Shiny New Gear: When to Use It & When to Hold Back

We’ve all been there: You finally get your hands on that shiny new plugin, synth, or piece of outboard gear, and suddenly… you want to use it on everything. But should you?

In this episode of Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody wade through the muddy waters of gear obsession to answer some important questions:

Does every song really need that new effect, plugin, or instrument?
Do sleigh bells belong in everything, or should they stay in Christmas songs?
Are you buying gear for a real need—or just chasing the thrill of something new?

They’ll break down the psychology behind gear purchases, how to integrate new tools effectively, and when it’s time to resist the urge to throw the kitchen sink into your mix.

Of course, it wouldn’t be an episode without some nonsense, unexpected tangents, and a Friday Find or two.

So if you’ve ever wondered whether that new compressor is a game-changer or just another dust collector, this episode is 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