DIY Recording Guys

Something New from Vadim

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:22:00 -0400

www.threeminutemuse.com

BONUS: Music Rights and Royalties Finally Explained!

Vadim Kharaz — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 21:50:13 -0500

Download the free Rights and Royalties eBook here:
https://www.kharazmusic.productions/rights-and-royalties

Vadim's website:
https://www.kharazmusic.productions/

97: Finale

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 21:48:32 -0500

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 - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://www.calmfrogrecording.com
Benjamin's Studio Site - https://www.dreamloudstudio.com
Leave a rating. Be a friend - http://www.getpodcast.reviews/id/1494761702
Book a free coaching call: https://calendly.com/diyrg/diyrg45

96: Making Your Own Drum Virtual Instrument

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 22:15:30 -0500

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.

95: Vadim Switches to Reaper

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 11:23:13 -0500

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 that caught his attention in the first 10 days of use
How Reaper stacks up to Pro Tools and Studio One
Considerations for whether YOU should switch DAWs

94: You're Not Compressing Enough!

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 06:00:00 -0500

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 because 1: compression is hard to hear so people don't trust themselves with it and 2: we lose track of the WHY...as in why are we compressing?

In this episode Vadim breaks down arguably the two most important reasons to apply compression to your tracks and the practical ways to employ them in your workflow.

You will learn:

Three common reasons compression is used and why the first two are the most important and often least-talked about
How to set up a static mix and what "flags" to look for that hint at compression being a solution
Why applying compression before you even start mixing can make the process easier (and more fun)
OK. OK. Some fun, sexy tips on what compressors do what and when to reach for them

93: Different Types of Reverb

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Tue, 31 May 2022 06:00:00 -0400

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 kinds. But don't worry! On this episode, we'll help you navigate this complicated landscape.

On this episode you will learn:

About the different kinds of reverb and why the sound different form one another
5 different reasons to reach for a reverb plug-in in a mix
Workflow best-practices (and why some of them are over-rated)
Key reverb parameters, what they do and how to set them

92: Get a Massive Sound with Layers

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 09 May 2022 06:00:00 -0400

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 include frequency, harmonic content, stereo field, front/back depth field
Why keeping things simple is important
When to copy/paste MIDI performances for layers vs when to record live
Examples of different ways to use layers effectively
Why layers are not only the key to impact and size but also to originality
And more!

91: Editing Like a Boss

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 02 May 2022 06:00:00 -0400

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, things will start to sound GOOD after some proper editing. And this feels amazing and helps you build momentum going into a mix.

On this episode, you will learn:

Why editing is as ethical as putting on a nice outfit for a job interview
Why editing, while tedious, can actually be a huge time saver
The different types of edits pretty much every production can use
The difference between slip editing and time-warp editing (hint: both are incredibly useful)
Different types of cross-fades and how to use them effectively
Tips for editing vocals - like what to do about all those harsh s sounds piling up.
How to get rid of the little rip or warble that happens sometimes when two clips are overlapping
How to use "masking" to determine where to put edit points.
And more!

90: Working in Headphones and Possibly the Best Ear Buds in the World

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 06:00:00 -0400

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 part on application - although some designs do tend to serve us better than others.

If you asked me 4 months ago, I would have told you to stay away from ear bud designs in the studio. The sound quality out of those things just tends to be too poor for a studio reference tool (thought they're obviously great for jogging, traveling, etc.,). However, today, our friends at Flare Audio have developed a new ear bud called the E Prototype which has completely blown me away.

In the first part of this episode, Vadim chats with Davies Roberts of Flare Audio about the problem with traditional headphone designs and how they were able to overcome them with the E Prototypes. In the second part Vadim talks about some best practices and tips and tricks for working in headphones in YOUR studio.

If you're interested in the E Prototypes, buy them through our affiliate link:
https://www.flareaudio.com/products/e-prototype?sca_ref=676476.z8WJgmm5He

A Personal Note from Vadim

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Sun, 27 Feb 2022 19:18:44 -0500

More episodes en route. But first I need more coffee...

89: How to Use Reference Tracks

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 13:26:30 -0500

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 on this episode.

In this episode you will learn:

How to use references to aid your song-writing and producing process
Compelling reasons to use references
How to use references during recording to help choose tones
What makes a good reference (it's more than just "a song you like")
How to use references during mixing - including workflow tips down to the mechanics of pulling songs into your session
Additional hidden benefits of having a comprehensive list of reference tracks
A list of some of our favorite reference tracks in various genres
And more!

88: 2021 Belated Year End Review

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 20:26:33 -0500

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 DIYRG, we wish you a happy and healthy new year and success in all of your recording and non-recording ventures.

87: How to Use Guitar Pedals as Outboard Gear

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 20:59:33 -0500

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 if you never have
Several ways to use pedals as outboard gear - even WITHOUT a reamp box!
Creative ideas to try using this technique
Why the internet is wrong when it tells you you CAN'T use outboard gear with a 2 channel interface (you actually can!)

86: How to Set Up A Mixing Room

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 15:34:39 -0500

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
How to set up your speakers
Where to focus your acoustic treatment efforts
How to deal with pesky acoustics problems
What a "good" room measurement will look like
And more!

Resources we mention:

Room layout tool: https://roomplanner.com/
Room mode calculator: https://amcoustics.com/tools/amroc
Jesco's Bass Hunter Technique: https://www.acousticsinsider.com/fixing-low-end-without-knowing-acoustics/
Low Frequency Sine Sweeps: https://cambridge-mt.com/ms/ch3/
Room EQ Wizard: https://www.roomeqwizard.com/

85: Analyzing Stems (Mixed vs. As-Recorded)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 11:32:10 -0500

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! That's what we do in this episode.

You will learn:

How to decide between double tracking and quad tracking
How mixed drums sound and what big changes are made to the kick and snare
How to get wider, thicker, more interesting vocal mixes
How additional layers can help "fill in the cracks" of a mix
What unmixed vs mixed stems sound like

Artist: Dan Casagrande - Fading Away

84: Our Favorite Audio Tools

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 13:38:28 -0500

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 do some soul searching on why we love some tools and why our relationship with others didn't quite pan out.

You will learn:

How to categorize and think about tools you already have or are considering getting
Good and bad reasons to consider new tools
How to make sure you're reaching for the "right" tool for a given a job
Why you may want to avoid "Swiss Army Knife" tools
What are some of the key tools that Ben and Vadim love in their studios
Questions to ask yourself when considering new tools

83: The "Day Two" Recording Hack for a Better Mix

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 12:36:04 -0400

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 carefully produced tracks.

Today, it's the exact opposite. We tend to throw together pristine digital recordings as quickly as possible and the QUICKLY move onto the sexy mixing phase.

...but what if there was a hybrid approach that could be more fun and get you a more satisfying result?

In this episode, you will learn:

How the process of making records has evolved (and three reasons why)
An alternative approach and it's possible advantages
A recent case study from Vadim's studio and what he learned
Tips for employing the "day two" method in your own work process
The key mindset shift that is required for this process to work - it's an easy one.

82: Music Theory 201 - Modes and Moods

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Sat, 16 Oct 2021 11:49:04 -0400

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: NEVER use star anise. That stuff will ruin anything.

In the last episode Ben gave us a high level overview and what's included in this monster we call "music theory".

This time, he pulls out his guitar and talks about specific modes, scales and paths from note to note which allow us (as songwriters and performers) to change the mood or character of a composition or performance.

You will learn:

What the difference is between a major scale and a minor scale and how to convert one to the other.
Some helpful memory techniques for distinguishing intervals (these even work for the relatively tone deaf)
What the different modes within a key are and some helpful memory joggers from pop culture
Ways for guitarists and bassists to use modes
Chord notations. How to interpret what you see in chord charts and why you don't need memorization to figure out what to p lay
The secret behind why power chords and pentatonic scales are always safe bets to get you out of jams (like salt and pepper in cooking)

81: Music Theory 101 - Tempo, Meter and Key

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 20:25:35 -0400

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 melody? Theory can help.

In this episode, Ben takes us through the three basic elements of music theory: Tempo, Meter and Key.

You will learn:

Why theory is becoming more and more important for the DIY bedroom producer
The definition of music theory - and why Vadim disagrees with it
How tempo relates to meter
How common meters dictate "feels" in Western music
How to use meters to create unique arrangements - and some famous examples
The basics of keys and how they subdivide the 12 notes in music and allow the creation of a "mood"
The circle of fifths finally explained in a way that even Vadim can understand and how to use it to help you determine what key a piece of music is in

80: What is it about that classic gear? (Louder Than Liftoff)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 09:20:04 -0400

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 Louder Than Liftoff.

Louder Than Liftoff is a company that asked the question: "What is it about classic gear that people ACTUALLY want?". They then went ahead and designed a bunch of gear that gives you classic goodness for a modern workflow.

On this episode, you will learn:

About Brad's own journey in learning to "hear" the difference between pieces of classic gear
What is it that we're actually finding pleasing about analog gear and analog gear emulations
The "Four T's of Tone" - Tubes, Transformers, Transistors and Tape
How gear is designed and tuned
Why you have to push gear and plugins to understand them
Where to start if you're interested in experimenting with some analog gear
And more!

Where to Find Brad and Louder Than Liftoff
https://store.louderthanliftoff.com/
https://www.instagram.com/louderthanliftoff/

79: What's in Your Templates and Why?

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 06:00:00 -0400

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 discovering is an opportunity to improve your workflow with templates. But that's not all! For an unlimited time only, there are lots of different uses for templates that will make your life easier and your music production process more fun.

