We've had an absolute blast making this podcast. It's given us ample opportunity to learn. To teach. To meet new people around the world. Now it's time move on....but not before we reminisce and, of course, share some favorite tips and tricks. Where to Find the Guys Free DIY Recording eBook: https://www.howtorecordyourband.com Vadim's Studio Site -…

Ever wish you could just use your OWN drum kit sounds in a VI or sampler like Slate Trigger? Ben did. On this episode he talks about how to do it and what he learned. Where to Find the Guys Free DIY Recording eBook: https://www.howtorecordyourband.com Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://www.calmfrogrecording.com Benjamin's…

After more than a decade of using Pro Tools, Vadim has switched to Reaper as his DAW. At the time of this recording he'd had less than 2 weeks and only 1 mix under his belt but the impact was clear: Reaper was going to be his new DAW for the next decade. On this episode you'll learn: Why Vadim finally decided to try another DAW 10 of the features t…

Conventional advice on compression often boils down to: "don't squash the life out of your tracks with over-compression" and "buy THIS plug-in because it adds that extra special sweet saucy goodness to your tracks!" But why ARE we actually compressing our tracks? The truth is, many DIY productions actually suffer from under-compression and it's bec…

Reverb can seem simple...it's just a washy effect, right? Sure. It could be that but it's also so much more. From being your "backwards/forwards" lever, to creating texture, to adding thickness, to creating an illusion of space, reverb ends up being one of the most important parts of a well-crafted production. Oh. And there's like a dozen different…

Sometimes you hear a song that sounds so huge your jaw drops. How did they do that? The answer is almost always: layers. And while all of this is more art than science, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind when building layers that will help your quest. On this episode you will learn What different elements can be layered for impact. These in…

OK. It's not the most sexy part of producing music but it's one of the most important. There's an amazing thing that happens when you've finished editing the tracks in a song and hit play for the first time: it starts to sound like a SONG. Even before compression, before EQ, before that sexy saturation trick you learned from Johnny Lots-o-Grammys, …

Critical listening is the ultimate skill of the recording enthusiast and headphones are the tool we trust most to enable this skill. Why? Well, because most of us are not working in ideal spaces and it's much easier to get an objective (and affordable) perspective in headphones. But what kind of headphones should we use? The answer depends in large…

More episodes en route. But first I need more coffee...Av Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull

Reference tracks. The internet forums are full of wisdom regarding using references (whether to or not, when, how, etc.,). References play an important part in the workflows of both Ben and Vadim - throughout the ENTIRE audio production process from ideas to final master. They've picked some of their favorite tips and best practices and share them …

Well. Another year has come and gone. In many way, nothing has changed. The pandemic is still here and we're still trying to get even better vocal takes. Still, we've learned many important lessons, uncovered new challenges for the coming year and bought one or two things we shouldn't have. Hear all about it on this episode and, from everyone at DI…

Want to try mixing with outboard gear but don't have any? Sure you do! Every guitar pedal can be used as outboard gear for awesomely creative results. In this episode you will learn: What people mean when they say "outboard gear"...and why you actually probably have some - even if you thought you didn't Why you may want to try using outboard gear i…

The room where you mix your music is a sacred space. A temple to your craft. It wants to be honest. It needs to be pleasant to spend long periods of time. On this episode you will get a solid, start-to-finish strategy for setting up (or refining) your mixing space. You will learn: How to select a room How to choose a listening position in that room…

It can be really difficult to isolate a specific instrument from a finished mix...and that's kind of the point! A mix is like a stew, it should taste like a stew - not like a bunch of individual ingredients. Wouldn't it be cool if you could isolate individual instruments of a finished mix and hear what they sound like solo'd? We thought so too! Tha…

Plugins, microphones, outboard gear. These are the tools of our trade. If you fancy yourself a craftsman, then you probably love tools of your craft. You probably watch videos and get served ads. You probably pay attention to what others are using. You've also probably amassed a hefty collection yourself! We know we have. On this week's episode we …

Before the days of DIY, recording music could be a more intense process. Bands were prepared to spend weeks or even months in a studio trying different instruments, different amps, different mic techniques, different arrangements, etc., - all before ever hitting RECORD. Mixing, on the other hand, was more about achieving balance between those caref…

If you've just been sticking to open guitar chords and pentatonic scales then you're cooking with salt and pepper. What if you had a whole arsenal of spices to work with? Sure you might make some weird meals at first but you'd probably also make some pretty memorable ones - and over time, you'd learn when to use (and not use) certain spices. Hint: …

Many of us had unpleasant run-ins with music theory through involuntary music lessons as kids but is it actually useful as a studio tool? Maybe. Sometimes. It's a tool that can help you out of arrangement and production jams. Stuck trying to figure out which chord to play next in a progression? Need to get a bassline that will work with your vocal …

Neve. SSL. API. 1176. LA2A. Pultec. We've all heard these names. We've all seen the countless plug-ins that emulate them. How did these names become so coveted in the recording world? Is there really an audible difference or is it all clever marketing? These are just some of the questions we had for gear lover/designer/inventor Brad McGowan of Loud…

You know the feeling once you've felt it: that dragging in the back of your head when you just can't believe you have to set up the routing on all of those guitar tracks AGAIN. Didn't you just to do this for the last session? Can't you just jump right into the fun part? When you feel that dread of session setup tedium, what you're actually discover…

Sampling offers a ton of creative opportunities. We all know about downloadable samples that you can use to build out productions but literally anything you record can become a sample library. And any sample library can be an instrument that you can play using a MIDI controller. The possibilities are endless - which means results can vary. On this …

One the key pieces of a successful production is maintaining the listener's attention effectively. There are many ways to do this - some subtle and others through a bit of gamesmanship and shock value - but if your production doesn't manage transitions effectively, you are guaranteed to lose the listener at some point. They won't know exactly WHY s…

Programmed drums have come a LONG way in the last decade. We use them all the time in our productions and they sound great but how do they hold up when compared to a live drummer? And, even if the live drummer is better, are the workflow hassles of setting up a kit and mics, having the drummer learn the part, being nice to the drummer, and then edi…

Revisions are perfectly natural. They're what happens when two people love a piece of music very much but don't completely agree on how it should sound when finished. These waters can be stressful to navigate. Do you push back on comments? Do you shrug and accept any feedback you're given? How do you communicate your opinion effectively, tactfully …

The acoustic guitar! There are MANY ways to record this beautiful instrument - all perfectly usable. But which one is the right sound for YOUR project? This episode will point you firmly in the right direction. You will learn: How different parts of the acoustic guitar sound when you point microphones at them How to get a great stereo sound out of …

We would all love to be able to send our songs to a professional mastering engineer but sometimes a DIY master is appropriate. Maybe you're on a budget. Maybe you're just fleshing out a demo. Maybe you're DIY to your core and this is the only option you'll accept. Navigating the world of mastering can be tricky. On this episode we take you through …

Where in the world was Ben? He took his new wife to the lava tubes! Where no one will ever find your body. Also, the guys talk about using templates, patch bays, re-amping acoustic instruments, how to test new gear and plugins, mastering, and more! Sorry for the poorer than usual sound quality. We're still having some issues with our recording soft…

We often want that big, wide stereo sound. It's immersive. It's massive. It's what we hear in our head when we think about what our song should sound like. But what in the world is stereo width and how do you control it? What if you only have a mono source to work with? Can you still get that source to sound wide? Of course you can! You're an audio…

Ah plugins. Ubiquitous in he advertising feeds of all DIY music producers. These little bits of software seem to do magical things to audio and there's so many of them! What are they? How do you use them? Got any sweet tips? You know we do! On this episode, you will learn: A bit about the history of plugins About different plugin formats Plugin ver…

Ah the sound of REAL brass in a recording. It's a beautiful thing but how in the world do you record these loud beasts? Today, we're talking to Eric Skazzini - who plays tenor sax in the timeless ska punk band Voodoo Glow Skulls - about how he was able to track killer sax tracks for the latest Voodoo record in his spare bedroom. You will learn: Bas…

