The Self-Recording Band

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--
Episode show notes:
What an episode we’ve got for you this week. Benny & Malcom sit down on the Studioszene Sofa with Ady Parzentny  . 

Ady Parzentny  travels the world, helping locals and displaced people make and record music with his business Hit The Road Music Studio.

About 5 years ago, Ady started out by travelling around in a van with a basic studio setup. Supporting local artists by helping them record their tracks and even making music videos.

Visiting places like Morrocco, Albania and Greece has taught Ady that music is the gateway into a place’s culture. 

Ady’s work also extends to helping bring some normality back to the lives of the displaced people he works with at refugee camps.  

Welcomed wherever he goes, Ady talks about how the generosity of communities has made this possible.

We hear fascinating insights from Ady about how the most expensive mics are not suitable for recording out in the wild, working on a very tight budget and pigeon problems.

Let’s hear Ady’s journey and help spread the joy. 

--

For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/195

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--
Episode show notes:

Chris Yetter, the owner of Audioscape joins Benedikt & Malcom in the second of our series of interviews from Studioszene 2023.

Chris and his team at Audioscape hand make analogue hardware without compromising on anything. Astonishingly with an extremely affordable price-tag.  

The guys discuss what to listen for when choosing your hardware and how no two units will ever sound exactly same. 

Audioscape know that there are minute differences in sound from model to model and celebrate the fact that this is what helps create your own unique sound.  

Chris touches on the riddle that has troubled humankind for millenia… "Plugins or Hardware?" The answer might surprise you. 

Two faders you can touch and move with your hands simultaneously might not sound like much, but this level of control that you don't get with a plugin can completely change the way you work. 

Chris also shares with us a few details about an Audioscape reverb plugin that they're working on.  

"A hardware company releasing a plugin? Are Audioscape outside of their minds?" I hear you ask.

Nope. It's going to be incredible. 

Enjoy. 

--

For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/194

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--
Episode show notes:

This is the first of our live interviews from Studioszene 2023 in Hamburg. This week, Malcom & Benedikt are chatting with legendary producer and educator Warren Huart. (Produce Like A Pro)

Warren  has worked with Aerosmith, The Fray,  Ramones... to name but a few. He was one of the highlights of Studioszene 2023 where he hosted a masterclass. 

Warren shares with us details about how he went from musician to producer to educator and how he eventually ended up laying his hat in the USA.

Building a career as a producer these days isn't a linear path and Warren discusses how doing a bit of everything is the norm now. 

He talks about mastering and how it shouldn't be the stage at which things are fixed. He also answers some questions from the audience regarding analogue desks and polishing 💩💩💩

Warren has new book out >>>>>>>>> Home Studio Recording: The Complete Guide

You'll be hard pushed not to take something valuable from this interview with arguably the most passionate man in the industry. 

Ladies & Gentlemen... Mr. Warren Huart.

Marvellous. 

--
For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/193

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--
Episode show notes:

Benedikt & Malcom further explore the common mistakes that self-recording artists are making in this continuation of last week’s episode. 

They see a lot of re-occurring errors when working with self-recording artists. So they made these episodes so that you don't have to make these same mistakes.

Everybody makes mistakes and if you find that you have made some of these mistakes, go easy on yourself. We all have at some point! 

Hopefully though, by listening to this episode, you can prevent any future mishaps. 

So here is our list of recent home recording mistakes that we're discussing on the show:

·         Songs lacking layered vocals

·         Creating tight and harmonious vocal layers

·         Arranging your songs in an efficient way. ie: intentionally placing doubles & harmonies in places that serve the song

·         Comping on the fly

·         Drum comping

·         Creating seamless overdubs by punching in/out

·         Why it’s not a good idea to send just the MIDI files or DI tracks to your mixing engineer

So, let’s put the learning van into 6th gear and hurtle down the highway of knowledge, with the windows down. (aka let’s listen to this week’s episode) 😊

--
For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/192

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--
Episode show notes:

Benedikt & Malcom notice a fair amount of mistakes that home recording artists are making. With a little know-how and experience, these mistakes are entirely preventable.

The guys admit to having made these mistakes themselves in the past, and now, through their experience, you and other home recording artists don't have to. 

The first topic covered this week is recording overheads. Arguably the most important layer of recording a full kit. 

If your overheads aren't sounding good, your whole drum sound is gonna sound off.


"Overheads should generally sound like a really great drumkit just by themselves" - Malcom Owen-Flood

There are several things home recording artists need to watch out for when  recording overheads. Things that can be easily overlooked leading to phase issues and an unbalanced stereo image.


Also covered is clipping. Home recording artists are sometimes unaware that they are clipping but it's not as straightforward as just watching for the meter in your DAW turning red.
 

This is the first of a two-parter, so buckle up and let's get up to date with what's going wrong in the world of home recording.

--
For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/191

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--

Episode Show Notes:

Have you ever asked yourself this question while recording or mixing? 

What is your song about? How is it supposed to feel? How did you come up with it?  

These are important questions to ask yourself. And if you find the answer to it, it might transform your mixes and productions. 

We’ve received a lot of messages lately from people who are saying things like:

"My demos sound cool, but when I'm done mixing, I feel like something got lost along the way"

Or…

"I know exactly what I want my music to sound like, but I can't seem to make it come out of the speakers."

This is a common problem among Self Recording artists and Malcom & Benedikt take a more philosophical approach rather than a technical approach to this topic.  