In this episode, you'll learn:

About the various types of templates available to us in the studio
What makes a template file type unique
Various ways to use template files
How to use a templated process without even creating a template file
How to identify opportunities for templatization
The limits of templates
The reasons people often fail at using templates
Various tips and tricks from the guys' own templates

78: Sampling and the Worst Beat in Recording History

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 10:28:30 -0400

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 episode, you will learn:

What "sampling" means
How to avoid getting into trouble when using it
How to create original sample libraries
How to use sample libraries to create a one-of-a-kind virtual instrument that you can play using a MIDI controller
Some cool ideas for sample sources
How all of this information and knowledge can still get you the worst beat in recording history

77: Song Production Breakdown and Analysis

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 11:41:30 -0400

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 something isn't but they'll just feel like they're not into the song.

The analog Ben used is when you're watching a movie and somethings looks blatantly CGI. You immediately get pulled out of the trance even though you may not be able to pinpoint why it looks fake.

The good news is, we're here to help you navigate these waters!

On this episode you will learn:

Tips and tracks for spicing up transitions
Tips and tricks for working with samples and still making your production unique
Ideas for getting creative with song structure
Ideas for changing the energy level through replacing elements like the snare, or the bass
How to anchor in the melody of a busy synth section
Tips and tracks for making vocals pop and accentuating certain lines
And more!

Today's song is brought to you courtesy of musical artist Anna Navarre and the wonderful production chops of our own Benjamin Hull from Dream Loud Studio.

76: Drum and Drummer (Real Drums vs Programmed Drums)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 09:44:44 -0400

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 editing the drums on the back end worth it?

Find out on this week's episode. You will learn:

Why virtual instrument drums offer unparalleled flexibility
Why a real drummer can change the energy of your production (for better or worse)
A few ways to get programmed drums to sound a little more real
Some challenges, tips and tricks associated with editing live drums
Tips for minimizing mic bleed when recording a kit
Tips for making a live kit sound even larger life
Why a hybrid set up (using a live kit and reinforcing it with samples) might be a good option
And more!

75: Revisions_R2_FINAL

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 21:29:23 -0400

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 and while strengthening the relationship instead of hurting it. And guess what? These are waters you have to navigate even if you're completely DIY. You of Tomorrow will not agree with You of Yesterday.

Don't panic! We're here to help.

On this episode, you will learn:

Best practices for record keeping when it comes to revisions
Red flags in the revision process and how to navigate them
When and how to communicate your opinion - both requesting changes having changes requested in your work
How to build consensus
Strategies for maximizing efficiency and minimizing the number of revisions required
Why you shouldn't worry about taking things a bit personally. This stuff can be tough to hear and EVERYONE goes through the same emotions. That's why music is fun :)

74: Recording Acoustic Guitar

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 14:23:04 -0400

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 a single performance using either an XY pair or a mid-side technique
How to get a natural brightness without using any EQ
How to get more or less room sound
The difference between a listener's perspective and a player's perspective
Some pitfalls of recording acoustic guitars and what to watch out for
How to approach recording differently in a case where the acoustic guitar is the feature instrument vs where it is a background instrument

73: DIY Mastering Field Guide

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 21:26:12 -0400

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 a quick but effective process for DIY mastering that will get your songs ready for distribution.

You will learn:

How to know when you're done with mixing and ready to start mastering
The step by step process for doing a DIY master with confidence
Some sweet tips and tricks from the guys' arsenals

This week's DIY showcase is Vin Violet and their wonderful song Pink Seagrass.

Check out the full song: https://open.spotify.com/album/19Y2cv007DM6gTZh9mDiss?si=PiYjH_9BQA6jEXa-6kn8NA&dl_branch=1

Connect with the band: https://www.instagram.com/vinviolet_official/

72: Mastering Ruined Your Mix? Also Templates. And Patch Bays.

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 22:00:17 -0400

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 software :(

71: Back to Basics: Stereo Width

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 09:53:07 -0400

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 wizard, aren't you?!

On this episode you will learn:

What stereo is and why it actually has something to do with phase as well as volume
How your brain perceives sound spatially both in the real world and in headphones
Why a mono source sounds like it's coming from a single place
How to use delays, reverbs and modulation effects to get stereo width
The pitfalls of using stereo tricks and how to minimize their effects
What the Haas effect is and how to live with it
The undisputed best way to achieve stereo width in a recording
Other tricks for getting an even wider sound
Some free plugins that will help you on your journey

70: Back to Basics: Plugins!

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 31 May 2021 15:27:47 -0400

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 versions vs. standalone versions of software
How emulations of classic hardware were developed and why plugins have gotten SO MUCH better of the last couple of years
When to use (and when to avoid) presets
About some cool free plugins that Vadim uses
Why always trying to push plugins hard can lead you to develop your unique sound
When to buy plugins and, more importantly, when to avoid buying plugins
And more!

69: Recording Brass Instruments (Eric Skazzini - Voodoo Glow Skulls)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 24 May 2021 22:01:09 -0400

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:

Basics of mic selection and placement
Why a second mic in the right spot on a sax can add a TON of magic intimacy to a performance
Why recording more parts than you think necessary can be a magic bullet for a busy mix (and which parts to record)
How to produce better sounding horns using virtual instruments
How a successful band wrote and recorded an entire album during a pandemic (and why so can you!)
Tricks for miking horns live (and why it's a bit different than recording)
Why saxophone may be nerdier than trombone but why it's also sexier
And more!

Check out Eric's chops in the Voodoo Glow Skulls:
Livin' the Apocalpyse Music Video: https://youtu.be/zhLERVQNwYE
Voodoo Glow Skulls: https://www.voodooglowskullsofficial.com/

68: Reverb, EQ, Stereo and Other Boozy Q&A

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 10 May 2021 06:00:00 -0400

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
Why you can't really get massive stereo guitars with pedals
Getting started with your microphone locker
And more!

67: Getting the Absolute Most out of Your Guitar Recordings

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 03 May 2021 06:00:00 -0400

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. He tried four different tests:

Old strings vs new strings
Hi-Z input on his interface vs. connecting through the Little Labs STD Cable Extender
With and without engaging a compressor built into his preamp
Hi-Z input on his interface vs. "the be all end all" DI chain with a bunch of clap trap

On this episode you will learn:

How to "design" a good riff to use for A/B testing
How much of a difference new strings really make - both for DI recordings and reamped tones
Several reasons why running A/B tests on your own signal chain are important
The important factors to consider when doing A/B testing
The thought process that goes into deciding what to put into your signal path
Why a DI tone difference may not always amount to a difference in the final product
Why (or at least how) Vadim is a bad scientist and really set some unfortunate traps for Ben in this shootout

66: Dynamics Part 2: How to Use a Compressor (and Why!)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 20:39:26 -0400

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 a compressor is really just a friendly, mix assistant robot
How to "listen" for compression (including examples)
Some common use cases for compressors
What questions you should ask yourself before reaching for that compressor
Tips and tricks for setting up compressors
And more!

Get the Free Compression Cheat Sheet
https://resources.diyrecordingguys.com/compression

65: Dynamics Pt 1: What are "Dynamics" and Why Do We Care?

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 06:00:00 -0400

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 something out of all of these videos, we first need to understand the concept of "dynamics".

In this episode, the guys lay down the foundation of knowledge on dynamics that will make future discussions on the various processors and tools possible.

You will learn:

What "dynamics" are
What the difference is between "macro-dynamics" and "micro-dynamics"
Why and when we may care about macro and micro dynamics in the context of a music production
Different ways we can control dynamics
The different processors in our arsenal that allow for dynamics control
Why a compressor is a remarkable simple concept with remarkably deep applications and how to understand what a compressor does.
When to reach for a dynamics processor

64: DI Deep Dive and Shootout

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 17:10:08 -0400

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, the guys were skeptical. Is this true? Can you not get an equally great tone just plugging your guitar directly into the Hi-Z input on your interface?

In this episode the guys discuss the theory and then put it to the test with some bass and guitar tone shootouts provided by Ben.

You will learn:

Why an impedance mismatch can affect your tone and how this led to the invention of the DI box
What a DI box is and (roughly) how it works
What different types of DIs exist and what sets them apart
What are the use cases for a DI - irrespective of whether there is a tone benefit or not
How an active DI sounds compared to a passive DI
What to listen for when evaluating a DI tone
Why Vadim thought he knew about transformers but was actually wrong

63: Tips for Writing Better Lyrics (and Better Songs!)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 06:00:00 -0400

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 this, they're often the hardest parts to write but they also offer the biggest opportunity to make a song "yours". One of a kind. Something only YOU with YOUR life experience could have created. That can be exciting!

Today the guys talk to singer/songwriter and music blogger Sayana about this very topic. You will learn:

How to organize (and triage) song ideas and how to know which ones to develop further
How to find the balance between being unique and going with tried and true formulas that people love
Tips for writing better lyrics through concepts like "show. don't tell"
Tips for songwriting session workflow (as opposed to recording workflow)
Some rules to consider breaking when writing songs
How to solve the dreaded "verse 2 problem"
How to use Splice as a songwriting tool and whether it may be a good option for you
Tips and tricks for recording vocals at home

Where to Find Sayana
https://www.sayanamusic.com/
instagram.com/sayanamusic/

Where to Find the Guys
Free DIY Recording eBook: www.howtorecordyourband.com
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://calmfrogrecording.com
Benjamin's Studio Site - https://dreamloudstudio.com
Leave a rating. Be a friend - http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1494761702

Bonus: Review of Flare Audio Ear Inserts

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 19:41:35 -0400

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://www.flareaudio.com?sca_ref=676476.z8WJgmm5He

62: Can You Trust What You're Hearing? (Davies Roberts - Flare Audio)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0400

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 and Vadim with certain cymbal sounds on albums, the occasional synth solo and even day-to-day sounds like talking to someone on speaker phone. What is it about these sounds that causes such an intense reaction - even at relatively low volume levels? How come we can still enjoy a really loud concert at much higher SPLs without getting that same level of anxiety?

Davies Roberts, founder of Flare Audio, says he can tell you EXACTLY what's causing this: resonances in the actual structure of your ear which boost certain upper mid frequencies. He and the team at Flare Audio have been working to solve this problem and several other curious conundrums in the world of acoustics and sound.

What does all of this mean for our productions and mixes? Take a listen!

On this episode you will learn:

About speaker technologies and why they're less than ideal
How the ear's organic structure creates resonant peaks in certain frequency bands and why we aren't all hearing the same thing
How the ear's organic structure is not optimized for hearing what we're looking at
About some solutions Flare is developing to solve the issues above
How this knowledge should or shouldn't affect our engineering/production decisions
A bit about hearing loss and tinnitus and the challenges of developing solutions

Flare Audio
https://www.flareaudio.com/
https://www.facebook.com/flareaudio

Where to Find the Guys
Free DIY Recording eBook: www.howtorecordyourband.com
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://calmfrogrecording.com
Benjamin's Studio Site - https://dreamloudstudio.com
Leave a rating. Be a friend - http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1494761702

61: Back to Basics - The DAW and What Features to Learn Next

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 19:03:09 -0400

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 is that it doesn't much matter what DAW you're using. The important part is to understand it well enough to make it a useful tool that you're comfortable using quickly and accurately.

On this episode, you will learn:

The basic functions of a DAW. What makes a piece of software a DAW?
About less common features that you may not have started exploring yet
How to prioritize which DAW features and functions you should be learning first and focusing on next
Some helpful tips and tricks for mapping grids and editing audio

Today's DIY showcase is from Malcom Quinn from Doncaster, UK. It's a song called Love and it's about.....well....you'll figure it out.

60: The Sound of Different Guitar Brands

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0500

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 of us only own a choice few. Fortunately, on today's episode, we get to play through some samples created by listener John Connor (thank you!) and finally compare some of the classic household names.

This test can help us understand which guitar to choose for a certain project, or which guitar to put on our gear wish list!

Test Details:

Guitars
- Epiphone Les Paul Standard
- Gibson Les Paul Standard
- Fender American Tele
- Gretsch G5422TG
- PRS SE Custom 24
Signal Chain Setup
- All guitars have stock, passive pick-ups
- Bridge pick-up on every guitar
- All volume and tone knobs maxed out (wide open)
- No pedals
- Fender Blues Junior amp with EQ flat (all 12 o'clock positions)
- Shure SM57 mic placed 3 inches from center of speaker cone
Beer
- Dos Equis (John was trying to be as precise as possible with his test description)

Where to Find John Connor
Artist Name: John 3
Web site: www.john3music.com

59: Should You DIY Mix Your Next Album? Maybe.

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0500

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 it.

Is that always the best way to get from Point A to Point B though? Are there times when getting a bit of help is appropriate? Maybe. Maybe not.

Get the guys' takes on this week's episode.

58: The Guitar Tone Lexicon - Describing What You Hear

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0500

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 language that we can use to communicate to each other or are they purely subjective? Can we really train our ears to distinguish between these concepts?

Have no fear. On this episode the guys talk about the language of guitar tone and will explain exactly how to train yourself to hear these different concepts and use them to sculpt the tones you're working with.

You will learn about:

Harmonic overtones and why the same note will sound different on different instruments
Why amps are a bit like instruments and why their tonal character can only be manipulated so much
The three basic types of guitar distortion and how to distinguish them
The four places in a guitar signal chain where distortion can happen
The 7 dwarves of tone and how to use them to start building your guitar tone lexicon
Different examples of tones to help reinforce the concept
And much more! This was an episode packed full of useful information

57: DIY Building a Studio Computer (Should you? And How)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 05:00:00 -0500

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 constantly looking for workarounds to workflow inefficiencies, it may be time to upgrade.

Ben recently reached this threshold and has been spending months researching, buying, building and setting up his new studio computer - and it's finally ready!

On this episode, Vadim asks Ben questions about the process and for recommendations on building a future proof computer in 2021.

You will learn:

How to know when it's time to consider a computer upgrade
What are the deciding factors to consider between going with an off-the-shelf computer, custom-build audio computer or DIY computer
Four reasons why a DIY computer may be right for you
The six major components you will have to select
Why a motherboard is more important than CPU for an audio computer
What to do when your shiny new parts arrive
Tips for migrating your files and programs
And more...

56: The Zen of Troubleshooting (Our Favorite Tips and Tricks)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 20:35:37 -0500

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 in the studio NOT working on music can be incredibly frustrating. Maybe you planned to finally wrap up some vocals on that one song only to find that bugs and glitches have rendered your evening a waste! We all know this feeling and it SUCKS. The good news is that troubleshooting, like most things in the studio, is a skill. And, like most skills, having good fundamentals and techniques will help you perfect it faster.

On this episode, we talk about various troubleshooting techniques and share some of our favorite tried and true go-to debugging methods.

You will learn:

What to do before the session to minimize the chances that troubleshooting will ruin your recording day
Two approaches for troubleshooting a troublesome signal chain - The Series Method and the Sections Method
Methods for quickly eliminating problems during a session - including some quick "listen early adjust" guidelines
Different types of problems and where to start when encountering them
Common causes of hum and how to resolve them
Finding the offending track(s) in a busy session
The difference between using Mute and using Solo to find problems and when to use each.
A common cause of low end not translating in your mix

55: Vocal Production Tips and Tricks (Brandon Tomei)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 17:51:18 -0500

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 song will likely fail to capture people's attentions.

Luckily, the guys and Brandon Tomei are here to help! On this episode you will learn:

How to arrange a vocal melody and why it's helpful to do so in a iterative process with the rest of the production
How to create layers of vocals to fill out your track
Where to "put" vocals spatially in the mix and some tips and tricks to push your recordings further
Thoughts on arranging vocal harmonies
How to use the concept of "open space" to build tension and create more satisfying transitions
The role vocal effects have in a modern vocal production
Strategies for getting the most out of a vocalist when you're the engineer
Strategies for getting the most out of yourself when you're the vocalist AND the engineer
Considerations for the originality of a vocal line and why it's important not to over-think it TOO much
And more!

Brandon's Podcast
https://diysoundlibrary.com/

Brandon's Music Projects
Good Friend Electric
Names are Violent

Brandon's Pros and Cons of DIY Recording Blog
https://www.endlessriverstudios.com/post/why-the-diy-approach-to-music-is-both-wrong-and-right

54: What Latency is and How to Deal with it

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 05:00:00 -0500

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 worse than others! What's going on?

This is called latency and it's a reality in most studios - even professional studios. The good news is there are several ways to make this annoying problem go away. Of course, in DIY Recording Guys tradition, we first have to understand exactly what causes it.

On this episode you will learn:

What latency is (through some helpful analogies)
Examples of where latency may manifest itself in your setup and how to recognize it
What causes the different types of latency we can run into
The relationship between sample rate, buffer size and latency (and what each of those things is!)
How much latency is acceptable in each situation and why it actually depends on the source instrument
Why latency is surprisingly less problematic for guitars
Over a dozen ways to reduce latency in your setup
The best vocal recording trick you've ever heard
And more!

Today's DIY Showcase comes to us from Joshua Cassidy and Project Levram in Australia.

Where to Find Joshua and Project Levram
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5JRBf4x8WL01Rx8qkPAX5G

Where to Find the Guys
The DIY Recording Guys Website - www.diyrecordingguys.com
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today! - https://calmfrogrecording.com
Benjamin's Studio Site - https://dreamloudstudio.com
Leave a rating. Be a friend - http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1494761702

53: Writing and Arranging for a Whole Band (Josh Doran)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 05:00:00 -0500

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 and a whole album's-worth of music!

How do you go about arranging music for a whole band, writing meaningful lyrics and composing moving vocal melodies that you'll be able to sing? How do you get technology to aid your creative process rather than hindering it?

On this episode, we talk to Josh Doran of The Fading Light about these topics. You will learn:

How to build confidence in your lyric and song-writing skills
How to write engaging songs and let them go when they're done instead of constantly revising them
How arranging can be an even more powerful technique than mixing for creating sonic landscapes
The importance of releasing music you've recorded
Unique strategies for recording complex music with multiple layers
How to collaborate with your band members and allow people the freedom to add to your creative vision
Why your rough demos and rough mixes can go a long way to getting you the finished product you're looking for - even if you're not happy with how they sound.
An interesting technique for blending acoustic and electric guitars
Some cool advice for capturing ideas and writing songs

Where to Find Josh and The Fading Light
http://thefadinglight.net/

52: Back to Basics: Anatomy of an Interface

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 05:00:00 -0500

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 studio but how well do you actually know your interface? Are there any features on it that you just ignore or aren't sure exactly what to do with?

On this "back to basics" episode, the guys do a deep dive on the anatomy of a typical audio interface - exploring and explaining all of the features and functions contained within this magical hub.

In this episode you will learn:

An overview of the audio signal path into and out of an interface
A review of the key studio sub-components that are packaged together to create what we call an interface
The different types of input and output jacks commonly found on interfaces
The difference between the different signal level types
What phantom power is and when it should (and shouldn't) be used
Different types of digital connections
What a digital clock is used for and why you probably don't have to ever think about it
Examples of other "interfaces" you have in your studio right now without even knowing it
The difference between an interface and converters
And more!

51: Critical Listening - Possibly the Most Critical Producer Skill

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 05:00:00 -0500

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 art (and science!) of critical listening.

When YOU listen to music with a critical ear, you're listening for something different than the casual listener - even if you don't realize it.

Critical listening is the skill we engage when we are trying to evaluate and understand specific elements of a production. It is skill that takes a bit of time and patience to develop and, in this episode, we will explain to you exactly how and why to develop this skill.

In this episode you will learn:

What critical listening is
The key differences between critical listening and regular listening
Situations in which it's appropriate to apply critical listening
How to prepare yourself for critical listening
What specific questions and prompts to use to start honing your critical listening skills

Plus, a new DIY showcase!

DIY Showcase:
Alright, Goodnight: https://alrightgoodnight.bandcamp.com/
Support Philly Math Rock Album: https://phillymathrock.bandcamp.com/album/philly-math-rock-covid-relief-compilation

50: Staying Healthy in the Studio (Rusty Osborne)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 05:00:00 -0500

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 get better? How will you reach your goals?

On this week's episode our guest is Rusty Osborne. Rusty is a veteran musician who was headed down an unhealthy path. Through research and trial and error he was able to drastically turn his health around and has since become a health coach for other musicians.

This could be one of the most important episodes we've done because your health is not top of mind....until it is.

On this episode you will learn:

How a schedule of over 200 shows a year landed Rusty's health in a bad place
How he was able to turn his life around and what he believes are some of the most important lessons he learned
The health risks associated specifically with vocals, guitars, bass and drums and quick tips for mitigating problems before they arise
Why the home studio is both a dangerous and empowering place for your health
Why diet plays a much bigger role in your health than most people think
Why supplements are (almost) never the answer
What simple changes you can make immediately to improve your longevity
Why action precedes motivation and not the other way around.

This was a truly information-packed episode and we highly recommend checking it out.

Rusty Osborne - Musician Health Coach
https://rustyosborne.com/

Rusty on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thecoachrusty/

49: Our Top 5 Recording Myths Busted in 2020

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

Everyone has that list in their head. The list of the recording rules that "everyone" knows. The Recording Commandments.

Of course, both recording technology and our own skill levels are constantly evolving. Therefore, it's good to periodically question the "list in our head". What techniques are worth another look? What preconceived notions were wrong to begin with? What "common sense" stuff can sometimes be thrown to the wind?

On this episode Ben and Vadim discuss the list of personal myths they've busted in their studios in 2020.

You will learn:

Why sometimes "more is more" - with respect to both arrangement and signal chain
Why the guys reach for real amps less than they did a year ago - but still occasionally
Why "clipping" is less of a dirty word than it used to be
Why shootouts are great - but not on every session
Why being less prepared for pre-production can sometimes be better
Whether there is such a thing as "too much" editing

48: What is Phase (and How to Deal With it)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 05:00:00 -0500

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 tried recording something using two microphones?

Occasionally you'll find that the sound of each microphone sounds good alone but that the tone changes when they're combined. Where did the low end go? Why does it sound so thin?

If you've run into this, you may have stumbled onto the infamous "out of phase" issue.

Don't worry! In this episode, Vadim and Ben explain the concept of phase and how to make sure you get it right in your recordings. They also discuss why getting phase "perfect" may not always be a good thing.

In this episode you will learn:

The basics of phase relationships in audio through real examples
The situations in which phase relationships may be a concern
Multiple audio and visual techniques for checking phase without buying any special tools
How phase relationships can have a negative impact on your recordings
About examples of cases when "out of phase" can actually be a good thing
To hear the differences between in-phase and out of phase audio files using examples acoustic guitars, drums, electric guitars and bass.
And more!

47: So You Want to Produce Music for a Living?

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

If you've been at recording for a while, you may find yourself thinking "I wonder if I can do this for money? Wouldn't that be fun?"

This is pretty much what happened to Vadim and Ben. The road they've been on from DIY musician to trying to earn a living in the studio hasn't been easy but it's been full of learning, fun and the occasional surprise. On this episode they talk about their experiences.

You will learn:

How Vadim and Ben decided to make the leap into producing for other people (warning: it gets personal)
Why they've both had to redefine the word "success" - and why you should consider it as well
How producing for money has changed their relationship to gear
Why it turns out most people are screwing (and losing work) because of focusing on the wrong part of social interactions
How to work faster in the studio without sacrificing quality
Why the old adage "money follows speed" is true
The importance of documentation when you're producing for other people
How level up faster through conscientious "debriefs" at the end of a project
And more!

46: How Loud Should My Songs Be?

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 05:00:00 -0500

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 had one of your songs randomly come up on a playlist immediately after a commercial release and wondered, "why is it so quiet...and thin?"

This can be a frustrating experience. It can leave you thinking that you just don't have the tools or the knowledge to get a "professional" sounding record.

While there are, of course, many factors that go into the quality of a finished production, "loudness" is one factor that will reliably lie to us and make our comparisons confusing at best - or useless at worst.

Understanding how we perceive loudness, how we control loudness and how keep loudness from lying to us are absolutely key to a successful DIY production.

In this episode you will learn:

What "loudness" even means in the context of a production and why it's more than just turning the volume knob in your car up or down.
Some reasons why you may want to make your song louder
Why things that are "louder" can sometimes sound better and why this is dangerous
The history of the loudness wars and why they're actually slowly coming to an end
What you sacrifice by pushing your song to louder levels
A brief overview of the concept of "dynamic range"
A better way to compare your mixes and productions to commercial releases
Some helpful analytical tools and techniques for figuring how loud your song should be
About dynamic range through real-world examples the guys play for you to compare
And more!

45: How to Consistently Finish More Songs and Level Up Your Skills

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

How many unfinished songs are floating around in your notebooks, on your cell phone, on your computer hard drive and in that big noggin of yours? The truth is, all of us have a ton of ideas that we were once excited about, started developing and left unfinished. We all have excuses. Lack of time, lack of collaborators, "shiny object syndrome", etc.,

Finishing musical projects is tough. Only people who have tried can REALLY understand how much effort goes into a 3 minute song. So we get it.

Unfortunately, the act of finishing is absolutely crucial to the improvement process. Furthermore, it doesn't have to be intimidating - or even hard! There is a time-tested technique for taking big, complex tasks and breaking them down into actionable steps that get you moving steadily from start to finish.

In this episode you will learn:

Why finishing is so critical to your development as both a producer and an artist
Why finishing projects can seem so difficult
About one of Vadim's lame college stories turned anecdote
About the SMART goal technique and how to use it to set up robust goals that are worth working on
How to use the DIY Recording Guys' free SMART goals template to break your smart goal down into actionable items

Download the FREE SMART Goals Template here: https://resources.diyrecordingguys.com/goal

44: Comparing Different Mastering Options

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

You've probably heard about online services that do mastering by algorithm. A number of different ones have popped up over the years.

How do these services stack up to a professional master? Can an algorithm REALLY give you a professional quality master? What about DIY mastering? Can the algorithm beat that?

On this episode, Vadim and Ben explore all of these options. They each took 3 mixes, had them mastered each of the different ways, labeled them generically and sent them to each other. They then listened to each others different versions independently and compared them. They also tried to guess which versions were the algorithm mastered ones.

At times, the results were surprising! At other times? Not so much.

Join in the fun of trying to guess which version was which as the guys banter about mastering in general and listen to the different versions.

You will:

Get a brief overview of what mastering is (for more details, listen to Episode 23 first)
Learn about what goes into the decision of where to have your songs mastered
Hear the different versions and get to do a blind comparison of your own
Understand the factors that go into whether an algorithm ends up with a good master or not
Understand one major pro of going with a pro master - besides the quality of the finished product
Learn about the use cases in which an algorithmic master may be appropriate for you
Get the guys' takes on what surprised them the most about the exercise.

43: Math Rock and the Role of the Music Blog (Nikk Hunter - Fecking Bahamas)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

What if there were people out there actively looking for artists like you in hopes of writing about your upcoming release and exploring the story behind your music?

These people are called journalists. Ever hear of them? And some of them do exactly this. For music blogs.

On this episode, Vadim interviews Nikk Hunter of Fecking Bahamas - his personal favorite math rock blog.

Then, in the second part of the episode, Ben and Vadim embark on their first DIY showcase with Philly post-hardcore (and DIY) band Sleep Tactics.

You will learn:

How Nikk and the crew at Fecking Bahamas started the music blog.
Why the roots of math rock (and punk) are very much DIY and how the journeys of bands in this sphere resemble those of today's indie artists
The role of music blogs as curators for specific genres
How to approach blogs when submitting your own music (and what to avoid)
How to think about your content strategy and what Nikk calls "imaginative self-promotion"
A little bit about Math Rock: your new favorite genre
And more!

Fecking Bahamas
http://feckingbahamas.com/

Nikk's Music Recommendations:
Future Machines, Voronoi, Lac, Party Friends, Blastronaut, testa, and ilili

DIY Showcase Band:
Sleep Tactics - https://sleeptactics.bandcamp.com/album/s-t

42: How to Make MIDI Sound Real

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 05:00:00 -0400

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 heard a cheesy drum part or a wonky, thin piano and thought "Wow. That's MIDI. It sounds awful"!

The truth is that you've you also heard (without realizing it) hundreds of MIDI-driven instruments on recordings without ever realizing that it wasn't the real thing.

Many of our preconceived notions about what MIDI is and isn't are wrong. As we discussed in Episode 20, MIDI is really your studio BFF. You just have to know when to use it, how to use it, and the tips and tricks for making it sound like the real thing.

In this episode, we'll show you how you can pull this trick off on your own productions.

You will learn:

A quick overview of what MIDI is (and isn't)
What makes a real instrument performance enjoyable and pleasant to listen to and why MIDI sometimes misses the mark
The different ways to record MIDI and why they aren't all equal
Which instruments lend themselves to being easily emulated by MIDI and which don't
Tips and tricks for recording MIDI performances
Tips and tricks for editing MIDI performances
Examples of various instruments created with MIDI and "humanized" with varying degrees of success (including drums, bass, horns, percussion and even guitar)
Some bad audio jokes

41: The Different Roles in a Recording Project

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 05:00:00 -0400

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 thought "oh, this song will take me 2 hours to complete" only to find that you're still working through details a week (or a year!) later?

There is a LOT to do to get an idea into a finished song. Who will write the lyrics? Do we need a guitar part in the bridge? How will we record the drums? Who will edit vocals? Will we outsource mixing or DIY?

All of these different tasks and questions can start to seem overwhelming - especially if you're a completely solo DIY artist.

We've found that it can be very helpful to break this process down into different groups of tasks and, instead of thinking about "people", we will think about "roles". This method of grouping asks can prove to be a very helpful thought exercise whether you're in a band or hacking through it completely on your own because it helps you understand what needs to be done, who will do it, and how to stay focused on the task at hand instead of jumping around wildly from task to task.

In this episode you will learn:

Why different roles are important to consider - even (and perhaps especially) in a DIY recording situation
What the different roles in the recording process are
How to use the concept of roles to maximize your focus and productivity
Ben's funny story about running into a quirky role in a commercial Nashville studio
Why the guys love Eddie Van Halen - the guitar legend, not the vampire slayer.

40: What You Should Know about Live Streaming (Leonard Patterson)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

You've probably noticed an uptick in live streaming since the pandemic pumped the brakes on the live show industry.

In the early days of the pandemic live streaming was a free-for-all.

Now that some of the dust has settled a few things have become clear.

1) Live streaming is here to stay - even when live shows return.
2) Live streaming is one of the best (and most fun) ways to engage with your audience.
3) Just like anything else, it helps to have clear goals and strategies in place.

In this episode we talk to Leonard Patterson - who's not only kicked the live streaming tires, he's taking the concept on a full tilt, off-road test drive. He's learned a lot and has since been helping other musicians get their live streaming game on point.

In this episode you will learn:

How to make live streaming a fun and interactive part of your content strategy
Why streaming is not just a temporary replacement for, but a natural extension of live shows
Which platforms are available and how to choose one that works for you
Why you don't need a ton of material to do a consistent live stream feed
The right (and wrong) way to start a live stream
How to repurpose your live stream to create additional content
The three levels of live stream production
Tips for live streaming with multiple people (e.g., your band)
Ideas for monetizing your live stream

Where to Find Leonard:
Awesome Live stream checklist - https://www.artistcollect.com/golive
Instagram profile for tools, tips and training - http://instagram.com/ac_leonardp

39: What is Impedance? The For Dummies by Dummies Episode

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0400

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 wondered why you can't just plug your guitar directly into a mixing board? Or why everyone says you're supposed to match the "ohms" of your amp to the ohms of your speaker cabinet? Or why your guitar sounds so small through a cable that's 100 feet long?

In this episode, Vadim and Ben talk about impedance - which is at the heart of the questions above. You will learn,

The first principles explanation of what impedance actually is
Why impedance mismatch is the origin story of the DI box
Why matching loads between a tube amp and a speaker cabinet is so important
Why passive guitar pick-ups can't handle cable runs as long as active pick-up cables can
The tonal changes you may experience with an impedance mismatch between your instrument and the input device
The impedance mismatch that won't break your amp...and the impedance mismatch that might
How to start thinking about connecting multiple speaker cabinets to your amp
Ben's crazy story of trying to build a wall of bass cabinets in high school. Result? Unsuccessful.
And more!
Where to Find the Guys
The DIY Recording Guys Website
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today!
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

38: DIY Recording Equipment and "The Deal" with Analog Gear

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

If you've been digging around the internet in search of recording tips, tricks and wisdom, you've certainly run across the "analog controversy". It is, of course, as silly as most internet controversies. That said, you may have awoken in the middle of the night, sitting at your computer with a shopping cart full of exotic analog gear. In a cold sweat, and without sudden movements, you swiftly close your browser but the thought remains: "what is it that so many people love about analog gear?"

In this episode, Vadim talks to the founder of DIY Recording Equipment - a small company that's helping to change the landscape of analog gear and DIY by taking classic (and twists on classic) analog circuits and packaging them in neat DIY assembly kits.

This approach cuts down on cost for the company, which leads to quality at a reduced price for recording enthusiasts - and that's before you even get to the part of how much fun DIY circuitry can be.

In this episode, you will learn:

How Peterson became interested in analog gear and the DIY spirit and eventually went on to found DIYRE
Why analog gear is so expensive
The zen of DIY and why cost and sound quality alone don't tell the whole story
Peterson's take on "analog vs. digital" - including a beautiful visual analogy (which Vadim is a huge sucker for)
Peterson's take on the accessibility of DIY music equipment to the electronics beginner (like Vadim)
Whether there is a quality difference between DIY gear and factory-assembled gear
What analog equipment is actually doing to your signal and why it makes a difference
A good place to start if you're on the fence about DIY
And more!

Where to find Peterson and DIY Recording Equipment
Website: DIY.RE
Instagram: http://instagram.com/diyrecordingequipment/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PetersonGoodwyn/videos

Where to Find the Guys
The DIY Recording Guys Website
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today!
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

37: Strategies for Recording Multiple Sources Simultaneously

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

There are many ways to get a multi-track recording. You can build your song part by part to get the cleanest and tightest possible recordings but is this ALWAYS the best approach? Spoiler alert: it's not!

In this episode you will learn:

Pros and cons of different multi-tracking techniques (3 techniques are covered)
How to get complex recordings with minimal interface inputs
Strategies for maintaining a live feel or organic rhythmic performance while still allowing for over-dubbing flexibility
The two main high-level strategies for capturing multiple acoustic sources simultaneously
Microphone selection considerations for a multi-source, mult-mic setup
Key considerations for effective monitoring during tracking - including some handy hacks on a budget
A would-be hack that seems clever but is actually not
And more!

Where to Find the Guys
The DIY Recording Guys Website
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today!
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

36: Music Marketing and Why You're Doing It Wrong (Musician Indie Coalition)

Vadim Kharaz — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

How many times have seen this? You're scrolling through social media and you see a post from somebody saying that their "album is finally out" and asking you to listen to it.

Do you actually take the time to go listen to their album? If not, how come?

Here's the worst part: how many times have YOU tried to use the same strategy with your releases?

You've worked hard. You've written songs you're passionate about. It took a long time.

Then you honed your DIY recording craft and materialized those songs out of your head and onto your computer hard drive. They're finally ready to release.

This process has taken you many months and now no one will give your music the time of day!

The truth is you never had a chance. You focused on music PROMOTION at the end of the process instead of focusing on music MARKETING from the beginning.

On this episode Vadim talks to two industry insiders about this key difference and how to make it work for you.

In this episode you will learn:

How Greg and T.J. (indie musicians themselves) got started in the music industry by working for industry legend Nile Rodgers
Important revenue streams for indie artists in 2020
The importance of email marketing and why reliance on social media as a channel to your fans is dangerous
Why creating a context for your music is king, how to do it and why hardly anyone is doing it.
What the true meaning (and importance) of "branding" is for a DIY musician
What a Signature Sales Story is and how developing one can help supercharge your career.
And more!

Greg and T.J. have been incredibly generous and offered one of their fantastic courses to our community for FREE. Check out The Signature Sales Story

In addition, they're offering 1 hour of FREE consultation. Just email them at contact@musicianindiecoalition.com.

Where to Find the Guys
The DIY Recording Guys Website
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today!
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

Instagram Live Replay (26-Aug-2020)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 08:00:00 -0400

In this Instagram Live replay, we discuss:

What is a good DI signal chain?
The XY-cardioid mic placement technique.
Programming MIDI drums tips and tricks.
What pieces of analog gear we have and our general thoughts on analogue versus digital gear.

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

35: Recording Bass Part 2: Capturing the Perfect Bass Tone

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

Last week, Ben took us on a journey of bass tone discovery. We looked at many of the components that go into a final bass tone and talked about the parameters we can play with to affect our tone.

This week we dive deep into the various recording techniques and how they affect our tone. We also talk about a methodical approach for testing a mult-speaker and multi-mic setup to ensure you're capturing the best tone possible.

In this episode you will learn:

Ben's tone pyramid in detail
The importance of capturing a DI and why it can have a totally different purpose than capturing a DI for guitars
When having new strings is critical and when it may be optional
Why it's important to test the sound of all of the speakers in your cabinet and how to do methodically
What a good DI sounds like
How to listen to tones off of different speakers and assess them
Which mics work well on bass cabinets and why mic choice may be less important than you think
How to blend different captured sounds to create a bass tone with the best of all worlds
And more!

Where to Find the Guys
The DIY Recording Guys Website
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today!
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

34: Recording Bass Part 1: The Bass Tone Deep Dive

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

Are you a bass player? Did you feel neglected over the last two weeks when Vadim did nothing but talk about recording heavy guitars?

Fear not! Ben is here to save the day with part 1 of our mini-series on recording bass.

In this episode Ben does a magnificent deep dive into the world of factors that affect bass tone.

In this episode, you will learn:

Why technique is even more important for bass tone than it is for guitar tone
When to use a pick and how using a pick can actually add some compression to your tone
How different bass designs affect tone - including some distinct tones from different manufacturers
3 different categories of bass distortion and how to use them
The importance of a compressor in a bass signal chain and why it's not really optional in most cases
The differences between tube amps and solid state amps
How much wattage you need in an amp (and why Ben needs to measure the power of his amps in megatons)
And more!

Where to Find the Guys
The DIY Recording Guys Website
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today!
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

33: Heavy Guitars Part 2: Recording Heavy Tones

Vadim Kharaz — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

In last week's episode, we talked about the Guitar Tone Pyramid and how to use it dial in heavy tones without losing your mind in the process. This week, let's talk about how to record those bad-ass tones.

If you're happy with the sound coming out of your amp, it doesn't mean you'll automatically get a great sounding finished recording. Although almost at the top of our tone pyramid, mic technique is still a HUGE part of getting an awesome sound.

The good news here is it doesn't have to be complicated. Using a single dynamic microphone, we can get a killer tone using the same type of methodical testing we used last week.

Feeling more adventurous? We'll cover a famous 2-mic technique as well.

You will learn:

Why dynamic microphones are a nice choice for recording heavy amp tones
How dial in a good recording with a single microphone using a 2 step positioning method
What we mean by "on-axis" and "off-axis" and how they sound different
What the major challenges of recording heavy tones tend to be
How to think about the sound of your amp speaker visually to help you with a position starting point
This history and theory behind the Fredman technique (a 2-mic technique using Shure SM57 mics)
Why the Fredman technique lets you get to more than the sum of its parts and how to further dial it in to your own taste
A few bits, tips, and tricks about other techniques

Where to Find the Guys
The DIY Recording Guys Website
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today!
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

32: Heavy Guitars Part 1: Dialing in Heavy Tone from Scratch

Vadim Kharaz — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

Has this ever happened to you? You decide to dial in a tone with your existing setup or with a new piece of gear you just got. You spend hours tweaking pedals, amp settings, mic placements, guitar settings, etc., only to find out that you were happier with your starting point tone than you are with where you ended up! Frustrated, you put the guitar back in its case and go fix a sandwich. Good ol' reliable sandwiches. At least you can get THAT right.

Dialing in heavy guitar tones can be super frustrating because of how many different parameters and factors are at play.

What if there was a simpler way to build a tone step by step without second guessing yourself along the way?

In this episode, Vadim takes you through his Guitar Tone Pyramid method for doing just that - including playing real examples from in-progress sessions.

You will learn:

Why dialing in guitar tones can seem so challenging
What the role of the guitar actually is in a heavy song
What the Guitar Tone Pyramid is and how to use it
Why "minimizing processing" should be your goal and how to ensure that it is
How to approach amp settings in a logical way
The real role of overdrive and distortion pedals in a heavy tone and why you may not need one
Best practices of where to place time and pitch-based effects in your signal chain

Where to Find the Guys
Vadim's Studio Site - Get your FREE test mix today!
Benjamin's Studio Site
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Leave a rating. Be a friend

31: How (and Why) to Care for Your Stringed Instruments (Joe Golden)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

Take a look at that guitar/bass/fiddle/violin/cello sitting in your bedroom. When was the last time you told it you loved it? The truth is, most of us probably don't show our instruments the care that they deserve. Not only can this be problematic for getting the best tone and performance on your recordings, but it's also a disservice to future generations because many of the tone-woods used in our instruments are endangered.

In this episode, Vadim and Ben talk to Joe Golden of Westmoreland String Workshop about care and maintenance for stringed instruments.

You will learn:

Why maintaining your instrument is so important - even irrespective of improved tone
Why upgrading components in your existing instrument may be better than buying new
How to evaluate a used instrument you're considering purchasing
Why humidity is so important to the health of an instrument and why not enough humidity may actually be worse than too much humidity
A quick hack for helping you save on string and fret costs
What a truss rod is and why you shouldn't fear it
What mistake you may be making while winding your strings and how to fix it
What to consider when changing string gauge or tuning

Where to Find Joe
https://westmorelandstringworkshop.com/
https://www.facebook.com/westmorelandstringworkshop/

Where to Find the Guys
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

30: How to Optimize Your Current Computer for Recording

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

In this episode the guys talk about computer optimization techniques.

You will learn about:

RAM recap and when it may be time to add more RAM to your rig
Why your computer may be running a bunch of background tasks and programs that chew up horsepower - and how to stop it!
How to make sure you are using the right ports for the right jobs
Powered vs non-powered USB hubs. What's the difference? Which one should you use?
How to partition your drives like a pro (and why it's improtant)
Power vs performance settings
TLDR summary of audio drivers and ASIO4ALL
Hard drive space requirements and why they can actually affect your computer's performance
File organization best practices
And more!

Where to Find the Guys
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

29: Want Songwriting Superpowers? A Little Theory Will Help (Samori Coles)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

Music theory. Did you cringe when you read that? We often associate music theory with tedious piano lessons, classical music, or reading sheet music. It can be all of those things but it doesn't have to be any of them! It turns out that knowing a little bit of theory can be a bit of a superpower for a songwriter - and music reading is not even required!

In this episode, Vadim talks to Samori Coles of Lil' Drumma Boy Recordings and Home Studio Tutor about this topic. You will learn:

How Samori has leveraged technology throughout his career to ensure longevity
What music theory is
Why you shouldn't associate music theory with classical music
Whether you need music theory to be a great a musician
How music theory can get you through writer's block
An introduction to the circle of fifths and its use in pop music genres
What triads are and why they're a good starting point for understanding the chords of a key
Why reading music is not critical to understanding music theory

Where to find Samori:
Philadelphia studio: https://ldb10.com/
Educational resources: https://homestudiotutor.com/

Where to Find the Guys
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

28: Proper Gain Staging to Get the Sound You Want

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

You've probably heard the term "gain staging" thrown around but how well do you REALLY understand what it means? Is it actually important for DIY recording or is it one of those esoteric recording concepts debated by nerds (like us) but that you can skip? The answer to the second question is a definite "Yes. It's actually important". The good news, this week we will demystify the concept for you so that you can gain stage like a pro.

In this episode you will learn:

What gain staging is through a helpful video game analog
How to decide where to distort signals when some distortion is your end goal
The different gain stages (and how to use them) in guitar and bass amps
The difference between "gain" knobs and "level" knobs on pedals, preamps and amps
How to troubleshoot excessive noise or distortion
What "unity gain" means and why it's such a powerful concept in recording
The role of "metering" in a proper gain staging strategy
What "oversampling" is and when it can (and can't) help you
A practical, step by step gain staging process
And more!

Where to Find the Guys
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

Bonus: Q&A with Jesco Lohan of Acoustics Insider

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

In this bonus episode to episode 27, Jesco answers questions from the DIY Recording Guys Facebook community.

Jesco has created a FREE pdf guide just for our community. You can download it here: 5 Steps To Recording Room Acoustics On A Budget

Links
Where to Find Jesco
Website - https://www.acousticsinsider.com/

Free PDF "5 Steps To Recording Room Acoustics On A Budget"
Acoustics Insider YouTube Channel

Where to Find the Guys
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

27: Acoustics 201: Recording Room Acoustics on a Budget (Jesco Lohan)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

In this Acoustics 201 episode, we talk to Jesco Lohan of Acoustics Insider about getting recording room acoustics right on a budget. Jesco is a platinum award winning mix engineer and acoustician based out of Berlin, Germany. Jesco has created a FREE pdf guide just for our community. You can download it here: 5 Steps To Recording Room Acoustics On A Budget

In this episode, you will learn:

How to know when it's time to start considering the acoustics of your recording room
What to listen for when assessing your room
What room modes are and why they're a problem in the low end
Some rules of thumb for instrument and amp placement in your rehearsal and recording space
How to develop your "taste" for different types of room sound
What are "early reflections" and why are they the biggest problem in most DIY recording situations
Why broadband porous absorbers are likely your best solution
Why there is really only one type of panel you need to integrate into your strategy to start and what it is
Why panel size matters for determining how low into the frequency spectrum your absorber will work
Why acoustic foam is so popular - and why you should actually avoid it
What a "bass trap" is and whether it really is different than other acoustic absorbers
What material options we have for porous absorbers and how they're different
When "measuring" your room is important

Links
Where to Find Jesco
Website - https://www.acousticsinsider.com/

Free PDF "5 Steps To Recording Room Acoustics On A Budget"

Acoustics Insider YouTube Channel

Where to Find the Guys
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

26: How to Not Screw Up Your Next Release (Kareem Guy)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

Kareem Guy started Keyz to the Game to help independent artists be smarter about the business side of their craft.

On this episode you will learn:

Why you need to start preparing for music release even before you press record
Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) - What are they, why are they important, and how to get registered
What is a split sheet and why you definitely need to consider one before a release
Do you need to aspire to getting a record deal and, if so, when?
The importance of catalog organization and some tools/strategies you can use
The importance of submitting your music to curated playlists
Why you should refocus from selling your music to selling your personality
The importance of TikTok in a social media strategy
Social media strategy - Where to get content ideas and how to keep from getting overwhelmed

Links
Where to Find Kareem
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/keyztothegame/

Website - www.keyztothegame.com

Free Album Release Blue Print Webinar - https://ultimatemusicrelease.easywebinar.live/registration-7

Where to Find the Guys
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

Bonus: Heavy Metal in Outer Space and Other Tales (K Enagonio)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 06:00:00 -0400

We normally don't include outtakes but these were too good to pass up.

Links
Where to Find K
Website: https://www.justtheletterk.com/
Music (Chasing Satellites): https://chasingsatellitesmusic.bandcamp.com/
Music (Matriarchs): https://matriarchs.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/kenagonio
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/justtheletterk
Freelancing podcast (Project Freelance): https://open.spotify.com/show/0hnPaJUv5gCjPeOHaZG1rw
Urban exploring adventures: https://www.justtheletterk.com/notracers

Where to Find the Guys
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

25: Sustainability through Freelancing (K Enagonio)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

K Enagonio is a freelance photographer and videographer, vocalist for hardcore bands Chasing Satellites and Matriarchs, vlogger, podcaster, explorer, and writer.

She has toured and traveled extensively in these capacities and has some amazing stories. She is also a DIY musician!

In this episode you will learn how K:

Was able to move from humble photography gigs into touring and working with some of her favorite artists
How photo and video work enabled and supported her music career (and vice versa!)
Why she is a strong believer in freelancing as a sustainable career path
Leverages social media to build and sustain a following (this part is so cool)
Records vocals in her home and collaborates remotely with multiple producers
Involves her fans in her creative process

Where to Find the Guys
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

24: What is an MP3? (And Tales of Other Audio Formats)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0400

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 heard of and used MP3s. But what ARE they and why have them become so ubiquitous? And, if they're so great, why don't we use them in ALL of our studio applications?

In this episode you will learn:

The difference between compressed and lossless audio formats
Why MP3s are so popular in the age of streaming
Why we may need to be a little careful about using them in the studio
How MP3s are made
What other lossless and lossy audio formats are common
What it sounds like when sample rate and bit depth are reduced too far (and why you can sometimes use this to your advantage)
How to decide on audio format when preparing to release music

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend

Facebook Live #3 Replay

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 07:00:00 -0400

In this Facebook Live replay, we answer community questions on:

Setting up and using a MIDI trigger.
General microphones to get when building a recording studio.
Our thoughts on using room correction software.
The state of streaming music services (What's working and what isn't).

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

23: All About Mastering 101

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

Mastering can be a bit of a mystery. What is it? Do you need it? Can you DIY?

In this episode you will:

Learn what mastering is
Understand what it can do for your mix (and what it can't do)
Learn about some of the common processes used during mastering
Hear examples unmastered and mastered songs back to back
Learn about some strategies for DIY mastering that can help your songs compete

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

22: Acoustics 101: You Need to Get This Right

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

Acoustics are arguably more important than gear - both for recording and mixing. Have you paid enough attention to it?

In this episode you will learn:

The basics of sound. How does sound move through a room? How do different frequencies behave differently?
What are "acoustics" and how do they affect your DIY Recording result?
Vadim's awesome story - barely related to recording at all
What you can do assess your room
What you can do improve your room
What comb filtering is, what it sounds like and why it's a problem

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

21: Must-Have Recording Accessories for Under $50

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 25 May 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

The guys love gear, sure, but some of the most useful (and most used!) gear in their studios is also some of the cheapest. In this episode, they compare their lists as two frugal friends would.

In this episode you will learn:

Hacks for controlling the devices that make your studio more comfortable
A producer's secret weapon for creating energy in a track as if from thin air
Which accessories will push your microphones' capabilities even further
Hacks for working with multiple people on an interface with limited I/O count
Hacks for not having to sit right next to your computer to be able to record
How to save your forearms for playing instead of burning them out on string-changing
And more...

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

20: What MIDI is and Why it's Your New BFF

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 18 May 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

In this episode you will learn:

The basics: what MIDI is (and what it isn't)
A useful analogy for thinking about MIDI
What information is contained in a MIDI file
What a MIDI controller is
Different ways to create and edit a MIDI file
Different applications for MIDI
Some workflow best practices for working with MIDI
Tips on humanizing a MIDI performance

The Hey Jude Music Box
A Nintendo controller as a MIDI controller

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

Facebook Live #2 Replay

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Sat, 16 May 2020 11:00:00 -0400

In this Facebook Live replay, we answer community questions on:

Loudness and whether your songs will "suffer" from not being loud enough
Latency and how to combat it when recording
Buffer sizes. What are they and how do you set them?
Recording high gain amps
Selecting songs to put on an EP
Recording drums

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

19: What is a "Good" Mix and What Can it Do for "Great" Stems

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 11 May 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

LEWITT microphones did a mix challenge featuring artist AVEC. The 8 stems from the session were made publicly available. In this episode, Ben and Vadim listen to and discuss these excellent stems as well as each other's mixes and how they compared to the official mix.

You will:

Get to hear raw, well-recorded stems and how they were recorded (as well as what's so good about them)
Hear an explanation of what makes a "good" mix and why the definition transcends genres while still leaving room for creativity.
Hear the guys' mixes as well as the official mix back to back.

To download the stems yourself, click here

#LEWITTMusicChallenge

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

18: How (And Why) to Treat Your Band as a Business (James Cross)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 04 May 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

On this episode:
- Should EVERY artist treat their band like a business?
- Why SHOULD musicians care about treating their craft more like a business?
- What does a band business partnership look like and what are the different roles band members can play?
- When is the right time to consider drafting up a business partnership for your band?
- What are the revenue streams for bands in 2020 (both pre and during COVID)?
- Merchandise sale strategies
- What is the "1,000 fan theory"?
- What accounts for most of bands' merch sales on tour?
- What apps and technology can you use to improve your business management?
- How and when to consider paid advertising for your band
- An AWESOME facebook post hack that will help you target your audience
- Why having a website is still important
- How to promote your release the right way and build momentum for your release
- How to use your time effectively during the pandemic to supercharge your band's return to the live scene (whenever it happens).

Note: Since this episode was recorded the name of James' business and community has changed. The links below have been updated and supersede those found in the audio.

James also asked that we encourage our listeners to reach out to him with any additional questions. You can email him at james@bandhive.rocks

https://bandhive.rocks

atVenu report James referenced during the show: https://www.atvenu.com/features/year-in-review-2019

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

17: Perfect Vocals Academy (John Burke)

Vadim Kharaz — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

John Burke has made a career out of making vocals in various genres sound awesome and he's recently started Perfect Vocals Academy to help DIY recording enthusiasts up their vocal recording game.

In this episode Vadim talks to John about a LOT of vocal production techniques, including:

Choosing gear quickly on the day of the session
Riding the preamp as a technique for managing dynamic vocals during recording
Why a low signal level can actually be worse than a hot signal that even clips occasionally
Mental preparation for recording vocals
What is comping and what are some strategies for stitching together a great vocal take?
How to produce vocal harmonies
Using Autotune. Should you and how?

Check out John's content at https://perfectvocalsacademy.com/ and follow him on Instagram @perfectvocalsacademy

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

Facebook Live #1 Replay

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0400

Our first ever Facebook live event! Thanks to everyone who joined and asked questions. Be sure to join us next time, we'd love to hear from you. Email your questions to DIYRecordingGuys@gmail.com

Links
GIK Acoustics' awesome video on how to use Room EQ Wizard to do basic room acoustic testing
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

16: Why NOW is a Great Time to Record Music and How to Focus Yourself

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

In this episode:

Vadim carelessly drops a few spoilers on 90s and 00s pop culture
How Vadim and Ben are dealing with quarantine
Reasons why now may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to level up your recording game
How to decide which ideas to work on and focus your time and energy
How to make something intimidating (like recording an EP!) seem totally manageable
Why the act of FINISHING a recording project leads to a step change in skill
The guys lay down a special offer to help you complete that back-burner project

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

15: Chasing Tone and Recording Guitar (Cameron Davidson)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

Check out the new Countdown from Ten album On the Instability of Air

Other Links:
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

14: Optimizing Remote Music Collaborations

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 08:30:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

1:00 - How the guys are dealing with the quarantine
4:00 - Tip 1: Agree on session parameters on advance
10:10 - Tip 2: Mind stereo vs. mono
12:30 - Tip 3: Build everything around a click track and tempo map
17:00 - Tip 4: Export consolidated clips/stems
20:00 - Tip 5: Take advantage of free cloud-share services for transferring files
21:00 - Tip 6: Be meticulous and consistent with your file naming conventions
24:00 - Tip 7: Take advantage of video chat services
25:30 - Tip 8: Use commercially available live collaboration tools

For more, check out Vadim's blog post on this topic

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

13: Dialing in Guitar and Bass Tone

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

1:00 - The guys' secrets for dealing with quarantine
4:00 - Where the guys' tone-chasing journery began
10:30 - The degrees of freedom in building a guitar tone and why it can seem so challenging
13:00 - Guitar picks
16:40 - Guitar types
21:30 - Strings
27:00 - Pickups
36:00 - Where the guys' Pyramid Rule finally breaks down
37:00 - Amps
43:00 - Speakers and Speaker Cabinets
45:00 - Strategies for selecting gear
50:00 - Strategies for building a tone from scratch
57:00 - Reasons to us5e a boost or overdrive pedal in front of the amp
65:00 - How different frequencies distort on guitars
68:00 - Vadim's not sexy but super effective trick for driving an amp
70:00 - Flat-wound vs Round-wound strings

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

12: How to Record with the Final Product in Mind

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

0:40 - Ben's new car
2:40 - Vadim's first car - it wasn't cool....or WAS it?
4:00 - Vadim's escape from the studio - to the mountains!
9:00 - When your tones aren't cooperating
14:00 - The risks with recording DI tones
15:30 - How your drum selection decisions affect tone and your end product
21:00 - Where to start when picking tones for your song
25:00 - The uncanny humility of the bass player
28:00 - How to quickly check whether your tones are helping or hindering each other
31:00 - The "frequency carving" myth
37:45 - Think twice before reaching for the "solo" button
41:00 - High Pass and Low Pass Filtering
46:30 - A visual analogy that will help you build your song and tones
50:00 - How (and why) to not drive yourself crazy with tone chasing

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

11: Prepare Like a Pro - Maximizing Productivity and Fun

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

4:00 - Preparing for the day of the session from the artist's perspective
14:00 - Vadim admits to a rare studio mistake!
18:00 - Tips for choosing the right engineer for your project (hint: these are also tips for being a good DIY engineer)
25:00 - Instrument preparation
26:00 - A point of contention! How often should you change your strings?
32:00 - We're talking to you, vocalists. No fettucine alfredo before the session!
34:30 - Choosing the instrument tracking order and having a backup plan
43:00 - The importance of reference music
46:15 - Preparing from the engineer's perspective
51:20 - Have a plan for punching in
54:30 - The importance of In-Ear Monitors (IEMs)

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

10: Recording and Editing Drums (Eddie Vessey)

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

01:30 - Meet Eddie Vessey!
08:22 - The real reason that Ben got into recording
13:15 - Preparing for a drum recording session
18:30 - Mic setup
20:00 - Some ideas for managing room acoustics
24:00 - The importance of room mics and using a mono room mic
33:00 - Our first ever PSA
37:00 - What are "microphone phase problems" and how do you deal with them
44:00 - What is a "good" drum performance
48:00 - The importance of capturing "one-shots"
49:00 - What is sample replacement and when should you consider it?
53:00 - Editing drums
60:00 - Rapdid fire! Recording drums with 1 mic, 2 mics, and 4 mics
68:00 - The Entrpreneur Drummer and its mission: Helping session drummers turn their craft and passion into a business

Find Eddie's work at:
https://www.drumaudioediting.com/
https://www.theentrepreneurdrummer.com/

Follow Eddie on Instagram @eddievessey

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

9: What in the World is Bitrate and Why Should You Care?

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 05:00:00 -0400

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

0:30 - Getting less awkward on the intro...one week at a time
0:50 - Ben's surprise bachelor party
6:45 - Vadim explains bit rate as clearly as he can. Really. He did his best.
10:30 - Noise floor explained
12:00 - Dynamic range explained
12:50 - Head room explained
16:00 - The Redbook audio standard
23:00 - How high should your preamp levels be set?
35:00 - When clipping is NOT the end of the world...and when it might be
38:00 - When clipping can be awesome (hint: in the 90s)
39:40 - Ben explains sample rate as clearly as he can. Really. He did his best.
46:00 - The guys explain the Nyquist Principle
48:00 - The guys argue about the right sample rate to use but decide to stay friends
61:20 - The guys try to explain fold-back aliasing

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

Bonus: Choosing the Right Vocal Microphone

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

8: How to Record Awesome Vocals Every Time

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

0:38 - Vadim reaches gear equilibrium
01:48 - Ben will not let Vadim off the hook that easily
5:00 - Band's awesome band (Nephele) has an exciting announcement
7:40 - Ben's plans for St. Patrick's Day attire
11:10 - The vocal signal chain revisited. Where does the signal go?
15:30 - It starts with the vocalist. How to maximize the volca peformance.
22:25 - The secret tea that will improve your vocals
23:00 - How to handle your room acoustics when recording vocals
27:00 - Vocal baffles and microphone "screens"
29:30 - Use the mic polar pattern to your advantage
30:45 - Microphone types (Dynamic vs Condenser)
37:50 - A shootout example between an SM7b (dynamic) and WA87 (condenser) microphones - including trying to make one sound like the other
42:00 - Ben's quick review of the Slate Virtual Microphone system
47:00 - Setting up the microphone for recording and how to deal with excessive sibiliance and plosives
55:00 - Should record vocals with EQ and compression going in or add that processing later?
61:01 - An example of a highly compressed vocal and what to listen for

Credits:
Vadim's compressed vocal example is from the band Non Fatal Bear Attacks (nonfatalbearattacks.bandcamp.com)

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

Bonus: THE Number One Trick for Getting Huge Pop Vocals

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

Find out how understanding metal will improve the quality of your pop vocals in this super secret bonus episode

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

7: How to Maximize the Power of Your Song Before Hitting Record

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

3:40 - Teenage Vadim doesn't need this episode
6:08 - The 5 Fundamental parts of a song
9:00 - How Ben and Vadim cheated their way through their early music education
13:00 - How to get power into your arrangments
17:40 - Tips for coming up with melodies
20:20 - You can never have enough vocal harmonies
22:00 - Instruments and the frequency spectrum
25:00 - Finally. A Spinal Tap reference
28:40 - Finally. A Lord of the Rings reference
30:00 - The risk of writing songs in many different keys
32:00 - Common song strong structures
42:00 - Controlling the energy throughout your song to keep the listener's interest
51:40 - The guys decide to bring back the key change and discuss how to apply the principle to metal
54:00 - The only thing cooler than playing bass

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

6: How to Maximize the Efficiency of Your Sessions

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

0:40 - Vadim's metal last name revealed
1:10 - Vadim's metal snake lips
4:10 - How Ben Prepares for a band session
13:30 - Setting up your DAW in advance and using session templates
15:30 - The importance of clear labeling
20:30 - How to get your mix engineer to love you
21:30 - Tracking strategy and punching in
26:00 - Strategies for tracking vocals
31:00 - How to get the tightest rhythmic performance possible. Should you track to a click?
37:00 - Recording the DI (Direct Inject) signals for Bass and Guitar
43:00 - What if you have to split a session into multiple sessions?
45:00 - The role of pre-production in an efficient recording workflow
50:30 - The importance of sexy bits
53:00 - The difference between art as recorded vs your art as performed live

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

Bonus: The $1000 Studio Rig Challenge

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

2:00 - Ben's $1k rig
14:05 - Vadim's $1k rig
22:50 - A brief discussion on the Dream Rig. Vadim is not impressed with Ben's frugality.

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

5: Should You REALLY DIY Record Your Next Release?

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

1:05 - The guys briefly consider becoming a gamer drama podcast
4:20 - Ben joins an awesome band!
5:25 - Vadim's guitar problem
7:45 - Your only two resources: Time and Money
9:45 - Recording: DIY Studio vs Commercial Studio
16:30 - DIY Mixing - Vadim confuses Ben but they eventually figure it out
22:49 - Spooky stuff is happening in Ben's house while we're recording
26:40 - More spooky stuff...

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

4: What Gear You Need for Recording - Part 2

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

2:30 - Choosing your microphones
6:00 - Do NOT do this to your microphone
9:00 - The secret behind Vadim's emotional recordings
13:50 - Cables
17:45 - Monitors and headphones
22:30 - Closed back vs Open back headphones
27:00 - Benjamin's headphone strategy is on fleek
28:30 - Virtual instruments and amp emulator awareness
35:00 - Ben's studio has literally been struck by lightning. Vadim is in biblical awe.
36:00 - Cloud back-up
38:45 - Why Vadim can't go away on vacation too often
39:30 - DIY Guys first challenge

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

3: What Gear You Need for Recording - Part 1

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

0:26 - Ben is confused after a long day
2:00 - Choosing your recording computer
9:15 - HDD vs SSD
16:45 - Recommendations on RAM, processor and memory
17:50 - The dreaded and outdated Mac vs PC debate
19:50 - The audio interface
24:50 - The digital protocol of your interface
30:00 - Interface recommendations
40:30 - The Digital Audio Workstation

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

2: The Digital Recording Signal Chain and Gear Overview

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 05:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

1:20 The guys discuss the irony of a narrowly avoided production disaster while recording episode 1
4:55 The guys get philosophical and wax poetic for just a minut
5:39 The digital recording signal chain from the perspective of a vocal
11:35 Digital signal processing. What is it and why do we care?
18:00 Digital vs Analog
22:00 Gear shootouts. A nice time waster.
26:00 An overview of the gear used in a modern digital recording setup
30:00 Vadim makes an embarrasing confession about his early experiences with recording
31:30 Which gear is most important for DIY recording?
41:00 Monitors vs. Speakers - what makes studio grade gear different?

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
Digital recording blog post
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site

1: Meet the DIY Recording Guys

Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 06:00:00 -0500

If you enjoy our podcast, please leave a quick rating. It only takes a minute and it means the world to us.

In this episode:

Vadim's nervous. It's his first podcast. Ben reassures him that it will be as terrible as he fears [0:40]
What this podcast is about: helping musicians get better DIY recordings [2:17]
Benjamin's story: Drummer Turned Bassist Goes Full DIY Rock-Star [7:48]
Vadim accidentally insults all recording engineers everywhere [38:00]
Vadim's story: Prog Guitarist Makes Terrible Album in 2008 - Spends Next Decade Understanding Why [38:25]
Why recording in your rehearsal space is a great idea [46:50]
The guys promise to be super vulnerable on the podcast [52:00]

Links
Vadim's free DIY Recording eBook
DIY Recording Facebook Community
Vadim's Studio Site
Benjamin's Studio Site
Leave a rating. Be a friend