The Self-Recording Band

Your next step:

Apply for coaching! 

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

Our coaching program and community is called The Self-Recording Syndicate. It’s the best resource in the world for artists who record their own music.

Inside, we work with you one-on-one and connect you with a super positive community of artists and producers worldwide, so you don't have do go it alone. We help you record and finish songs you’ll be proud of forever.

👉 If you already have songs written and want to get them release-ready, you can apply now. We’ll show you how to produce, mix, and master your songs. Right in your own home studio. At the best quality possible.

If we accept your application, we’ll first have a free call with you. On this call, we’ll make a custom plan just for you. If you don’t love this plan, you don’t have to pay anything and you can walk away.

But if you do love the plan and want to work with us, here’s our promise:

You’ll have at least one finished, pro-sounding song within 6 months. That’s the minimum, you can do way more! And if it doesn’t happen, we’ll keep working with you for free until it does.

Sounds fair?

🚀 Click here for all the details:

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

--

Episode show notes:

How should you approach your live show? Should you go all in with backing tracks, click tracks, and a tightly structured set? Or should you keep things 100% live and raw, without backing tracks or even a click track?

In this episode, Manel dives deep into both worlds. He shares what it’s really like to play completely live versus using clicks and tracks, and talks about the pros, cons, and practical realities of each setup.

From spontaneous, free-flowing shows to perfectly synced festival sets, this episode breaks down everything you need to know to make the right choice for your band. Based on your style, goals, and budget.

In This Episode:

🎸 The pros and cons of playing with no click and no backing tracks

💻 The structure and consistency that come with click tracks and playback setups

🎚️ How to build a reliable backing track rig that actually works live

🎤 The psychological side - why some musicians love the click and others hate it

💡 How audience perception of “authenticity” might not be what you think

⚡ Hybrid setups and emergency plans: finding a middle ground between both worlds

💰 Budget and logistics - when backing tracks make a small lineup work

Why It Matters:

Your live setup affects everything: The energy, the sound, the consistency, and even your reputation. Understanding the tradeoffs will help you create shows that fit your music and feel right for you and your audience.

Key Quote:

Join the Conversation:

How do you run your shows? Do you prefer the raw energy of playing fully live, or the precision of playing to a click and tracks? Let us know - we’d love to hear your take.

For links to everything we've mentioned in this episode, key takeaways, as well as full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/285

--

Send us Fan Mail

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

Your next step:

Apply for coaching! 

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

Our coaching program and community is called The Self-Recording Syndicate. It’s the best resource in the world for artists who record their own music.

Inside, we work with you one-on-one and connect you with a super positive community of artists and producers worldwide, so you don't have do go it alone. We help you record and finish songs you’ll be proud of forever.

👉 If you already have songs written and want to get them release-ready, you can apply now. We’ll show you how to produce, mix, and master your songs. Right in your own home studio. At the best quality possible.

If we accept your application, we’ll first have a free call with you. On this call, we’ll make a custom plan just for you. If you don’t love this plan, you don’t have to pay anything and you can walk away.

But if you do love the plan and want to work with us, here’s our promise:

You’ll have at least one finished, pro-sounding song within 6 months. That’s the minimum, you can do way more! And if it doesn’t happen, we’ll keep working with you for free until it does.

Sounds fair?

🚀 Click here for all the details:

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

--

Episode show notes:

Van Holzen just dropped a fantastic new record. And it's not just the songs, the production is really exciting and interesting, too.

The album is called "SOLANG DIE ERDE SICH DREHT", and today on the podcast we sat down with Flo (Florian Kiesling) from Van Holzen and Phil (Philipp Koch aka Kidney Paradise) from Heisskalt, who co-produced the record.

So it is a partly self-produced album and a project that we can all learn a lot from.

We went deep into the making of this record. From writing under the Greek sun, to cramming into an 8m² Berlin studio, to locking in drums and bass at Toolhouse Studios.

This conversation is full of lessons for self-recording artists:

• Why they chose to ditch perfection and keep imperfection as part of their sound
• How they managed to capture huge, punchy drums without relying on samples
• How they've achieved this dark, low-end heavy sound, without making it dull and lifeless
• The thought process behind their clean, punchy bass tone in a genre where most go with heavy distortion
• How shifting environments (Greece → Berlin → Toolhouse) shaped the songs
• The mental and emotional hurdles they faced starting this record after a difficult couple of years - and how they pushed through
• What it really takes to co-produce your own band’s record without losing perspective

This is not just gear talk (though we nerd out plenty about snares, ribbon mics, and pedals). It’s about the intention behind the sound, the decisions that shaped the vibe of the record, and what other DIY musicians can learn from their process.

If you care about authentic performances, raw energy, and making bold production choices, this episode will inspire you to rethink how you approach your own music.

👉 Listen to Van Holzen’s new album “SOLANG DIE ERDE SICH DREHT” everywhere music is streamed
👉 Check tour dates and info at vanholzen.com

For links to everything we've mentioned in this episode, key takeaways, as well as full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/284

--

Send us Fan Mail

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

Your next step:

Apply for coaching! 

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

Our coaching program and community is called The Self-Recording Syndicate. It’s the best resource in the world for artists who record their own music.

Inside, we work with you one-on-one and connect you with a super positive community of artists and producers worldwide, so you don't have do go it alone. We help you record and finish songs you’ll be proud of forever.

👉 If you already have songs written and want to get them release-ready, you can apply now. We’ll show you how to produce, mix, and master your songs. Right in your own home studio. At the best quality possible.

If we accept your application, we’ll first have a free call with you. On this call, we’ll make a custom plan just for you. If you don’t love this plan, you don’t have to pay anything and you can walk away.

But if you do love the plan and want to work with us, here’s our promise:

You’ll have at least one finished, pro-sounding song within 6 months. That’s the minimum, you can do way more! And if it doesn’t happen, we’ll keep working with you for free until it does.

Sounds fair?

🚀 Click here for all the details:

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

--

Episode show notes:

We can’t believe we haven’t done an episode on this yet! Monitoring is by far the most important gear-related topic in music production. In fact, it’s really the only piece of gear that truly matters.

Why? Because everything you do goes through that filter - your speakers, headphones, and room. Every single decision you make depends on it. 

In this episode, we’ll break down the essentials of monitoring. Not in theory, not repeating what we’ve read online, but from our actual experience: 

Mixing thousands of songs professionally, working in countless studios, learning from Grammy winners, acousticians, and top-tier engineers, and building our own optimized setups over the last 15+ years.

This isn’t the “end all, be all.” But it is the most helpful, practical way we know to explain what really matters when it comes to monitoring. 

Think of it as a checklist: By the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly what you might be missing in your setup, and what’s worth investing in first.

We’ll cover:

• Choosing the right monitoring gear
• Headphones (open vs closed, what to look for, recommendations)
• When and how to add speakers
• Room treatment (and what to prioritize: bass traps, early reflections, and The truth about foam and egg crates)
• Speaker placement
• Big vs small speakers
• Audio interfaces, headphone amps and converters
• Learning your system vs having the “perfect” system
• Mixing on speakers vs. headphones.

This one’s packed. If you want us to dive deeper into any specific sub-topic (headphones, room treatment, speaker placement, etc.), let us know and we’ll make a dedicated episode.

👉 Also: check out our conversation with Jesco Lohan on this show, and his work online, for next-level acoustics insights.

🎧 Listen now and finally get clarity on the only gear that truly matters: your monitoring setup.

For links to everything we've mentioned in this episode, key takeaways, as well as full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/283

--

Send us Fan Mail

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

Your next step:

Apply for coaching! 

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

Our coaching program and community is called The Self-Recording Syndicate. It’s the best resource in the world for artists who record their own music.

Inside, we work with you one-on-one and connect you with a super positive community of artists and producers worldwide, so you don't have do go it alone. We help you record and finish songs you’ll be proud of forever.

👉 If you already have songs written and want to get them release-ready, you can apply now. We’ll show you how to produce, mix, and master your songs. Right in your own home studio. At the best quality possible.

If we accept your application, we’ll first have a free call with you. On this call, we’ll make a custom plan just for you. If you don’t love this plan, you don’t have to pay anything and you can walk away.

