Unstoppable Recording Machine Podcast

We’re joined this week by Kevin McCombs (Midnight Oil Recording, Crypteria), as we continue our profiles of URM Academy members. Kevin charged full speed into his audio production career, and we’re excited to have him on board to see firsthand what he’s doing. We discuss the importance of involvement in your local music scene for gaining clients, how Nail The Mix and the URM Summit have changed his life, and why bands wanting to do pre-production or tracking is a good thing. “I try to go to at least one show a week in my area, and the return on investment for buying someone a beer is also unbelievable.” - Kevin McCombs ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 2:00 Kevin’s experience building a studio from scratch in an industrial space, transitioning from working at an aerospace company 6:00 Strategies for reaching out to bands 12:00 Facing uncertainty and not being fully booked (get used to it) 17:14 Working with bands that want to do pre-production themselves 25:00 The importance of attention to detail and havi

We’re back with Mixcritmonday to make sure you guys are getting the guidance you need to slay your mixes of Opeth’s “Heir Apparent.” “Retain all the shimmering magic and get rid of the white noise and it’ll make your pets much happier.” - John Douglass ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 16:14 Making sure you don’t crush dynamics in a song in which they’re essential 18:24 Watching out for phase between vocal tracks 20:02 A/Bing the low end of double bass sections of the song 31:07 Watching out for how extra instrumentation sounds when it comes in 39:48 Painful snare 47:12 Avoiding crispy sounding high end in guitar tracks And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jens Bogren (Opeth, Dimmu Borgir, Katatonia) joins us ahead of his appearance on Nail The Mix to share a plethora of info about his process and how it’s developed over the years. In addition to Watershed by Opeth, which is what he’ll be mixing this month on Nail The Mix, Jens has worked on numerous other legendary albums. This time on the show he talks about building a team, contending with extremely dense and complex mixes, and the balance between gear and the mind of the mixer. “The most important thing when mixing: it’s not the tools, it’s not the speakers either, or the room, it’s the level of experience the brain has to hear things, and to hear what needs to be done.” - Jens Bogren ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 11:00 Effectively delegating to team members 19:00 The challenges of dense mixes like Dimmu Borgir 27:00 Starting a mix from the chorus, mixing Devin Townsend’s “Deconstruction” 32:00 Working with Leprous over 4 records, repeat clients and building trust 37:00 Advising mix clients on tracki

Producer and URM subscriber, Anthony Potenza, joins the show to talk with us about leveling up your audio career. Anthony has always been someone that’s stood out as having an amazing work ethic and the way he approaches his work is going to take him far. So, we wanted to sit down with him to talk about quitting his day job to do audio full time, building connections and drawing clients, the surprising answer for what gear you should actually get for your studio first, and a whole lot more. “When I don’t have clients, I’ll make sure I’m working on bettering my skills, so I can really wow the clients when they come.” - Anthony Potenza ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 2:49 Anthony’s transition to recording full time 7:15 Why resting on your laurels when you start getting a client base is a mistake 10:07 Why you should probably go to another producer to record your own band 12:35 How Anthony got his first clients 14:59 The value of building connections that you actually care about, instead of just looking fo

On the show this time we’ve got Brody Uttley of Rivers of Nihil to talk music discovery, elements common to successful bands, and not being in the dark about your band’s viability. Rivers of Nihil has been absolutely killing it, and the various elements that have led to that success have not gone unnoticed by Brody. There’s a lot of great information in here - not just for musicians, but all audio professionals, and anyone looking to build a successful career - to keep in mind. “Just having good dudes in your band that aren’t fucking weirdos will take your band way further than you’d think.” - Brody Uttley ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 9:00 Being aware of your own band’s health and lifespan 17:00 The importance of honest, open relationships in bands/label/manager relationships 20:00 Why every band needs one or two people who can function like ‘normal’ people in social situations and are business savvy 36:00 The process of discovering new music, implications for bands, Spotify playlists 50:00 The vinyl

