Chris and Jody take on the application MainStage. Talking about who makes it. How’s it great for live performance use. What instruments it’s great to use for. How it can be used it in the studio. What plugin types it’s capable of using. This is a good overview of a very handy plugin host. Plus we give out our Friday Finds for this week.
-
Headphone Monitor Mix Solutions for Home and Pro Studios
Chris and jody take on the topic of headphone monitor mix solutions. From the very simple and even hack methods for home studios. Up to mid level studio solutions and then the beyond with pro level solutions. All solutions are meant to get your clients to feel most comfortable with their headphone mix while tracking in your studio. It’s all in here. It’s also not unlikely that there will be some nonsense discussed.
-
Tuesday Tip: Passive vs. Active Pickups
As opposed to a regular ‘tip’, Chris plays you guitar tracks recorded with either passive or active pickups. Will you be able to pick which is which?
-
Which is better, Passive or Active Pickups?
Passive vs. Active Pickups: What’s Best for Your Tone?
Guitarists, gather ’round—this one’s for the tone-obsessed, the pedalboard tweakers, and the “don’t-touch-my-pickups” purists. In this electrified episode of Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody spark a lively debate over the long-standing feud: passive pickups vs. active pickups.
What’s the actual difference between the two? Are you losing nuance with one or missing bite with the other? Whether you’re wielding vintage humbuckers or EMG-powered shredders, Chris and Jody unpack the sonic, technical, and stylistic pros and cons of each design—along with their personal preferences, recording implications, and studio-use tips. You’ll walk away knowing which pickup style fits your tone goals, rig setup, and musical genre.
Plus: what not to do when you’re done playing (hint: don’t leave your guitar plugged in unless you want a surprise expense), and this week’s Friday Finds drop in with gear to explore.
Expect laughs, light-hearted jabs, and a few myth-busting moments. Whether you’re building your home studio geararsenal or just wondering why your tone feels flat, this episode will help you pick your pickups wisely.
******************************
Gear we used:
Jody’s Mic & Voice Chain: Telefunken C12 – Groove Tubes Vipre – Apollo – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA Studer A800
Jody’s Channel Strip: iZotope RX Spectral DeNoise – iZotope RX Mouth DeClick – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA 1176E
Chris’ Mic & Voice Chain: Slate ML1 – Apollo – UA – Slate VMR (FG12, FG73, API Eq, SSL 4kE) – iZotope RX Voice – DeNoise
Chris’ Channel Strip: Eventide Precision Time Align – iZotope RX Spectral DeNoise – iZotope RX Mouth DeClick – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA 1176E
Master: Oek Sound Soothe 2 – iZotope Ozone Imager – iZotope Ozone Maximize.
******************************
If you want to collaborate, sponsor a podcast, donate, or want us to review your product – contact us at: collaborate@insidetherecordingstudio.com