This isn’t something that can be fixed by adjusting a plugin setting. This is a mindset thing. 

We’ve heard many songs lately that have incredibly dense arrangements. It's like people are feeling the need to add a lot of stuff to their songs to make them sound exciting and big. 

While that can be a good idea sometimes, it’s often not the best approach. You may actually be taking away from your song by continually adding new elements.

So let’s jump in to this weeks episode and find out exactly why your demo is currently sounding better than your final recordings.

--

For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/190

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--

Episode Show Notes:

A very special episode this week ladies & gentlemen, as Benedikt welcomes the one and only Warren Huart. 

Warren is a seasoned multi-platinum producer having worked with artists such as Aerosmith, Ace Frehley, The Fray, Ramones, James Blunt, Colbie Caillat… to name but a few. 

He is the founder of the highly popular Youtube Channel “Produce Like A Pro” and a mentor on the educational platform “Pro Mix Academy”. 

Check out Warren’s new book “Home Studio Recording”. If you’re looking to sharpen your knowledge as a producer then it’s targeted specifically at you. 

You can catch Warren at Studioszene Event - Hamburg 2023
-- (Book Tickets Here) -- where he will be running a masterclass session. 

Warren shares some little known facts about his time as a DJ and how his love of electronic music drew him to Berlin in the late 80s, before becoming a full time producer.   

Naturally, a producer with so much experience has some priceless advice to offer for self recording artists. 

"Work fast! If you’re working fast, you get the idea and the inspiration down. That’s more important than anything else."  

Warren covers a range of topics, including how he keeps his guitar skills sharp, how a broad taste in music has helped him as a producer and what sort of impact AI generated music will have on the music industry.

So let’s jump in and see how “marvelously well”  Warren is doing today. 

--

For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/189

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--

Episode Show Notes:

A special episode this week as Benedikt sits down with Self-Recording Syndicate graduate Dewi Thompson.  

Dewi is a songwriter from the UK who also produces and mixes his own material as a solo artist and collaborates with another artist under the names Altered States and Brave New World.

Dewi felt that there were some holes in his audio production knowledge and after aimlessly watching hundreds of hours of conflicting YouTube content (we’ve all been there) on how compression is the most important thing to have ever existed, he decided to reach out to Benedikt for some personal feedback and coaching.

It was clear the Dewi was a talented musician and songwriter but there were some blind spots and a lack of direction.

During Dewi’s 18 months in the Self-Recording Syndicate he has developed systems and a reliable process to get amazing results consistently and with confidence.

This journey goes all the way back to the 90’s when Dewi began recording on an Atari ST with some outboard gear including the coveted Alesis QuadraVerb GT.

These days Dewi prefers a more modern setup and is a proficient Cubase user.  

Now that Dewi has the knowledge and skills he needed, he has some very exciting projects in the pipeline. So watch this space.

Let's welcome Dewi and hear about his fascinating journey from where he was to where he is now. 

--

For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/188

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--

Episode Show Notes:

Are you mixing into a compressor? I mean mixing with a compressor on your mix bus from the beginning and not just slapping a compressor on at the end and then hoping for the best.

These guys are, and in this episode, Benedikt & Malcom talk about how they’re doing it and why they’re doing it.

Every compressor has its own unique ‘flavor’ and is often used as the glue that brings all of your song’s individual elements together.

Remember, though, your mix bus has EVERYTHING going through it, so you’ve got to be careful. Any changes you make on there will affect the whole song, for better or for worse. 

Where do you start with mix bus compression, though?

Do you know which type of compressor to use for mix bus compression? You have options… 

You could reach for a VCA compressor if you’re looking for a transparent glue. Maybe you’re feeling extra fruity and want to risk destroying your mix, so why not reach for an 1176?

Then there are the settings. Benedikt and Malcom compare notes on their go-to “safe” settings when using mix bus compression. 

“It sounds complicated, but once you get the core concepts, it’s not that complicated at all.” – Benedikt

Mix bus compression can be a complicated subject, but it’s also a fundamental skill that you need to get your head around if you want to make professional-sounding mixes. 

“Learning is sucking, until you don’t.” – Malcom Owen-Flood

A real deep dive episode here, so hold on to your threshold knobs and let the learning begin. 

--

For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/187

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--

Episode Show Notes:

This week, we're looking at external mic preamps and helping you decide if you actually need one or if the answer you're looking for lies elsewhere in your recording setup and process. 

External mic preamps are no doubt a useful tool and can sometimes be the component that lifts your recording from sounding good to great.

Specific models of external mic preamps can offer a unique coloration to your recordings and help squeeze an extra 10% of quality into your recordings. However, preamp choice will likely never be the single factor that miraculously saves a recording. 

Wanna record some gentle acoustic guitar with some soft, intimate vocals but the noise floor is making it a pain in the ass? Then maybe an external mic preamp is the answer. 

There's one thing however, that always trumps gear choice, and that is performance. Nail your performance, and a phone recording could beat even the most expensive recording chains. 

Microphone choice is always an important factor too, and do you know what you're doing with your audio interface when putting that external mic preamp into it?

Also covered is whether it's worth splurging on an expensive external mic preamp or simply hiring one. Not many of us are recording frequently enough to justify the cost, so hiring might be your best bet if you only do this a couple of times a year.

Malcom & Benedikt discuss how using one high-end preamp in one killer-sounding chain can ultimately be a game changer. It's better to have one exceptional-quality chain than several average-sounding chains, right?

--

For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/186

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]