• FOH Secrets Every Home Studio Builder Should Know



    Ever wondered what happens when a veteran FOH engineer walks into a quiet studio and meets Chris & Jody? Spoiler: chaos and wisdom collide. This week’s Inside the Recording Studio episode features Raymond Gronvall, a live sound wizard who can tame a riotous stage while still making your vocals sparkle in the booth.

    Raymond shares what it’s like to mix a sold-out crowd with amps cranked to eleven, dodging rogue feedback while keeping the bassist happy. Chris chips in with a confession about accidentally placing monitors backwards in his first studio session, eliciting a laugh from everyone (yes, even the cat probably groaned). The conversation dives into the controlled side too, exploring how studio mixing demands meticulous attention and patience—but with tricks that can carry over from the stage.

    For the home studio builder, this episode is a goldmine. Raymond and the hosts cover how FOH experience can improve your room acoustics, monitor choices, and workflow at home. You’ll get actionable recording setup tips and gear guidance, all sprinkled with anecdotes that make tech talk actually fun. It’s practical advice served with a side of dry humor and the occasional “did that really just happen?” moment.

    From home studio gear hacks to live show survival strategies, listeners will come away with insights they can actually use. Don’t just sit there—subscribe to catch every episode where Chris & Jody mix practical wisdom with their signature nonsense and take your audio skills to the next level.

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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 Workflow Tips For Better Results on Client Songs



    So you said yes to mixing someone else’s track. Bold move. Now what?

    In this episode, Chris and Jody pull back the curtain on what really happens after you get hired. Spoiler alert. It is not just opening a session and pushing faders. There is a whole process, and if you skip parts of it, things can go sideways fast.

    They start at the very beginning with the first client conversation. This is where you either set yourself up for a smooth project or quietly step into chaos. What questions should you ask? What should make you pause? Chris and Jody dig into both, including a few moments where things did not go exactly as planned. Those stories alone are worth sticking around for.

    Then it is onto setup. Not the glamorous kind. The practical kind. File prep, session organization, and making sure your system does not melt halfway through a mix. Keeping your CPU happy is not optional, and neither is keeping your workflow clean.

    Communication gets a spotlight too. Because let’s be honest, half of mixing is managing expectations. Chris and Jody talk about how to stay on the same page with clients without getting buried in endless revisions or confusion. The goal is simple. Keep things moving and keep everyone sane.

    There is also the usual banter, a few cautionary tales, and some honest reminders that even experienced engineers hit bumps along the way. The difference is how you recover and keep the project moving forward.

    By the time they reach the final mix stage, one thing becomes clear. A good workflow is not about being fancy. It is about being repeatable. Do the right things in the right order and your mixes improve, your clients stay happy, and your stress level drops.

    If you are stepping into client work or just tired of reinventing your process every time, this episode will help you tighten things up fast. Hit play, learn from their wins and mistakes, and subscribe for next week’s deep dive.

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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

  • Recording Setup Tips: Build Better DAW Session Templates



    What if one simple change to your recording workflow could save hours every week, meaning templates?

    This week on Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody dig into one of the most overlooked tools in modern production: recording and writing templates. Whether you’re building tracks in a bedroom studio or running sessions in a dedicated room, having a smart template ready to go can dramatically improve how fast you capture ideas and how smoothly your mixes come together.

    The conversation breaks down why templates matter, especially when inspiration strikes. Every producer knows the moment: the riff appears, the melody lands, and suddenly you’re scrambling to load tracks, arm inputs, and configure your session. Chris and Jody explain how a well-designed template eliminates that scramble so creativity never gets stuck waiting on setup.

    They also explore practical recording setup tips for designing templates that actually work with your workflow. Instead of forcing yourself into a rigid system, the template should support the way you record. That might mean pre-loaded instrument tracks, routing already configured for your favorite gear, or mix buses ready for quick processing.

    One key takeaway from the episode is the difference between simply copying your last project and creating a purpose-built template. While duplicating a previous session might feel convenient, Chris and Jody explain why that shortcut can quietly introduce problems extra tracks, unnecessary plugins, or routing clutter that slows everything down.

    They also compare how different DAWs handle session templates, and how producers can take advantage of those features to create faster, cleaner production environments. Whether you’re using a simple songwriting setup or building a full mix session template, the goal is the same: remove technical friction so you can focus on the music.

    Of course, no episode of Inside the Recording Studio would be complete without a few laughs along the way. Chris and Jody keep things light while sharing the small workflow quirks that producers everywhere will recognize those moments when the gear works against you instead of helping you move forward.

    The episode wraps up with the latest Friday Finds, where Chris and Jody highlight a piece of gear or plugin that caught their attention this week. It’s always a fun bonus segment and a great way to discover tools that might improve your own studio workflow.

    If you’ve ever lost momentum while setting up tracks or felt like your sessions take longer to start than they should, this episode is for you. Templates can turn a chaotic startup process into a smooth creative launchpad.

    Hit play, refine your workflow, and make your studio setup work smarter.

    Subscribe to Inside the Recording Studio so you never miss next week’s gear deep dive.

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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

  • 2-Bus Processing Guide: Better Mixing Signal Chain



    Mastering vs 2-bus processing – they share the same audio highway, but if you think they’re the same thing, you might be driving in the wrong lane.

    In this week’s episode of Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody tackle one of the most common points of confusion in mixing and mastering. Why would you throw a compressor on your mix bus during mixing, but wait until mastering before touching tools like multiband limiting? It sounds similar on paper, but the roles are very different in practice.

    Chris and Jody break it down in plain language: 2-bus processing is part of shaping the mix while you’re still working on it. It helps the mix glue together and feel balanced while you’re building it. Think of it as adjusting the seasoning while you cook.

    Mastering, on the other hand, happens after the mix is finished. It’s the final polish, the step that ensures your track sounds solid everywhere it’s played. That’s why certain tools belong in mastering rather than the mix bus. They’re designed to refine the final audio, not influence the mix itself.

    Of course, explaining this topic wouldn’t be complete without a few side roads. Chris and Jody take a quick trip through the history of mastering, exploring how the role originally came from preparing music for vinyl releases. That history helps explain why mastering is still treated as a separate stage today, even in a digital world.

    And yes, the conversation includes a little of the classic Chris & Jody good-natured nonsense. At one point the discussion veers slightly off course while talking about signal chain choices, reminding listeners that serious recording topics can still come with a sense of humor.

    But the episode doesn’t just talk theory, it delivers real recording setup tips you can use immediately. Chris and Jody explain how to decide what belongs on the mix bus and what should wait for mastering. They also highlight common mistakes that engineers make when the two stages get blurred together.

    If you’ve ever felt unsure about how much processing to put on your mix bus, or whether you’re stepping into mastering territory too early, this episode gives you a clear framework for thinking about it.

    As always, the show wraps up with the latest Friday Finds. One of this week’s picks could seriously change the way you work in the studio. The other? Let’s just say it might make you pause for a moment before deciding if it’s brilliant or bizarre.

    And keep your ears open for the hidden Gold Star word somewhere in the episode.

    Whether you’re dialing in a mix bus compressor or preparing your track for mastering, this episode helps clear up the confusion so you can make better decisions in your studio.

    Subscribe now and catch next week’s deep dive into the recording world with Chris and Jody.

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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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