But if you do love the plan and want to work with us, here’s our promise:

You’ll have at least one finished, pro-sounding song within 6 months. That’s the minimum, you can do way more! And if it doesn’t happen, we’ll keep working with you for free until it does.

Sounds fair?

🚀 Click here for all the details:

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

--

Ady Parzentny (Hit The Road Music Studio) is back again on the podcast! This time we’re talking about his brand-new book "Audio Nomad" and the crazy journey that inspired it.

Ady went from recording bands while living the van life to eventually settling down in Barcelona, and along the way he’s learned a ton about creativity, connection, and making a career in music on your own terms.

We dive into:

• What it actually takes to build meaningful connections in a new place (spoiler: it’s not just social media, it’s real human interaction).
• Why trusting your gut can lead to some of the best decisions you’ll ever make.
• The challenges and strengths of being an introvert in this industry.
• How Ady approaches mobile recording and adapts to whatever environment he’s in.
• Why creating a welcoming vibe in your studio can be more important than having the fanciest gear.
• The mindset shifts that helped him overcome insecurities and grow personally and professionally.

This one’s not just about recording. It’s about building a life and career in music that feels right to you. 

Ady’s story is proof that you can blend adventure, creativity, and authenticity and still make a living doing what you love.

Get your copy of Audio Nomad now

Ady's website

Ady on Instagram

--

For links to everything we've mentioned in this episode, key takeaways, as well as full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/282

--

Send us Fan Mail

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

Your next step:

Apply for coaching! 

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

Our coaching program and community is called The Self-Recording Syndicate. It’s the best resource in the world for artists who record their own music.

Inside, we work with you one-on-one and connect you with a super positive community of artists and producers worldwide, so you don't have do go it alone. We help you record and finish songs you’ll be proud of forever.

👉 If you already have songs written and want to get them release-ready, you can apply now. We’ll show you how to produce, mix, and master your songs. Right in your own home studio. At the best quality possible.

If we accept your application, we’ll first have a free call with you. On this call, we’ll make a custom plan just for you. If you don’t love this plan, you don’t have to pay anything and you can walk away.

But if you do love the plan and want to work with us, here’s our promise:

You’ll have at least one finished, pro-sounding song within 6 months. That’s the minimum, you can do way more! And if it doesn’t happen, we’ll keep working with you for free until it does.

Sounds fair?

🚀 Click here for all the details:

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

--

Episode show notes:

Too many self-recording artists are playing it way too safe. 

They record clean, flat tracks, leave every option open, and hope the mix will somehow turn it into a world-class record. The problem? Safe equals boring.

In this episode, I’m talking about why you need to stop hiding behind “fix it in the mix” and start making bold production decisions. Even with limited gear in a home studio, you can commit to exciting sounds, experiment with mic placement, use weird or cheap gear, and think like a producer again.

We’ll cover practical ways you can add vibe and character to your recordings before mixing starts, so whether you’re mixing yourself or sending it off to someone else, you’ll end up with tracks that are unique, memorable, and full of life.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

•The difference between safe and bold production approaches
•Why committing early makes better records (and mixes)
•Practical ideas for creative mic placement, arrangement, and gear hacks
•How to stop chasing perfection and start chasing vibe

Your songs deserve to stand out. Let’s talk about how to make that happen.

--

For links to everything we've mentioned in this episode, key takeaways, as well as full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/281

--

Send us Fan Mail

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

The free balancing guide mentioned in the episode:
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes

Your next step:

Apply for coaching! 

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

Our coaching program and community is called The Self-Recording Syndicate. It’s the best resource in the world for artists who record their own music.

Inside, we work with you one-on-one and connect you with a super positive community of artists and producers worldwide, so you don't have do go it alone. We help you record and finish songs you’ll be proud of forever.

👉 If you already have songs written and want to get them release-ready, you can apply now. We’ll show you how to produce, mix, and master your songs. Right in your own home studio. At the best quality possible.

If we accept your application, we’ll first have a free call with you. On this call, we’ll make a custom plan just for you. If you don’t love this plan, you don’t have to pay anything and you can walk away.

