For me this is the best podcast for anyone into audio recording and mixing. It covers decades of recording history stories which are also translated into the digital era where we live in now. The podcast includes real life tips and tricks from experienced engineer on different levels (technical, personal and business). And not to forget, Lij is a great host :)
Very cool content
January 19, 2016 by Pig smasher Pete from Australia
Excellent interviews with recording professionals. Highly recommended.
Considered and Engaging
January 15, 2016 by face-tones from United States
Lij Shaw chooses guests who will help you gain perspective. He listens, engages, and shares. This medium is all about sharing. The interviews (coffee klatches may be a better term) show us the involved side of the music producers, teachers, the ones who make it happen. Spend some time. Listen. It's how it works!
Yessir!
January 5, 2016 by Blue Blanket Studios from United States
Great show!!! Highly recommend it.
Lij is the man
December 5, 2015 by andycanread from United States
Love the show! Useful and interesting
Rockin'
December 4, 2015 by anne@ WW Entrepreneur from United States
Great show for music enthusiasts not just people wanting to get in the recording industry. I love learning about behind the scenes in the music industry.
Wow
December 3, 2015 by M1kesw1fe from United States
Love this show!!!
Awesome!
November 23, 2015 by anne@ WW Entrepreneur from United States
A must listen for anyone who wants to get into the recording biz! Real stories and advice from real experts.
Top Notch Info
November 17, 2015 by Bruce at Mindfulness Mode from Canada
Having recorded on an amateur basis for years, I really enjoy learning from these pros. Interesting conversations and tips I can really use. Great interview flow.
Really great content
November 16, 2015 by angusnelson.com from United States
As a former concert promoter and Nashville citizen, I now have a great show to refer my friends. Fun, practical, and inspiring. Love the insights!
A true insider!
November 14, 2015 by Michelle at Inner North Star from United States
This is a great show that goes behind the scenes. If you are considering working in the recording industry in any capacity - you must subscribe to this podcast. If you aren't in the industry- you will still find this show well worth your time!
Loving it
November 14, 2015 by Daryl78 from Germany
I am really enjoying the insight you share with all of your listeners! Great stuff ! For anyone who wants to learn sometimes about mixing and recording a must LISTEN! Cheers
Great stuff!
November 13, 2015 by Gene_HPLN from United States
I am amateur recording musician, really appreciate any tips and secrets!
The Sound Guy's Paradise
November 13, 2015 by Doug - Mind Drippings Media from United States
As a former Sound Guy I find this podcast very enriching and packed full of information. Great Show!
Music City Rock Stars!
November 13, 2015 by Trigg Ehr from United States
Wow, this is great! This is hot stuff, coming right from the hotbed of genuine musical talent of every kind. He knows his stuff.
Perfect Resource for Anyone Determined To Record
November 13, 2015 by Nehemiah7483 from United States
Musicians have very few resources to draw on for help becoming profecient at the business part of your craft. This is a great help!
A worthy, fine podcast
November 13, 2015 by EndTimes from United States
I love hanging with Lij. Now I get to hang with him as he interviews other talented, creative and accomplished veteran studio rockstars. I listen in the car, so when I get back home I'm full of inspiration to get to making some magic music.
Audio and music junkies dream
November 10, 2015 by Eddie Donato from Australia
I love all things audio and music and this podcast has not let me down - rocking podcast!
Great show!
November 10, 2015 by Jimh77 from United States
Must listen.
This show is awesome and the quality is amazing!
November 6, 2015 by Therykerdane from United States
If you are looking for a high quality audio and content filled podcast, this is it. Lij delivers with this podcast and it is a must listen for anyone wanting to get their audio quality better! Lots of awesome guests. Thanks
Killer!
November 6, 2015 by Alexandra B-P from United States
Lij is rocking in the house! He knocks it out of the park with top notch guests killing it in the recording world. If you are even interested in recording and progressing in that field - MUST listen.
Nice one
November 6, 2015 by Dracaban from United States
Great audio quality. Interesting subject. I'm not an audio guy but I really enjoyed some of this interviews. Great job
A real SOUL Rock Star in Podcasting!
November 6, 2015 by Oriya+ from United States
