Unstoppable Recording Machine Podcast

Nick Pilotta (URM Academy, The Wade Studio) is on the show to make sure you don’t end up the subject of just another intern horror story. Whether we’re talking the audio industry or not, there are opportunities out there being left on the table by people that aren’t willing or capable of grabbing them. If you know your shit and you’re not a punisher, then having a willingness to put in the time can pay off in dividends. Nick is definitely a prime example of how you can turn an internship into a career that could last you a lifetime. “You have to make your own opportunity, or else nothing will really come.” - Nick Pilotta ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - How to show, through internship work, that you’re someone worth paying - Getting the most out of the intern experience - Dealing with stigma related to coming out of a music school - How Nick got to the point of working with URM and Andrew Wade - Time management while building your career - Getting through moments when success feels impossible - And much

Beau Burchell has Phil Sgrosso (As I Lay Dying, Wovenwar, Poison Headache) in the hot seat this time, for a wide ranging discussion about his career and the amazing productions he’s been a part of. Phil has built a career for himself that’s allowed him to have the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in metal production. He hasn’t just been sitting on his laurels as an amazing guitarist though; he’s also branched out into other paths that have presented themselves, such as management. If you’re a musician looking to adopt some great philosophies for maintaining a successful career this is a conversation you’re going to want to hear. “Gear and I have always had this weird relationship, that I don’t really like it.” - Phil Sgrosso ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Phil’s experiences working with producers like Colin Richardson and Adam D - Balancing production and mixing - Elevating songwriting and production by listening to feedback - Dialing in guitar tones - Pivoting to other career opport

Brian Slagel of Metal Blade Records joins the show to talk about his past, present, and future, and we discuss his new book, For The Sake of Heaviness: The History of Metal Blade Records. Brian and Metal Blade have been a pivotal part of the metal genre for decades. From the early days of Metallica and Slayer to the institution that Metal Blade is today, this man has seen it all. It’s an honor to have him on board to discuss the perseverance his climb has taken, what the place of record labels is in the industry now, and why a love of the music is integral to success. “If you would have told any of us starting in ‘82/‘83, you know - Slayer, Metallica, Motley Crue, anybody that was in L.A. at the time - that this would go on to be such a huge thing, and that we’d still be talking about this stuff 35 years later we all would have said that you were completely nuts.” - Brian Slagel ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - How perseverance played a role in the rise of Metal Blade - The importance of loving what you

Kurt Ballou is here to answer your questions and chew bubble gum, and he’s all out of bubble gum. Want Kurt to answer your questions? Send them to eyal@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Kurt.” The more detailed the better! “Whenever people ask me about what gear they should get when they’re putting together a studio, I tell them they really should not skip on their monitors and monitoring environment, because if you can’t hear what’s going on properly then you’ll never make good decisions.” - Kurt Ballou ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Kurt’s approach to deciding how much input to give when producing - Switching between engineer and musician hats while recording yourself - Dealing with phase issues between mics - Getting aggressive drum room sounds - Kurt’s essential gear suggestions - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kris Crummett is in the driver’s seat today to answer your production questions. Want Kris to answer your questions? Send them to eyal@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Kris.” The more detailed the better! “I think it’s really important as a producer to assess songs, and assess a situation one by one, and not really have a mindset going into things that you’re going to do this or that to songs, because that can be pretty detrimental.” - Kris Crummett ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Kris’s vocal productions secrets - Drum and sample selection - Dealing with the imperfections of guitar tuning - Kris’s perspective on getting in depth with songwriting - Running outboard gear live - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Beau Burchell train keeps on rolling for this discussion with producer Rick King about faking it till you make it, breaking out of genre boxes, and essential gear. We all know that the grind can be rough. It’s important to figure out what your goals are, steps you can take to make them a reality, and to feel confident in your ability to do so. Rick and Beau both impart a lot of knowledge in this discussion on those elements of building one’s career. “All the chaos is crazy to deal with, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” - Rick King ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - How Rick overcame adversity to establish his studio - Dealing with band arguments about hypotheticals - When it’s ok to say no to projects and why that can be a good thing - The struggles of getting jobs in genres that you don’t already have ties to - Test mixes - Essential gear - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finn Mckenty has the life and career answers you crave. Want Finn to answer your questions? Send them to eyal@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Finn.” The more detailed the better! “What is the challenge? Why is it a challenge? How do I overcome the challenge?” - Finn Mckenty ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Making music a full time career - Marketing yourself - The value of helping others - Strategies for dealing with social anxiety - Passive income strategies - Standing out from the crowd - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beau Burchell takes the reins for a discussion with producer/mixer/engineer Jeremy SH Griffith about strategies for becoming a well rounded audio professional. Jeremy has purposefully developed his career so that he’s involved in a wide variety of types of music, from worship music to heavy bands such as Norma Jean. In this episode, he and Beau discuss how his career progressed to get there, what it brings to the table, and the parts of his job that it makes more difficult. “I want to enforce the way that I feel about the songs, in a constructive way, but I don’t want to do it in a demeaning or a negative way anymore. Period.” - Jeremy SH Griffith ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - How Jeremy navigated the early stages of his career - The AllMusic credit struggle - The value of working in a variety of genres - Getting bands to come back for more - How does location affect opportunities? - Jeremy and Beau’s hybrid mixing approaches - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! L

