Unstoppable Recording Machine Podcast

Joel Wanasek has the answers you need to make sure you stay #nosmalltime.

Want Joel to answer your questions? Send them to [email protected] with the subject line “Dear Joel.” The more detailed the better!

“I’m going to tell you something about clipping plugins… if you can’t hear it, and it sounds good, who cares?” - Joel Wanasek

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Staying healthy

- Reinvigorating your interest in music

- The pros and cons of clipping plugins

- Credit

- Dialing in a problematic kick

- And much, much more

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Jeff Dunne follows up the Emmure Nail the Mix by joining us to dive into how he’s gotten to this point and how he continues to knock out killer mixes.

Being a successful audio professional involves a lot more than just knowing how to mix. Not only is Jeff an amazing producer, but he balances that with another career, and his approach to managing all of it is something that we could all learn from. From avoiding distractions to communication strategies to not letting your unconscious sabotage you, there’s tons of info to take away from this one.

“I think a lot of it is having confidence in what you can do, making sure you do it at a consistent level, and then being a little bit willing to pick up some shit at the end of the day for other people, because, realistically, that’s what people need you to do even if that’s not the explicitly stated job description.” - Jeff Dunne

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Jeff’s top down mixing philosophy

- Managing your involuntary reactions and turning them into positives

- Cutting out distractions

- How to become a “go to guy”

- Nailing the prep

- And much, much more

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Nick Pilotta (URM Academy, The Wade Studio) is on the show to make sure you don’t end up the subject of just another intern horror story.

Whether we’re talking the audio industry or not, there are opportunities out there being left on the table by people that aren’t willing or capable of grabbing them. If you know your shit and you’re not a punisher, then having a willingness to put in the time can pay off in dividends. Nick is definitely a prime example of how you can turn an internship into a career that could last you a lifetime.

“You have to make your own opportunity, or else nothing will really come.” - Nick Pilotta

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- How to show, through internship work, that you’re someone worth paying

- Getting the most out of the intern experience

- Dealing with stigma related to coming out of a music school

- How Nick got to the point of working with URM and Andrew Wade

- Time management while building your career

- Getting through moments when success feels impossible

- And much, much more

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Beau Burchell has Phil Sgrosso (As I Lay Dying, Wovenwar, Poison Headache) in the hot seat this time, for a wide ranging discussion about his career and the amazing productions he’s been a part of.

Phil has built a career for himself that’s allowed him to have the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in metal production. He hasn’t just been sitting on his laurels as an amazing guitarist though; he’s also branched out into other paths that have presented themselves, such as management. If you’re a musician looking to adopt some great philosophies for maintaining a successful career this is a conversation you’re going to want to hear.

“Gear and I have always had this weird relationship, that I don’t really like it.” - Phil Sgrosso

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Phil’s experiences working with producers like Colin Richardson and Adam D

- Balancing production and mixing

- Elevating songwriting and production by listening to feedback

- Dialing in guitar tones

- Pivoting to other career opportunities such as management

- And much, much more

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Brian Slagel of Metal Blade Records joins the show to talk about his past, present, and future, and we discuss his new book, For The Sake of Heaviness: The History of Metal Blade Records.

Brian and Metal Blade have been a pivotal part of the metal genre for decades. From the early days of Metallica and Slayer to the institution that Metal Blade is today, this man has seen it all. It’s an honor to have him on board to discuss the perseverance his climb has taken, what the place of record labels is in the industry now, and why a love of the music is integral to success.

“If you would have told any of us starting in ‘82/‘83, you know - Slayer, Metallica, Motley Crue, anybody that was in L.A. at the time - that this would go on to be such a huge thing, and that we’d still be talking about this stuff 35 years later we all would have said that you were completely nuts.” - Brian Slagel

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- How perseverance played a role in the rise of Metal Blade

- The importance of loving what you do

- Some of the reasons Brian feels modern bands have a hard time breaking through

- Why you shouldn’t burn bridges

- Pivoting

- Why one person in your band should know business

- And much, much more

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Kurt Ballou is here to answer your questions and chew bubble gum, and he’s all out of bubble gum.

Want Kurt to answer your questions? Send them to [email protected] with the subject line “Dear Kurt.” The more detailed the better!

“Whenever people ask me about what gear they should get when they’re putting together a studio, I tell them they really should not skip on their monitors and monitoring environment, because if you can’t hear what’s going on properly then you’ll never make good decisions.” - Kurt Ballou

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Kurt’s approach to deciding how much input to give when producing

- Switching between engineer and musician hats while recording yourself

- Dealing with phase issues between mics

- Getting aggressive drum room sounds

- Kurt’s essential gear suggestions

- And much, much more

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Kris Crummett is in the driver’s seat today to answer your production questions.

Want Kris to answer your questions? Send them to [email protected] with the subject line “Dear Kris.” The more detailed the better!

“I think it’s really important as a producer to assess songs, and assess a situation one by one, and not really have a mindset going into things that you’re going to do this or that to songs, because that can be pretty detrimental.” - Kris Crummett

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Kris’s vocal productions secrets

- Drum and sample selection

- Dealing with the imperfections of guitar tuning

- Kris’s perspective on getting in depth with songwriting

- Running outboard gear live

- And much, much more

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The Beau Burchell train keeps on rolling for this discussion with producer Rick King about faking it till you make it, breaking out of genre boxes, and essential gear.

We all know that the grind can be rough. It’s important to figure out what your goals are, steps you can take to make them a reality, and to feel confident in your ability to do so. Rick and Beau both impart a lot of knowledge in this discussion on those elements of building one’s career.

“All the chaos is crazy to deal with, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” - Rick King

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- How Rick overcame adversity to establish his studio

- Dealing with band arguments about hypotheticals

- When it’s ok to say no to projects and why that can be a good thing

- The struggles of getting jobs in genres that you don’t already have ties to

- Test mixes

- Essential gear

- And much, much more

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Finn Mckenty has the life and career answers you crave.

Want Finn to answer your questions? Send them to [email protected] with the subject line “Dear Finn.” The more detailed the better!

“What is the challenge? Why is it a challenge? How do I overcome the challenge?” - Finn Mckenty

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Making music a full time career

- Marketing yourself

- The value of helping others

- Strategies for dealing with social anxiety

- Passive income strategies

- Standing out from the crowd

- And much, much more

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Beau Burchell takes the reins for a discussion with producer/mixer/engineer Jeremy SH Griffith about strategies for becoming a well rounded audio professional.

Jeremy has purposefully developed his career so that he’s involved in a wide variety of types of music, from worship music to heavy bands such as Norma Jean. In this episode, he and Beau discuss how his career progressed to get there, what it brings to the table, and the parts of his job that it makes more difficult.

“I want to enforce the way that I feel about the songs, in a constructive way, but I don’t want to do it in a demeaning or a negative way anymore. Period.” - Jeremy SH Griffith

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- How Jeremy navigated the early stages of his career

- The AllMusic credit struggle

- The value of working in a variety of genres

- Getting bands to come back for more

- How does location affect opportunities?

- Jeremy and Beau’s hybrid mixing approaches

- And much, much more

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