Heck… I listen to a lot of podcasts but this guy is a soul rock star. Thank you LiJ :)
The rockstars behind the rockstars!
November 6, 2015 by BusinessMonk from United Kingdom
Love this show. I’m not a sound engineer, but I love the insights into this behind the scenes world that powers the best artists on the planet! I also love peeking under the lid, and hanging out virtually with jedi nights of sound! Lij has a nice relaxed conversational style, and brings the best out of his guests. Definitely worth a listen.
So Pro
November 4, 2015 by Ms. Eaton from United States
Lij is an inspired professional and it shows in everything he does!
Thank you!
November 4, 2015 by LinearNoMore from United States
I can't begin to tell you what a great find Recording Studio Rockstars is! Thank you Lij for your dedication to the art of music recording, your giving spirit and for bringing to all of us hungry soon-to-be's a terrific way to learn and intern in the virtual RSRS recording studio.
Very Informative
November 1, 2015 by Rocwatson from United States
I really enjoyed Recording Studio Rockstars. Very informative and entertaining podcast. Not only is Lij a great host but also a man of his word. Very refreshing!
mrMezza
November 1, 2015 by gibson279 from United Kingdom
Lij you definately rock
What a great podcast
October 30, 2015 by adamfarmertv from United States
Lij, Inspiring podcast man. What a wonderful idea to record these musicians. Keep up the great work. Adam Farmer — Co-Host of Getting Started Right Podcast
Just what I needed!
October 30, 2015 by WriteOfYourLife.com Podcast from United States
Wow! I never knew this kind of info was out here. Love this information! Thanks for bringing this out into the world.
Going behind the scenes
October 30, 2015 by Jmccracken01 from Australia
It's cool to hear different stories from people behind the scenes as to how things happen - and their experiences. Interesting podcast.
Ian Shepherd interview sucked me in - I'm a fan now!
October 30, 2015 by tbritton33 from United States
The Ian Shepherd interview was my introduction to this fantastic podcast, and I will now be listening to every past show and all future ones. Lij Shaw is a tremendous interviewer and host and really keeps the interviews on track while still allowing for a breezy and conversational style with surprise meanderings into the unexpected (still keeping everything relevant!) I cannot recommend it highly enough. (And Ian Shepherd nails it, so definitely listen-in to that one, too!)
Lij is THE Rockstar!
October 30, 2015 by Mother Jen from United States
Such an awesome show you’re doing Lij. So thankful to have this in my lineup of shows to listen to!
Had a great time on the show and look forward to more episodes!
October 28, 2015 by David Glenn from United States
Thanks to Lij for having me on. You’ve got a great thing going bro! I wish you nothing but the best. For anyone interested in this podcast, do yourself a favor and subscribe! Now! Do it! ;)
Unique and interesting
October 27, 2015 by Simon W Chan from United States
Great show, a different kind of information and a short getaway from stress. Looking forward for more episodes.
Awesome Show!
October 27, 2015 by Danny Johnson -Flipping Junkie from United States
Love the show! It’s definitely great to find a show that really gives awesome stories and insight into the recording business.
Love the energy and the content!
October 27, 2015 by Hani Mourra from Canada
Love the energy, starting with the intro! Great guests and super valuable info. Keep up the awesome content Lij!
Very Cool
October 25, 2015 by Ryan L. Sink from United States
Both interesting and helpful, an awesome resource for anyone who records anything!
RSR
October 25, 2015 by Sonotardi from United States
This is great! For a novice like me, the stories are informative and entertaining. Very cool to hear it straight from the horses mouth (pondering etymology on that). Biggest problem will be finding time to keep up with what Lij is doing. Keep it up!
Too Real
October 25, 2015 by Huntw7 from United States
This podcast is awesome! I'm an aspiring engineer, so getting advice from the best in the business is a huge confidence boost!
Excellent podcast!
October 25, 2015 by 24jmmm from United States
This is consistently top notch material! Interesting guests, great interviews. Lij is knowledgable, engaging, & informative.
Awesome show!
October 25, 2015 by Aditya of My Seven Chakras from Canada
Through the interviews and the questions posed, Lij Shaw paints a wonderful picture of what its like to be an artist and live the recording lifestyle! Great to learn something new everyday!!
A must-hear for recording artists and studio creators!
October 25, 2015 by Cali-lover from United States