Having some amount of marketing knowledge is essential in the music industry of today, and Jason Lekberg (Lekberg Enterprises, IKILLYA) joins us this week to impart some of his vast knowledge on the subject. Jason has worked with a number of amazing artists, such as Steel Panther, Lamb of God, and Judas Priest. You’re unlikely to find someone more knowledgeable about digital marketing in the industry. We discuss how to maintain artistic integrity while also marketing effectively, marketing and networking downfalls to avoid, and we get into specific things to keep in mind for bands trying to effectively market themselves. We also discuss the services that Lekberg Enterprises offers and the ethic that Jason has based the company around. “You have to build something that is immediately unique and identifiable, and that, at every touchpoint, people understand that it’s your brand, and understand that it’s you.” - Jason Lekberg ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 2:00 Jason’s background, playing in bands in 90’s,

Mixcritmonday triumphantly returns with Eyal and John Douglass, and we’ve got the lowdown on some subscriber mixes of Bullet For My Valentine’s “Over It.” “It’s fun to get mega toms. There’s something validating and manly or something about it. But you don’t realize that you’re crushing the mix like a can and throwing it away.” - Eyal Levi ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 4:58 Watching out for harsh high end 7:03 Making sure that you’re not going overboard with vocal fx 11:01 Taming cymbals to allow other elements to allow more room for other elements 18:14 Effectively building up to the climax of a song 29:18 Why you need resist the urge to strut your “manliness” with toms 40:18 Efforts that have helped John improve his mixing over time 44:01 Managing your low end throughout various sections of a song And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Lancaster (Bring Me The Horizon, Blink-182, Don Broco) is here to bring his expertise on acquiring “bigger” clients, the importance of structure in your schedule, and headphone mixing. For a guy that openly talks about initially not wanting to be a producer, Dan has certainly become one of the best there is. How he got from one to the other is a master class on how to combine a willingness to learn through repeated experimentation, a solid strategy for maintaining flow, and figuring out how to connect with artists. “No matter how small, or uninspiring, or if sometimes some songs you’re working on aren’t very good - no matter what you’re working on - always try to please yourself as much as you possibly can to the very last detail. Walk away feeling that it sounds amazing.” - Dan Lancaster ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 2:30 Dan’s transition from musician in a band to producer, learning how to record and mix drums in the mid-2000’s 18:00 Structure, balance, and taking breaks to maintain that level of

This week, we’ve got Jake Subin (chief engineer for Telefunken, Ruben Subin Productions ) on the show for a conversation that’s going to make the gear nerd in all of us happy. Not only has Jake built an encyclopedic level of technical knowledge for himself over the course of his career, but he also brings a lot of insight to the table on how to actually apply all that knowledge. Most of us have that side that goes down the rabbit hole of gear obsession; it’s important not letting that get in the way of what matters at the end of the day, and that’s the music. “I always have to keep in mind that it’s not my record, it’s not my music. I’m making somebody else’s record and my job is to take their vision, capture it, and make it the best it can be in their minds, not mine.” - Jake Subin ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 2:00 Jake’s work at Telefunken, real-world testing of condenser microphones, mixing/engineering for Telefunken, live band sessions 16:00 Maintaining momentum and avoiding technical problems in

Lenny Skolnik (Yung Spielburg, Miyavi, All That Remains) brings us his insight on having an entrepreneurial approach to producing, how to build an amazing team, and crafting great hit songs. When it comes right down to it, regardless of genre, there are certain approaches to the process that lead to successful results. Lenny’s experiences demonstrate what you can do with an open mind, a will to succeed, and an effort to refine and develop your methodology. “If you have created something that you really believe in, do not be afraid to get involved beyond the role of the music.” - Lenny Skolnik ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 4:30 Lenny’s drive to produce pop and be financially successful from a relatively early age, becoming Howard Benson’s first intern 13:00 The “Howardisms” that Lenny has taken in over the years of working with Howard Benson 18:00 Joel and Lenny’s mix process for Miyavi 30:00 The importances of getting people who are better than you at doing what they do on your team 40:00 Why, if you’r

