Unstoppable Recording Machine Podcast

We’re thrilled to have Benny on the podcast for a lengthy discussion on what it takes to be a partner in a studio, why client comfort is so crucial yet often overlooked, why unsigned bands are often more profitable than big name clients and many more insights from his lengthy career. “When you get older and you start looking back over your career, you realize there were opportunities that you didn’t even know were there at the time. It’s all about having the right disposition to go for it and make it happen.” - Benny Grotto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As you can imagine, he’s accumulated a priceless wealth of knowledge from his decades in the trenches and he shares a ton of it in this episode including: what it was like to work with legends like David Bowie and Sting, transitioning from fully analog to a hybrid setup, some sage advice for anyone who’s just starting out in the audio business, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donning multiple hats over the years ranging from working for Barack Obama, to labels Century Media Records, Artery Recordings, and Outerloop Records, as well as his work as a director, Shan Dan has seen what this industry has to offer. We discuss what bands should invest in early on in their careers, how he made the jump from the corporate world to the music industry, and unpredictable nature of the business. This is required listening for anyone wanting to pursue a career in a creative field. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fredrik Nordström has worked with heavy hitters like At the Gates, Bring Me The Horizon, Dimmu Borgir, In Flames, Arch Enemy, Opeth, Soilwork, and the list of who’s who top tier extreme metal bands just goes on and on and on. Of course we cover the making of some of those legendary records and his world known “Fredman technique” for miking guitars, but we also delve into topics such as how to give credits, who deserves those credits, the challenges of mixing metal with an orchestra, Fredrik’s multi-amp slaving technique, and much much more. “What I’ve noticed when I do stuff is I never tell anybody that I’m trying new stuff here. I just do it. Because if you cannot try new stuff, then you cannot develop.” - Fredrik Nordström ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 1:59 - What Fredrik thinks of the production landscape now versus a decade or two ago 6:46 - How the At the Gates album had a tight sound and how long it takes for Fredrik to work on albums 14:26 - How it’s not necessarily the tech you have that allows

Nick Rad is a mixing engineer, producer and musician who has worked with Skillet, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and Jason Mraz among many others, in addition to playing in Hangnail and Acceptance. His career began in the 90s, which means he brings plenty of insight to the podcast where we talk about how he decided to work in production, how not to network, and a host of other lessons he’s learned from over two decades in the music industry. It might take me 10 hours to do one song, but it’s going to be epic when it’s done. That’s my thing.” - Nick Rad 2:35 - What it’s like working with artists from very different genres and how Nick ended up working in those genres 6:12 - How most producers don’t have a huge record and it’s a myth that you need one to make production work 9:35 - What drew Nick to the polished sound in his work and knowing who he is as a producer 12:36 - If Nick ever regretted sending a band to someone else 16:33 - How long Nick played music before diving into production and how his touring

Grammy nominated producer, Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Loma Prieta) joins the podcast to discuss the critical importance of creating repeat clients, why producers need to be involved in their community, and how NOT to promote yourself and your work. “When I’m tracking a band, I would say 80 plus percent of the processing on the recording is happening on capture. So like EQ and compression, often times distortion, like whatever it might be, that’s all happening as part of the capture. Which I think always sounds better.” - Jack Shirley ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 4:07 - What got Jack Shirley into recording 7:15 - Production styles for various genres hadn’t landed yet when Jack first started recording 10:30 - Jack Shirley’s dealings with black metal 13:19 - The high quality production with Deafheaven still being able to sound raw and if that poses any challenges 14:28 - What point computers come in during the process of making an album 18:38 - What happens when a band wants to sound a certain way, but d

Eyal Levi hosts a live roundtable discussion at Winter Namm 2019 with acclaimed producers Joey Sturgis, Billy Decker, and Machine about how they approach bands that haven’t broken big yet, and how they keep their clients coming back album after album after album. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Multi-platinum record producer Matt Squire joins the podcast this week to discuss the laws surrounding the music industry and streaming platforms, what it was like working with Panic! At The Disco, his ability to churn out ideas, his time with Max Martin, and many more interesting tidbits along the way. “Now we’re back into investing in artists again, which is exactly where we should be. And we found a new way to do it.” - Matt Squire ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 2:05 - Matt spending time in Los Angeles 6:28 - How people involved in hardcore music are almost pre-selected in the music business 13:04 - Gatekeepers saying you only need to be right twice a year 14:12 - The digital era and the “death” of the music industry 18:41 - How Steve Jobs screwed the industry and how streaming is fixing it 22:44 - The lack of oversight in streaming and how it can be fixed 29:50 - The idea of a data collection law and how it can be implemented 36:51 - Powerful people not wanting to change and leveraging against it 43