Lij rocks! He breaks down the business of music and makes it easy to understand and fun to follow. So informative and inspiring!!
Awesome podcast!
October 25, 2015 by Gigi u rock from United States
This is a great podcast, allowing us to see an insiders view of the recording studio! Can’t wait to hear more!
Learn from the Maestro!!!
October 25, 2015 by Nick Lobel from United States
I've had the huge privilege to work with Lij and learn from his many years of experience. I'm so stoked to have this podcast as another resource for honing my craft! Lij always has insightful guests and useful tips that you can instantly apply to your workflow. If you're serious about recording and mixing this is one podcast you need to follow!
Wonderful
October 24, 2015 by Inouye777 from United States
Lij's fresh take on the audio world is an incredible insight to engineers both new and established. If you're looking for an excellent resource to learn, and virtually network with someone the greatest engineers in the business, this is the podcast to listen to.
Rockstars!
October 24, 2015 by Fatherof10yrold from United States
What a professionally done podcast! You guys are rockstars!
Take your recording to the next level!
October 20, 2015 by BeachPB from United States
This podcast is a killer resource for anyone looking to improve their recording skills. Great stories and great tips to take your recording to the next level. Keep the awesome episodes coming!!!
This is the go-to podcast for recordings!
October 20, 2015 by WinningTheGameOfLife-Podcast from United States
Lij has taken a unique aproach to podcasting, showing you how to become a rockstar in the recording studio! A must hear for anyone working with any type of recordings!
The Nuts and Bolts of getting good is a large body of work.
October 20, 2015 by Yoyoyo04 from United States
Great interview with Graham Cochrane. Putting your self to work building a large body of work is the best way to improve your sound.
Walk the walk.
October 19, 2015 by mark kovaly from United States
A lot of studio podcasts are done by people who like to talk about recording, and that's cool but Lidge is in the trenches full-time his knowledge is gained from experience. I find the podcasts insightful and helpful with real situations. Interesting guests allow a nice look into the inner workings of recording. Two thumbs up! Way to go! thanks for sharing the information. Mk
Great
October 18, 2015 by mdaciuk from Canada
Great interviews and nice start. Can't wait to hear more.
Most Excellent Podcast!
October 18, 2015 by MarcoPogoBBA from United States
Lij is a great advocate and community-builder, and it is wonderful to get to have access to the thoughts and techniques of various recording studio wizards. Keep up the marvelous work!
Simply Amazing
October 18, 2015 by mlove2k2 from United States
Lij is THE MAN! His knowledge and network are simply amazing! This podcast is the real deal. I can’t wait for more!
Excellent launch
October 18, 2015 by Meridian street Studios. from Canada
Enjoy the podcast. Comfortable banter with good guests. Then the questions follow. Many episodes in a short time. I hope we can keep up the pace. You are a rockstar.
Excellent recording info!
October 18, 2015 by Dlwmusic from United States
This is the real deal! So much great knowledge (or should I say Know-Lij!)
Rockstar-tactic!
October 18, 2015 by adult cow from United States
Lij is such a great guy and is so passionate about his music- listening to him just makes you feel so motivated and want to jump in! These podcasts are amazing representations of that... He's such a great teacher and super fun to listen AND talk to! Keep it up Lij!!!
Rockstar-tactic!
October 18, 2015 by adult cow from United States
Lij is such a great guy and is so passionate about his music- listening to him just makes you feel so motivated and want to jump in! These podcasts are amazing representations of that... He's such a great teacher and super fun to listen AND talk to! Keep it up Lij!!!
I love it
October 18, 2015 by Rock Fiend from United States
It's really cool to hear how records are made!
Educational, informative and downright Essential!
October 18, 2015 by Teedles from United States
This podcast series is awesome! Lij is the real deal as an engineer and musician. I would highly recommend subscribing to this podcast. It's well worth the time!
Mr
October 18, 2015 by kenobioneobi from United Kingdom
I have listened to every show so far and they are all great and full of information. Keep it up :)
Huge help
October 18, 2015 by Salladspork from United States
This is a great resource for anyone in the audio industry. It's no wonder they have already been recognized by iTunes as #1 in two of the 3 categories!
Shoot for the moon but listen to 'Rock Stars!
October 18, 2015 by SeanThom from United States
