Inside The Recording Studio

Chris and Jody, your trusty guides, are thrilled to dive deep into a thought-provoking episode where we navigate the delicate balance between Creativity and Familiarity in music production. In this session, we unravel the age-old dilemma of forging your unique sonic path versus succumbing to the allure of sounding like the latest chart-topper. 🎨 Embracing Creativity: The Art of Sonic Innovation Join us as we champion the spirit of creativity in music. We'll explore the joy of experimentation, pushing boundaries, and crafting sounds that are uniquely yours. Discover how to infuse your productions with innovation, allowing your artistic voice to shine and creating a lasting impact on your listeners. 🎶 Familiarity's Comfort: Navigating the Popular Soundscape Delve into the allure of familiarity and its role in music creation. We'll discuss the comfort of popular sounds, dissecting why certain elements become trends, and how they influence our creative decisions. Uncover the psychology behind the familiarity factor and its impact on audience connection. ⚖️ Striking the Balance: Finding Your Sonic Identity Explore the delicate dance between creativity and familiarity. We'll share insights on how to draw inspiration from the familiar while infusing your work with a distinct creative flair. Learn how to harness the power of both elements to create music that resonates with listeners while establishing your unique sonic identity. 🗣️ Stories: Navigating the Musical Landscape We'll feature stories from fellow musicians and producers who have grappled with the Creativity vs Familiarity conundrum. Gain insights into how artists find their balance, overcome challenges, and create music that stands out in a crowded musical landscape. Get ready for a thought-stirring conversation, a dash of studio wisdom, and, of course, a touch of nonsense. Whether you're a seasoned sonic adventurer or just beginning your musical journey, join us as we explore the fascinating intersection of creativity and familiarity in the pursuit of sonic brilliance! Creativity in Music, Familiarity vs Innovation, Sonic Identity, Music Production Insights

Chris and Jody delve into the complex and often misunderstood world of sampling in music production. We're lifting the curtain on the moral and legal realities of using samples to create new musical works, exploring the creative freedoms, potential pitfalls, and the ethical considerations that every artist and producer should be aware of. 🎵 Sampled Soundscapes: The Artistic Tapestry of Sampling: Let's begin our journey by celebrating the creative power of sampling. From iconic hip-hop beats to electronic masterpieces, samples have been the backbone of several hit songs. We'll discuss the artistry behind sampling and its role in shaping the diverse musical landscape. 📜 Legal Harmony: Navigating the Copyright Maze: Unravel the legal complexities of sampling, from securing proper permissions to the intricacies of fair use. Our exploration will include insights into the potential legal consequences of unauthorized sampling. Knowledge is power, and understanding the legal landscape is crucial for every aspiring producer. 🤔 Moral Dilemmas: Balancing Artistic Expression and Respect: As creators, we must also grapple with the moral implications of sampling. Is there a line between homage and appropriation? How can artists pay homage to their influences while respecting the original creators? Join us as we navigate the gray areas of artistic expression and cultural appreciation. ⚖️ Legal Loopholes and Best Practices: Discover best practices for using samples responsibly. We'll explore the world of royalty-free samples that can help you stay on the right side of the law while still unleashing your creative potential. 🗣️ Join us on this thought-provoking audio adventure as we uncover the moral and legal realities of sampling in music creation. Whether you're a seasoned producer or just starting your musical journey, understanding the ethical considerations of sampling is essential for creating with integrity and staying in tune with the ever-changing music industry landscape. Sampling in Music Production, Moral Dilemmas in Sampling, Creative Freedoms, Ethical Sampling Practices

Chris and Jody embark on the thrilling quest to define the finishing touches of a song mix. We'll explore the elusive moment when a mix is considered "finished," unravel the mysteries of mastering-friendly loudness, and uncover the essential checklist before handing off your masterpiece to a mastering engineer. 🎚️ The Finish Line: Decoding Mix Completion: Dive into the nuances of determining when a mix is truly finished. From achieving sonic perfection to balancing artistic vision with technical precision, we'll discuss the telltale signs that signal the completion of your audio masterpiece. Is it a gut feeling, a technical checklist, or a bit of both? Let's find out. 🔊 Loud and Proud: Mastering-Ready Loudness Levels: Explore the delicate art of setting the right loudness for your mix. Learn about industry standards, the impact of streaming platforms, and how to strike the perfect balance between a punchy mix and a mastering-friendly final product. Discover the tools and techniques that ensure your music not only sounds good but translates seamlessly to various playback systems. 🛠️ Pre-Master Prep: Essential Steps Before the Handoff: Before you entrust your mix to a mastering engineer ensure your mix is in the best possible shape for the mastering stage. These tips not only streamline the mastering process but also empower the mastering engineer to elevate your music to its full potential. 🤔 Common Pitfalls and Pro Tips: Learn from the mistakes of others as we explore common pitfalls that can hinder the mastering process. From excessive limiting to problematic frequencies, we'll equip you with pro tips to avoid these roadblocks and set your mix on the express lane to mastering success. Join us on this audio adventure, and let's demystify the final stages of music production together. Whether you're in a high-end studio or your bedroom setup, understanding when a mix is finished and how to prepare it for mastering is the key to unlocking the full potential of your musical creations!

Chris and Jody embark on a journey through the intricate world of mixing with buses. Buckle up as we explore the scenic route of signal routing, weaving through the musical landscape to create a harmonious blend of instruments and tones. 🚍 All Aboard the Mix Bus Express: Chris and Jody will guide you through the concept of mix buses and how they act as the conductors of our sonic symphony. Discover the power of grouping instruments together, and learn how buses can be the secret sauce to achieving good organization, cohesion and balance in your mixes. 🎸 Pit Stops Along the Way: We'll make strategic stops to delve into specific examples of using buses for various instrument groups. From drums and percussion to guitars and vocals, each stop offers a unique perspective on how buses can elevate your mix, adding depth, dimension, and clarity. 🎧 Gear Spotlight: Explore some of the essential gear and plugins that can take your bus mixing game to the next level. From analog outboard gear to cutting-edge software solutions, we've got recommendations for every budget and style. Join us on this audio adventure, and let's navigate the roads of mixing together. Whether you're a studio veteran or a bedroom producer, there's always something new to discover when you're riding the bus to sonic bliss!

Chris and Jody delve into the warm waters of Vocal Chains. Those oft talked about elusive orders of microphone to final product with vocals. What mic, what pre, what eq, what compressor, what order and so on, and so on, and so on. Never fear they've come here this week with an example of a lead vocal out of a chorus and discuss the finer points of each stage along the way. Then to make it even better, there are audio examples to hear the changes on each step.

Chris and Jody take in a listener request regarding the impact of a good arrangement on a mix. How does it help a mix when an arrangement is well thought out? What hurts a mix when the arrangement isn't planned out? How to think thru an arrangement so that a mix will practically mix itself. Plus road warrior stories about arrangements.

Chris and Jody take a stroll down mixing memory lane. Talking about revisiting old mixes. The Who, what, where, when and why you would ever, ever, want to do this. There's a portion talking about bringing old formats into the new DAW realm as well. Are there benefits to doing this stuff? Or is it all a giant waste of time? Find out.

Chris and Jody whip up some classic guitar tones from a Stratocaster, a Telecaster and a straight up Strat style guitar with a humbucker. They delve into several pickup settings and run thru come simple chords and riffs to compare each sound and then explain what they’re hearing in each tone setting. Stratocaster with Fishman Fluence Fender voiced pickups. Telecaster with standard single coil telecaster pickups. Schecter with a Schecter humbuckers in the neck and bridge (PAF style).

Chris and Jody fulfill a listener request to talk about the ever present All-In-One plugins. You know, those plugins that are meant to be the be all end all of a particular mixing component. Are there pros to these plugins? What are the cons of these plugins? Do we use them?

Chris and Jody get into the nitty gritty with tactics for mixing electric guitars. The prep steps that should be taken. The EQ and compression techniques and when to use them. The FX that may or may not get used. Plus there's an extra bit end that helps to really get guitars to stand out in a song.

Chris and Jody get down and dirty with tactics for mixing lead vocals. The prep steps that should be taken. The EQ and compression techniques. The FX used. Plus there's an extra bit end that helps to really blend a vocal into a song.

Chris and Jody unleash their favorite picks for reverb emulations. What are the 6 hardware boxes that have been made into a great reverb emulation. There's also some bonus emulations for something different from hardware. Listen in to find out the picks we make.

Chris and Jody tear down the concepts on plugin GUIs. Talking about the evolution of plugin interfaces, what makes them good, what makes them bad. How they affect workflow and more.

Chris and Jody return to the well of mix tips with five more tips to keep in mind. What type of things to do before you blow your mix vibe. Should you rely on presets? What to do to breath a little life into tracks. How democratic should you be. When should you start over? All these things get mulled over and more! ** Jody is using a Telefunken M80 into the Apollo on this episode.

Chris and Jody dive into some useful 3rd party tools meant to up your DAW's already powerful capabilities. From pitch correction, to time correction, to noise removal and all types of things in-between. Strap in and come along for the outside your DAW excursion.

Chris and Jody head out on the highway of getting Classic Guitar Tones. What amps come to mind for which genres. Are there a particular effects used for each setup. Which guitars, etc. Jump in the van of guitar history and come along for the ride. Including examples of each.

Chris and Jody court their 5 most common recording myths and lay them out cold with a KO punch. Do you need everything under the sun? How many mics do you need? Do you need the most expensive gear? All this and more is discussed to hopefully end the myths that surround our lives in regards to recording and mixing.

Chris and Jody go round and round, side to side into a deep dive of the TC2290 Digital Delay unit. As per all other deep dives on ItRS it's a history of the unit. Also taking a look at the interface and all the modules and what they do on this incredible sounding hardware delay.

Chris and Jody go for the noise, pink noise that is. What is pink noise? How does it differ from white noise? Is it useful for mixing? Is it a good learning tool? What is the process for using it to mix? All these questions are considered, plus a whole lot more as it relates to pink noise and using it to improve your mixes.

Chris and Jody list out 10 tips & ideas to help you and your mixing. EQs, compression, delays, volume levels, etc. We run the gamut in these 10 tips that should easily improve your efficiency and efficacy. Plus there's a story about a hi-hat and guitar with how they clashed.