Dan Briggs, bassist of Between the Buried and Me, and producer Jamie King join the podcast this week to discuss what it’s like working with each other, how you handle clients, and they go in-depth on Between the Buried and Me’s process in the studio. These two make a great team and this is one conversation that you don’t want to miss out on. “All of our tastes in music and production styles and values have changed and it’s different. The problem with me in production is I enjoy the slick produced stuff, I enjoy the raw.” - Jamie King “My only memories of Colors are really just positive because the album was birthed out of, you know, this negative period doing Oz Fest, this horrible summer. It just fueled us like creatively.” - Dan Briggs ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 4:48 - How Dan and Jamie know each other and how Dan got into the band 6:13 - What it was like for Jamie to work with Dan 14:15 - Needing a producer who conceptually gets it 15:17 - Having animal sounds on the records 17:26 - What directio

Kevin Antreassian, producer and guitarist for The Dillinger Escape Plan, joins the podcast to discuss what it’s like running a studio, creating a YouTube channel, and teaching the next generation of the music industry. Kevin has produced hundreds of records and knows the struggles of owning your own studio. If you want to know what it takes to make it in the industry, you won’t want to miss out on this episode. “You have to figure out your formula and you have to get the right people involved. An you have to put out quality content, you can’t just put out trash.” - Kevin Antreassian ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 0:02:46 - Is Dillinger Escape Plan done? 0:03:39 - Trying to start up a business with a touring member of a band 0:06:39 - Having his studio/rehearsal space shut down 0:11:41 - How long it took to get the business stabilized and having to take business from anyone 0:13:42 - Having engineers threatened in the studio 0:16:20 - Other studio stories about some of the people who would come in and ma

Producer/mixer/songwriter David Bendeth is one of the all time greats; we're honored to have him on the show for a wide ranging, thorough discussion about his career, the psychology of working with musicians, and the importance of evolving with not just technology, but also emotionally. “Music is ever evolving, and you have to keep up with whatever the technology is; that’s important. But, at the same time, if you don’t keep up with the emotional, inner side of creativity, it doesn’t matter what kind of technology you’ve got, you’re not going to do anything that means anything or that inspires anybody.” - David Bendeth ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 3:55 The feeling that music has chosen you, rather than the other way around 7:00 David’s perspective on the 60s as transformative years 18:40 The importance of demonstrating that you can follow instructions 25:37 The importance of figuring out your passion, and why David is drawn to producing rather than engineering 27:49 Frustration as a motivator and lear

Dave Otero and Archspire guitarist Dean Lamb discuss the production of the band’s album Relentless Mutation. We also talk pre-production, the importance of work scheduling, and the state of technicality in modern heavy music. I use my experience from every project I work on, but I look at it through the lens of the project I’m working on at that time, and what they want, and what their fans want, and what’s best going to represent them. - Dave Otero ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 6:00 How Archspire and Dave Otero connected, musicianship as more than just a gimmick 15:00 Archspire’s extensive pre-production, and actively working on other aspects of the record during downtime 18:00 Having working hours so that the recording schedule is predictable and as stress-free as possible while working under time constraints 26:00 “Music prison” - cabin fever in the studio and how bands deal with it 35:00 Writing together in a room as a technical death metal band and having real respect for other band members’ opini

We’re talking marketing and when and how to invest money into your music career with Finn McKenty and Dan Tsurif. Social media, paid engagement, buy ons, video content, paid mentorship: where modern marketing elements such as these fit into a music or production career and when to incorporate them are always at the top of the list of questions people ask. They’re also at the top of the list of things people tend to get wrong, and getting them wrong can be a waste of money and derail a career. If you want to know how to get them right then you’re definitely going to want to pay attention to what we’ve got to say on this episode. “If you’re not getting traction, instead of thinking that money is the answer, 99 times out of 100 the answer is that you need to keep working on the product.” - Finn McKenty ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 3:30 ‘Buying success’, having the resources to open doors 36:00 Paying for advice from successful people as a useful resource 42:00 Talking numbers on views/likes and when it’s

We talk to Colin Brittain (Dashboard Confessional, Papa Roach, All Time Low) about feeding your successes with passion, why you should maintain a vast musical knowledge, and mentorship. “Keep your eye on the ball. Look at the big picture. Don’t get caught up on what compressor to use. If your song sucks it doesn’t matter.” - Colin Brittain ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 0:05:30 The evolution of heavy music fusing with electronic music and pop. 0:13:00 People paying you for your taste as a producer. Your musical knowledge needs to be vast. 0:25:00 URM and the new landscape of mentorship in engineering and production. 0:32:00 Alex Prieto and the process of establishing relationships with the intent of finding mentors. 0:40:00 Gradually transitioning a career into different roles but always in the realm of music. 0:44:00 Vocal production and communicating with vocalists, keep it to a few takes and keep your session moving. 1:00:00 Papa Roach's temporary beach and pre-production strategies. 1:12:00 The jour