Lij is unreal. He understands the modern recording community like no one else and his passion to teach and share his knowledge is awesome! Listen to this podcast!
Great show!
October 18, 2015 by unxpectedjoy from United States
A must listen
Great podcast
October 18, 2015 by southern dragon from United States
Great guy with a great idea to interview these rock stars of the studio.
Real View into the Recording World
October 18, 2015 by Darth Mall from United States
It's awesome to see great engineers and producers trying to mainstream quality information to help other audio professionals. And Lij is the man. 5 stars.
Fantastic show
October 17, 2015 by SwannyDawgOz from Australia
Such a great resource for recording studio owners, keep them coming!
Synergy Consulting
October 17, 2015 by bolducis from United States
Lij deliveres intuitive and insightful perspective. Magnificent!
Great resource!
October 17, 2015 by Some Audio Engineer from United States
Recording Studio Rockstars is fun and informative, and has kept me interested every episode! I highly recommend for anyone interesting in learning from audio professionals.
King Of The Universe
October 16, 2015 by CluB RoaR from United States
Lij is one of the best engineers I have ever worked with! His Recording Studio Rockstars is a tour de force
Great interview-r
October 16, 2015 by VancePowell from United States
I had a great time on his show.. I recommended it to everyone!
Tight show
October 16, 2015 by Shaolin Soprano from United States
Love tuning in here to the professional rockstars. This podcast pumps me up and filled with top notch value. 5 Stars!
Fantastic!!!
October 16, 2015 by Dr. Mark C. from United States
This is the future for musicians. Great show. Great guidance. Well done!
This podcast is a rockstar!
October 16, 2015 by HeavyDriver from United States
Love the segments and questions asked on the show. Host Lij shaw finds quality guests and offers knowledgable support to answers. I'm all about inspiration and this inspired me to get in my producer's chair today!
Great info
October 16, 2015 by RebelBroker from United States
So I am no a music guy, but I do need recording studio type info for other things and this is a great show for insights from the pros!
Must Listen
October 16, 2015 by Pod9955 from United States
For someone who relies on sound quality so much this is a must listen show.
Great inside look at the studio world!!
October 16, 2015 by The R.R. from United States
Lij brings in awesome guests to talk about real happenings in the recording studio. A great listen if you want an inside look at the recording studio world from the guys that make great music happen!
Fantastics Podcast!
October 15, 2015 by STL Hit Squad from United States
Lij Shaw’s Podcasts are the real deal! Great guests and topics, as well as flow. I’m never bored and really appreciate the depth of industry knowledge that is shared. Carry on!
My Favorite PodCast About Recording!
October 15, 2015 by BassManDLM from United States
Lij Shaw delievers a personal and enthusiastic perspective of recording music that is educational, inspiring, and authentic. My new favorite podcast: Recording Studio Rockstars!
Thanks Lij!
October 14, 2015 by ReverendJohnny from United States
Like few other recording engineers, Lij actually takes the time to be thorough and to make sure both new students and seasoned professionals grasp the concepts he is teaching. This guy has more tricks in his bag than the great Houdini and the best part is that he's willing to share them with us. This is more than just a podcast, it's a Treasure Trove of invaluable information that has changed the way I engineer and brought me to new levels of thinking about my studio and what it actually means to be an engineer. Lij is most definitely part guru!
A wealth of information
October 14, 2015 by Felgar3000 from United States
I witnessed first hand how good Lij is while he was recording some of the biggest names in music at Bonnaroo. If you want to learn from the best, this is the guy. This podcast is fantastic and highly recommended.
Great Podcast!
October 14, 2015 by Bybella from United States
Lij Shaw is a consummate professional in the music business and he has years of experience and shares just what you need and want to know about the music business. He has worked with every type of musician out there and knows the business from A to Z. He is also just a cool guy and knows how to have fun. Enjoy listening and learning!
Legit!
October 14, 2015 by MusicCityMania from United States
I've worked with this guy in the trenches of the music industry for over a decade and I'm so happy he is taking the time to create this podcast. He has some amazing connections and has already pulled some stellar guests. Whether or a casual fan or someone actually wanting to get in the business, you will love this podcast with Lij!
