Everyone loves the idea that “back in the day” recordings were more professional. Big studios, serious engineers, real consoles, musicians who rehearsed, and fewer tools to hide behind. But is that actually why those records feel so good… or are we mixing up “professional,” “better,” and “more human”?

In this episode, we unpack a listener comment that turns into a bigger conversation about source material, limitations, modern workflows, and why some top engineers are actually using fewer plugins than ever.

What We Dig Into:

• What “professional recording” really means (and how the definition changes over time)

• Why the sonic bar is higher in 2026 than it’s ever been

• The hidden downside of unlimited plugins and endless options

• Why older records often feel more “human” (performance, commitment, interaction)

• The “fix it later” mindset and how it changes how people record

• Why limitations can lead to faster decisions and stronger mixes

• How channel strips can force better listening (and better choices)

• The cumulative effect: one channel strip vs 24 across a session

• A real-world challenge: mix with only a channel strip (and compare results)

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We started this episode the way all professional audio conversations begin… by accidentally starting a mini civil war at breakfast over hash browns. Then we pivot into two really solid listener questions: one about whether a mixer still matters in 2026 (and what it can actually do for you in a home studio), and another about amp sims, effects order, and proper gain staging when recording DI guitars.

• Why a mixer can still be super useful today, even if you mix “in the box”

• The best modern use cases: tracking, monitoring, more inputs, zero-latency headphone mixes

• When it makes sense to use the mixer as your main interface

• Console reality check: does summing actually help, or is it just “try it and see”?

• Amp sim workflow 1: commit the sound while recording (like a real amp)

• Amp sim workflow 2: record clean DI first, then dial tones later (commitment-free)

• Gain staging basics for amp sims: hit the input sweet spot, then control output so you’re not cooking the channel

• Chunky vs shredded hash browns: the debate nobody asked for, but everybody needed

• Pineapple on pizza: friendships were tested

• The “mint condition SSL” running joke (first owner, minimal kilometers, maybe some tears)

• Waffle House wisdom: “I used to could.” (Legendary.)

Richard (Barrie, Ontario):
“Why is there never talk about the actual mixer? Is it just a conduit for ins and outs, or can it help during mixing? I just bought a Mackie… what can I take advantage of?”

Callen:
“I record DI guitar and use Amplitube / VST Amp Rack. Where should the amp sim go in the chain, and how do you reconcile that with gain staging?”

A mixer isn’t automatically “better” or “worse” than mixing in the DAW. It’s a tool. If it helps you track faster, monitor with zero latency, commit better sounds earlier, or simply makes the process feel better, it’s doing its job. Same with amp sims: hit the right level into the sim, keep your output sane, and choose whether you’re committing now or later.

👉 Got a question for us?
📩 Submit it here: Form Link
We pull topics directly from your questions and YouTube comments.

And if you’re digging the show, hit follow/subscribe and leave a quick review.
It really helps more home studio folks find Studio Stuff.

AI is no longer a “someday” conversation. It’s already baked into tools we use, workflows we rely on, and decisions we’re making in the home studio, whether we call it AI or not.

In this episode, we break the whole thing down like producers, not philosophers. Where does AI actually help? Where does it get in the way? And what parts of the process still need a human with taste, intention, and a point of view?

• The moment AI went from “cool trick” to “daily reality”

• Songwriting vs demoing: where AI can speed things up fast

• Why AI drums still don’t feel like a real drummer (even after editing)

• Production mindset shift: “I can fix that later” as a creative unlock

• Mixing with AI-assisted plugins: when it’s just a better starting point

• Mastering with Ozone: why “perfect” doesn’t always sound right

• The difference between tools, presets, and true AI (and why it’s confusing)

• The “Canadian sorry” story that completely broke a comedian’s set

• The “Cindy/Sandy Winters” AI song moment and the emotional reaction

• The reality check: the audience might not care, but you might

• “Everything is AI now” marketing and how to filter the noise

No listener Q&A this one, but we want your questions for the next episodes.

AI can make you faster. It can even make you better. But it still can’t replace the one thing that makes your music yours: taste, intent, and human perspective. Use it like a tool, not like a replacement.

👉 Got a question for us?
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We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

And if you’re digging the show, hit follow/subscribe and leave a quick review.
It really helps more home studio folks find Studio Stuff.

Alright… let’s talk about the question we hear constantly: “How many plugins do you use on a vocal chain?”
Because the real answer isn’t a number. It’s a mindset.

In this episode, we zoom out and talk about the categories of vocal processing that actually matter: fixing what’s broken, controlling dynamics, shaping tone, then adding space and vibe. We walk through how we think about order of operations (clip gain ➝ corrective EQ ➝ compression ➝ enhancement ➝ effects), why multiple “small” moves often beat one aggressive plugin, and how to stop chasing a “radio vocal” by stacking random inserts.

Also, we may or may not compare vocals to… turds. (You’ll understand.)

• Why plugin count is misleading (and what to focus on instead)

• The “Fix ➝ Control ➝ Enhance ➝ Effects” framework for vocals

• Why corrective EQ before compression often makes mixing easier

• How we think about two-stage compression (peaks vs leveling)

• When a second de-esser makes sense (and why it’s not “wrong”)

• How EQ placement changes everything once a vocal is controlled

• WhatsApp vs Signal vs Marco Polo… and “your everyday podcast friend”

• The “make all your turds a similar size” clip gain philosophy

• Steve’s Pro Tools insert situation (in the year of our Lord 2026)

• “Salt is awesome… until it’s too much” (aka over-processing)

Stop asking, “How many plugins do I need?”
Start asking, “What am I trying to achieve right now?”
Fix what’s distracting, control what’s unstable, enhance what’s worth highlighting, then add space that serves the song.

👉 Got a question for us?
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We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

And if you’re digging the show, hit follow/subscribe and leave a quick review.
It really helps more home studio folks find Studio Stuff.

We started this episode sipping tea and joking around… and somehow ended up in a full-on therapy session about plugins.

A listener comment kicked it off: “Sometimes it feels like I spend more time buying and setting up plugins than making music.” Yep. Been there. So we unpack where that urge comes from, why the “next plugin” feels like it’ll fix everything, and how we personally draw the line between useful tools and dopamine shopping.

And to make it extra practical, we answer a listener question about oversampling: what it is, when it matters, why it can reduce aliasing, and why enabling it everywhere can absolutely destroy your CPU.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Audient. https://audient.com/

• The biggest reasons we keep buying “one more plugin”

• How to tell if a plugin is actually helping your mixes (or just your mood)

• Why we still reach for the same familiar tools most of the time

• A simple rule to decide when a new plugin is worth it

• What oversampling is (and what aliasing actually means)

• When oversampling matters most (and when it’s overkill)

• “How do they make decaf coffee?” becomes a philosophy debate

• The “collection” trap: buy 2 more, save more, own everything

• Seeing a plugin you forgot you already bought (painful… and real)

• The “24 tracks” question: how many different EQs and compressors are you actually using?

• Why “good-looking plugins” can weirdly influence creativity

• AI plugins as the next “take my money” wave

Oversampling in plugins:
Where to use it, why it can reduce aliasing in non-linear processing (saturation/limiters), and why it’s usually not a make-or-break factor for your mixes.

Plugins aren’t going to save you. If you buy one, buy it on purpose: save time, solve a real problem, or unlock a sound you truly can’t get otherwise. And for oversampling… understand it, use it selectively, and don’t let it become the new rabbit hole.

👉 Got a question for us?
📩 Submit it here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

And if you’re digging the show, hit follow/subscribe and leave a quick review.
It really helps more home studio folks find Studio Stuff.

What happens when 17 mixers take the exact same piano-and-vocal song… and all make different reverb choices? In this episode, we break down a recent Mixdown Coaching Community mix challenge where one vocal reverb decision, or a tiny change to piano tone, completely shifted the emotion of the whole track.

We talk about why elements like vocal reverb, piano EQ, kick and snare act like “tone anchors” for your mix, why great recordings almost feel like they “mix themselves,” and how your personal taste (EDM, orchestral, analog head, etc.) shows up in every decision you make.

Plus, we tackle a listener question on pre vs post-fader sends and automation—and why we’re almost always in the post-fader camp.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Audient.

• Why vocal reverb can tilt the entire emotional center of a mix

• How piano EQ and ambience instantly change the tone of a song

• What happens when 17 mixers tackle the same stems with different tastes

• Why great performances and recordings “mix faster” and need less fixing

• The difference between mixing the song vs. mixing the plugin chain

• How to think about pre vs post-fader sends when automating reverbs and effects

• The MCC mix challenge: 17 versions of the same Malina track

• The one “roomy vocal” mix that made the whole track feel warmer and closer

• Bright vs warm piano choices on Steve’s heavily-modded Yamaha C7

• The EDM-style timed delay on piano that changed the groove completely

• The vintage, mid-focused vocal mix vs the more hi-fi, digital-leaning takes

• Why we’re seeing MCC members’ mixes get closer and more “mature” over time

• Good song + good performance + good recording = the mix almost does itself

• The danger of “barbecue sauce on everything” vs respecting the tracks you’re given

Question:
“Can you go deeper into pre vs post-fader when automating sends to reverb and delay? When does pre-fader actually make sense?”

