Unstoppable Recording Machine Podcast

You guys have questions, Eyal Levi’s got your answers.

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

“You’ve got to know when to stop.” - Eyal Levi

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Strategies to stop messing up your mixes by overthinking

- Studio location priorities

- Avoiding nightmare scenarios with out of town bands

- And much, much more

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We’ve got Russ Russell (Dimmu Borgir, Napalm Death, Sikth) for an awesome conversation about how to build a long lasting production career, mix like a badass, and tons more.

Whether it’s a long lasting relationship with Napalm Death or tackling an insane live production for Dimmu Borgir Russ seems to have unlocked the secret to creating amazing career opportunities. We go over an hour before even getting to technical stuff (don’t worry gearheads, we go there too). You should probably take notes, because this is how you build the lifelong career that you want.

“Make sure people are happy right from the beginning, because otherwise you’re going to sink.” - Russ Russell

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- How Russ built his production career

- Tips for how to be an awesome assistant in the studio

- Getting clients hooked on you so they keep coming back

- The psychology of recording bands

- Russ’s approach to taming massive productions

- And much, much more

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Forrester Savell (Sikth, Dead Letter Circus, Karnivool, Twelve Foot Ninja) is here to discuss how he brings a unique sound to every production he touches.

Illness and injury couldn’t keep us from bringing you this one. There’s a lot about Forrester’s history and mindset that could serve as a lesson to anyone that’s looking to carve their own path and stand out from the pack. Whether you’re coming here for philosophy or technical production details you’re going to dig this one.

“It’s definitely a conscious thing for me to try to make every record I do not sound like any other record I’ve done.” - Forrester Savell

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Forrester’s path to where he is now, and how it’s informed his productions

- Turning live gigs into studio work

- Focusing on the individual creative processes of each project

- How Forrester approaches drums

- His opinion on the current state of gear

- Traveling to record

- And much, much more

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Joey Sturgis provides the answers to your most pressing questions.

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

“Don’t record if it sounds like crap!” - Joey Sturgis

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Joey’s approach to producing a project he didn’t mix

- Recommendations for software development

- Why guitars are a tuning nightmare

- Essentials for recording

- General producer royalty guidelines

- And much, much more

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Producer, composer, and entrepreneur Warren Huart reminds us that the core of it all, you’ve gotta keep that passion burning.

This episode is like a booster shot If you ever feel like you’re in a rut and you’re struggling to get the results that you want. Warren has built an amazing career for himself, and the progression of how it happened has some twists and turns you wouldn’t expect. But it’s easy to see why he’s so successful after talking to him; his passion is contagious and he truly cares about encouraging others who share that passion.

When something comes easy to you, it’s amazing how you don’t stick at it. - Warren Huart

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Why being naturally talented at something might not be all it’s cracked up to be

- Classical, pop, and metal and how their similarities and differences are noteworthy

- Warren’s take on the shifting environment of the music industry

- Discomfort as fuel for creativity

- The importance of teaching to Warren

- And much, much more

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We’ve got a special treat for you for this #mixcritmonday. We had Billy Decker join us to check out some of your mixes of Rodney Atkins’ “These are my People” for this month’s Nail the Mix.

“Do yourself a favor, and approach it like this is the last mix you’re ever going to do every time you mix.” - Billy Decker

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- The general level of standards for tracks that Billy receives for productions

- Handling vocal effects on country tracks

- Billy’s approach to compression

- Letting go of samples vs. no samples arguments and just making the best mix possible

- And much, much more

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Jesse Cannon joins us for this episode and we dive into some of the themes from his new book, Processing Creativity.

Technical proficiency is almost never enough to craft music that actually connects with listeners, and yet many of us spend so much of our time focusing on the technical side of production. If you want to produce songs that hit with people then you need to learn to effectively access your creative side. You need to learn how to coax out your flow state and understand the emotional content of the songs you’re working on. Jesse has been working tirelessly to come up with strategies to face these challenges, and he was nice enough to give a substantial peek behind the curtain.

A band walks in and I hit play on the song, and I’m like, ‘Dude, these lyrics are about your father shooting himself and finding him, why is this song so fucking happy?’ ‘Oh, it was the last one they wrote, so it’s what I put my lyrics to.’ ‘What the fuck are you on?! That’s not how it works.” - Jesse Cannon

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- What drove Jesse to write his new book

- The myths surrounding creativity

- Strategies for promoting a flow state

- Why emotion is king when it comes to music

- How to combat analysis paralysis

- And much, much more

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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!

“If no one ever pushed the boundaries in the history of music, music would be the most stupid, stale, boring shit to listen to.” - Joel Wanasek

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- How to place your subwoofer

- Why the idea of “selling out” is dumb

- Low end for hip hop

- Joel’s approach to maintaining control of your career path

- Focusing on what matters

- And much, much more

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Gene Hoglan. “The Human Drum Machine.” Strapping Young Lad, Death, Testament, Dark Angel. The list of seminal works that he’s been a part of would be a mile long.

When one of the greatest drummers of all time offers his insight you pay attention. From how to keep your chops up to effectively communicating with musicians to what you should be aiming for with a metal drum production, this episode is full of info whether you’re a player or a producer.

“Life’s tough. Get a helmet.” - Gene Hoglan

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- How Gene developed his style of drumming

- Comparing modern metal drum production to the early days of extreme metal

- His time with bands like Death, Strapping Young Lad, and Dark Angel

- Why you’d better figure out how to make those ghost notes translate

- The ideal studio session

- Why Gene isn’t hard on himself when he messes up

- And much, much more

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Jesco Lohan wants you to know that your studio doesn’t have to sound like crap, and it doesn’t have to cost a ton of cash to make sure it doesn’t.

Are you in your studio? Play this podcast in there; how’s it sound? Have you really considered your room’s acoustics lately? If you’re not confident in the acoustics of the room you mix in then you’re going to love the goldmine of information, from finding your sweet spot to DIY treatment, that Jesco drops in this episode. So, kick back, try to ignore the annoying frequency response your room is probably contributing for now, and listen up.

“For me, the most important thing is getting a balanced frequency response. It doesn’t have to be flat. To be honest, flat doesn’t exist.” - Jesco Lohan

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- The importance of balanced frequency response vs. the idea of “flat” frequency response

- Where Jesco’s commitment to acoustics began

- How to find your room’s sweet spot

- The order of importance for different types of treatment

- DIY acoustic panels

- Why you should mix quietly and level match your reference tracks

- And much, much more

Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review!

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