Quality Info
October 13, 2015 by Pfatcat from United States
I've known Lij for years and as a fellow recording engineer I can tell you he knows his stuff. If you want to know how to get better sounds in the studio or tips on how to be a better engineer, this is the podcast for you.
Lij has much to offer studio professionals!
October 12, 2015 by Rtr......... from United States
Take a listen!
Great
October 12, 2015 by Dave ccccfgfffgffffg from United States
Incredibly useful show for working musicians. So glad to have this on tap. Thanks Lij Shaw!
What a show!
October 11, 2015 by SubscribeMe.fm from United States
Great show for both beginners and pros. Covers very relevant topics. Before you record any type of music, listen to this show first.
Great tips from techies!!
October 10, 2015 by Jojo mamma from United States
These interviews are gold! Super packed with action items to turn you into the next studio wizard!
Great show!
October 10, 2015 by Beaglenation from United States
This is such an interesting show---great niche, and great guests!! I listened to your show with Russell Wolff. What an amazing background that guy has! Love your energy, thanks for an awesome experience!
You want to learn about making great records??? This podcast is super helpful.
October 9, 2015 by BigBucketFan from United States
Full disclosure...I have made many records with Lij (host of RSR). He knows a studio, effects, plug ins, mics, all of it at a truly Ninja level. The fact that he is giving away his 25 years of knowledge as well as interviewing other incredibly knowledgeable engineers and producers is amazing...not to mention extremely generous. I highly recommend adding this show to your weekly podcast diet. Enjoy!!!
Immediately Hooked
October 9, 2015 by Lsizzle123 from United States
Lij is a real rockstar. Immediately I felt like this man will take me to the rockstar world, help me sound fantastic, and connect with other stars in the world of recording. The introductions of the guests were amazing too! Lij this show is really spot on and its got an immediate hook! I am registered/sub’d and tuning in.
Shaw
October 8, 2015 by Merissa Marx from United States
Great podcast!!
So great!
October 8, 2015 by Lil-J90 from United States
There is some great content in here! Love the energy!
Lij is the shij!!!!
October 8, 2015 by cueball73 from United States
I will put it like this... I have done many interviews in my life. But Lij is the Howard Stern of producer/engineer interviews! He kills it!!!
Lij knows his stuff!
October 8, 2015 by nickdrum1234 from United States
Lij Shaw is talented, knowledgeable, passionate and knows how to talk about the studio in ways that non-professionals can understand. This isn’t his first Podcast, but this subject is one he knows extremely well. He stays busy in E. Nashville because he is a great human being, with great ears who knows how to listen and communicate, and delivers the highest quality musical product for his clients. He mastered my first ever solo release this May and it sounds incredible. This is a must listen for anyone interested in the recording studio and wants to learn how to improve their craft, whether it’s a songwriter, studio musician, or studio engineer.
Not just for Engineers/Gear-heads
October 6, 2015 by TheKid615615 from United States
I’m so pumped to discover this show! Lij’s caliber of guests and witty conversation give a lo-fi home recorder like me such great insight into the world of the true rockstars in the studio: the engineers. A must-listen if you want to up your studio knowledge and recording technique.
Love it!
October 6, 2015 by JfromBk from United States
I’m not a musician and still found the information super entertaining and interesting. Very cool.
Great info about the world of mixing
October 5, 2015 by The Saga from United States
I came across this podcast and blog from another engineer I follow named Joe Gilder. I took a listen and really enjoyed the show. Great info and entertaining.
Excellent!
October 4, 2015 by djejnyc from United States
Lij is a great interviewer, very informative and interesting.
This is great!
October 2, 2015 by Thomas O'Grady, PhD from United States
Such a great podcast and I enjoyed hearing the guests perspective. Really looking forward to listen to more episode.
Love it!
October 2, 2015 by ItsMeRD from United States
I have a home studio and there is a lot of great stuff in here!
Become a recording studio Rock Star
October 2, 2015 by Don Hutcheson from United States