This week, the guys have a few drinks and answer solicited and unsolicited questions. You will learn: What are the most important things when trying to run a studio A simple way to understand and start using EQ Recording in different spaces and why natural room reverb can be a good or horrible thing The tell-tale signs of a "home-made" production W…

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. OK, we've talked about recording guitar and bass DIs a LOT. Is this episode any different? Yes! There are ALWAYS more things to test within your signal chain. On this episode Vadim takes you through his latest guitar DI recording experiments.…

Sweet sweet compression. Everyone loves it, but when should you actually be using it? And if you do decide to use it, how should you go about setting a compressor up? Good questions! That's what we're talking about today. On this episode you will learn: About the 4 major controls you will see on most compressors and what each of them does About why…

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. It's sexy. It's mysterious. It's the subject of a million nerdy blog posts. It's compression! Compression is probably the subject of the most "Top 10 Tricks" videos on the internet (unverified, wild-ass claim) but to really understand and get…

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. You probably have that one friend that swears by a piece of gear they saw in a video online. Ben has a friend like who made statement to the tune of: "you can only get great guitar tone by recording a signal through a good DI box". Of course,…

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. Writing a song is hard. If you've ever tried it, you already know this! You need so many pieces to "solve the full puzzle" of creating a song and, in most genres, the lyrics and the melody are the biggest pieces of that puzzle. Because of thi…

On Episode 62, Ben and Vadim spoke to Davies Roberts of Flare Audio about trusting what you hear and sound as an irritant. On this bonus episode, the guys review some Flare Audio passive ear inserts. If you're interested in Flare Audio products and would like to support the DIY Recording Guys podcast, please shop using our affiliate link: https://w…

If you're interested in Flare Audio products and would like to support the DIY Recording Guys podcast, please shop using our affiliate link: https://www.flareaudio.com?sca_ref=676476.z8WJgmm5He Every now and then you'll hear a song or a sound that makes you back into a corner and clench your fists - at least figuratively. It's happened to both Ben …

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. Do you remember how you picked your first DAW? For most of us, it's something we just fell into. Maybe a DAW came with your interface. Maybe you had a version a friend gave you when you were 15 and now you're just "used to it". The good news …

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. Ever wonder about the tonal difference between a Les Paul and Telecaster? Sure, these guitars LOOK different. You may even associate them with very different types of bands or genres but do they SOUND different? Guitars are expensive and most…

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. DIY recording means doing EVERYTHING yourself, right? You write write the song, you record the song, you mix the song, you master the song, you release the song, you promote the song, you play the song live. You're DIY and you're proud about …

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. Communicating about guitar tone (whether with your bandmates, your producer or even yourself) can be difficult. We've all heard terms like "crunchy", "warm", "beefy", "nasally" but what do these terms mean? Are they part of a common guitar la…

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. Audio production software moves faster and does more amazing things every year. As it does, it becomes hungrier for processor power and memory. If your old computer is struggling to keep up with your sessions and you're finding yourself const…

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. DIY Recording enthusiasts typically don't have a ton of time on their hands. We're busy! And studio time is precious. Often we only get an hour or two a day (or maybe even a week) to spend working on music in the studio and any time we spend …

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. In more genres than not, vocals are THE thing. The bread and butter. The enchilada. The rug that ties the room together. Nailing the vocal production can elevate a good song to greatness. Miss the mark on vocal production and even a great son…

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. We've all had the frustrating experience of being unable to record because of the slight delay between when play (or sing) a note and when we hear it back in our monitoring system. To make matters worse, sometimes it seems like the problem is…

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. Way before you hit record and start committing those final noises to your hard drive, you need to arrange the "pieces" of a song. This can be daunting - especially when we're talking about arranging music for a whole band's-worth of musicians…

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. The audio interface is kind of like the Grand Central stations of the typical DIY recording studio. All of the audio coming into and out of the computer needs to go through the interface. It's an absolutely critical piece of a home recording …

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. Have you ever played one of your productions for a friend or family member to get some critical feedback only to find out that they're not really sure what you're looking for? It's probably because they haven't been training themselves in the…

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us. Staying healthy in the studio may not be something you're thinking about regularly. Yet it's hard to think of something more important than your physical and mental health. Without either of these, how will you keep doing this? How will you g…