Andy Marsh (Thy Art Is Murder) is a killer guitarist, as well as having branched out behind the scenes with Graphic Nature Management, and the twists and turns his path has taken to get to where he is are fascinating. While Andy’s path isn’t common (let’s just say it involves rugby and multiple, severe bodily injuries) the mindset and strategies he applies to his work are things that everyone could benefit from applying to their own efforts. “Some people will get to the limit of their energy and just push through it, and really their just doing themselves a disservice. Have a good night’s sleep. Whatever idea that you’re struggling with for 4 hours from 10pm till 2am, if you just slept you might have come up with it in 5 minutes by the time you wake up.” - Andy Marsh ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 5:30 Balancing full time band duties with recording, producing other bands 8:30 Andy’s time management - being upfront with clients, keeping notes and reminders 16:00 How efficiency at airports and travel add

Marc McClusky (Weezer, Motion City Soundtrack, Bad Religion) is here to go deep on the science of music, strategies for successful collaboration, and bringing your unique humanity to productions. Marc brought a number of inspirational moments to this discussion. The amount of thought that he’s put into how to approach music, production, and life in general comes through loud and clear. If you ever find yourself feeling like you’re just going through the motions with your projects this is definitely an episode you’re going to want to keep handy. “Nobody succeeds by themselves. Everybody succeeds together. The best records I’ve ever made aren’t because of me, it’s because of all of us. We’re in a room together. We all sat down and nobody had an ego, and everybody’s opinion was valuable.” - Marc McClusky ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 2:00 Marc’s childhood as a music lover, his first instruments, and his punk background 5:00 Music and Songs as math and science 15:00 Learning from music you don’t like, unde

Tom Knight joins us this time to dig into how to maintain creative momentum, careers in voice acting, and drumming strategy. Tom’s approach to creativity, careers, and life is truly inspirational. His path through the audio industry is wide ranging and fearless. If you’re interested in strategically preventing yourself from getting put in a box, this one’s definitely for you. “I do whatever I do to get past the feeling of loss on a bad day, and sometimes that means not doing anything. Sometimes that means just sucking it up, letting the day go, and starting again tomorrow.” - Tom Knight ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 5:00 Imitation as a primary form of learning 13:00 Maintaining productivity 20:00 The power of perspective in judging your recordings 35:00 Why an entitled attitude leads to no work, getting the “Hallows Eve” gig 46:00 Tom becoming the go to drummer for jazz teachers, moving into pop world, Dallas Austin, TLC 55:00 Shifting to the goal of “not being in a band anymore”, creating a demo reel,

It’s been a long time coming, and we finally have Dan Korneff back to talk dealing with being your own worst enemy, analog setups, and knowing your gear inside and out. Dan is the definition of renaissance man when it comes to audio. Not only is he a mastermind when it comes to production, but he’s also hands on with creating hardware and plugins. He’s truly inspirational for anyone looking to embody the entrepreneurial spirit. “At a certain point, you just have to be happy with what you’re doing, and not really care about what anybody else says or what anyone else is doing. Just live in the moment and make whatever you’re working on currently the best thing you’ve ever done.” - Dan Korneff ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 3:00 Dan’s Classic PCB venture, starting a business on his own 9:30 Learning coding, hardware design, knowing what’s going on under the hood of your business/product 16:00 Dan’s opinion on analog vs digital processing, being involved in both sides 20:00 Analog SSL console mixing setups

Joel brings Matt Brown on board for this special episode to discuss URM Academy’s Ultimate Drum Production. Curious about what you’ll learn from the Ultimate Drum Production course? You’re in luck. Matt details the course, section by section for us, and provides a bit of insight into how these building blocks can lead to an evolution in your drum productions. “I just can’t even imagine what some of the people are going to be doing with this information five years from now.” - Joel Wanasek ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 4:30 Growing up in the studio environment with father 8:15 Recording drums as the benchmark for engineers 9:45 ‘Speed Mixing’-sized impact on the community 11:00 The anatomy of a Drum overview 14:00 When Joel met Matt the first time 15:30 Drum head importance 24:00 The science and physics of drums 29:00 Ringy snares and overtones 32:00 Paramore Riot! drums 37:00 Tuning and misconceptions about tuning to a note 43:00 Finding the optimum pitch for each individual drum 47:00 The source makeu