We talk about:

• Why we almost always use post-fader sends on lead vocals and key elements

• How post-fader keeps your EQ, compression, and tone decisions feeding the reverb

• Rare cases where pre-fader could make sense (parallel/VCA-style setups)

• Why it’s better to think musically than to obsess over “purist” routing choices

Reverb isn’t just “space.” It’s emotion.
On a vocal-driven song, your reverb choice can quietly decide whether the whole mix feels intimate, epic, cold, warm, vintage, or modern.

The more you respect the song, the performance, and the stems you’re handed, the more your mixes start to sound mature—not because you used the fanciest plugin chain, but because every decision serves the story.

👉 Got a question for us?
📩 Submit it here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

And if you’re digging the show, hit follow/subscribe and leave a quick review.
It really helps more home studio folks find Studio Stuff.

We get asked this a lot: “Why put stuff on the mix bus?” Today we unpack the why and the how—from gentle bus compression that makes tracks move together, to tasteful EQ and tape for mojo, to mixing into a limiter for vibe without boxing in the master. Then we tackle Demo Syndrome—when clients fall in love with the rough—and share how we reset ears, separate taste from problems, and keep momentum.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Audient.

You’ll Learn:

• Why mixing into a bus chain changes your decisions (in a good way)

• The compression settings we start with for real “glue” and movement

• When bus EQ solves tone—and when it just points you to the real problem

• How and where we use tape on the bus for character without mush

• Why a limiter can help while mixing but should be bypassed before mastering

• Practical steps to beat Demo Syndrome and get client buy-in

Topics & Stories:

• “Set it early, watch the meters”: not painting yourself into a corner

• Dual-mono vs. linked compression and when extra movement helps

• The “air & earth” cheats we reach for (and when to leave it for mastering)

• Using AI mastering chains as ideas rather than a one-click finish

• Chris’s grand-dad naming crisis (“Dude” didn’t age well)

• Audient love: iD line + ASP preamps, and hardware-hosted room correction

Listener Q&A:

A simple but killer question: “Why do I need anything on my mix bus?” We break down the musical reasons (glue, tone, movement) and the workflow wins, plus how we avoid stepping on the mastering stage.

Final Takeaway:

Start with intention. Put your bus tools on early, mix into them lightly, and let them guide better track-level moves. And when Demo Syndrome hits, buy time, test both versions, and keep what truly serves the song.

👉 Got a question for us?
📩 Submit it here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

We all say it: “It’s muddy.” “Needs glue.” “Give it more space.” But what does that actually mean in practice? In this episode, we translate the most common mixer speak into specific moves you can make today, then answer a listener question on adding space without using reverb.

You’ll Learn:

• Where “mud” actually lives (150–200 Hz for many sources, 250–500 Hz for mix buildup)

• What “glue” really is (bus compression, shared ambience, subtle EQ)

• How to create space without reverb: panning, subtractive EQ, smart delays

• The difference between stems and multitracks (and when to send which)

• Why “musical EQ” and “vibe & character” are real, even if you can’t meter them

Topics & Stories:

• Muddy vs boomy vs woolly (and why tiny cuts move mountains)

• The smiley-face EQ era: why it sounded great… until it didn’t

• Depth, width, and density: front/back/left/right as arrangement tools

• “Crush the drums”: parallel, ceiling/floor, and when distortion equals energy

• Filtering the send into a delay for cleaner “felt, not heard” space

• Stems vs multitracks: live tracks, post, and keeping the “makeup” on

• The “depth” pronunciation debate, dad jokes, and a drum “skin head” moment 🤦‍♂️

  
  Huge thanks to Audient Audio for supporting the show 👉 https://audient.com
  
  

Listener Q&A:
How do I add space without reverb?
Our go-tos:

• Panning first, then subtractive EQ (150–200 Hz and 2–8 kHz real estate)

• Slapback or short stereo delays you feel more than hear

• High-pass/low-pass the send feeding the delay for natural results

Final Takeaway:
Great mixes aren’t just louder or brighter, they’re organized. Give each element its own frequency lane and its own spot in the panorama, then use tiny bus moves to make the whole song breathe together.

👉 Got a question for us?
📩 Submit it here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.