But if you do love the plan and want to work with us, here’s our promise:

You’ll have at least one finished, pro-sounding song within 6 months. That’s the minimum, you can do way more! And if it doesn’t happen, we’ll keep working with you for free until it does.

Sounds fair?

🚀 Click here for all the details:

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

--

Episode show notes:

There’s this endless internet fight about what makes music exciting:

👉 raw, “organic,” human vibes vs. polished, larger-than-life production.

Some say modern records sound boring because they’re too perfect. Others say they love the wall-of-sound, super-polished productions.

So what’s the truth? And more importantly: how do you find the sweet spot for your music?

In this episode we break it all down. We’ll talk about when to embrace imperfections, when polish actually helps, and how to make bold decisions that let your songs sound like you - not just another clone.

Let’s go!

--

For links to everything we've mentioned in this episode, key takeaways, as well as full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/280

--

Send us Fan Mail

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

Your next step:

Apply for coaching! 

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

Our coaching program and community is called The Self-Recording Syndicate. It’s the best resource in the world for artists who record their own music.

Inside, we work with you one-on-one and connect you with a super positive community of artists and producers worldwide, so you don't have do go it alone. We help you record and finish songs you’ll be proud of forever.

👉 If you already have songs written and want to get them release-ready, you can apply now. We’ll show you how to produce, mix, and master your songs. Right in your own home studio. At the best quality possible.

If we accept your application, we’ll first have a free call with you. On this call, we’ll make a custom plan just for you. If you don’t love this plan, you don’t have to pay anything and you can walk away.

But if you do love the plan and want to work with us, here’s our promise:

You’ll have at least one finished, pro-sounding song within 6 months. That’s the minimum, you can do way more! And if it doesn’t happen, we’ll keep working with you for free until it does.

Sounds fair?

🚀 Click here for all the details:

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

--

Episode show notes:

On this episode, you'll learn what it takes to turn a voice memo on a phone, or a very rough song idea, into a finished song that can then be recorded and mixed without compromise.

If you want to work with us and apply for our coaching, you need to have songs written and ready to be recorded.

You need material that is pretty much ready to go, so that we can walk you through the production process and make sure you get exceptional results recording and mixing those songs yourself.

Manel is exceptionally great at this part of the process, the writing and pre-production. So we're letting him walk us through his approach step-by-step.

This is great for you in many ways:

If you want to self-produce your songs and plan on working with us through our coaching, you can prepare and get your songs ready for that.

If you don't want to do that yourself, you can contact us and bring Manel on to your team, so he can work with you on getting your songs ready at the highest quality.

If your plan is to go to a studio, you can prepare for that session properly to make the most out of it. Your engineer/producer will love you for it. ;)

Either way, you'll walk away prepared and ready to kill it on your next project without cutting corners.

So, walk us through your process Manel! What are the steps you go through with every artists to get them the results they want?

Let’s go!

--

For links to everything we've mentioned in this episode, key takeaways, as well as full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/279

--

Send us Fan Mail

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

Your next step:

Apply for coaching! 

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

Our coaching program and community is called The Self-Recording Syndicate. It’s the best resource in the world for artists who record their own music.

Inside, we work with you one-on-one. We help you record and finish songs you’ll be proud of forever.

👉 If you already have songs written and want to get them release-ready, you can apply now. We’ll show you how to produce, mix, and master your songs. Right in your own home studio. At the best quality possible.

If we accept your application, we’ll first have a free call with you. On this call, we’ll make a custom plan just for you. If you don’t love this plan, you don’t have to pay anything and you can walk away.

But if you do love the plan and want to work with us, here’s our promise:

You’ll have at least one finished, pro-sounding song within 6 months. That’s the minimum, you can do way more! And if it doesn’t happen, we’ll keep working with you for free until it does.

Sounds fair?

🚀 Click here for all the details:

theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

--

Episode show notes:

We made this episode because we see artists make the same mistake again and again. We don’t want you to make it too.

We call it a “rookie mistake.” That means it’s something beginners often do. And yes, this can even happen to people who have played music for years, but never made a record the right way.

Some of you might think, “I’m not a beginner.” But if you are making this mistake, you are. At least when it comes to making records that have a chance to be heard and enjoyed by more than just your friends and family.

And when it comes to making music that sounds so good you’ll be proud of it forever. Music that can play right next to your favorite songs and still hold up in quality.

If you keep making this mistake, that will never happen.

So please listen to this episode and take it seriously. This advice comes from over 15 years of full-time work in audio. From thousands of projects with hundreds of artists and labels all around the world.

What we share here is true for pretty much everyone. Don’t think you’re the one exception. Do what works.

Let’s go!

--

For links to everything we've mentioned in this episode, key takeaways, as well as full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/278

--

Send us Fan Mail

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

Your next step:

Apply for coaching! 

theselfrecordingband.com

Our coaching community, The Self-Recording Syndicate, is the number one way for DIY producers around the world to get results that they'll be proud of forever. 

If you apply for personal mentoring, we'll first jump on a completely free call so we can give you feedback, build a custom plan for you and help you figure out the best way forward.

🚀 Here are all the details, let's go:

theselfrecordingband.com

--

Episode show notes:

We are 277 episodes into this podcast and haven't really touched on mastering. We did an episode on loudness and one where we explained what mastering actually is. But we really only scratched the surface. 

Today we're finally going a bit deeper and we're doing it with an amazing guest. 

Slatin is joining us on the show today. Slatin is an award winning mastering engineer, based in Madrid, Spain. He is also a DJ and artist himself and despite his current career in electronic music, he actually has a heavy metal background. 

There's lots to talk about and I'm super excited to have him on the show. So without further ado, here is Slatin for you! 

--

Some of the topics we covered in this episode:

• What are microdynamics?
• Slatins past in a heavy metal band 
• Mixing/mastering different genres
• Slatins work as DJ - He played at Tomorrowland this year
• Slatins mastering process
• The low end in different genres 
• Outsourcing mastering vs doing it yourself
• The peace of mind aspect of mastering
• Transparent mastering vs adding a lot of color and character to masters
• Mixing vs mastering vs stem mastering (under which circumstances is stem mastering a good idea?)
• Workflow and speed - How important is a good workflow for home studio producers who can do it all without time pressure?
• Auditioning gear in the mastering process (especially limiters)
• Digital vs analog

Enjoy!

--

Slatins website:

www.slatin.pro

--

For links to everything we've mentioned in this episode, key takeaways, as well as full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/277

--

Send us Fan Mail

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

Your next step:

Apply for coaching! 

theselfrecordingband.com

Our coaching community, The Self-Recording Syndicate, is the number one way for DIY producers around the world to get results that they'll be proud of forever. 

If you apply for personal mentoring, we'll first jump on a completely free call so we can give you feedback, build a custom plan for you and help you figure out the best way forward.

🚀 Here are all the details, let's go:

theselfrecordingband.com

--

Episode show notes:

In this episode, Benedikt is joined by Adam Croft from the band The Grand Caravan. A group that makes music for wandering souls and vibe-chasers, rather than sticking to any one genre.

They talk about Adam’s journey as a musician, his time in our coaching program, The Self-Recording Syndicate, how the band has evolved over time, and what it was like working on their latest recordings. 

Adam shares his experience going from home recording setups to professional studios, and the lessons he’s picked up along the way.

This one’s full of honest insights about growth, learning, and staying passionate - whether you’re tracking at home or in a fancy studio. 

Adam and Benedikt also get into the balance between focusing on feel vs. getting caught up in the technical side of things, and how collaboration and spontaneity often lead to the best creative moments.

--

Some key takeaways from the conversation:

• The Grand Caravan is a band built on vibes, not strict genres.
• Adam is all about learning, growing, and keeping the creative fire alive.
• Home recording is awesome, but sometimes a pro studio can take things to the next level.
• Don’t try to master everything at once. Pick one thing to focus on and really learn it.
• earn to trust your ears. Gear and theory are cool, but what you hear is what really matters.
• The process and having fun along the way matters just as much as the final result.
• And above all, if you love making music, don’t hold back. Just go for it.

Enjoy!

--

For links to everything we've mentioned in this episode, key takeaways, as well as full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/276

--

Send us Fan Mail

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