DIY Recording Guys

We've had an absolute blast making this podcast.
It's given us ample opportunity to learn. To teach. To meet new people around the world.
Now it's time move on....but not before we reminisce and, of course, share some favorite tips and tricks.

Where to Find the Guys
Free DIY Recording eBook: https://www.howtorecordyourband.com
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://www.calmfrogrecording.com
Benjamin's Studio Site - https://www.dreamloudstudio.com
Leave a rating. Be a friend - http://www.getpodcast.reviews/id/1494761702
Book a free coaching call: https://calendly.com/diyrg/diyrg45

Ever wish you could just use your OWN drum kit sounds in a VI or sampler like Slate Trigger?

Ben did. 

On this episode he talks about how to do it and what he learned.

Where to Find the Guys
Free DIY Recording eBook: https://www.howtorecordyourband.com
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://www.calmfrogrecording.com
Benjamin's Studio Site - https://www.dreamloudstudio.com
Leave a rating. Be a friend - http://www.getpodcast.reviews/id/1494761702
Book a free coaching call: https://calendly.com/diyrg/diyrg45

After more than a decade of using Pro Tools, Vadim has switched to Reaper as his DAW. 

At the time of this recording he'd had less than 2 weeks and only 1 mix under his belt but the impact was clear: Reaper was going to be his new DAW for the next decade. 

On this episode you'll learn:

• Why Vadim finally decided to try another DAW
• 10 of the features that caught his attention in the first 10 days of use
• How Reaper stacks up to Pro Tools and Studio One
• Considerations for whether YOU should switch DAWs

Where to Find the Guys
Free DIY Recording eBook: https://www.howtorecordyourband.com
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://www.calmfrogrecording.com
Benjamin's Studio Site - https://www.dreamloudstudio.com
Leave a rating. Be a friend - http://www.getpodcast.reviews/id/1494761702
Book a free coaching call: https://calendly.com/diyrg/diyrg45

Conventional advice on compression often boils down to: "don't squash the life out of your tracks with over-compression" and "buy THIS plug-in because it adds that extra special sweet saucy goodness to your tracks!"

But why ARE we actually compressing our tracks? 

The truth is, many DIY productions actually suffer from under-compression and it's because 1: compression is hard to hear so people don't trust themselves with it and 2: we lose track of the WHY...as in why are we compressing? 

In this episode Vadim breaks down arguably the two most important reasons to apply compression to your tracks and the practical ways to employ them in your workflow. 

You will learn:

• Three common reasons compression is used and why the first two are the most important and often least-talked about
• How to set up a static mix and what "flags" to look for that hint at compression being a solution
• Why applying compression before you even start mixing can make the process easier (and more fun)
• OK. OK. Some fun, sexy tips on what compressors do what and when to reach for them

Where to Find the Guys
Free DIY Recording eBook: https://www.howtorecordyourband.com
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://www.calmfrogrecording.com
Benjamin's Studio Site - https://www.dreamloudstudio.com
Leave a rating. Be a friend - http://www.getpodcast.reviews/id/1494761702
Book a free coaching call: https://calendly.com/diyrg/diyrg45

Reverb can seem simple...it's just a washy effect, right? Sure. It could be that but it's also so much more. From being your "backwards/forwards" lever, to creating texture, to adding thickness, to creating an illusion of space, reverb ends up being one of the most important parts of a well-crafted production. 

Oh. And there's like a dozen different kinds. But don't worry! On this episode, we'll help you navigate this complicated landscape. 

On this episode you will learn:

• About the different kinds of reverb and why the sound different form one another
• 5 different reasons to reach for a reverb plug-in in a mix
• Workflow best-practices (and why some of them are over-rated)
• Key reverb parameters, what they do and how to set them

Where to Find the Guys
Free DIY Recording eBook: https://www.howtorecordyourband.com
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://www.calmfrogrecording.com
Benjamin's Studio Site - https://www.dreamloudstudio.com
Leave a rating. Be a friend - http://www.getpodcast.reviews/id/1494761702

Sometimes you hear a song that sounds so huge your jaw drops. How did they do that? 

The answer is almost always: layers. And while all of this is more art than science, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind when building layers that will help your quest. 

