Unstoppable Recording Machine Podcast

Welcome to #Mixcritmonday, the show where we critique YOUR mixes.

On this edition, we’ve got a pop punk song and an extreme metal track on the table. So, we’re throwing them in a blender and pouring a refreshing crit smoothie into your ears.

“It really should be in your fucking face, and the song explodes through your speakers, and is upbeat and energetic and, ‘Fuck yeah! I wanna eat pizza and make out with pop punk girls’ kind of thing.” - Eyal Levi

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Making sure you don’t suck all the power out of your mixes

- Not overloading a song with unnecessary panning

- Why you need to keep the genre in mind while recording and mixing

- Hooks! Why you need to work to find ones that connect with listeners

- Why you shouldn’t just cram your tracks with filler riffs

- No filler all killer

- Every moment in a song having its perfect place in the arrangement

- And much, much more

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Grammy winning and multi-platinum selling producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, Mutemath) brings an abundance of incredible insight to this episode.

Want your productions to go multi-platinum? Want to put out Grammy level results? What does that level even look like in today’s music industry? That’s certainly a complicated topic, but it’s one you’re going to want to be informed about, and Jacquire King has been at the top tier long enough that he’s someone you should definitely listen to.

“It’s very important for us to know what things do technically, but never ever assume that because you have technical know how, or you know the way something should work, don’t just assume that it’s working that way.” - Jacquire King

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Changes to the industry that Jacquire has seen

- His views on analog vs. digital

- Recommendations for audio production education

- Things potential interns should keep in mind

- Jacquire’s gear recommendations

- Why you need to keep basics in mind

- Advice for producers getting started now

- How to overcome hard times

- And much, much more

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Zakk Cervini and Matt Pauling (Blink-182, Black Veil Brides, Sleeping with Sirens) have planted their flags at the top of the audio production hill, and they’re here to discuss how they’ve done it.

It takes a lot to compete at a level that would lead to someone becoming the right hand man of John Feldman. On this episode we’ve got not one, but two guys that have done just that. Zakk and Matt bring some amazing stories and truly valuable insight to the discussion.

“It just comes from doing it, and failing, and trying again.” - Zakk Cervini

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- What producers look for in potential interns

- Zakk and Matt’s experiences working with John Feldman

- How they make use of templates and presets

- Recording in weird locations

- Zakk and Matt’s go to gear

- And much, much more

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Zakk Cervini and Matt Pauling (Blink-182, Good Charlotte, Sleeping with Sirens) are here with tips to ensure that you don’t release songs with crappy guitar and bass, because they don’t want to have to listen to that.

Every engineer and producer wants to be able to say that they put out badass guitar tracks. Are your guitar tones there yet? If you’re still trying to get your tracks sounding impressive when put up against professional productions then we’ve got some tips to get you heading in the right direction.

“There’s always someone out there that’s going to be able to play faster than you.” - Zakk Cervini

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Strategies for layering guitars

- Amp sims vs. real amps for studio and live use

- Zakk and Matt’s secrets for getting stellar guitar tone

- How to keep your guitars maintained

- Approaching recording with musicians of varying skill levels

- And much, much more

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Chris Sernel works with some of the biggest pop acts in the world, and no matter your genre, he’s got songwriting advice that’s going to help you level up your songs.

Writing and producing songs that compete at the top of the charts is not an easy feat. Regardless of the genre, no one wants to release songs that go unnoticed. Are the songs you’re working on going to connect? Would you like to know how to make it more likely that they do? This episodes’ for you.

“Several writing sessions start with an unspoken form of who’s copyright can we violate today.” -Chris Sernel

THIS WEEK, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- How to write songs that connect with listeners

- The power of the hook

- Coming up with cohesive, clear ideas

- The complications involved in releasing music on major labels

- The importance of making your songwriting routine

- Getting through writer’s block and not waiting for inspiration

- Figuring out how to deal with shifting trends

- And much, much more

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Matt Brown is the guy you want to listen to if you want great sounding drums, so, we brought him in to give you some tips and tricks to do just that.

If you want amazing end results in your drum recordings then you need to start at the beginning of the process. Do not pass go, do not collect $200 until you’ve figured out how to set that drum kit up. Yes, really digging into the setup of drum kits can be difficult and it takes a lot of experience to figure out. Matt has that experience, and you’re going to hear some secrets on this episode that he was actually hesitant to share. But he’s a generous guy.

“If you don’t develop your ear, you’re never going to know whether something is in tune on a drum or out.” - Matt Brown

ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- How to get better at drum tuning

- Why Matt isn’t a fan of drum dials

- Guidelines for finding a drum’s pitch

- When and how to use muffling

- The importance of bottom heads

- The cotton ball trick

- Getting the most bang for your buck from your drums

- And much, much more

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Fred Archambault (Avenged Sevenfold, Last Call With Carson Daly, Alice Cooper) has a wealth of knowledge about getting into and being successful in the audio production industry.

From producing the biggest metal bands on earth, to mixing live recordings for hit TV shows, there’s very little that Fred Archambault hasn't done. And you’re in for a treat, because he doesn’t hold anything back in this episode.

“If you do good work, then you’ll leave a trail.” - Fred Archambault

THIS WEEK, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Different methods for mixing bass

- Fred’s advice for breaking into the industry

- Differences between mixing live recordings and studio work

- Fred and Eyal’s experiences going to Berklee

- The place of internships in building careers

- The technical secrets behind some of Fred’s mixing techniques

- And much, much more

Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review!

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Mike Mowery, president of Outerloop Management joins us to discuss the ever changing landscape of the music industry.

Branding, social media, video, photo content, getting management, on and on - keeping up with all of them is a juggling act and it can get overwhelming. How do you build an effective and manageable game plan for all of these things? Mike Mowery lays down some guidelines that are certain to get you on the right track.

“Change is inevitable. And sometimes it’s exciting and sometimes it’s frustrating.” - Mike Mowery

THIS WEEK, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- How to keep up with the ever changing music industry

- The importance of branding

- Effectively using social media

- Why you should be active in helping develop a scene

- If and when a producer should get management

- How to get in touch with industry professionals as a producer

- And much, much more

Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review!

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A&R representative and Noise Creators founder Johnny Minardi joins us to demystify the A&R process.

The music industry is in a constant state of flux; as an A&R rep, Johnny Minardi is in a great position to map out practices that are likely to help you succeed, no matter what part of the industry you’re in. Whether you’re a producer, musician, or looking to get into the behind the scenes business side of the industry, you will find something of value here.

“Why am I investing time and effort into a band who doesn’t want to work?” - Johnny Minardi

THIS WEEK, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- Artist development

- What A&R actually is and how to get into the field

- How A&R has changed with the industry

- How to know if A&R is something you need

- How to get more work as a producer

- And much, much more

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Acclaimed songwriter and producer Drew Fulk (Motionless In White, Escape The Fate, We Came As Romans) joins us to discuss songwriting, his methods for co-writing with bands, and how he became the in demand writer he is today.

Writing great songs isn’t simple. Things gets even more complicated if you’re a producer co-writing with a band. Everyone has the same goal of creating a great end result, but will you have the tools to make the process go smoothly? Listening to what Drew Fulk has to say is a good start.

“The less changes you have, the more cohesive the song will sound to the listener.” - Drew Fulk

THIS WEEK, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

- The various forms that co-writing with bands can take

- Networking, networking, networking, and not overselling yourself

- Maximizing your creative output

- Tips for transitions and outros

- Drew’s opinion on what makes a great song

- How to refine initial ideas into finished songs

- The legalities involved in co-writing

- And much, much more

Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review!

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