

Recording Studio Rockstars
Lij Shaw
Lij Shaw Interviews music producers, engineers, studio owners, and other professionals to bring you inspiring stories, tricks, and insights from the recording studio. So that you can take your recordings to the next level and become a rockstar of the recording studio yourself! - Guests: Vance Powell, Michael Beinhorn, Russell Wolff, Graham Cochrane, Joe Gilder, Björgvin Benediktsson, and many more...
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 18, 2019 • 1h 59min
RSR215 - Jessica Tomasin - Managing Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville NC
My guest today is Jessica Tomasin, manager at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in beautiful Asheville NC. Under her direction, the studio has evolved into a world-class destination featuring a full range of digital and analog capabilities with an amazing selection of gear and a wide variety of credits like War On Drugs, The Avett Brothers, Dierks Bentley, Iron and Wine, Flogging Molly, Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers, and many more. And through volunteering and establishing private companies and non-profit organizations, she is committed to helping the future of music and promoting the city as a musical destination. Jessica also co-founded the Asheville Music Professionals, a non-profit organization committed to providing education, advocacy, connection, and collaboration in the music community. She is also the co-owner of ACME, a publishing company that helps to connect artists with licensing opportunities. In 2013 she was chosen as Entrepreneur of the Year by the City of Asheville/Chamber of Commerce for her work in music. In 2014 she started Jet Up Productions, a full service event management and production company, and has curated a number of festivals and events each year such as The Breeder's Cup, Asheville Goombay Festival, Beer City Festival, Brewgrass, RHS Community Foundation Fundraiser featuring Gladys Knight and Little Big Town, and many other projects. Her latest event, Connect Beyond Festival, is an arts and literature festival featuring creative talent from around the world with a mission to inspire change for social justice through music, film, art and literature. Thanks to our sponsors! WhisperRoom: https://whisperroom.com Get 10% off the 4x4 or 4x6 booths now when you mention Recording Studio Rockstars: http://whisperroom.com Eventide: https://www.eventideaudio.com OWC - Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com Hear more on Youtube If you love the podcast, then please Leave a review on iTunes here CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES AT: http://RSRockstars.com/215

Oct 11, 2019 • 1h 49min
RSR214 - Kim Rosen - Mastering Grammy Winning Records from a Home Studio
My guest today is Kim Rosen a mastering engineer working out of her own studio, Knack Mastering, located in Ringwood, NJ. Kim's mastered six Grammy® nominated albums in the past four years; one winning for Best Folk Album (Aimee Mann), three nominated in Best Blues Album categories (Bettye LaVette, Victor Wainwright and Theresa James) as well as two nominations in the Best Engineered Album/Non-Classical category (Bonnie Raitt and The Milk Carton Kids). Kim grew up in Northampton, Massachusetts and poured herself into the vibrant college music scene. In the summer of 2002, a friend turned her on to a mastering studio in NJ that was looking for an intern. Kim jumped at the opportunity, moved to NJ and began her journey at West West Side Music with Alan Douches (RSR092). In 2009, after working her way up to Staff Mastering Engineer at West West Side, Kim decided to go out on her own and has built a growing list of clients that includes producers and engineers such as Ryan Freeland, Ed Cherney, Joe Henry, Matt Ross-Spang, Paul Q. Kolderie and artists such as Rhiannon Giddens, Aimee Mann, Belly, Bonnie Raitt, Billy Bragg, Wynonna Judd, The Birds of Chicago, The Barr Brothers, Over The Rhine, Sarah Jaffe, Anthony Green and Title Fight. Thanks to our sponsors! WhisperRoom: https://whisperroom.com Get 10% off the 4x4 or 4x6 booths now when you mention Recording Studio Rockstars: http://whisperroom.com Eventide: https://www.eventideaudio.com OWC - Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com Hear more on Youtube If you love the podcast, then please Leave a review on iTunes here CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES AT: http://RSRockstars.com/214

Oct 4, 2019 • 1h 31min
RSR213 - Tommy Womack - Government Cheese, Indie Rock, and Writing Good Songs
My guest today is Tommy Womack A Singer-songwriter, author, humorist and Kentucky native Tommy Womack got his start in 1985 to 1992 with legendary Bowling Green based post-punk and college radio faves, Government Cheese (who's story is immortalized in Tommy's cult classic book "Cheese Chronicles"). Upon moving to Nashville in 1992, Tommy's become known for his long working relationship with Will Kimbrough, starting with their bands the bis-quits (who made one classic album for John Prine's Oh Boy label in 1993), and their band Daddy, who have made two albums and enjoy a cult following. Since 1998, Tommy has released seven solo albums, the latest being the brand-new "Namaste". He looks forward to the back half of 2016 with new songs from that record to play, in addition to such proven past show-stoppers as "Nice Day", "Vicky Smith Blues" and "Alpha Male & the Canine Mystery Blood." In addition to "Cheese Chronicles", Tommy is the author of the comic Civil War novella "The Lavender Boys & Elsie", and the recently published "Dust Bunnies". He has written for many magazines, including the Oxford American, and is a regular contributor to The East Nashvillian. Thanks to our sponsors! WhisperRoom: https://whisperroom.com Get 10% off the 4x4 or 4x6 booths now when you mention Recording Studio Rockstars: http://whisperroom.com Eventide: https://www.eventideaudio.com OWC - Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy Hear more on Youtube If you love the podcast, then please Leave a review on iTunes here CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES AT: http://RSRockstars.com/213

Sep 27, 2019 • 1h 59min
RSR212 - Matt McQueen - How to Do Music and Video at Your Studio
My guest today is Matt McQueen a studio owner, recording engineer, music producer, and videographer who built his studio in 2013 in an abandoned church located in the mountains of a rural East Tennessee town. The building has a 30 x 50' live room with 24' high ceilings and large old wooden rafters. Matt has recently gone full time with his studio having had plenty of experience creating music but also creating content as a videographer for other producers like Warren Huart and Glenn Fricker. This has led him to create his own video channel for his studio to help promote local artists and bands. We live in a world where social media and YouTube channels can be an important part of our musical output. So I'm psyched to talk with Matt today about making the leap to go full time in music and also see what we can learn about creating content for our own studios and artists that we work with. And of course we will be digging into his process for recording and mixing too. Thanks to our sponsors! OWC - Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com JZ Microphones - https://usashop.jzmic.com/ use coupon: ROCKSTAR at checkout for 50% off JZ vintage series microphones. RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com Hear more on Youtube If you love the podcast then please Leave a review on iTunes here CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES AT: http://RSRockstars.com/212

Sep 20, 2019 • 1h 56min
RSR211 - Rolff Zwiep - Managing Blackbird Studio in Nashville
My guest today is Rolff Zwiep who moved to Nashville as a musician/songwriter, and small business owner founding Technical Knock Out Products, a musicians accessory sales and manufacturing business. Working his way through 'real jobs' in the industry as a cartage tech, freelance stage hand & stage manager, production manager with the Nashville Symphony, and working in and managing a number of music/entertainment based service businesses. In 2004 Rolff launched Blackbird Studio's audio equipment rental business with John McBride and in 2015 assumed his current role as Blackbird Studio manager working with clients including major labels, publishing companies, indie artists and bands, film/video production companies and studio themed events. I've known Rolff for nearly 25 years and he has even helped me put together my Hay Bale Studio at Bonnaroo before when we needed to rent lots of awesome gear. I'm psyched to learn more about managing a professional studio and gain some business wisdom and insights today. Thanks to our sponsors! OWC - Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com JZ Microphones - https://usashop.jzmic.com/ use coupon: ROCKSTAR at checkout for 50% off JZ vintage series microphones. RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com Hear more on Youtube If you love the podcast then please Leave a review on iTunes here CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES AT: http://RSRockstars.com/211

Sep 13, 2019 • 2h 6min
RSR210 - Billy Decker - Speed Mixing #1 Hits Inside Pro Tools
My guest today is Billy Decker originally from Nebraska. He studied criminal justice before following his calling in music to become one of the highest ranking students at Full Sail Center for the Recording Arts in 1992. Then in 1994, Decker moved to Nashville where he's been working ever since. Billy has mixed 14 #1s to date - most recently, Chris Young's "Losing Sleep". He has mixed for Kenny Chesney, Darius Rucker, Jason Aldean. Jaime Lynne Spears, and Sam Hunt making history in July of 2014 when Sam Hunt became the most added new artist of all time. Billy had the honour to mix George Jones's last album before he died. Billy also makes signature mixing plugins for Joey Sturgis Tones where you can find all in one tools for Drums, Bass, Guitars, Vocals that model Billy's tried and true methods for mixing quickly to get that hit country sound that he is so well known for. Thanks to our sponsors! OWC - Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com JZ Microphones - https://usashop.jzmic.com/ use coupon: ROCKSTAR at checkout for 50% off JZ vintage series microphones. RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com Hear more on Youtube If you love the podcast then please Leave a review on iTunes here CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES AT: http://RSRockstars.com/210