On this episode you will learn

• What different elements can be layered for impact. These include frequency, harmonic content, stereo field, front/back depth field
• Why keeping things simple is important
• When to copy/paste MIDI performances for layers vs when to record live
• Examples of different ways to use layers effectively
• Why layers are not only the key to impact and size but also to originality
• And more!

Where to Find the Guys
Free DIY Recording eBook: https://www.howtorecordyourband.com
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://www.calmfrogrecording.com
Benjamin's Studio Site - https://www.dreamloudstudio.com
Leave a rating. Be a friend - http://www.getpodcast.reviews/id/1494761702

OK. It's not the most sexy part of producing music but it's one of the most important. There's an amazing thing that happens when you've finished editing the tracks in a song and hit play for the first time: it starts to sound like a SONG. Even before compression, before EQ, before that sexy saturation trick you learned from Johnny Lots-o-Grammys, things will start to sound GOOD after some proper editing. And this feels amazing and helps you build momentum going into a mix. 

On this episode, you will learn: 

• Why editing is as ethical as putting on a nice outfit for a job interview
• Why editing, while tedious, can actually be a huge time saver
• The different types of edits pretty much every production can use
• The difference between slip editing and time-warp editing (hint: both are incredibly useful)
• Different types of cross-fades and how to use them effectively 
• Tips for editing vocals - like what to do about all those harsh s sounds piling up. 
• How to get rid of the little rip or warble that happens sometimes when two clips are overlapping
• How to use "masking" to determine where to put edit points. 
• And more!

Where to Find the Guys
Free DIY Recording eBook: https://www.howtorecordyourband.com
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://www.calmfrogrecording.com
Benjamin's Studio Site - https://www.dreamloudstudio.com
Leave a rating. Be a friend - http://www.getpodcast.reviews/id/1494761702

Critical listening is the ultimate skill of the recording enthusiast and headphones are the tool we trust most to enable this skill.

Why? Well, because most of us are not working in ideal spaces and it's much easier to get an objective (and affordable) perspective in headphones.

But what kind of headphones should we use? The answer depends in large part on application - although some designs do tend to serve us better than others.

If you asked me 4 months ago, I would have told you to stay away from ear bud designs in the studio. The sound quality out of those things just tends to be too poor for a studio reference tool (thought they're obviously great for jogging, traveling, etc.,). However, today, our friends at Flare Audio have developed a new ear bud called the E Prototype which has completely blown me away.

In the first part of this episode, Vadim chats with Davies Roberts of Flare Audio about the problem with traditional headphone designs and how they were able to overcome them with the E Prototypes. In the second part Vadim talks about some best practices and tips and tricks for working in headphones in YOUR studio.

If you're interested in the E Prototypes, buy them through our affiliate link:
https://www.flareaudio.com/products/e-prototype?sca_ref=676476.z8WJgmm5He

Where to Find the Guys
Free DIY Recording eBook: https://www.howtorecordyourband.com
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://www.calmfrogrecording.com
Benjamin's Studio Site - https://www.dreamloudstudio.com
Leave a rating. Be a friend - http://www.getpodcast.reviews/id/1494761702

More episodes en route. But first I need more coffee...

Reference tracks. The internet forums are full of wisdom regarding using references (whether to or not, when, how, etc.,). 

References play an important part in the workflows of both Ben and Vadim - throughout the ENTIRE audio production process from ideas to final master. They've picked some of their favorite tips and best practices and share them on this episode. 

In this episode you will learn:

• How to use references to aid your song-writing and producing process
• Compelling reasons to use references
• How to use references during recording to help choose tones
• What makes a good reference (it's more than just "a song you like")
• How to use references during mixing - including workflow tips down to the mechanics of pulling songs into your session
• Additional hidden benefits of having a comprehensive list of reference tracks
• A list of some of our favorite reference tracks in various genres
• And more!

Where to Find the Guys
Free DIY Recording eBook: https://www.howtorecordyourband.com
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://www.calmfrogrecording.com
Benjamin's Studio Site - https://www.dreamloudstudio.com
Leave a rating. Be a friend - http://www.getpodcast.reviews/id/1494761702