Unstoppable Recording Machine Podcast

We’re joined this week by Kevin McCombs (Midnight Oil Recording, Crypteria), as we continue our profiles of URM Academy members. Kevin charged full speed into his audio production career, and we’re excited to have him on board to see firsthand what he’s doing. We discuss the importance of involvement in your local music scene for gaining clients, how Nail The Mix and the URM Summit have changed his life, and why bands wanting to do pre-production or tracking is a good thing. “I try to go to at least one show a week in my area, and the return on investment for buying someone a beer is also unbelievable.” - Kevin McCombs ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 2:00 Kevin’s experience building a studio from scratch in an industrial space, transitioning from working at an aerospace company 6:00 Strategies for reaching out to bands 12:00 Facing uncertainty and not being fully booked (get used to it) 17:14 Working with bands that want to do pre-production themselves 25:00 The importance of attention to detail and having a process as part of building trust 30:00 Kevin’s URM Summit experience 37:00 Using Nail The Mix to test your own instincts before seeing what the mixer actually did 41:14 Understanding the needs of your specific market 43:27 Advice for turning audio into a full time job And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back with Mixcritmonday to make sure you guys are getting the guidance you need to slay your mixes of Opeth’s “Heir Apparent.” “Retain all the shimmering magic and get rid of the white noise and it’ll make your pets much happier.” - John Douglass ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 16:14 Making sure you don’t crush dynamics in a song in which they’re essential 18:24 Watching out for phase between vocal tracks 20:02 A/Bing the low end of double bass sections of the song 31:07 Watching out for how extra instrumentation sounds when it comes in 39:48 Painful snare 47:12 Avoiding crispy sounding high end in guitar tracks And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jens Bogren (Opeth, Dimmu Borgir, Katatonia) joins us ahead of his appearance on Nail The Mix to share a plethora of info about his process and how it’s developed over the years. In addition to Watershed by Opeth, which is what he’ll be mixing this month on Nail The Mix, Jens has worked on numerous other legendary albums. This time on the show he talks about building a team, contending with extremely dense and complex mixes, and the balance between gear and the mind of the mixer. “The most important thing when mixing: it’s not the tools, it’s not the speakers either, or the room, it’s the level of experience the brain has to hear things, and to hear what needs to be done.” - Jens Bogren ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 11:00 Effectively delegating to team members 19:00 The challenges of dense mixes like Dimmu Borgir 27:00 Starting a mix from the chorus, mixing Devin Townsend’s “Deconstruction” 32:00 Working with Leprous over 4 records, repeat clients and building trust 37:00 Advising mix clients on tracking drums and vocals 44:00 Why It’s not about the gear, the speakers, or the room; it’s about the experience of the engineer/mixer 50:00 The guitar tone on Watershed 55:00 Jens’s approach to drum samples, favorite snare and drum heads And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Producer and URM subscriber, Anthony Potenza, joins the show to talk with us about leveling up your audio career. Anthony has always been someone that’s stood out as having an amazing work ethic and the way he approaches his work is going to take him far. So, we wanted to sit down with him to talk about quitting his day job to do audio full time, building connections and drawing clients, the surprising answer for what gear you should actually get for your studio first, and a whole lot more. “When I don’t have clients, I’ll make sure I’m working on bettering my skills, so I can really wow the clients when they come.” - Anthony Potenza ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 2:49 Anthony’s transition to recording full time 7:15 Why resting on your laurels when you start getting a client base is a mistake 10:07 Why you should probably go to another producer to record your own band 12:35 How Anthony got his first clients 14:59 The value of building connections that you actually care about, instead of just looking for “in”s 19:55 The things you need to focus on before worrying about your gear list 27:09 Building acoustic panels 29:34 Anthony’s current approach to getting clients And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the show this time we’ve got Brody Uttley of Rivers of Nihil to talk music discovery, elements common to successful bands, and not being in the dark about your band’s viability. Rivers of Nihil has been absolutely killing it, and the various elements that have led to that success have not gone unnoticed by Brody. There’s a lot of great information in here - not just for musicians, but all audio professionals, and anyone looking to build a successful career - to keep in mind. “Just having good dudes in your band that aren’t fucking weirdos will take your band way further than you’d think.” - Brody Uttley ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 9:00 Being aware of your own band’s health and lifespan 17:00 The importance of honest, open relationships in bands/label/manager relationships 20:00 Why every band needs one or two people who can function like ‘normal’ people in social situations and are business savvy 36:00 The process of discovering new music, implications for bands, Spotify playlists 50:00 The vinyl resurgence and importance of owning physical objects 57:00 The psychology of not responding to texts, online vs real-life interaction 1:00:00 The self-recording musician and the future of studio professionals And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having some amount of marketing knowledge is essential in the music industry of today, and Jason Lekberg (Lekberg Enterprises, IKILLYA) joins us this week to impart some of his vast knowledge on the subject. Jason has worked with a number of amazing artists, such as Steel Panther, Lamb of God, and Judas Priest. You’re unlikely to find someone more knowledgeable about digital marketing in the industry. We discuss how to maintain artistic integrity while also marketing effectively, marketing and networking downfalls to avoid, and we get into specific things to keep in mind for bands trying to effectively market themselves. We also discuss the services that Lekberg Enterprises offers and the ethic that Jason has based the company around. “You have to build something that is immediately unique and identifiable, and that, at every touchpoint, people understand that it’s your brand, and understand that it’s you.” - Jason Lekberg ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 2:00 Jason’s background, playing in bands in 90’s, starting management career in late-2000’s in Brooklyn 6:00 The collapse of MySpace-based marketing in early 2008 14:30 What it takes to be a successful functioning band 25:00 The difficulty of finding band members who share the same level of commitment 32:00 How to avoid giving people an easy way to say “no” to you/your band/your project 36:00 The downfall of bands that lack a clearly defined brand 42:00 Management and promotion based on an ethical relationship with the artist 54:00 The process of understanding an artist and their vision 1:08:00 Sticking to a schedule for social media assets and other marketing elements 1:13:00 Jason’s recommended resources And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mixcritmonday triumphantly returns with Eyal and John Douglass, and we’ve got the lowdown on some subscriber mixes of Bullet For My Valentine’s “Over It.” “It’s fun to get mega toms. There’s something validating and manly or something about it. But you don’t realize that you’re crushing the mix like a can and throwing it away.” - Eyal Levi ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 4:58 Watching out for harsh high end 7:03 Making sure that you’re not going overboard with vocal fx 11:01 Taming cymbals to allow other elements to allow more room for other elements 18:14 Effectively building up to the climax of a song 29:18 Why you need resist the urge to strut your “manliness” with toms 40:18 Efforts that have helped John improve his mixing over time 44:01 Managing your low end throughout various sections of a song And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Lancaster (Bring Me The Horizon, Blink-182, Don Broco) is here to bring his expertise on acquiring “bigger” clients, the importance of structure in your schedule, and headphone mixing. For a guy that openly talks about initially not wanting to be a producer, Dan has certainly become one of the best there is. How he got from one to the other is a master class on how to combine a willingness to learn through repeated experimentation, a solid strategy for maintaining flow, and figuring out how to connect with artists. “No matter how small, or uninspiring, or if sometimes some songs you’re working on aren’t very good - no matter what you’re working on - always try to please yourself as much as you possibly can to the very last detail. Walk away feeling that it sounds amazing.” - Dan Lancaster ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 2:30 Dan’s transition from musician in a band to producer, learning how to record and mix drums in the mid-2000’s 18:00 Structure, balance, and taking breaks to maintain that level of quality; transition to being known for mixing ability 30:00 Separating mix organization/prep and actual mixing time, different brain spaces 34:00 Mixing Bring Me The Horizon on headphones, BMTH as a career turning point 45:00 Low end and groove, working out of a commercial space vs home studio, big guitars with octave + Kemper 54:00 Working with Blink-182, recording drums in a large factory space And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’ve got Jake Subin (chief engineer for Telefunken, Ruben Subin Productions ) on the show for a conversation that’s going to make the gear nerd in all of us happy. Not only has Jake built an encyclopedic level of technical knowledge for himself over the course of his career, but he also brings a lot of insight to the table on how to actually apply all that knowledge. Most of us have that side that goes down the rabbit hole of gear obsession; it’s important not letting that get in the way of what matters at the end of the day, and that’s the music. “I always have to keep in mind that it’s not my record, it’s not my music. I’m making somebody else’s record and my job is to take their vision, capture it, and make it the best it can be in their minds, not mine.” - Jake Subin ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 2:00 Jake’s work at Telefunken, real-world testing of condenser microphones, mixing/engineering for Telefunken, live band sessions 16:00 Maintaining momentum and avoiding technical problems in expensive commercial sessions 20:00 Utilizing studio time at college, Jake’s experience rebuilding an analog console 24:00 What Jake learned taking apart TV’s as a child, why “they don’t make em like they used to” is actually true 33:00 The traditional separation of producer/engineer roles for session efficiency, work/life balance and family support 44:00 Effective communication with clients re: expectations 52:00 Rational Acoustics Smaart, tuning studios and live environments, always learning new things 58:00 Getting it right at the source and the limits of that philosophy And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lenny Skolnik (Yung Spielburg, Miyavi, All That Remains) brings us his insight on having an entrepreneurial approach to producing, how to build an amazing team, and crafting great hit songs. When it comes right down to it, regardless of genre, there are certain approaches to the process that lead to successful results. Lenny’s experiences demonstrate what you can do with an open mind, a will to succeed, and an effort to refine and develop your methodology. “If you have created something that you really believe in, do not be afraid to get involved beyond the role of the music.” - Lenny Skolnik ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 4:30 Lenny’s drive to produce pop and be financially successful from a relatively early age, becoming Howard Benson’s first intern 13:00 The “Howardisms” that Lenny has taken in over the years of working with Howard Benson 18:00 Joel and Lenny’s mix process for Miyavi 30:00 The importances of getting people who are better than you at doing what they do on your team 40:00 Why, if you’re involved in a project you really believe in, you should get involved in the promotion/other roles 44:00 Songwriting and what makes a great song, what makes a hit 50:00 Starting the songwriting process with an intimate conversation that sparks a lyric or feeling, “connect with the people you’re creating with” 60:00 Writing a #1 Billboard song with All That Remains And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices