Unstoppable Recording Machine Podcast

Welcome to MixCritMonday, the show where we critique YOUR mixes. In the hotseat this month is Caleb Rodriguez. Caleb submitted a metalcore mix for us to crit and after a little investigation we figured out that he was making two major mistakes: He used little to no reference material His source tracks were not ready for mixing, yet he didn't fix them We also discovered that his mixing environment was an acoustical mess and that he was compensating by mixing in headphones, a big no no. Considering he wasn't even using reference material to get his bearings, Caleb was basically his own worst enemy on this mix. The combination of unedited, poorly performed tracks with an unreliable listening space placed a glass ceiling on how good his mix could actually get.  In this episode you'll learn about: Acoustical room treatments for under $200 How to properly use reference mixes Steps to take if you mixing environment is sub par Which little details make a huge difference in a guitar tone Replacing an out of tune bass with a synth bass Mid range buildups that can make a mix hard to listen to Want us to crit your mix? Click here to find out how! Links: Line 6 Pod Farm Savior custom Drums Drumforge Steven Slate Drums Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Perfection Is The Enemy Of Progress" - Winston Churchill Imagine if our favorite mixers decided to stop mixing until every single aspect of their control room was perfect... They would never mix, because no control room is ever perfect! No matter how hard you try, you can't get better than best. Sure, there's always room for improvement, and over time, with the right work ethic, anyone can improve what their best is. However, in the present moment, you can't do any better than the best you can do. Learn to live with that. Perfectionism is one of the biggest momentum killers we face. It's a futile pursuit because like it or not, nothing will ever be perfect. You are chasing the impossible. Once you replace perfectionism with an unbreakable commitment to getting the job done, that's when your audio skills will really jump to the next level. Perfection is nothing, momentum is everything. In this episode we cover: Making the most of your listening environment Using "crappy" speakers to improve your mixes The difference between real and arbitrary deadlines Don't trust a spec sheet, trust your ears Resources for quality acoustic treatment Links: How to build your own acoustic panels Build your own acoustic panels for under $30 Real Traps GIK Acoustics CreativeLIVE  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most common mixing mistakes up and comers make involve trying to run before they walk. In other words... they try to do the advanced stuff before they conquer the basics. Focusing on the wrong things will keep you from achieving your mixing potential. For instance, you shouldn't even think about Mid Side EQ before you've mastered a simple 4 band. Don't mess with parallel compression when you don't even understand what attack and release do. Don't start mixing a song if the tracking still needs editing and tuning. All great mixes are built on solid fundamentals like EQ, compression, gain staging, levels, and panning.  “You don’t spend years on the mix, but you spent years learning how to mix” - Eyal Levi You can avoid the most common mixing mistakes when you learn: The biggest steps you can take towards great tone What to focus on first The importance of fundamentals The most common causes of bad tone Technical vs musical mixing When to take risks and experiment The pros and cons of new plugins Links: Presonus Faderport Fabfilter Pro-q2 Drumforge Nail The Mix Unstoppable Recording Machine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legendary producer Dan Korneff (Paramore, The Devil Wears Prada, Papa Roach) joins us for a rapid-fire Tips & Tricks session that will blow your mind. Ever wonder what it takes to produce and mix at the highest levels of the music industry? If you answered yes, then this episode is for you. "I think music exists in octaves. That’s just how it exists. So if you’re doing something in that 3k range check out the 6k, and the 12k and see what’s happening there." - Dan Korneff In 35 hard hitting minutes we cover: Dan's secret guitar widening trick Carving frequencies to make space in a mix High and low passing guitars Surgical EQ on guitars to eliminate harshness while retaining clarity His most hated guitar frequencies Harmonic EQ Processing individual tracks VS busses When to use sidechain compression What's on his master bus chain Optimizing hybrid mixing setups Why he prefers Cubase Maintaining a quick turnaround Links: Dan Korneff's credits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Wade, a renowned record producer known for his work with A Day To Remember and Neck Deep, shares his insights on maximizing recording session efficiency. He emphasizes the importance of organization, discussing how clear communication and structured templates can ease workflow chaos. Wade reveals his groundbreaking PreMains routing method for quick mixing and outlines key deliverables for mixers, ensuring a smooth process from recording to mastering. His tips on naming tracks and backing up files help prevent lost sessions and enhance creative flow.

Welcome to MixCritMonday, the show where we critique YOUR mixes. First on the MixCritMonday chopping block is our longtime subscriber, Jenson Manning (we love you dude). We took him to school on: Bass VIs like Texas Grind Multiband compression Getting the low end of the kick balanced right The dangers of mixing in headphones (and how to make the most of it) Different mastering chains including plugins like Izotope Ozone and Slate Digital FG-X Getting the right snare sound Blending vocals The difference between real monitors and computer speakers Want us to crit your mix? Click here to find out how!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"You're translating what people say into what they want."- Joey Sturgis What's a producer's real job? Engineer? Coach? Fearless leader? Psychiatrist? Band member? Chaperone? Friend? Arranger? Songwriter? Session musician? Actually, it's all the above. You must become a musical translator. "They aren't the ones who are the expert. You're the expert, they are the client. They just don't know how to say it in your terms. They will never say, 'adjust it to a 4 to 1 ratio." - Eyal Levi "If they could translate it to you they wouldn't be hiring you. It's your job is to convert their language into technical shit."- Joey Sturgis IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN: How to become a musical translator and interpret your client's vision What a client really wants and needs How to properly pace a session for maximum results and creativity How to read a client's personality and mood Who the best musicians are in the band Who he's actually working for Dealing with real world nightmare scenarios like a singer blowing out their voice The importance of remaining in "the zone" The psychology of peak performance How to get takes the artists didn't realize they had in them Think you've got what it takes to be a great producer? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to be successful in audio production? Ask anyone who's made it and there IS a formula. Here it is: 1. Ambition 2. Vision 3. Execution 4. Determination 5. Luck 6. Timing  This episode covers how all six of those factors come into play over the course of a career in audio production, and what YOU can do to harness them. "Successful people get shit done. Period." – Joey Sturgis "My motto has always been the phrase 'follow the money' and what I mean by it isn't necessarily 'follow the money' but more to sit down and think about what you want to do, what is it that they're doing that you're not doing, and then use that and model that behavior, because if you shoot for the highest pinnacle of whatever you're trying to do, in terms of your profession it will force you to raise the bar. It will allow you to grow rapidly and even outshine who ever you're competing with because they entered so much lower than you."- Joel Wanasek "In order to get from point A to point B, saying that your point B is quite ambitious, you have to make some very precise and I would even say, planned out moves." - Eyal Levi LINKS: Drumforge Eyal Levi's CreativeLIVE courses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices