1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:I sat down with Flo Reithofer, a producer, engineer and musician from Austria. He was one of the first people to join the Self-Recording Syndicate and I've been working with him for about a year and a half now, helping him refine his audio skills, as well as grow his studio business.During that time Flo has not only worked on many projects with different bands and artists, but he also produced two songs completely from scratch. He did everything himself: Writing, arranging, producing, engineering, performing (every instrument & vocal), editing, mixing, mastering.  Flo is a true multi-instrumentalist and still plays drums for different bands. So he knows both sides of the studio window very well and speaks the same language as the musicians he's working with.Since joining the program, Flo has always been open for new ideas and new things to try, produced super exciting records for the artists he's working with and got more projects for his studio.He has improved the acoustics in his live room, optimized his recording and mixing rigs, created a better workflow for himself and now produces and mixes with much more confidence, compared to just a few months ago. And his artists are loving the results he gets them! His skillset and network lets him offer a perfect package to bands and artists that are looking for an energetic and raw production aesthetic that still sounds modern and punchy, but always in a very authentic way and true to the artist's vision.  Super stoked to share Flo's story with you! Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/171 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:I sat down with Clint & Robin, two amazingly talented producers, engineers and musicians from Hamburg, Germany. I've been working with them for about a year now, helping them refine their audio skills and guiding them through the process of starting their own studio.During that time I was constantly blown away by the conversations we had on our coaching calls and the music they submitted for feedback.  When they joined the Self-Recording Syndicate it was clear that they were very talented, but they were also lacking focus, systems and a reliable process to get amazing results consistently and with confidence.  So they took it seriously, put in the work, were always open for new ideas and things to try, produced super exciting records and started getting their first paid projects in their studio, Roobey Records. They have built out their studio rigs, created processes and a better workflow for themselves and feel so much more confident about their work now, compared to just a few months ago. Clint & Robin both also play in Snakes In The Pit, a hardcore band from Hamburg, and Clint is an experienced touring drummer. His credits include playing drums for ZSK (a huge German punk band) on their tour with Rise Against. Their combined skillset and network lets them offer a perfect package to bands and artists that are looking for a big, modern and polished production aesthetic, while still sounding like a real band. Super stoked to share Robin's and Clint's story with you! Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/170 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:Listen to this episode if you want to know what's keeping your recordings from sounding professional.Here's what we cover in this episode:·      We debunk some common myths around music production and around the modern tools used to enhance performances·      We show you a solution that will help you speed up your music creation process significantly·      We introduce a system that helps you get professional sounding results with confidence and without killing the vibe There's no need to write out more detailed show notes for today's episode, because it's all there for you on this page: theselfrecordingband.com/deadondrums Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/169 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:Lucas McKinnon is an artist, multi-instrumentalist, session drummer, record producer, owner of Silverside Sound (a beautiful recording studio) and inviting him to the podcast was long overdue!So let's talk session drums (and all things drum production, actually)!If you got our Mixes Unpacked - Vol. 2 course, you've seen Malcom dissect his mix of "Dark Ice" by Skov. The drums on that song, which many of you loved, have been played and recorded by Lucas McKinnon. So we wanted to talk to Lucas about what goes into recording drums remotely for other artists. What are the challenges, how do you collaborate effectively, how do you make sure to get the vibe right and understand the artist's vision? Those were some of the questions on our minds. Also things like setting up, choosing the right setup and keeping the drums in good shape for every session.  Because, let's be honest, your typical remote drummer that you hire online is likely to leave the same drum skins on the kit forever, always use the same setup and not really put serious effort into creating and capturing the perfect tones for your song. From scratch. Every single time. Which is exactly what Lucas does. And how it should be done.And his job doesn't end there. Sure, you can just get the raw multitracks and drag them into your session. But depending on what the project needs, people like Lucas can edit or even mix the drums in the context of the song, so you can get a finished product, even if you're not an engineer but a writer and musician. Specialized, professional drummers and engineers like Lucas McKinnon or our very own "Dr. Drums" Thomas Krottenthaler bring a level of expertise to every project that is truly invaluable. They solve the biggest problems DIY-producers and musicians have: Drum production and getting the groove right. This is by far the hardest thing to do on your own, especially if you're not experienced and don't have a great room to do it. Malcom and Lucas have collaborated on many records over the years and have a professional relationship and friendship that is the perfect foundation for an inspiring and insightful conversation like this.  Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/168 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:As a follow-up to last week's episode on bus processing, we want to introduce and explore the idea of top-down mixing today.   Top-down mixing can make your mixing workflow more efficient, intuitive and creative.It's less destructive and leads to decent results quickly.It helps you not overthink things, and you'll find yourself mixing with your ears more than reacting to meters and graphics.It's dangerous if you not done "correctly". "Top down mixing is probably the easiest way for beginners to get started, but beginners also will probably really overdo it since they haven't trained their ears for what they SHOULD change, not CAN change. So it's also a great way to fail fast. 😄" -Malcom Owen-FloodIn this week's podcast episode we're gonna explain how we implement top-down mixing it in our own mixing workflows every day and also talk about potential downsides and things to watch out for.  There's actually a benefit to combining "bottom-up" and "top-down" approaches in one mix, especially when it comes to balancing. How to implement top-down mixing in your mixes·      Practical examples·      How to approach a mix from a top-down perspective and how to prioritize elements in the mix·      Advice on using bus processing and other techniques to shape the overall mix (listen to previous episode)·      The importance of referencing to make sure that the details are correct, as well. It's easy to overlook things and to be content too early in the process.·      Do a quick "bottom up" rough mix first to really learn the song and arrangement.·      Compare your bottom-up and top-down balances. They will likely be different and hearing both will help you get things in the ballpark. Now go and try out top-down mixing in your own mixes and experiment with different techniques!Remember that top-down mixing is just one approach to mixing. It should be used in conjunction with other techniques to achieve the best possible results. For some people this is their main approach, others can't seem to make it work. But almost everyone can benefit from switching perspectives, seeing the big picture again and rebalancing a mix with a different focus and approach.Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/167 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:In the episode on piano recordings and sparse arrangements we briefly talked about using bus processing to glue things together and keep things a little more organic. Today we want to explore this further. Let's discuss what bus processing is and how it can help you achieve a more cohesive and polished sound in your mixes! On this episode, we explain exactly how we use bus processing in our own mixes. Routing, plugins, plugin order, settings and, of course, the reasons behind our decisions, based on the context of the mix.  Bus processing is just one tool in your mixing toolbox, and it should be used in conjunction with other techniques (clean up, shaping of important individual tracks, etc.) to achieve the best possible results.  Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/166 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:I got a message from one of our coaching students and it really made me think.This is what he wrote: "I just wanted to say thank you. It's great to have someone who is so unrelentingly positive and upbeat as part of this. Whether we are talking on zoom, group chat, your video messages or even the podcast. Your positivity comes through all of it and makes it feel like what we're doing (music) is possible, and maybe even fun sometimes!" While I love and appreciate this message, it also made me think and reflect on the whole topic of music being fun.A lot of artist and DIY producers that I work with and talk to seem to forget their "why" sometimes. Why they even got into this. Why they wanted to write and produce music in the first place. And I've been there, too! When we get ambitious and dive deep into learning something, improving our skills and trying to reach the goals that we set for ourselves, we can get disconnected from the art. It all turns into projects, tasks, deadlines, schedules and a long list of to-dos. So how can we separate the to-dos from the process of actually creating art and make sure we enjoy making music?Malcom and I explore this on the podcast and discuss a long list of ideas on this week's episode.  Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/165 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:Recording actual drums is not an option for many people, so naturally a lot of people are programming MIDI drums. But have you considered playing your MIDI drums instead?You can program MIDI drums grooves by drawing MIDI notes with a mouse, using a small MIDI controller/keyboard or using pre-made MIDI loops that you can adjust to taste.But what if you want to still play the drums? Maybe you've even tried using an electronic kit, but it just didn't work out. We know there's a learning curve and there are pros and cons to using e-drums. And there are definitely a lot of things to watch out for. If you can make it work, however, it can be the perfect solution to your drum problems. So we invited our "DR Drums" again, Thomas Krottenthaler, and asked him to share insights from his experience recording professional albums with electronic drums. Thomas has been working as a freelance engineer at Benedikt's mixing studio, Outback Recordings for a few years now. Together, they've helped bring hundreds of songs to life. Many of them include MIDI drums that they had to refine or re-program from scratch, depending on the project and what the artist delivered. And Thomas is freaking AWESOME at that. In fact, he's awesome at all things drums. So here we go, this is what we cover on the episode:Why people choose to use MIDI drums:·      No big room with good treatment required·      Acoustic drums are often too loud·      No good drum kit & no frequent drum setup required (drum tech & tuning skills, etc.) ·      No expensive mics required no multichannel interface and good preamps required·      Acoustic drum recording is hard and takes a lot of experienceHow to record drums using an electronic kit:·      Different ways to record E-drums (Stereo out/ Multi out on module/ MIDI)·      Which E-drum kit to get and how much to spend on itAnd much more....-Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/164 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:Jack, a podcast listener, commented the following on one of our episodes:"A problem i've been having lately isn't so much with getting good sounds or mixing as it has been with having a good process for tracking. Having a great rhythm track can sometimes be 80% of having a great recording, especially when recording on my own (tracking a band makes things more obvious for me). Getting a tightly played and edited rhythm track is so time consuming for me that I usually sub-consciously rush it just to carry on with recording the song, to speed up the process to get to mixing it and fun stuff quicker. The result is me having to go back and do a lot of this in mixing and editing tracks that are played to other tracks poorly."This is why it's bothering him (it's not just time, but the end result):"When tracking, I can play super tight eventually with a warm up but I sometimes cant get the feel totally right, even if it's tight, without editing and I'm not entirely sure how to do this properly sometimes. This is more strictly talking about recording demos. When I try do a more serious recording of a fleshed out tracking I will usually spend way too long on this and edit it within an inch of its life or rerecord too many things that could be perceived as great characterful mistakes. The end result is usually pretty lifeless and static. ""I would love to hear you guys wax lyrical about a checklist for making a great rhythm track, with what needs to be ticked off before moving forward. Getting the feel right - ie. The pocket. Thank you for those great questions, Jack! Of course, we're happy to roll up our sleeves and answer them all! 💪🙂 Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/163  If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:In this episode we’re taking a dive into something we don’t talk about often… recording piano. Mark sent us a message asking if we could talk more about recording piano. Solo piano, piano with vocals and sparse acoustic mixes generally. Despite working in heavier genres a lot, both Malcom and I have years of experience playing, recording and mixing pianos so we’re stoked to be answering Mark’s question on this episode. We’re discussing these important things to consider when capturing a piano: Microphone choiceMicrophone placementShould you use a real piano or is a virtual MIDI instrument enough?What kind of piano should I use? Grand? Upright? Does it matter?How important is the room and do I have to capture it with dedicated room mics?Is your piano actually in tune and ready to be recorded?How do you get a piano to sit well in the mix?What makes a piano sound intimate and soulful? And how do you capture those details?  Pianos aren’t going anywhere and maybe it’s the component that’s missing from your arrangement that you hadn’t considered.  Or maybe you’re a singer songwriter that works exclusively on piano, in this case you’ve got to take recording your instrument very seriously. It has nowhere to hide!  We cover it all in this episode, so come on in.  Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/162 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:And this time, it's not about pre-production or working on your songs and arrangements. It's about how to prepare yourself, physically and mentally, for the recording session. How to practice, so you can make the most out of your studio time and deliver what is needed to make a great record.Practice to a click track.Malcom starts by emphasizing the importance of practicing with a click track, both as a band and individually. And how practicing to a click enables you to record great takes, even if you end up tracking without a click. But tempo and meter are not everything. There is more that needs to be practiced and prepared for the recording session.The interaction within the band is super important. When playing as a band, it's essential to pay attention to each other's mistakes and gently address them. Recording scratch tracks during pre-production rehearsals can help identify issues that need to be resolved before recording. Now that the band can play it all well together and everybody knows what they're doing, you need to practice your individual parts on your own, without other instruments and record them to a click track. Just for practice. This allows you to notice small mistakes and analyze your performance with the help of a DAW.  It's crucial to pay attention to dynamics, tone, overall feel and cleanliness when practicing and recording.At this stage, get ready to try some cool, unique tricks that Malcom is suggesting on the episode. 😎And lastly, be prepared to leave your ego at the door if you want the best possible result. Proper studio preparation, rehearsal and problem-solving ahead of time can prevent roadblocks during recording.So listen to this episode and adopt these effective practicing techniques to become world-class studio musicians.  Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/161 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:Today we're going all the way back to day one of the home recording journey and talk about how to get started recording your own music.We've been covering some pretty advanced topics, lately, so let's take a step back and discuss what we would do if we were to start over. There's so much that goes into recording your own music that it can seem pretty overwhelming. And many people really don't need to hear about the advanced stuff everybody seems to talk about. They just want to know: "How do I start? What gear do I need, how do I set it up and how do I get those first recordings onto my hard drive?" This is part three were we cover how to navigate your DAW and help you learn the most important tools.The goal is to create a good first workflow for you, focussing on what really matters. This lets you make your first recordings quickly, without overwhelm or going down the wrong rabbit holes.  Here's a step-by-step plan for you: 1.    Figure out the internal routing of your DAW (panning, groups, busses, sends/returns)  2.    Figure out your basic editing tools  3.    Learn how to work with MIDI  4.    Learn how plugins work and get familiar with the basics first (EQ, compression & reverb/delay)  5.    Create a simple folder structure and backup system that ensures you quickly find your songs and never lose the results of your  hard work  6.    Have fun and practice!On the episode we talk about exactly what to do at each step, of course. Let's walk you through this! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/160 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:Today we're going all the way back to day one of the home recording journey and talk about how to get started recording your own music.We've been covering some pretty advanced topics, lately, so let's take a step back and discuss what we would do if we were to start over. There's so much that goes into recording your own music that it can seem pretty overwhelming. And many people really don't need to hear about the advanced stuff everybody seems to talk about. They just want to know: "How do I start? What gear do I need, how do I set it up and how do I get those first recordings onto my hard drive?" This is part two were we cover how to set up your DAW and interface, so you can start recording and avoid the most common mistakes Here's a step-by-step plan for you: 1.    Set up the DAW & interface (Sample rate, I/O, interface control software, etc.)  2.    Understand basic functionality and layout of DAW (editing window & mixer, project folders, file locations)  3.    Make sure signals go in and out of your computer and interface  4.    Avoid clipping and use the correct inputs of your interface  5.    Figure out how to record without latencyOn the episode we talk about exactly what to do at each step, of course. Let's walk you through this! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/159 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:Today we're going all the way back to day one of the home recording journey and talk about how to get started recording your own music.We've been covering some pretty advanced topics, lately, so let's take a step back and discuss what we would do if we were to start over. There's so much that goes into recording your own music that it can seem pretty overwhelming. And many people really don't need to hear about the advanced stuff everybody seems to talk about. They just want to know: "How do I start? What gear do I need, how do I set it up and how do I get those first recordings onto my hard drive?"This is part one were we cover the always important big picture things to keep in mind and of course everyone's favorite topic: Gear! Here's a step-by-step plan for you: 1.    Remember and always keep in mind what you are making and why you are making it. This will help you stick with it and overcome the roadblocks that will inevitably come up.  2.    Make it less overwhelming by breaking your big goal down into smaller chunks  3.    Start with your songs, arrangements, instruments and playing technique  4.    Only get the gear you really needKnowing what we know now, this is the gear we'd get and what we would do with it:·      Interface (there's better options than Scarletts, these days 😉)·      Microphone(s)·      DAW·      Headphones / Monitors·      Basic room treatment·      Supplies (strings, drum heads, picks, etc.)On the episode we talk about specific choices, of course and explain what really matters when it comes to gear, so that you get the best return on your investment without frustration and headaches. Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/158 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:Sometimes knowing what not to do is more helpful than learning a new trick. So in this episode, I (Benedikt) want to break down the biggest home recording mistakes I've seen from working with self-recording bands this month. So you don't have to make these same mistakes. I get to work on a lot of different songs every month and many of them are home recordings. So, naturally, the source tones often have problems. I always try to optimize at the source and coach the artists I'm working with, so that we get the best results and so that they can deliver better recordings more easily next time. This week we start sharing these things with you, too, because that will increase the overall quality of self-recorded records and hopefully make producing your next DIY record an easier and more enjoyable process for everyone.By the way: These things are not only important when you're working with someone else. If you mix yourself, you don't want to self-sabotage, but give yourself the best chance of creating an awesome mix and make it a more creative, straight-forward, less frustrating experience. Also: Note that none of these have to do with not having expensive gear, or anything that would cost you lots of money. They are all things you can control and fix with the tools you already have. Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/157 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:Do you know what music producers like Rick Rubin actually do and get paid for?CBS News just released a 60 minutes piece, featuring Rick Rubin, which caused some pretty wild discussions on the internet. Rubin explained his role and said things like·      "I don't know anything about music"·      "I can barely play a few instruments"·      "I don't know how to operate a mixing desk"Let's discuss this.On this episode we're answering questions like: ·      What do we think about the statements Rick Rubin made there? ·      Is he just being modest?·      What does he get paid for if he doesn't know any of these things?·      Aren't those things exactly what a producer typically does or needs to know?·      And if you really don't have to know any of these things to be a legendary producer, what is it that a producer actually does? Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/156 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:How loud does my music need to be and how do we measure it in 2023?  We got a very interesting question on Instagram. An experienced engineer who does great work but took a relatively long break from music production was wondering about how we measure loudness today, whether RMS was still relevant now that we have LUFS, and whether we can still master as loud as we did years ago, without negative consequences when our songs are played next to others on streaming platforms. And he's definitely not alone. Many people seem to be confused about different ways of measuring loudness and also the always changing trends and opinions on the topic.   To answer the question directly, we also explain the difference between RMS and LUFS: RMS:  “Root mean square”. The average level of your audio signal, measured over a longer period of time, and close to what your ears perceive as the loudness of your audio. LUFS:  “Loudness units relative to Full Scale”. This is a loudness standard designed to enable the matching of perceived audio levels. So that different signals (or songs) will sound equally loud, no matter what the dB meter says.   Loudness Units (or LU) is a unit that describes loudness by taking into account how our hearing perceives volume. Not just pure sound pressure or amplitude, like “dB” does.   And again, “FS” means “relative to full scale”. So, for example, -18 LUFS means “18 LU away from the maximum of 0”. The difference between -23 LUFS and -18 LUFS, for example is 5 LU. Then we're sharing how we do it in our own projects:How loud do we master and why?How do we measure it?How important is it to us? And one final word of caution:Be careful about different RMS settings on your meters! AES-17 on/off makes a 3dB difference. One RMS value doesn't necessary equal another RMS value. Be careful when comparing anything, basically. There's many different ways to measure loudness and volume and it's easy to get confused and compare different things without noticing.More details on that in the episode. Let's go! -Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/155 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:In this episode, we're going to take a deep dive into the anatomy of a rock bass guitar tone. We'll explore the different components that make up the sound of a bass guitar and how they can be manipulated to achieve the desired tone.This episode on bass guitar tone was inspired by a message that we got from our long time listeners in a band called Stepa. They were fascinated by a particular bass pedal that we're talking about on this episode, too, the Darkglass Microtubes Infinity. Stepa suggested doing a breakdown of its features and a deep dive into the pedal, while also mentioning alternatives that we all have available in our DAWs.  Because we agree that this pedal is pretty phenomenal, we thought we should do an episode on what it is that makes tools like this so valuable, what we're actually able to manipulate with it and what makes up a great bass tone in the end.--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/154 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:Many people record and mix on headphones, because most rooms suck, treatment and speakers are expensive. And because mobile recording or mixing rigs are becoming more and more popular, as we can do almost everything on laptops now.The problem is: While the room is not an issue anymore when you're on headphones, working without speakers comes with a completely different set of challenges.  If you want your songs to translate well, you need to be aware of the flaws, inaccuracies and characteristics of your headphone system. And you need to know how to deal with those. So let's talk about how you can optimize your headphones (and entire monitoring chain), so you can get predictable, high quality results anywhere!Let's go!-Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/153 If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com

Here are three next steps for you to take:1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes-2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:theselfrecordingband.com/call-3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):theselfrecordingband.com/community--Episode show notes:I sat down with one of my favorite coaching students, Greg Bohemen. Greg is a musician & songwriter from Canada who is recording his own music and also building a community for musicians and bands in his area.When we started working together he was a very talented musician but he was in the very early stages of learning how to record, produce and mix, working from an untreated room with minimal gear.  Since then Greg put in a shit ton of work, turned into a sponge, soaking up advice and knowledge, and was always open for new ideas and things to try. Now he has built out his home studio, created processes and a better workflow for himself and keeps sending me mixes that I think are phenomenal and a night and day difference from where he was not too long ago.  This interview was recorded in June 2022, but his journey didn't stop there. Not at all. He was just getting started.At the end of 2022 Greg officially released two singles, "Virtual Christmas" and "Live For Today"And throughout the year he re-arranged and re-recorded an entire album 🤯 that he had already released a while back because he knew that those songs could sound and feel so much better with the setup and skills he has now. The difference is unbelievable. Night and day. Through passion, hard work and the guidance and confidence he got from The Self-Recording Syndicate (our coaching program), he was able to transform his music.  Super stoked to share Greg's music and story with you! Let's go!-Benedikt--For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/152If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: podcast@theselfrecordingband.com