• What are Impulse Responses, How to Use Them, and What is the Best Software for Implementing IRs in a mix?



    IRs. No, not “instant ramen” (though Chris & Jody would probably talk about that too). We’re talking impulse responses—those pesky little files that can make your guitar cabinet sound like it was recorded in Abbey Road or turn your closet into a cathedral.

    In this week’s Inside the Recording Studio, the guys take a listener request and dig into the what, why, and how of IRs. What are they really? Why should you care? And who’s out there making the good ones versus just selling you snake oil?

    They’ll explain how to use IRs in convolution reverb, why guitarists are obsessed with cabinet IRs, and how producers sneak them into mixes for everything from realism to creative madness. You’ll also get a few recording setup tips and some laughs about what happens when you don’t know what you’re loading (hint: chaos).

    Naturally, nonsense makes an appearance, and their Friday Finds give you some freebies and gems to try right now.

    So if you’ve ever wondered what impulse responses actually do, or just want to know why everyone keeps talking about them, this episode will fill you in—minus the boring textbook vibes.

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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

  • How to Get the Most Out of the iZotope NeoVerb: Quick Tip and Trick with the Reverb Assistant


    A little UI review, a dash of uses, a pinch of what makes it unique, and a whole lot of nerd, equals a quick look into NeoVerb reverb from iZotope. In this tip, I show you how I used the Reverb Assistant to get me a great spacial sound on guitars for a track where I was under a deadline for a TV show.

  • Control Surfaces: What They Are And Why You Need To Be Aware Of Them



    Control surfaces: lifesaving workflow boosters or just overpriced desk ornaments? Chris & Jody take a no-nonsense, slightly cheeky look at the world of control surfaces in music production in this week’s Inside the Recording Studio.

    They’ll give you the lowdown on where these things came from (spoiler: some of them are older than your favorite plug-in), the types available, and the times they’ve actually found them useful. You’ll hear about single-fader toys that feel like glorified volume knobs all the way to massive boards that look like you’re piloting a spaceship.

    But are they worth the cash? Chris & Jody argue both sides—pointing out the real workflow benefits, but also calling out when a mouse and keyboard might do the job just as well. And yes, they’ll name names on a few favorites they’d actually recommend.

    Add in the usual dose of nonsense, laughs, and this week’s Friday Finds, and you’ve got an episode that makes even knobs and faders sound exciting. If you’ve ever been tempted by slick marketing videos for control surfaces—or wondered why your buddy’s studio looks like mission control—this one’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

  • Create a Presence with Reverb and How To Figure Out The Correct Reverb Time You Need For Your Song



    Reverb is space. It is air between notes, reflections bouncing off walls seen and unseen. It is the whisper of a room, the memory of a hall, the shimmer of a plate.

    In this episode of Inside the Recording Studio, Chris & Jody drift through the world of reverb—not as a utility, but as an instrument in itself. They calculate milliseconds like cartographers charting maps, showing how math gives shape to echoes. They speak of springs that twang, plates that sing, and digital halls that stretch into infinity.

    They share moments when reverb became more than effect: a pad sculpted from a drum hit, a vocal carried on a wave of decay, a guitar wrapped in endless shimmer. They reveal the reverbs they return to, the ones that never fail to spark ideas.

    Between their explorations lie laughter, nonsense, and the week’s Friday Finds—unexpected treasures tucked inside the reflections.

    Reverb, they remind us, is not just sound bouncing in space. It is texture, depth, story. It is the unseen architecture of a mix.

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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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