• Recording Setup Tips: Picking the Best Sample Rates



    Sample rates: the numbers everyone argues about, few people fully understand, and almost everyone has accidentally overused at least once. In this episode of Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody pull the curtain back on digital audio’s favorite bragging rights metric and ask a simple question, why are we even doing this?

    They start at the beginning, breaking down what a sample rate really is without turning it into a math lecture. From there, they explain why 44.1kHz and 48kHz became the standards they are today, and why jumping straight to higher rates isn’t the flex some people think it is. If you’ve ever felt tempted to crank your session up “just in case,” this episode might save your CPU, and your patience.

    Jody digs into the practical side effects of higher sample rates: bigger files, heavier processing demands, and fewer plugins running before your system taps out. Chris adds a perfectly on-brand story about someone recording at 192kHz purely to look impressive. The result? A stressed-out system, bloated storage, and absolutely no audible win. Cool story, though.

    For anyone running home studio gear, this conversation cuts straight to what matters. Chris and Jody explain why upsampling won’t fix bad recordings, why converting sample rates mid-session is asking for trouble, and how to choose a rate that fits your actual delivery needs. These recording setup tips aren’t theoretical, they’re the kind of advice you wish you’d heard before opening that first template.

    They also touch on how sample rate choices ripple through your workflow, from plugin performance to session compatibility. Whether you’re collaborating with others or bouncing between music and video projects, knowing when to stick with a standard rate can keep everything moving smoothly.

    As usual, there’s no gear-snobbery here. Chris and Jody aren’t interested in telling you what’s “pro”, they’re interested in what works. The goal isn’t bigger numbers. It’s clean audio, stable sessions, and decisions you don’t have to second-guess later.

    Stick around for the Gold Star word, check out this week’s Friday Finds, and walk away knowing exactly why your next session doesn’t need to run at the highest sample rate your interface allows. Subscribe for next week’s studio sanity check.

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    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.

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    If you want to collaborate, sponsor a podcast, donate, or want us to review your product – contact us at: collaborate@insidetherecordingstudio.com

  • Phase Cancellation Tips for Better Recording Setups



    Ever have a mix that looks perfect but sounds like it’s missing its spine? Congrats, you might be dealing with phase cancellation. This week on Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody dig into one of the sneakiest audio problems around, the kind that makes engineers blame their gear, their DAW, or their life choices before realizing the real issue was phase all along.

    Phase cancellation doesn’t announce itself loudly. It doesn’t clip. It doesn’t distort. It just quietly eats your tone. Chris and Jody explain how it happens when waveforms don’t line up, causing parts of your sound to cancel each other out. That’s why your guitar cab can suddenly feel hollow, or why your snare drum vanishes the second you bring up the overheads.

    Jody points out how easy it is to start twisting EQ knobs when something feels wrong, even though the problem has nothing to do with frequency balance. Chris jumps in with real-world mic placement scenarios, reminding listeners that phase issues often begin before the signal ever reaches your interface. Move a mic an inch, and suddenly your sound goes from solid to sad.

    The conversation stays practical the whole way through. Chris and Jody talk about how to actually hear phase problems, not just spot them visually. They cover when polarity tools help, when they don’t, and why blindly flipping switches can sometimes make things worse. There’s also a strong reminder that “good enough” mic placement is often the root of phase headaches in home studio gear setups.

    They also zoom out to the bigger picture. Phase isn’t just an issue for drums or multi-mic recordings, it affects entire mixes. Layering parts that seem fine on their own can lead to unexpected cancellations once everything plays together. If your mix feels thin even though each track sounds decent soloed, phase might be the missing piece.

    Of course, this being Inside the Recording Studio, there’s no shortage of dry humor and light nonsense along the way. Chris and Jody keep things fun while still delivering solid recording setup tips you can use immediately.

    If your mix keeps losing punch for no obvious reason, or your recordings sound weaker than they should, this episode will help you stop fighting your DAW and start fixing the real problem. Subscribe now and catch next week’s deep dive into another home studio mystery.

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    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.

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    If you want to collaborate, sponsor a podcast, donate, or want us to review your product – contact us at: collaborate@insidetherecordingstudio.com

  • Gain Staging Explained: How to Get Cleaner Recordings Every Time



    Gain staging is like flossing: everyone knows they should do it, very few people actually do, and the consequences sneak up on you later. This week on Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody rip into the mysterious, often ignored art of gain staging and explain why your mixes might be suffering because of it.

    They cut through myths, bad advice, and internet half-truths to show how managing levels at every stage of your signal flow keeps distortion in check, noise under control, and your sanity intact. From audio interface troubleshooting to plugin gain behavior that nobody warns you about, it’s all on the table.

    Jody confesses the moment gain staging finally “clicked” for him and how it fixed problems he didn’t even realize he was creating. Expect laughs, mild heresy, useful recording setup tips, and just enough nonsense to remind you that audio is supposed to be fun.

    Hot signal? Cold signal? Haunted signal? This episode’s for you.

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    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.

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    If you want to collaborate, sponsor a podcast, donate, or want us to review your product – contact us at: collaborate@insidetherecordingstudio.com

  • Mixing Faster or Just Fancier? The Truth About Control Surfaces



    Control surfaces look cool. Like, really cool. Rows of glowing faders. Buttons everywhere. That unmistakable “I totally know what I’m doing” vibe. But are they actually useful—or just expensive desk ornaments?

    This week on Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody grab the nearest fader and ask the uncomfortable question: do control surfaces in music production actually make your life easier?

    They rewind to where these things came from (spoiler: some are older than your favorite plug-in) and why engineers wanted hands-on control in the first place. Then they fast-forward to today’s marketplace, where you can buy anything from a single-fader gadget to a spaceship-sized board that looks like it should launch satellites.

    You’ll hear honest takes on what works, what doesn’t, and what’s straight-up marketing fluff. Chris & Jody talk about the moments control surfaces genuinely shine—rides, automation, performance-based mixing—and the moments where grabbing a mouse is faster, cheaper, and far less annoying.

    They don’t dodge the awkward stuff either:

    • Why some control surfaces slow you down
    • Why setup can be more painful than audio interface troubleshooting
    • Why “more knobs” doesn’t always mean better mixes

    There’s real talk about budgets, desk space, ergonomics, and whether a control surface actually fits your workflow. Plus, they’ll name a few favorites they’d recommend without feeling guilty about it later.

    With jokes, tangents, Friday Finds, and a healthy dose of skepticism, this episode is perfect for anyone tempted by slick demo videos—or wondering why their friend’s studio looks like NASA.

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    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.

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    If you want to collaborate, sponsor a podcast, donate, or want us to review your product – contact us at: collaborate@insidetherecordingstudio.com

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