music production balance - Inside The Recording Studio

Confession time: how many compressor plugins do you actually need? One? Two? Six? Let’s be real—you probably have a “go-to” compressor and five others you bought during a flash sale because someone on YouTube said it was life-changing. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Chris and Jody are right there with you in this week’s episode of Inside the Recording Studio, tackling the hilarious, slightly painful truth about gear addiction in music production.

Let’s paint the picture. You open your DAW, scroll through your plugin folder, and realize you’ve somehow collected enough EQs to start your own virtual museum. You tell yourself each one “has a different color” (translation: it’s slightly shinier than the last). Meanwhile, your mixes still hinge on the same three plugins you’ve used for years. And guitars? Don’t even start. That “backup” guitar? It has three backups of its own.

This episode is all about calling out the obsession we all share—the need to collect, collect, and collect some more. Chris and Jody ask the uncomfortable but necessary questions:

Does more gear actually make you a better mixer or songwriter?
Why do we keep buying shiny new toys while ignoring the hidden features in studio gear we already own?
And when is “just in case” actually code for “I’ll never use this, but it looks cool in my rack”?

They’ll swap stories about plugin overload, forgotten purchases, and the sobering reality of discovering licenses for tools they don’t even remember buying. (Yes, it happens.) They’ll also share practical ideas on how to prune your collection, focus on what actually improves your workflow, and get back to what matters most—making music, not scrolling menus.

But don’t expect a lecture. This is Inside the Recording Studio, after all. You’ll get plenty of laughs, playful digs at gear addiction, and the kind of nonsense that makes self-reflection just a little less painful. After all, admitting you might be a gear hoarder is easier when Chris and Jody are joking right along with you.

At the end of the day, this episode isn’t about shaming you for that seventh guitar pedal or your fifth reverb plugin. It’s about reminding ourselves that great music comes from skill, creativity, and intent—not the size of your plugin folder. Or as Chris and Jody put it: too much gear sometimes means too little music.

So before you buy that next “essential” bundle, hit play on this brutally honest (and very funny) conversation. Your wallet—and maybe your mixes—will thank 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

In the modern recording landscape, we’re spoiled for choice. Plugins, hardware, virtual instruments, sample libraries, mixing suites—the list is endless. But is more always better? In this episode of Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody take a thoughtful look at the overload of music tools available to today’s producers, engineers, and musicians.

They ask the questions many of us avoid: Do we really need all these options? Does having too many choices help creativity—or paralyze it? And more importantly, how do you strike a healthy balance between embracing new technology and relying on tried-and-true methods that keep you productive?

From the perspective of seasoned pros, Chris and Jody break down how they personally navigate the sea of plugins and gear. They talk about curating their toolkits, knowing when to add something new, and knowing when to stop chasing the latest shiny thing. Along the way, they’ll share recording setup tips, highlight some hidden features in studio gear that are often overlooked, and reflect on how restraint can actually sharpen creativity.

This isn’t about gear shaming—it’s about workflow clarity. You’ll hear about the role of home studio gear in modern production, when too many plugin folders become a burden instead of a benefit, and why mastering engineers sometimes succeed by keeping their toolchains minimal. And, as always, you’ll get a dose of humor, banter, and a little nonsense as Chris and Jody wrestle with their own gear temptations.

If your DAW looks like a candy store but you still find yourself stuck, this episode is a reminder that sometimes the best music comes not from having everything—but from knowing how to use what you already have.

The Truth About Gear Addiction: Do You Really Need All Those Plugins?

From Overwhelm to Outstanding: Mastering the Madness of Endless Music Tools!