Sep 6, 2019 • 2h 8min
RSR209 - Colt Capperrune - Empowering Artists and Producing Guitar Driven Music In Nashville
My guest today is Colt Capperrune who for the past 18 years has been a FOH engineer, studio engineer, live guitarist, and songwriter. His focus these days is Producing, Mixing, Session guitarist, Artist Development, and Mastering. In the past several years you could add Social Media Influencer to that list too. He produced his first record when he was 19, and has now charted Top 40 on Billboard, had #1's on iTunes, Amazon, and other radio charts. He has spoken at Belmont University, and is super passionate about developing artists so they make a living from their music. His website even makes a point of showing before and after examples of starting with a worktape for an artists and developing a finished production. I connected with Colt recently through another guest on the show Daniel Ford, and I'm psyched to talk about producing awesome guitar records and whatever else we can come up with. Thanks to our sponsors! OWC - Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com JZ Microphones - https://usashop.jzmic.com/ use coupon: ROCKSTAR at checkout for 50% off JZ vintage series microphones. RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com Hear more on Youtube If you love the podcast then please Leave a review on iTunes here CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES AT: http://RSRockstars.com/209

Aug 30, 2019 • 2h 3min
RSR208 - Andy VanDette - Awesome Mastering Advice for Home Studio Mixes
My guest today is Andy VanDette a mastering engineer who started his career interning at the legendary Masterdisk under Bob Ludwig. After completing his degree in Tonmeister Studies, he was hired full time. During the CD's explosion, he spent time with other mastering luminaries -Tony Dawsey, Howie Weinberg, Greg Fulginiti, Greg Calbi, and Vlado Meller. He learned more than just how to Master and cut vinyl. He observed their perspectives on processing and musicality. By the time the MFiT standard was introduced, Andy had been Chief Engineer for 14 years and had mastered classic albums from the Beastie Boys, Uncle Kracker, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, Rush, Deep Purple, Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater, and more. Andy has spoken at audio schools, AES conventions. Interviewed for the New York times, Ars Technica, SonicScoop.com, MusicPlayers.com, and presented "Friends Don't Let Friends Press Bad Vinyl" at SXSW 2015. Thanks to our sponsors! OWC - Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com JZ Microphones - https://usashop.jzmic.com/ use coupon: ROCKSTAR at checkout for 50% off JZ vintage series microphones. RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com Hear more on Youtube If you love the podcast then please Leave a review on iTunes here CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES AT: http://RSRockstars.com/208

Aug 23, 2019 • 2h 8min
RSR207 - Tim Dolbear - Eclectica Studio Design and Mixing Advice with Analog Tape
My guest today is Tim Dolbear who cut his musical teeth playing live with people such as Sammy Hagar, and in the studio with his mentor, producer Keith Olsen. Currently, he works with both labels and independent artists, and receives projects from all over the world. Since 1999, He has owned and operated Eclectica Studios, originally located in Los Angeles, operations were moved to Austin TX in 2006. In 2019 Eclectica Studios moved to its current location in Nashville. Tim is a guest lecturer for audio production at many colleges throughout N America including Blackbird Academy, NYU and SAE. Tim is also a published writer who writes for MIX, Sound on Sound, and Professional Sound Magazine. I met Tim recently through Mark Rubel at Blackbird Academy. So thanks again Mark! Thanks to our sponsors! OWC - Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com JZ Microphones - https://usashop.jzmic.com/ use coupon: ROCKSTAR at checkout for 50% off JZ vintage series microphones. RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com Hear more on Youtube If you love the podcast then please Leave a review on iTunes here CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES AT: http://RSRockstars.com/207

Aug 16, 2019 • 1h 40min
RSR206 - Steve Albini - How To Mix a Record
My guest today is Steve Albini musician engineer and owner of Electrical Audio in Chicago. Steve is known for his love of analog tape and extensive discography that includes artists like Nirvana, The Pixies, The Breeders, Robert Plant & Jimmy Page, The Stooges, Cheap Tick, and PJ Harvey to name only a few of more than a thousand records he has made spanning the past 40 years. Steve has also been a previous guest on the podcast when we talked about his start in recording and creating Electrical Audio. So please check out that episode RSR078. He also makes time to speak publicly about music and recording and teaches as well through Mix With The Masters. So on today's episode I thought I would focus more on mixing and see what we can learn about mixing records on analog tape through consoles and also how that might inform the decisions we make when mixing digitally in the computer as well (or not). Thanks to our sponsors! OWC - Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com JZ Microphones - https://usashop.jzmic.com/ use coupon: ROCKSTAR at checkout for 50% off JZ vintage series microphones. RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com Hear more on Youtube If you love the podcast then please Leave a review on iTunes here CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES AT: http://RSRockstars.com/206