On this edition, we’re doubling your podcast value with a round table discussion with Nolly Getgood and Ermin Hamidovic. Nolly and Ermin have both been amazing contributors for URM, and it felt like a great time to have both of them back. This time out we’re really digging into the mixing/mastering relationship, learning to maximize focus, mental health and maintaining your well being, and answers to a number of your mixing and mastering questions. It’s a great conversation, that goes way beyond just audio and into topics that really apply to everyone. “I think there comes a certain point where, if you want to be a truly good producer, be very aware of the clients you’re working with and be aiming for whatever it is that’s their goal rather than your personal ones.” - Nolly Getgood ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - The relationship between Nolly’s mixing and Ermin’s mastering - Techniques for focusing - Nolly’s views on meditation - Maintaining mental health - Studio One - Devin Townsend’s vocal tracks -

Joey Sturgis provides the answers to your most pressing questions. Want Joey to answer your questions? Send them to joey@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Joey.” The more detailed the better! “What we do as producers and engineers is not just pressing buttons and stuff; it’s being able to put together content and material in an artistic way. - Joey Sturgis ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Business resources and phantom mentors - Guitar and vocal secret sauce - Getting more exciting DIs - Apple mastering tools - Getting mixes that translate well - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mick Gordon, the composer and mastermind behind the soundtracks for Doom, Prey, Wolfenstein and a slew of other video games joins us to delve into his creative process. Efficiency, vigorous work ethic, and the ability to craft music that connects on an emotional level are elements that exist very rarely in one artist. Mick has achieved the level of success he has because he encompasses all these traits, and it’s great to have him on board for a discussion about what it takes to get to the top and how to maintain your health and sanity while doing it. “My biggest advice would be to really tap into how music makes you feel, not just the technicalities behind making the music.” - Mick Gordon ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Coming up with a plan, and being able to alter that plan when needed - Mick’s blocking approach to work scheduling - Bludgeoning your way through projects vs. efficiency - How Mick got into the video game music industry - The importance of getting out of your studio - Writing music that

Kristian "Kohle" Kohlmannslehner joins us for a long awaited discussion about how to keep things fresh in extreme genres. It’s difficult to stand out from the crowd in extreme metal productions. Conventions often take precedence over experimentation. Kohle is certainly a producer that manages to bring originality to every production he touches. His perspectives on how to keep work fresh and avoid burnout, finding a production’s unique voice, and getting bands to be invested in finding new ways to do things make for some intriguing conversation. “If you keep on working and working and working you get lost and repeat yourself.” - Kohle ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Producing vs. engineering extreme metal - Gaining client trust - Experimenting to find interesting character, rather than just “better” tone - Avoiding burnout through smart scheduling and varying your tasks - Layering guitar tones - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Vis

Grammy nominated engineer and Pro Audio Files contributor Matthew Weiss joins the podcast for some genre bending discussion. Successful producers and engineers understand that there is a massive benefit to being well versed in multiple genres. Even if you’re working primarily in one genre, at least being aware of production techniques and career strategies that are more prevalent in other genres will pay off. Matthew is knocking out killer mixes in hip hop and edm, and his perspectives on career, audio, getting clients, and education are things you should listen to regardless of what you’re working on. “Working on getting work is 50% of my job.” - Matthew Weiss ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - How to approach “high risk” projects - Working on getting work - Tackling music on all fronts - Genre differences and universal truths - Pro Audio Files - Matthew’s tips for mixing hip hop and edm - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega

Beau Burchell (Saosin) is taking over for this episode to provide all the answers to your audio questions. Want Beau to answer your questions? Send them to eyal@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Beau.” The more detailed the better! “Sometimes the key to a great guitar sound is actually a cool drum sound that supports it. Or sometimes the key to making a muddy guitar sound great is maybe letting the bass take a back seat.” - Beau Burchell ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Constructing a building for your studio - Beau’s interface recommendations - Axe FX tone tips - Beau’s approach to vocal tracking - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juan “Punchy” Gonzalez has tons of amazing insight from his time as a live audio engineer, tour manager, and overall renaissance man, and we’re stoked to have him on board to share some of it. There are some guys in various parts of the audio industry that just exude expertise. Punchy is one of those guys. From keeping your band safe, to sounding great on stage, to maintaining a reputation as someone that individuals in the industry want to work with, and on and on. He’s got enough nuggets of wisdom to fill fifty podcast episodes. “Those who have their shit together prevail.” - Eyal Levi ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Union venues - Taking a musical approach to live sound engineering - Punchy’s basics for dialing in a room - Tour managing, and staying on top of the specifics of your touring situation - Band time management - Touring in foreign markets - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Periphery drum god and entrepreneur, Matt Halpern, joins us for this episode to talk about successfully navigating the precariously shifting music industry. Matt’s approach to entrepreneurship is inspiring. A lot of people are paralyzed out of attempting new things due to fear of failure, but Matt’s problem solving approach to things means failure is just another opportunity to learn. We talk about the importance of taking risks, where the industry is heading, how to make smart entrepreneurial decisions, and a whole lot more. “I like taking risk. I like the opportunity to fail, because there’s always something to learn from that.” - Matt Halpern ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Where the industry is going - Embracing the possibility of failure - Matt’s advice for keeping up energy while playing and avoiding wrist pain - Time management and “sprinting” effectively - Productivity as leisure - What to keep in mind when starting your own company - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment

On this special edition of the podcast Eyal and Joel dig into URM Academy’s first standalone course, Speed Mixing. https://unstoppablerecordingmachine.clickfunnels.com/get-speed-mixing-of “The entire thing is designed for you to get better and get better fast.” - Joel Wanasek ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - What you get with the Speed Mixing course - Why being able to mix quickly matters more now than ever - The value of reading the damn manual - Systemizing client interactions to ensure you keep your pace and get paid - Knowing when to trust your impulses - Templates - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Producer/engineer/songwriter Dino Medanhodzic talks about what it’s like to walk between genres and how to kill it regardless. We got numerous requests from our Swedish listeners and many others to get Dino on here, and it’s easy to see why. It’s rare to encounter a producer that effectively works in pop and metal, but our discussion with Dino demonstrates how, if you build a rock solid foundation to your production principles, you can be more effective at pretty much everything that’s thrown your way. “Arrangement for me is everything. If the arrangement is horrible… I can’t fix that.” - Dino Medanhodzic ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - The studio as a way to combat introversion and anxiety - Dino’s approach to taming the high end - Recording drums and creating samples - Transitioning to Reaper - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Zimmer is taking charge for this episode to answer all your vocal related questions. Want Mary to answer your questions? Send them to Eyal@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Mary.” The more detailed the better. “The sickest screams are the ones that have the most correct technique.” - Mary Zimmer ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Recommendations for producers that want to be able to communicate better with singers - The possibility of extending vocal range downward - Tips for dealing with vocalist insecurities - Vocal health guidelines - How mood and audience participation can affect performance - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Wanasek has the answers you need to make sure you stay #nosmalltime. Want Joel to answer your questions? Send them to Joel@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Joel.” The more detailed the better! “A song, to me - a great song - is like a story.” - Joel Wanasek ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Speed mixing - How to effectively promote your services - Approaching songs as stories that you’re crafting to maintain listener interest - Transitioning from an hourly to a day rate - Finding a commercial space for your studio - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices