Unstoppable Recording Machine Podcast

Machine is setting up shop on this episode to impart all sorts of wisdom that he’s gained over the course of his incredible production career. We had to super size this episode to make room for all the info. Machine touches on a bit of everything. He talks about techniques he used when recording drums with Lamb of God, narrowly avoiding setting band members on fire, why you need to stop worrying about your g.a.s., and that’s all just to get the ball rolling. “The smartest thing you can do is learn the shit out of what gear you have, and your ability to tweak it fast and use it fast and not think about it will actually probably in turn make you even dial it better.” - Machine ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Growing up with musical parents - Machine’s experience getting into the audio industry around the time of the start of hip hop - Setting up your studio to provide artists with the “rock n roll fantasy” - Why you shouldn’t focus on new gear - Being a “methodless producer” - Dialing for the riff - And

Beau Burchell (Saosin) was awesome enough to come on for an entire episode to answer your questions. Want Beau to answer your questions? Send them to eyal@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Beau.” The more detailed the better! “A big thing with mixing is making all the parts the most effective they can be, but not letting the production get in the way of the song.” - Beau Burchell ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Beau’s writing process - How to approach toms and overheads - Managing work/life balance - Beau’s views on mastering - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joey Sturgis provides the answers to your most pressing questions. Want Joey to answer your questions? Send them to joey@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Joey.” The more detailed the better! “There’s no mixing magic tricks to make a bad composition work.” - Joey Sturgis ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Ensuring your listening environment is translating well - Handling dense mixes - Techniques for making programmed drums more human - How to approach delegating work to others - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beau Burchell was kind enough to join us for #Mixcritmonday this month to give you guys some tips for mixing “The Silver String” by Saosin. Listen in to get the inside track for what you should be aiming for with this mix and some of the pitfalls you need to make sure you’re sidestepping. “I always take the more conservative route. If the want some shit in there they’ll tell me, but, for the most part, if I’m being hired to mix I’m just mixing.” - Beau Burchell ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Mixing for the job, not what you wish the job was - Beau’s tip for making sure your mix isn’t pumping - Making sure your mix is gelling - What happens when you accidentally misfire samples - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Wanasek has the answers you need to make sure you stay #nosmalltime. Want Joel to answer your questions? Send them to eyal@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Joel.” The more detailed the better! “Anybody that says you can’t do this for a living is full of shit. Because if I can do it, and I’m a guy that came up from cornfields… I built and broke a career from a basement literally surrounded by cornfields. If I can do it there, you can do it too.” - Joel Wanasek ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Why you need to take care of your health - What Joel does for inspiration and fun - Dealing with tuning artifacts in tracks you’ve been sent - Making your career goals a reality on your terms - Balancing learning and doing - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a long time coming; we’ve got John Browne on the podcast and we’re going all in on guitar tone and production philosophies. Browne needs no introduction, his guitar playing is legendary, his picking hand spoken of in hushed voices in guitar forums everywhere. Ok… people don’t actually talk in guitar forums. We all get the point though: Browne is a guitar wielding badass. Not only is his playing insane, but his production chops are second to none. And he was kind enough to share some of how he does it so you don’t end up with productions that make your playing sound like a Lil Wayne solo. “Monitors are not meant for enjoyment, they’re meant for problem solving and working.” - Eyal Levi ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - The early days of djent - Finding your own style rather than just repeating what’s already been done - Reamping issues - Fitting guitar into the bigger picture of a mix - Monitor selection - What to do if playing your instrument is causing pain - And much, much more Thanks for lis