John Douglass returns to the show to discuss how to make yourself an invaluable engineer, communicating with artists, and tips for dealing with Pro Tools. John always has amazing knowledge to drop, and this talk is no different. He’s really carving out a spot for himself in the industry, and his insight is invaluable for anyone looking to find their own niche. “Guerrilla recording should be something on people’s minds, because it’s not that hard of a task. You don’t have to have an amazing control room. Just go record.” - John Douglass ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 2:57 Making your room look professional 5:00 Introverts and putting yourself out there for success 17:00 Putting in the work and surround yourself with people who are in the business 30:00 Drum and vocal editing as priorities, PT and vocal editing Fast Tracks 33:55 Communicating with performers effectively 38:16 Good starting points for being an effective drum engineer 50:00 Using Nail The Mix raw tracks as quality reference for your own eng

We’re going outside the box with photographer and entrepreneur, Alex Morgan, to talk career building, time management, and need to know band photography info. Not only has Alex photographed bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Gojira, and Daath, but, more importantly, he brings a killer entrepreneurial mindset to everything he does. His approach to and passion for his career are things that everyone can take valuable lessons from. “There’s something to be said for conditioning yourself to celebrate other people’s success instead of being jealous of them for having it.” - Alex Morgan ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: 05:20 Providing the “full package” as a new business model 07:09 Why you need to be careful about “specializing” 10:30 Expanding outside your work niche or specific genres 22:00 The importance of in person networking in early career 37:30 Time management and delegation 51:00 Cultivating relationships with Gojira and others 1:04:00 Appreciating others’ success instead of envying 1:25:00 Investing in y

On this episode, James Paul Wisner (Paramore, Dashboard Confessional, Underoath) joins us for a conversation that goes in a ton of interesting directions, from amazing points related to artistry and mindset and deep into the technical end of things. This is an extra long one, people. But we needed that added time to get in all the information that’s in this discussion. James is an amazing producer, and not only does he bring his impressive technical know how to the table, he also has philosophies for approaching his work that anyone could benefit from. “For me, what motivates me, is wanting to get together with a group of talented guys, and bring out what their potential is.” - James Paul Wisner ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: The benefits of being a multi-instrumentalist Doing homework on a band before you get them in the studio Setting clear goals, and making room for potential setbacks Managing your personal space and not allowing negative influences to take hold James’s approach to vocals And much, m

Sean O’keefe (Fall Out Boy, Motion City Soundtrack, Plain White T’s) joins us this time to impart some wisdom about committing, not letting deal specifics get in the way of a project, and Developing his workflow during the transition from analog to digital mixing. Sean has worked on a number of successful records and with a bunch of amazing bands. Many of the lessons he’s learned that have made him the stellar producer his is stem from working on analog gear when he started, but those lessons are just as important today. Are you creating, or are you just sitting on iteration after iteration of the same song? “Create. Create something, and do it quickly. Don’t slave. Don’t do revisions. Treat it like it’s an analog console. Create for the purpose of creating. And then move on. And do another one.” - Sean O’Keefe ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: Finishing projects and letting them go out into the world Not letting worrying get in your way The early days of Sean’s career The lessons about committing that he

On this episode we’re talking about the further adventures of drum genius, Matt Brown. This time we’re delving deeper Matt’s drumming and production career history, how to bounce back when the universe throws you a curveball, and studio construction. “If you sit there and dwell on something you make that a reality. If I’m going to make my own reality, I’m going to make it what I want it to be.” - Matt Brown ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Matt’s experience teaching at the URM Summit - The individual sounds of good drummers - Matt’s background and how he began drumming and working in audio - Rebounding from failures and struggles - Studio construction - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices