• Unlock Your Mixing with These 10 Incredible Mixing Tips and Ideas!



    Mixing is part science, part art, and part learning how not to let your hi-hat eat your guitar alive. In this episode of Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody lay out 10 powerful mixing tips designed to make your workflow more efficient and your mixes more effective.

    Covering the fundamentals and beyond, they break down practical strategies for EQ, compression, volume levels, panning, delay, and more. These aren’t abstract “trust your ears” mantras—they’re actionable ideas that can make an immediate difference in how your tracks come together. You’ll learn how to balance frequencies so instruments don’t clash, how compression can shape energy instead of just squash dynamics, and how subtle level changes can transform the feel of a mix.

    Chris and Jody also emphasize workflow. By applying these 10 ideas, you can save time, reduce decision fatigue, and focus more on creativity rather than troubleshooting. Along the way, you’ll hear about one memorable session where a hi-hat and guitar collided in the worst possible way—and how they solved it.

    Of course, this is still Inside the Recording Studio, so while you’ll get solid recording setup tips and practical know-how, you’ll also get humor, banter, and a healthy dose of nonsense. Because let’s face it—mixing is easier when you can laugh about the chaos.

    Whether you’re working on your first song in a bedroom setup or refining your workflow with pro-level home studio gear, these 10 tips will sharpen your skills, speed up your process, and give you a fresh perspective on how to approach mixing.

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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

  • Sample Libraries Uncovered: How to Manage Like a Pro for Efficiently Organizing and Future-Proofing Your Collections



    Sample libraries are both a blessing and a curse. They’re the lifeblood of modern production—massive collections of meticulously recorded instruments at your fingertips. But when those libraries start eating up terabytes of drive space, clogging file paths, and slowing down your workflow, they quickly become a headache. In this episode of Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody tackle the practical (and sometimes painful) subject of managing and storing sample libraries.

    This isn’t a “here are our favorite sample packs” kind of chat. Instead, the duo breaks down best practices for keeping your libraries tidy, clean, and future-proofed. You’ll hear about external vs internal drives, SSD vs HDD for different use cases, and strategies for spreading libraries across multiple disks without breaking your DAW’s ability to find them.

    Chris and Jody also share tips on folder structures, naming conventions, and why simply dumping everything into “Samples” is a recipe for chaos. They’ll cover backup strategies, how to prepare for inevitable drive failures, and ways to migrate your collection if you upgrade your computer system.

    And because this is Inside the Recording Studio, you’ll also get humor, war stories, and some playful jabs at the sheer absurdity of libraries so big they could rival NASA’s data servers. It’s practical, relatable, and entertaining—perfect for anyone whose home studio gear is groaning under the weight of too many gigabytes.

    By the end, you’ll have actionable recording setup tips to make your sample libraries faster to access, safer from disaster, and easier to navigate—so you can spend less time scrolling through endless folders and more time making music.

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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

  • Uncovering the Secrets of Clipping Audio – A Noisy Adventure



    Clipping: the word alone can make engineers break into a sweat. But is it always bad? In this episode of Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody dive into the art of clipping audio—where it comes from, why it sometimes works, and when it can absolutely ruin your mix.

    They start with the origins: how analog gear and early digital systems introduced us to clipping, and why those “mistakes” sometimes turned into creative tools. Then they dig into the different types of clipping—hard clipping, soft clipping, analog saturation—and explain how each one shapes sound differently.

    Clipping isn’t just an error; it can be a weapon. Chris and Jody share when they intentionally use clipping to add aggression, density, or perceived loudness to drums, guitars, or even a mix bus. At the same time, they cover the dangers: digital clipping that destroys transients, leaves tracks brittle, and makes mastering engineers cry.

    Expect real-world recording setup tips, plugin and hardware examples, and honest insight into how they personally use clipping in their own sessions. And of course, it wouldn’t be an Inside the Recording Studio episode without humor—so yes, there will be some nonsense about how clipping is like hot sauce: a little makes things exciting, too much ruins dinner.

    Whether you’re working with home studio gear or high-end mastering chains, this episode gives you the tools to understand clipping, control it, and use it creatively without wrecking your mixes.

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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

  • The Truth About EQ and Compression Order in Music Production



    EQ or compression first? Ah yes, the eternal mixing debate—right up there with “pineapple on pizza” and “do we really need another reverb plugin?”

    This week on Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody wade right into the swamp of EQ vs compression order, giving you the straight dope on what happens when you put EQ before compression, after compression… or, because we all love chaos, both.

    Let’s start with the classic approach: EQ before compression. Think of it like tidying up your living room before guests arrive. You cut the mud, roll off that rumble, and make sure your signal is presentable before handing it to the compressor. That way, the compressor isn’t wasting energy trying to clamp down on stuff you didn’t want in the first place. Kicks get tighter, vocals stay cleaner, and suddenly your mix sounds less like a swamp monster and more like an actual record.

    But then there’s EQ after compression—the “dessert first” approach. Sometimes you want the compressor to react to the raw, unfiltered tone, and then you sweeten things afterward. This is where you boost the sparkle, add some sheen to vocals, or fatten up the bass after the compressor has already done its job. Think of it as putting the icing on the cake after it’s baked. No one eats cake batter with frosting (okay, maybe some of us do).

    Of course, this is Chris and Jody we’re talking about, so things don’t stay neat and tidy for long. Enter the world of double EQ and double compression. Yep, you read that right. EQ → Compression → EQ → Compression. Is it overkill? Sometimes. Is it necessary? Also sometimes. When done right, it’s like layering seasoning in a recipe—you add a little salt early on, then adjust the flavor later to taste. When done wrong, well, let’s just say you end up with an overcooked mess that even your cat won’t eat.

    Throughout the episode, Chris and Jody share real-world examples of when they’d pick one method over the other. Want vocals that cut without being harsh? Maybe try EQ before compression. Want drums that slam but still shimmer? Try compressing first, then EQing the results. They’ll talk about the quirks, the happy accidents, and even the times they’ve completely overcooked a chain just to see what would happen. Spoiler: nonsense is definitely discussed.

    And here’s the kicker—none of this is a “one size fits all” answer. The order of EQ and compression isn’t about hard rules, it’s about intent. Do you want to shape what the compressor reacts to? Or do you want to shape the sound after it’s been leveled out? Both are valid. Both are powerful. And both can make you pull your hair out if you overthink it.

    So, if you’ve ever found yourself rearranging plugins in your DAW at 2 a.m. muttering, “Why does this still sound bad?!”, this episode is for you. Chris and Jody bring the laughs, the lessons, and the honesty that yes—even pros get tripped up sometimes.

    Because at the end of the day, EQ before compression, EQ after compression, or EQ both sides like a sandwich—it’s all fair game. Just don’t forget to actually listen.

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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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