On this episode, producer/songwriter Erik Ron (Attila, Issues, Like Moths to Flames) shares his experiences rising through the ranks of the audio industry, and discusses the importance of navigating it with grace. We were really caught off guard by the twists and turns of Erik’s career story. It’s important to remember that career paths almost never look like what we think they’re going to when we set out on them. Going with the flow, learning from mistakes (both yours and other people’s), maintaining professionalism in the face of roadblocks, and so many other lessons that you need to hear are crystal clear in what Erik discusses in this episode. “If you open up to be someone that people can confide in you’re going to get a lot farther along.” - Erik Ron ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Practicing your craft as an engineer - Balancing attention to detail and speed - How Erik got to where he is today - Leading by example - Maintaining relationships, even when things don’t go according to plan - And much

Doc Coyle (Vagus Nerve, Bad Wolves, God Forbid) is one of those rare musicians that truly has great ideas about how to approach building a career in the industry, and we’re stoked to have him on board to expound about how he does it. The music industry is complicated. We all know this. The landscape is constantly shifting and it takes a lot of effort and skill to stay on top of things. Doc has put in the effort, continues to put in the effort, and he’s become more than just a musician at this point; he’s carved out a space for himself as a fixture in the world of heavy music. Everyone with eyes toward a long term career stands to learn from the philosophies he shares in this episode. “The heavy music community is very small, everyone knows everyone, and if you do bad business it gets around.” - Doc Coyle ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Doc’s philosophies on maintaining an engaging career - Strategies for social media - Modern touring realities - Insight into the label perspective - The importance of cr

We’ve got Beau Burchell here to provide insight into how he’s worked to build and maintain dual careers as guitarist for Saosin and a kickass producer. Having Beau on board to mix Saosin’s “The Silver String” for Nail the Mix this month is going to be amazing. And we’re equally excited to have him on the show with us to dive deep talking about his path in the industry as both a musician and producer. “Every record that you work on, the better the record does the better that is for you, because no one cares about a rad record you did that no one heard.” - Beau Burchell ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Balancing being a musician with a career in audio production - How to deal with miscommunications and plain old dumb moments that people have during recording - Why sometimes you have to put yourself in check - What to look for from people you get mix input form - Details about Beau’s tracking and mixing workflow - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your

Blasko (Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie, Mercenary Management) has built a career that most people would kill for, but it hasn’t taken murder, it’s taken constant hustling. “Pivoting” is something that’s come up before on the podcast. It’s invaluable to be able to recognize an opportunity and risk going for it. There are few people in the industry that embody that philosophy better than Blasko. Whether it’s being in the band of history’s biggest metal gods or building a business empire from the ground up, he’s worked his way to the top. So, put away the murderous thoughts, because success isn’t going to come that easy, and listen up about what it takes to hustle. “You’ve got to get out there. You’ve got to grind.” - Blasko ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Navigating the music industry’s constant state of reinvention - Hustling, the Blasko way - The path that led him to add management to his resume - The power of returning favors and being authentic - Time management - And much, much more Thanks for listening!

Jordan Valeriote is launching his Hardcore Tracking course this week, and he’s back to fill us in on some of the awesome philosophies behind it. Get things right at the source. We’ve all heard it. It’s obviously great advice. But do you actually know how to implement it? It can be easier said than done. Jordan recognized that a lot of people have a tendency to overcomplicate matters and end up with subpar results; that’s why he decided to start Hardcore Tracking. We’ve checked out what he’s got planned for it, and it kicks ass. “For me, it all comes down to, ‘Why?’” - Jordan Valeriote ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Why Jordan decided to release Hardcore Tracking - 3 things recording engineers should be doing - Signal flow hierarchy - What to do when the band you’re recording sucks - How to coax great performances out of musicians - Strategies for each instrument - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You guys have questions, Eyal Levi’s got your answers. Want Eyal to answer your questions? Send them to eyal@urm.academy 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 Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! L

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 Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about

Joey Sturgis provides the answers to your most pressing questions. Want Joey to answer your questions? Send them to eyal@urm.academy 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 Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Thanks for liste

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 Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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,

Joel Wanasek has the answers you need to make sure you stay #nosmalltime. Want Joel to answer your questions? Send them to eyal@urm.academy 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 Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices