Inside The Recording Studio - Unlock remarkable tips and tricks for improved recordings in your studio. Unusually great for beginners and professionals.

March 3, 2023

Psychological, Workflow

Writer’s Block? No Problem! Learn How to Conquer it Now!

Writer’s block. The ultimate buzzkill in the studio. You walk in with your guitar, keyboard, or notebook ready to write the next smash hit… and instead you’re staring at a blinking cursor in your DAW like it’s mocking you. Hours go by. The coffee goes cold. The vibe evaporates. It happens to everyone, and yes—it sucks.

This week on Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody roll up their sleeves and dive straight into the muck with 10 tried-and-true ways to break through writer’s block. No mystical “wait for the muse” nonsense here. We’re talking real, practical, sometimes ridiculous, but always effective strategies that can get you unstuck and back to making music.

Tip one? Shake up your workflow. If you’re glued to the same chord progressions on guitar, ditch it and try the piano. If your DAW session is giving you the creative stink-eye, open a new one and start from scratch. Sometimes the fastest cure is tricking your brain into forgetting it was stuck in the first place.

Tip two? Lean on your gear. That dusty pedal or soft synth you haven’t touched in months? Fire it up. Twist knobs until something weird happens. Experiment with hidden features in studio gear you never bothered with. You’d be surprised how often “happy accidents” turn into full-blown songs.

Tip three? Change your scenery. Move your setup to another room. Or if you’re brave, the garage. Fresh air and a little chaos can shake loose ideas you didn’t even know you had.

Other strategies include lyrical free-writing, co-writing with another musician (sometimes misery really does love company), or limiting yourself on purpose—like writing a song with only three chords or forcing yourself to finish a track in 30 minutes, no matter how messy. Constraints create freedom, believe it or not.

And then there’s the infamous “producer tricks.” Chris and Jody share a story about a well-known composer/producer whose method of blasting through writer’s block is… well, stomach-turning. Let’s just say it’s one way to reset your system, but you’ll need a strong constitution. Consider yourself warned: this is the part of the episode that may literally make you gag.

The point is, writer’s block doesn’t mean you’re broken. It just means your brain needs a nudge, a reset, or a laugh. And Chris and Jody are here to remind you that even the best writers, producers, and legends hit the wall sometimes. The difference is they don’t stop—they just get sneaky about how they climb over it.

So if you’ve been staring at that blank page too long, this episode is your creative rescue kit. Ten ideas, plenty of laughs, and the reassurance that you’re not alone in the struggle. By the time you’re done listening, you’ll have more than a few tricks up your sleeve to send writer’s block packing.

And hey, if all else fails? Take Chris and Jody’s advice and make noise anyway. Sometimes the worst idea in the room is the one that leads to the best song.

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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
February 24, 2023

Synths

Pros & Cons: Hardware vs Software Synths – Let’s Talk Now!

Let’s be honest: nothing splits a room of producers faster than the words “hardware vs. software synths.” On one side you’ve got the purists—the diehards who wax poetic about analog circuits, wood panels, and “the warmth you can feel in your bones.” On the other, you’ve got the digital disciples, clicking their way through infinite presets, grinning about recall and asking, “Do I really need to dust my synth if it lives in a laptop?”

This week on Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody stroll straight into the controversy with the confidence of two guys who’ve twisted enough knobs (both real and virtual) to know what’s hype and what’s useful. They’re not afraid to admit that both sides have their perks—and their pain points.

First up: hardware. Ah, the romance of plugging in a Moog, Prophet, or Juno and letting the voltage flow. There’s nothing quite like the tactile feel of turning a real knob, hearing a filter sweep morph under your fingertips, or watching lights flicker as the room vibrates with analog mojo. But let’s not kid ourselves—hardware comes with baggage. It’s heavy. It’s expensive. It doesn’t fit in your carry-on. And heaven forbid you need to recall yesterday’s patch in a session—good luck recreating that happy accident.

Now, software synths. The underdogs that grew up to dominate modern production. VSTs like Serum, Omnisphere, Diva, and countless others can live inside your laptop, ready to summon entire orchestras or alien soundscapes at 2 a.m. Software is flexible, affordable, and infinitely expandable. But it’s not without flaws. Clicking a mouse doesn’t exactly scream “rock star performance,” and let’s face it: sometimes the presets can feel a little… sterile.

Chris and Jody don’t just stop at pros and cons—they dig into practical applications. Hardware tends to shine in live setups where the immediacy of hands-on control adds energy (and spectacle) to the performance. Software, meanwhile, thrives in the studio, where instant recall, layering, and endless sound design options keep the creative flow moving. The duo shares which side of the fence they personally lean toward, how they combine both worlds, and why the smartest producers aren’t picking a fight—they’re picking the right tool for the job.

And let’s not ignore what the big-name producers are doing. Some swear by walls of vintage synths like shrines to electronic gods, while others make chart-topping hits entirely “in the box.” Spoiler alert: it’s not about bragging rights, it’s about results.

Expect some laughs, some jabs at both camps, and a few hot takes that may ruffle feathers. (Yes, we said it: sometimes your $199 plug-in sounds better than your $5,000 analog beast. Deal with it.) But underneath the jokes is solid advice: don’t let the gear debate derail your creativity. Hardware or software, knobs or mouse clicks—use whatever gets you to the sound in your head.

At the end of the day, music isn’t about which side of the fence you’re on. It’s about what comes out of the speakers. Chris and Jody are here to remind you that whether you’re twiddling a knob, clicking a mouse, or doing both at the same time, the point is the same: make something that moves people.

So grab your favorite synth—hardware, software, or both—and get ready for some laughs, some insight, and maybe a little controversy. This episode is proof that in the war of synths, the only side that matters is yours.

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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
February 17, 2023

Microphones

Unveiling The Secrets of Choosing The Right Vocal Mic

A voice enters the room. Unshaped. Untamed. Waiting.
It carries the story of the singer, the weight of intention, the spark of melody. Yet, before it becomes the performance we hear through headphones or speakers, it must pass through a gatekeeper: the vocal mic.

The microphone is more than a tool. It is a character in the recording process—sometimes a gentle ally, sometimes a stern interrogator, sometimes a trickster exposing every imperfection. Choosing the right vocal mic is not simply about budget or brand. It is about the alchemy between human tone and mechanical translation.

Chris and Jody know this dance well. Over the years, they’ve sat across from countless mics, watching them either elevate a performance into something timeless—or crush it under the weight of incompatibility. In this episode of Inside the Recording Studio, they detail their own journey of learning how to choose the right vocal microphone. It’s not a story of always getting it right, but of discovery, adjustment, and listening deeply.

Each type of mic brings a distinct personality. The ribbon, with its soft and smoky embrace, can turn harshness into velvet but sometimes smothers the brilliance of an airy vocal. The condenser, precise and crystalline, reveals every crack, breath, and whisper—both blessing and curse. The dynamic, rugged and loyal, thrives in grit and punch, capturing soul without fuss. And then there are tube mics, warm and glowing, like analog storytellers humming beneath the surface of a track.

But this is not only about categories. It’s about connection. About how a mic pairs with a voice the way wine pairs with food—sometimes complementary, sometimes transformative, sometimes disastrous. Chris and Jody explore what happens when the wrong mic meets the wrong voice: the brittle highs that slice, the muddy lows that blur, the sterile mids that erase character. And they celebrate the moments when the perfect match occurs, when a singer leans into the capsule and magic arrives.

Modern technology changes the landscape. Today’s home studio gear offers options once reserved for major studios. Mic modeling systems allow us to audition legendary tones with the click of a mouse. Shootouts can be done virtually, letting us explore characters we may never physically own. Even hidden features in studio gear—like variable polar patterns or pad switches—become tools for sculpting the relationship between voice and mic.

Chris and Jody don’t just speak to engineers in multimillion-dollar rooms. They speak to anyone chasing authenticity in sound—whether you’re at a kitchen table with a modest interface or in a treated studio with racks of options. They share their approaches, their mistakes, their preferences, and the small details that make all the difference.

There is poetry in this process. A mic is not just hardware. It is a mirror, a filter, a co-writer of the song. Choosing the right one requires patience, curiosity, and humility. It asks us to listen not only to the singer, but to the relationship between singer and machine.

So what mic do you choose? The one that doesn’t just capture a voice, but reveals it. That’s the journey Chris and Jody unpack here. Imperfect, unpredictable, but endlessly rewarding.

The following are examples of what the ML-1 mic models sound like without EQ, compression or mic pres – just the raw audio and the type of mic model only. Best to listen in a good environment so you can hear how each mic changes the quality of the voice.

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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