This week, we’re turning the mic around—literally.

Chris and Steve explore what it’s really like to record vocals on your own, in a home studio setup where you’re the singer, engineer, and producer… all at once. From gear choices and room noise to workflow hacks and accidental plumbing victories, this episode is both practical and painfully relatable. If you’ve ever chased the perfect take while dodging noisy kids, furnace hums, or the neighbor’s lawnmower—this one’s for you.

Self-recording is equal parts freedom and frustration, but with the right mindset (and a bit of creativity), it can also be incredibly rewarding.

• How to choose the right mic when recording yourself

• Why committing effects while tracking can actually be freeing

• Tips for building a self-recording workflow that won’t kill your vibe

• How to control tone with mic distance and positioning

• Ways to deal with room noise, family noise, and fan noise

• Why using two different mics for lead and background vocals can help your mix

• How to stay creative (and sane) while recording solo

• The reality of tracking vocals in a non-soundproofed house

• What to do when your perfect take is ruined by kitchen chaos

• Using mic position and off-axis techniques to tame harshness

• The joy of experimenting when no one’s watching

• How Chris’s plumbing failure turned into a vocal tracking lesson

• Workflow hacks: wireless control, DAW shortcuts, and phone/tablet remotes

• Using different mics—or even different mic angles—for variety in background vocals

• Why your forehead might actually sound great (don’t ask)

• Embracing late-night sessions and finding the quietest window to record

• Dealing with the curveballs of self-engineering: distractions, delays, and duct-taped mic tricks

Lyndon Aguilar from Manila asks: “Can you mix with closed-back headphones without using any of the AI sound-reference tools?”
Chris and Steve unpack the pros and cons, when they’d use them, and why headphone EQ (with or without emulation) makes a big difference—especially outside of the studio.

Recording yourself is a creative playground—messy, unpredictable, but full of freedom. Set up a workflow that inspires you, control what you can, and embrace the rest. Some of your best takes will come from the most unexpected moments.

Pro Home Recording with Cubase shows you how to get clean, polished recordings using the tools you already have.

From setting up Cubase properly to recording vocals, drums, guitars, and more—this course gives you a clear, step-by-step workflow that saves you hours of frustration and makes your tracks easier to mix.

➡️ Start recording like a pro with the tools you already own.
Check out PRO HOME RECORDING WITH CUBASE

Let us know in the comments or tag us on socials—we’d love to hear from you!

Got a question for a future episode?
📩 Submit your question here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

This week, we (Chris and Steve) are diving into one of the most emotional and surprisingly complicated parts of making music—recording vocals. It all started with a delayed omelet and a questionable bathroom comment, but somehow we ended up exploring everything from mic choice to the psychology of singers. If you’ve ever hit record and wondered why something felt off, this episode’s for you. It’s not just about capturing a voice—it’s about creating the right vibe, building trust, and knowing when to step back or push forward.

• Why vocal performances are more emotional than technical

• The importance of preamp vs. microphone selection

• Tips for managing compression and monitoring while tracking vocals

• The real reason some singers soar while others sink

• Why your talkback mic can make or break a performance

• How to manage singer "maintenance" and build trust

• When and how to comp and pitch-correct vocals
  
  

• Chris and Steve’s breakfast saga and the birth of the phrase "You go boy"

• The magic of choosing the right mic (and why it’s often not the most expensive)

• Monitoring secrets: how much vocal in the cue mix is too much?

• Why compression (recorded or not) can boost singer confidence

• Real talk about tracking reverb for singers

• Singer psychology: understanding pitch problems, fear, and vocal fatigue

• Why first lines matter most—and why they’re often recorded last

• Manual pitch correction workflows and the value of comping immediately

• Studio pranks, honesty, and the art of talkback diplomacy
  
  

Andy Tullus asks: "When using drum samples, should you try to find ones that are tuned to the original drums? Does it matter?" Chris and Steve unpack their philosophy, focusing less on pitch and more on character, vibe, and the "woof woof" vs "ping ping" factor.

Vocal recording is about building trust, emotional safety, and giving the singer an environment that brings out their best. The gear matters—but how you guide and respond to the performance matters more.

If you're ready to craft pro-level vocal mixes using only the tools in Cubase, check out my course:
The Ultimate CUBASE MIXING Masterclass
This course was made to help home studio folks like you take the guesswork out of mixing vocals and finally feel confident hitting export.

What’s your biggest challenge when recording vocals? Drop your thoughts below or tag us on socials!

Got a question for a future episode?
📩 Submit your question here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

Chris and Steve kick off this episode with some laughs and lighthearted banter about Fahrenheit vs. Celsius and the quirks of 24-hour time—but things quickly take a turn into one of the most honest and overlooked conversations about analog gear: what if it’s not just about the sound?

This episode dives into the emotional and tactile side of using analog hardware, exploring whether the real appeal is how it feels rather than how it sounds. Plus, for the first time ever, they bring a listener (and friend!) on live to join the discussion.

✅ Why analog gear still brings joy—even when digital sounds just as good
✅ The "psychology of the knob" and how physical gear can change your workflow
✅ Why "pleasure" might be a more important reason to use analog than we admit
✅ Chris and Steve’s favorite toys (not just tools!) in their studios
✅ Simple, real-world practices to get better at mixing every day

• Fahrenheit vs. Celsius, 24-hour clocks, and the struggle is real

• Sebastian's question: Is analog about sound or pleasure?

• Why touching a knob just feels different (and why that matters)

• Steve’s years with an SSL console—and why it’s now in storage

• Chris’s controller setup and the joy of not rolling around on a carpet

• What would you do if your mom gave you money for a big studio day?

• Listener Kyle calls in from his car (or maybe his new home?)

• The most fun pieces of gear we own—and why we love them

• Favorite mixing routines and how to actually practice mixing like a musician

• Why reverse-engineering a snare can make you want dinner and cry
  

Analog gear isn’t always about the audio quality. Sometimes, it’s about joy, inspiration, and the feeling of being connected to the process. And maybe—just maybe—that’s enough.

What’s your take on analog gear—do you use it for the sound, the feel, or both?

Drop your thoughts below or tag us on socials! We'd love to know what gear brings you the most joy in the studio.

We’d love to hear from you!
📩 Submit your question here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

Do You Trust your Studio Monitors or AirPods? Studio Stuff Podcast | Q&A Episode 7 When do you call a mix finished? In this Q&A episode, we answer a question from Marshall in Dallas: “Do you trust your monitors, or test it on other systems before sending it off?” We get into our own habits—like why the car isn't always the gold standard, how AirPods became the new "real world" reference, and why taking a break (and turning off your screen!) might be the most powerful mix move of all.

Drums are the heartbeat of a track—but getting them to feel right in the mix? That’s a whole other story.

In this episode, we (Chris and Steve) pick up where we left off in Part 1 and dive deep into the art of mixing drums. From building the sound around overheads to layering samples, managing reverb, debating time alignment, and even feeling bad for the neglected hi-hat mic—we cover it all.

If you've ever wondered how two mixers with totally different workflows approach drum mixing (and still somehow get great results), this one's for you.

✅ Why we both start mixes with overheads—and how it changed our drum sound.
✅ How to decide if your overheads are for cymbals or the whole kit.
✅ When drum samples are essential—and when they just get in the way.
✅ Our personal routing setups (and why they might be overkill).
✅ How we handle phase, time alignment, and why we don’t always agree.
✅ Tricks for taming hi-hats and bright cymbals without killing your tone.

📌 The overhead-first approach: why it works and what to watch for.
📌 Our favorite sample stacking techniques (and why we name them like pizza toppings).
📌 Drum bus setup, parallel compression, and how not to overdo it.
📌 Why clipping might be your drum mix’s best friend.
📌 Room samples vs. reverb plugins: what we reach for first.
📌 “Mixing with your eyes” (yes, we admit it… pretty plugins matter).
📌 Silencer, Soothe, and our favorite tom gating tricks.
📌 What we do when our mix “falls apart” at the loud parts.
📌 How we build a drum sound that fits the whole song—not just soloed drums.

🎙️ “Should I time-align overheads to the snare—or just leave them?”
🎙️ “What’s the point of using room samples instead of reverb?”
🎙️ “How many drum samples are too many?”

We talk about all of these… and probably overthink most of them.

There’s no one right way to mix drums. It’s about making creative choices that support the song. Whether you're stacking samples or working with raw tracks, the goal is the same: make it feel good.

What’s your go-to drum mixing trick? Do you mix from a drummer’s perspective—or the audience’s?

Drop your thoughts below or tag us on socials!

We’d love to hear from you!
📩 Submit your question here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

The Secrets Behind Songs That Make You FEEL Something!

This is the Q&A from Episode 6, where we answer a great listener question: What parts of songs really bring out emotion for us? We dive into how little imperfections, unexpected arrangement choices, and second verse magic often create the biggest emotional moments. From the charm of old vinyl records to how we approach mixing to enhance the feel of a song, we share what moves us — and how we try to bring that same energy into the music we work on.

📢 Join the conversation!
What’s the next piece of gear you’re planning to buy?
Tell us how you’re building your home studio—one smart choice at a time.

Got a question for a future episode?
🎧 We’d love to hear from you!
📩 Submit your question here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

Building a home studio can feel like navigating a never-ending gear jungle. Mic? Interface? Preamp? Cables? What should you actually buy next—and what can wait?

In this episode, Chris and Steve walk through how they’d prioritize studio gear purchases if they were starting from scratch today. Whether you're working with a tight budget or just got some surprise "mom money" 💸, we’ll help you figure out what makes the biggest difference in your sound—and what’s just hype.

From entry-level mics to multi-thousand-dollar preamps, this one’s packed with real-world advice, gear suggestions, and plenty of laughs.

✅ What gear actually improves your sound the most.
✅ Why the microphone is still king—yes, even over your preamp.
✅ How to think about gear upgrades as your needs evolve.
✅ When two budget mics beat one expensive one.
✅ What to look for in an interface (hint: it's not just converters).
✅ Cables: where to save, where to spend (and where not to care).

📌 Dynamic vs. Condenser Mics: What to buy first—and why.
📌 $200 vs. $2,000 mics: Is the gap still worth it in 2025?
📌 The Case for Building a "Mic Locker" One Piece at a Time.
📌 When Renting Gear Is Smarter Than Buying.
📌 Cheap Cables, Expensive Connectors: Chris’s take on budget signal chains.
📌 Preamp Personalities: How one guy’s "dream sound" is another guy’s regret.
📌 Interface Buying Guide: How to choose one that fits your workflow.
📌 Monitoring & Headphones: When to skip monitors and just go closed-back.
📌 The Real Game-Changer: Learning the gear you already own.

🎙️ “Should I get one great preamp or two budget ones?”
🎙️ “Do converters still matter as much as they used to?”
🎙️ “Can I get professional results on an entry-level interface?”
We dive into these questions and more throughout the episode.

Don’t fall into the trap of chasing gear for the sake of gear. Learn what really makes a difference for your specific setup, buy intentionally, and remember—it's better to master a $150 mic than to misuse a $1,500 one.

What’s the next piece of gear you’re planning to buy?
Tell us how you’re building your home studio—one smart choice at a time.

🎧 We’d love to hear from you!
📩 Submit your question here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

Recording drums in a small studio can feel like a mix of science, art… and sometimes total chaos. So how do you get great drum sounds without a million-dollar room or a warehouse full of gear?

In this episode, Chris and Steve break down their drum recording philosophy—covering everything from choosing the right kick and snare to getting creative with room mics (including one placed in the bathroom!). Whether you're working with a full kit or just a couple of mics, this episode is packed with real-world tips and personal studio stories.

You'll hear how we approach everything from mic placement to room treatment, the gear we use, and the philosophy behind why we record the way we do.

Oh—and yes, we do talk about the legendary butt-shaker for the drummer’s throne. Don’t worry, it all makes sense in context. 😄

✅ Why the drummer matters more than the drum kit or mic locker.
✅ The performance-first mindset that shapes our drum recording.
✅ How to record drums in a small room without sounding small.
✅ Why we sometimes use a bathroom mic for natural ambiance.
✅ What to prioritize when you’re limited to just a few inputs.
✅ How shell materials, drum heads, and mic choices affect tone.

📌 Chris’s Bathroom Mic Trick: How a washroom became his favorite "room mic."
📌 Session vs. Loud Drummers: Why playing dynamically matters more than you think.
📌 Kick vs. Snare: What’s the most important part of the kit?
📌 Old Pearls & Cheap Kits: Why expensive drums don’t always sound better.
📌 Recording in Tight Spaces: How Chris adapted his studio setup with hallway and stair mics.
📌 Steve’s Live Room Take: Why he prefers tight recordings with reverb added later.
📌 The “Talkback Mic That Made the Mix”: A happy accident that became a drum room staple.
📌 Glyn Johns & Classic Techniques: Do they still work for modern productions?

🎙️ “What exactly do you send to the mastering engineer? One stereo file or stems?” Chris and Steve break down the difference—and when sending stems might actually be the right move.

🎙️ “What level should I send my mix to mastering?” We talk about limiter use, mix bus gain staging, and why peaking digitally is never a good idea.

You don’t need a massive space or expensive gear to get great drum sounds. Start with a great performance, make smart choices with your mic placement, and don’t be afraid to get creative with your environment—even if that means putting a mic in the bathroom.

📢 Join the conversation!

How are YOU recording drums in your home studio? Have you tried unusual room mic setups? Share your approach in the comments!

We love hearing from you!
If you have a question about mixing, recording, mastering, or home studio gear, send it our way.

📩 Submit your question here: Form Link
We’ll do our best to answer as many as possible in upcoming episodes!