Howard Benson is a Grammy winning rock producer who has made records with My Chemical Romance, Three Days Grace, Daughtry, All American Rejects, POD, and Hoobastank.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• Why having hits is a "numbers game"
• How producer royalties have changed over the past three decades
• How DAWs are hurting artists
• Disguising pop music as rock music
• The Howard Benson vocal chain
• How to find harmony parts, even if you don't sing
• Cowriting in Rock
• AI's role in modern songwriting and production

Connect with Howard Benson:

🌐 Website: https://judgeandjuryrecords.com/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howardbenson/

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Credits:

Guest: Howard Benson

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Stephen Boyd

Theme Music: inter.ference

Mat Leffler-Schulman is a mastering engineer who's worked with artists such as Jon Batiste, Blondie, Mary J Blige, Beach House, and many more.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• The Value of Working with a Human Mastering Engineer
• The Ethics of Using Stem Splitting to Alter a Mix in Mastering
• The Various Roles AI Could Play for Music Production Pros
• How to Address "Width" in a Master
• The Business Side of a Mastering Studio
• An Analog One Stop Shop Mastering Unit
• How to Setup a Project for Success with Communication
• Staking Multiple Limiters for Louder, Cleaner Masters
• Learning to Work with Synesthesia

Enjoyed this Episode? Dig deeper on mastering with my interview with Sam Fischmann

Connect with

🌐 Website: https://matlefflerschulman.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matlefflerschulman/

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Credits:

Guest:

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Stephen Boyd

Theme Music: inter.ference

Travis shares how mixing and recording knowledge is shared today versus when he started and explains why the abundance of information can be both empowering and limiting.

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Credits:

Guest: N/A

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Travis Ference

Theme Music: inter.ference

Andrew Scheps is a Grammy winning engineer and mixer who has worked with Adele, Jay-Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, and many more. We chat about the future of audio recording, the implications of AI, the mindsets you need to succeed, and the skills every engineer must have.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• How AI Will Integrate into Mixing and Recording
• What Engineering and Mixing Will Look Like in 5 Years
• Atmos Lovers vs Atmos Haters
• Navigating the Ebbs and Flows of a Career in Audio
• Parallel Compression Tips
• Learning the Fundamentals So You Can Break the Rules
• Limiting Beliefs that Hold Your Career Back

Enjoyed this one? Check out my interview with Tony Hoffer

Connect with Andrew

🌐 Website: https://www.bouncefactory.net/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascheps

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Credits:

Guest: Andrew Scheps

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Stephen Boyd

Theme Music: inter.ference

Following the announcement of Spike AI, Travis discusses his thoughts on the inevitability of the us of AI in mixing and how it might affect the careers of future generations of engineers and mixers.

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Credits:

Guest: N/A

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Travis Ference

Theme Music: inter.ference

Brendan Dekora is an engineer and mixer with credits with artists such as Trent Reznor, Foo Fighters, Steven Wilson, and Muse.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• What You Need to Know as a Freelance Engineer to Align with your Clients
• Why “Vibe” is More Important than Skills
• How Authentic Content can be One of Your Best Tools
• Tips for Remote Mixing and Collaboration
• How to Navigate Moving into the Co-Production Role
• Drum Tuning and How to Get Great Drum Sounds
• How Being in a Major Music City Can Shape Your Career

Connect with

🌐 Website: https://www.brendandekora.com/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendandekora/

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📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod

🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod

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🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/

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Credits:

Guest: Brendan Dekora

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Stephen Boyd

Theme Music: inter.ference

Sam Fischmann is a cofounder of the audio plugin company Musik Hack. As a software developer and musician he is passionate about demystifying the mastering process and making it accessible to everybody by creating tools that enable musicians to focus more on the creative and less on the technical.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• The Truth Behind Loudness Standards
• Where the -14LUFS Target Came From
• Developing and Trusting Your Own Taste
• How Machine Learning Can Help Us Build Better Audio Tools
• The Ethics of AI Audio Tools
• Growth through mistakes
• Separating Creative Instincts from Technical Instincts
• Owning the Role That You Are Best at, Even If It’s Not The One You Want

Connect with Sam:

🌐 Website: https://www.musikhack.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musikhack_

🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@musikhackllc

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📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod

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Credits:

Guest: Sam Fischmann

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Stephen Boyd

Theme Music: inter.ference

Travis discusses the myths that people believe about big credits and how you should actually think of them.

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Credits:

Guest: N/A

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Travis Ference

Theme Music: inter.ference

Nick Broste is Chicago based audio engineer and musician who specializes in recording bands in ensembles in both studio and live settings. The spirit of removing the obstacles of artistic expression for artists is the driving force for Nick’s approach to recording and always puts the music first.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• How the Role of the Engineer Changes When There is No Producer
• The Best Way to Record a Vocalist that is Playing Acoustic Guitar
• Microphone Polar Patterns and How They Shape the Sound of Bleed
• Tips for Recording Brass and Woodwinds
• The Importance of Talking About Budgets
• Bringing Value Outside Your Technical Skills
• When Songwriting Credit Should Be Given to Session Musicians

Connect with Nick

🌐 Website: https://www.nickbroste.com/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nbroste/

⬇️ FREE 2025 PLANNING WORKSHOP ⬇️

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📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod

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Credits:

Guest: Nick Broste

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Stephen Boyd

Theme Music: inter.ference

Travis talks about the year he spent NOT buying plug-ins and how the recording studio culture fuels the audio tech industry into trying to sell engineers everything.

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🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/

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Credits:

Guest: N/A

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Travis Ference

Theme Music: inter.ference