I just listened to Lij Shaw’s interview with Joe Gilder of HomeStudioCorner.com. Lij interviews producers, engineers, studio owners and other professionals who share their insights and experiences to help home studio owners create the best recordings possible. He has a comfortable style and lets the guests easily and clearly share their illuminating stories. Bravo, Lij, wish you great success with this fine idea!
Just what I needed
October 2, 2015 by Kern of Home Recording Weekly from United States
Lij is warm and welcome. His topics are on point. If you play an instrument, record music, mix, master, or like music in some way, you are going to love this podcast. I am just hearing the last episode, so please get some more done! Love the topic, the guests, and the music too. Well done!!!
Lij is GREAT
October 2, 2015 by gildersteen from United States
If only you could see his epic beard while listening to the podcast. :)
Great information for those who record of any type
October 2, 2015 by HGCIII from United States
Lij provdes great information to recording studios or those that want to be rockstars in the recording studios. Well done
I'm going to subscribe
October 2, 2015 by Cleaning coach from United States
I'm looking forward to learning from all the professionals you interview. I'm eager to hear each new show. Shout out from MA!
These are great!
September 30, 2015 by The Real Yorkie from United States
These podcasts cover a lot of great info! Hey are especially helpful to people just getting started in the recording industry and those who have been doing it professionally. Lij asks his guests questions all beginners ask at some point. My favorite question is, "if you were dropped into a random city, what recording equipment would you use, how would you find people to record, and how would you make ends meet while you do it." Keep them coming!
GOLDEN!!
September 28, 2015 by ornellagreg from United States
A great podcast for both pros and beginners! Finally a show that explains what really goes on behind the scenes in the studio. As someone who is just getting into the audio world, this is the perfect podcast. Keep on keeping’ on Lij!!
Genuine, entertaining insight into the recording process
September 26, 2015 by RapperBC from United States
I'm loving what I'm hearing here! Finally! A killer podcast that delivers great interviews with experienced studio professionals, relating their stories of hard-won studio success, frustration, failure, hilarity and everything in-between… hence the name "Recording Studio Rock Stars". Cool, colorful, informative and fun. Covers the artistic and technical aspects of recording with equal poise and skill. Perhaps its greatest strength is the balance between the artistic methods and vagaries of the studio and the technical details that make studios work day-to-day. If you're interested in how studios work– or are a professional yourself, and just love hearing great studio stories– you should definitely have a listen!
Really enjoyable
September 25, 2015 by Björgvin Benediktsson from United States
I’m a huge audio nerd and love hearing about other methods by engineers and producers so this is a great show to listen to. Vance Powell’s episode was especially entertaining and I enjoyed his enthusiasm and tenacity to becoming the engineer/producer that he is today.
The REAL thing!!
September 24, 2015 by Marky Mark Moneystacks from United States
Wow! I am a professional recording engineer & music producer and if you want to hear about how things REALLY happen in the recording studio to make the music you listen to, this is the podcast! Hard to believe who Lij has on this show. Google his guests and see. Lucky us!! Can't wait for the next episode!
Slapshot!
September 17, 2015 by Slapshot Jay from United States
I love this show. Lij is definitely the man when it comes to becoming a rockstar in the studio... Awesome guests! Fantastic! Great job and congrats on your launch Lij!

Category Archives for "podcast"

RSR038 - Ian Brennan - How Music Dies (Or Lives)

Jam Session

RSR037 - Tommy Wiggins - Tommy's Tracks

Jam Session

RSR036 - John Mayfield - Mayfield Mastering

How Do You Prep a Mix for Mastering?

Jam Session

RSR035 - Cameron Henry - Vinyl Mastering Engineer

The Process of Creating Vinyl Records

How should you Mix and Master for Vinyl?

Jam Session

RSR034 - Brad Jones - Alex The Great

Jam Session

RSR033 - Jon Tidey - Reaper Blog

WHY REAPER??

Check Out - Mixing in Reaper Volumes 1 & 2

Jam Session

RSR031 - Slau Halatyn - BeSharp Studio

Engineering with Visual Impairment

Slau on Plugins

Jam Session

RSR031 - Dave Tough - The Producer's Room

Songwriting

Jam Session

RSR030 - Nick Bullock - 52 in 52

What is 52 in 52?

Jam Session

RSR029 - Craig Alvin - Badass Mixer

Craig's Studio:

Favorite Effects or Outboard Gear:

Favorite Albums He's Worked On:

Tips for Recording Great Drum Sounds:

Jam Session