Michael Beinhorn (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Korn, Soundgarden) brings his immense experience to the topics of leaving your mark, building a career, pre-production, and much more. If we listed all of the important records Michael has worked on this page would be way too long. He’s made his mark at the upper echelon of multiple genres. There’s a lot to take away from his perspective on how he’s gotten to where he is, and how he continues to blaze new trails. “It’s important to have a sense of recognizing what your name means on someone else’s work.” - Michael Beinhorn ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 7:30 Meeting and working with Bill Laswell and Herbie Hancock. 17:30 The reality of what is likely to follow initial success. 27:00 Getting to do Red Hot Chili Peppers record and identifying with the ‘black sheep’ of record labels 32:00 Dealing with drug abusing musicians and their individual personalities 39:00 Working on Korn’s ‘Untouchables’ - super high budget and production values 44:00 The importance of pre-

We’re incredibly excited to have Billy Decker back on the show to talk beating cancer, Nashville standards, and maintaining motivation. Mixing is almost as much a state of mind, as it is a state of hearing. - Billy Decker ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 5:00 How Billy’s Attitude towards life has changed post-cancer 17:00 Adding extra production elements or vocals that aren’t strictly part of the mix process, where do you draw the line? 23:00 The Nashville work ethic and quality of musicianship, full sessions recorded in a half-hour. 28:00 Starting to track one piece at a time, mixing heavy rock with female vocals, how that has changed Billy’s process. 32:00 Applying other people’s settings with context to your own mixes rather than simply copying. 37:30 Learning from other Nail the Mix sessions and what those mixers are great at. 51:55 Dealing with disgruntled clients. 1:00:00 Producing as a way to maintain motivation, other ways to prevent burnout. 1:07:00 Parallel compression strategies, using Gain Red

Mike Mowery is back, and we’re going deep on the subject of building and maintaining business relationships. “Being busy, in and of itself, is not necessarily being productive.” - Mike Mowery ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 10:00 Mike’s take on nurturing relationships - good intentions and burning bridges 13:28 Why you shouldn’t “fight over a slice of pizza” 25:00 Being proactive instead of instantly reacting to stressful situations 30:00 Mike’s URM Summit presentation 45:00 Following up and putting Summit knowledge and strategies into practice, not getting discouraged when relationships don’t immediately work out 1:00:00 Why ‘busy’ does not always equal ‘productive’, priority on quality over quantity Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guitarist, songwriter, and producer, Jasen Rauch (Red, Breaking Benjamin, Love & Death) joins us to give his perspectives on work ethic, navigating personalities, and dealing with higher profile clients and song briefs. The music industry requires constant and quick adaptation, and Jasen embodies that. If, for some reason, you feel like your career is requiring too much attention or you think you’re working too hard, and you’re starting to doubt yourself, this is one you need to hear. “Learn who you’re working for.” - Jasen Rauch ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 9:00 Why, even with Full Sail and recording schools, work ethic and attention to detail is often under-emphasized in terms of getting your career off the ground 27:00 Figuring out the personalities of A&R guys, bands, etc and finding common ground solutions for all parties 35:00 Jasen’s experience joining Breaking Benjamin 39:00 Working with higher profile clients and “song briefs” 49:00 Jasen’s take on work/life balance, being careful wit

Jesse Cannon returns to the show to discuss his new podcast “Inside the Album,” emotion in lyrics, and details about the URM Summit. We always have amazing discussions with Jesse when he joins us on the show, and this time is no different. If you have a tendency to get hung up on the technical side of recording there are some truth bombs in here that you really need to hear. “It was very interesting that a band that’s regarded as so musically adept and technically proficient, but also emotional as fuck, their delivery would also get sloppy in those moments. It doesn’t matter who you are, the moment that that emotion comes out your skills will go down the drain.” - Eyal Levi ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 4:00 How lyrics depend on the emotional delivery 5:38 Working with Ross Robinson and Korn 9:30 Jesse’s view on divergent streams - people who overthink vs not enough concentration and how producers can manage personalities 15:00 Jesse’s URM Summit discussion - dealing with inherent limitations in creati

We’ve got a double dose of greatness on this episode, as we’re joined by Lamb of God’s Chris Adler and Machine The Producer. “I need to see the end game before I start the game.” - Machine ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 10:00 Nature vs nurture in musical upbringing 16:00 Chris’s family musical upbringing 22:00 Teaching Machine about ‘real’ metal 30:00 The process of learning what a producer actually does from a musician’s standpoint 50:00 How Machine was able to pick out the moments that would resonate with a larger audience 1:00:00 How the producer’s role is like a shrink, and why bands need to be careful with finding the right match when finding producers. 1:14:00 Starting from the idea of a “brutal” version of “Operation: Mindcrime” and using keyboards/psychoacoustics 1:20:00 The learning curve for separating hands/feet, creating a ‘new’ drum sound 1:25:00 Creating the best album sound possible and worrying less about how it will be reconstructed live 1:30:00 Why mixing never stops, you just surrende