Unstoppable Recording Machine Podcast

We’ve got Nick Sampson back for an in depth talk about his work with Polyphia, amazing drummers, and writing catchy songs. Nick certainly has some amazing ideas about all facets of guitar. Whether you’re interested in the engineering of the objects themselves, becoming a better player, or getting amazing tracks, he’s you’re guy. But his studio craft doesn’t begin and end there. On this episode we get into the ins and outs of Nick’s approach to working in the studio. “There’s certain genres of music that do not require you to be an amazing guitar player. Play in the pocket, hit the strings with the right velocity and the right angles, use the right pressure with your right hand, and that right there will make a massive difference.” - Eyal Levi ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Pushing the boundaries of what guitars can be - How to bring out the best performances in clients - Why Epitaph by Necrophagist is so important - How Nick began working with Polyphia - Approaching songwriting with singability in mind - Nick’s tips for getting awesome guitar and bass tones - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, we’ve got Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Monuments, Sylosis) for a discussion about drum engineering, etiquette for assistants, and recording at Abbey Road. Romesh has worked with some amazing bands and has had the opportunity to record in some legendary locations. His wide ranging experience allowed us to discuss a huge variety of topics. There’s something in this one for everyone. “You should just assume that you’re not going to get lucky, and that you’re going to have to struggle. So, you want to set the odds as in your favor as possible. So, go to where the opportunity is.” - Eyal Levi ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Building a reputation starting with your strengths - Romesh’s drum engineering process - Track organization tips - Recording and mixing at amazing (and potentially difficult) locations - Guidelines for assistants in the studio - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Johnny Minardi returns to the podcast to chat about the secrets of A&R, getting return clients, and why you need to view the success of others as inspiration. Between doing A&R for Roadrunner and Fueled By Ramen, managing producers with Self Titled Management, and Noise Creators Johnny is a great role model for how to get shit done in the recording industry. He’s built a knowledge base that encompasses pretty much every aspect of the industry, and we’re always happy to have him on board to share some of that knowledge with you. “When you see someone having success, and you want that success, there’s two people: there’s someone that goes, ‘Fuck that guy’ and they’re jealous, and then there’s guys that go, ‘Wow! I’d love to be doing that. How’d they do it?’” - Johnny Minardi ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - What contributes to a successful A&R career - Building connections at the label once you’re signed - Viewing the success as others as inspiration, rather than getting jealous - Producer management - The things that lead to return clients for producers - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Hood is back, and we’re talking the pros and cons of work travel, overcoming the procrastination that comes along with perfectionism, and why grit matters. We think it’s safe to say that no one wants to be a flash in the pan. We all want to craft long running, successful careers. Figuring out how to get on track to do that takes conscious effort though, and Brian, as always, is full of solid gold insight on how to get there. “Get it out, fail fast, learn from your mistakes, move on, and make it better.” - Brian Hood ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Working while traveling - The mindset of “How can I?” instead of “I can’t” - The value of accountability - Grit - Not letting perfectionism get in the way of progress - When and why you should consider outsourcing - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arthur Rizk (Cavalera Conspiracy, Power Trip, Code Orange) joins us to talk studio experimentation, being cool, and keeping your hunger alive. Creativity and drive are not unlimited resources. Burnout is a very real problem, especially when you’re grinding away at trying to build a career. During this discussion Arthur drops some really amazing insight about how to keep your head in the game. “A hunger naturally manifests itself into good work, if you put the time and effort in.” - Arthur Rizk ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Feeding your creative drive by working on things you love - Sacrificing sleep - Arthur’s approach to gear - Endorsements - Building connections by not being a punisher - Finding ways to decompress - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clifton Miles of Dead Room Recordings joins us to talk about how he’s persevered and built an audio production career after losing his hearing in one ear. Everyone faces some form of adversity in their life. Audio production can be an especially tough path for a variety of reasons. After hearing Clifton’s story I think we’ll all be able to agree though that if he can overcome hearing loss, stay positive, and build a successful audio career there’s no reason for anyone to feel like the adversity they’re facing in their own lives is insurmountable. “I just don’t like stopping doing something that I said I was going to do until I feel like I accomplish what I need to accomplish.” - Clifton Miles ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Clifton’s hearing loss, and how he kept going in spite of it - Staying positive through adversity - How Clifton has adjusted his process - Why it’s the results that matter - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode we talk to John Maciel, Miami Dolphin, and Tyler Rodriguez about how they’ve gotten awesome internships, the skills you need and how to adapt to opportunities like these, and how to not screw it up. Internships can seriously supercharge career progress for individuals that are able to capitalize on them. Knowing how to walk into an established studio and really prove your worth can be a scary prospect though. Tyler, Miami, and John really get into detail in this discussion about what you need to be prepared for and what skills you need to have in order to be successful. “If you want to go big, you’ve got to put yourself around people that are already doing it.” - Eyal Levi ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Internship life hacks - What DAW knowledge you should have if you want to intern for a studio - How each guest got their internship - Adapting to the situation you’re given, rather than trying to change reality - Recognizing opportunities that you didn’t specifically envision - Why you need to have a thick skin, be able to take criticism, and use it productively - Not being “Option C” guy - Knowing when to be proactive and when to make yourself scarce - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan “Fluff” Bruce is back with us for a talk about being reliable, incorporating new skills, and the 2017 URM Academy Summit. There are few guys out there right now that are putting in as much work to blaze their own path in the audio industry as Fluff. He exemplifies the creativity that it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. You can’t just copy what he’s already done (seriously… don’t be the person that makes that mistake), but there’s work ethic lessons galore in this discussion. “How many young people really can grasp and adequately take advantage of a good opportunity, because I certainly couldn’t when I was 22 or 23.” - Ryan “Fluff” Bruce ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Diversifying - The reality of coming to the game when you’re older - Developing the ability to recognize good opportunities - Taking risks - 2017 URM Summit lecture details - How Fluff learned video production, and why you should too - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Pura (The Story So Far, Hundredth, The American Scene) joins the show to talk drum tones, workflow, and the weird way he tracks guitar DIs. Sam is known for producing amazing sounding punk albums. After listening to the depth and precision he uses to craft his workflow and gear it’s going to be a bit more clear why that is. He really brings it from both the technical and artistic sides. Whether you’re looking to nerd out on gear talk or you’re looking for some inspiration this episode is one to pay attention to. “Everyone’s just like, ‘Well, how do I make this sound good right now?’ Well, you fucking figure it out. You fucking try, try, and try again until you get a fucking result that you’re fucking stoked on and then you move the fuck on.” - Sam Pura ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Why Sam takes a “plug and play” approach to his studio - Enjoying the process - Recording guitars as just DIs - The importance of the drum room - Creating your own personal workflow - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The living legend, Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, Devin Townsend, Soilwork), comes on board to talk his process, experimentation, and his passion for organization. What can we really say about the influence Bergstrand has had on the industry that hasn’t already been said? He’s had a hand in some of the most well regarded heavy albums of the past couple decades. He absolutely killed it recently on Nail the Mix, and here he is sharing more secrets with us. There are some things about his approach to audio that are likely to surprise a lot of you. “Every channel should sound good. You should be able to solo everything, and it should sound good. I don’t like covering things in the whole mix.” - Daniel Bergstrand ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Daniel’s very early start in audio - The recording of Meshuggah’s Destroy Erase Improve - Making sure soloed tracks sound great - Experimenting to find new solutions - How recording lackluster musicians can actually be good - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices