SonicScoop Podcast

Should you compress, EQ, or otherwise process your mix? How much headroom should you leave for mastering? Justin Colletti explores!

The best mixers and mastering engineers on the planet usually have systematic approach to mixing. This doesn't hamper their creativity. It enhances it. Justin Colletti gives you all you need to know to create a great mixing system for yourself.

Louder is better. At least it sounds that way. There are good reasons to level match your music for truly objective critical listening decisions. And there are also good reasons not to bother it at all. Justin Colletti discusses both sides of this subject.

Koen Heldens is a mixer for some of the most unconventional and cutting edge hip hop and R&B artists of today. Perhaps best known for his work with XXXTentaction, Koen has worked with the likes of Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Whiz Khalifa, Sizzla, Thutmose, Lil Wayne, Missy Elliot, Dreezy and so many more. Koen tells Justin Colletti about the philosophy he learned from working with Dr. Dre, which emphasizes making things "feel" right, rather than looking to achieve pristine sounds.

Justin Colletti goes on a rant about some of the worst experiences he had in getting his own mixes mastered early on in his career.  Thanks to Soundtoys, Focusrite and Gear Club for sponsoring this episode.

Could short videos on music and audio production be killing your gains in studio skills? Justin Colletti argues that they can. Here's why, what to avoid, and what to try instead.

Thom Russo joins Justin Colletti to talk about his career working with major artists from Johnny Cash, Audioslave and Eric Clapton to Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul and Macy Gray to Latin music superstars like Juanes and Enrique Iglesias. Thom has received 16 GRAMMYs awards, worked with Rick Rubin, and regularly acts as a co-writer and producer for his clients.

Is it a good idea to mix your own recordings or master your own mixes? Justin Colletti discusses the pros and cons of each of these approaches. He offers some advice on how to do it right, as well as ways of thinking through when and why you might want to seek help, and when to go it alone. Enter the Focusrite giveaway here: https://bit.ly/PSM_SonicScoop Get 7% off DistroKid here: https://Distrokid.com/SonicScoop

There's a lot of uncertainty out there at the moment. Justin Colletti offers some strategies for making a living in audio and music when times are tough. He's been through it before and survived and prospered! You can too.

Is it wise to go to school for the audio, music, or the arts? In some ways, no. Here are 5 key issues with music production education, that any graduate is going to have to overcome—and that every prospective student ought to consider. Thanks to DistroKid for sponsoring this episode. Get 7% off your first year distributing your music through DistroKid at http://distrokid.com/vip/sonicscoop Special thanks to Gear Club and Soundtoys for sponsoring as well.

When should you reach for an EQ boost, and when should you cut? Is one approach better than the other? Justin Colletti offers some principles and concepts on how to think about and approach your EQs in this episode of the podcast. Thanks to DistroKid for sponsoring this episode. Get 7% off your first year distributing your music through DistroKid at http://distrokid.com/vip/sonicscoop Special thanks to Focusrite and Eventide for sponsoring as well.

Room and speaker correction have come a long way. Once hit-or-miss tool employed almost exclusively by larger studios, smart solutions for EQ treatment are now accessible to even the most humble of studios. The most successful of these new solutions is easily Sonarworks, which has become nearly ubiquitous in serious project studios. Justin Colletti talks to Sonarworks co-founder Martins Popelis about how these solutions work, what they can do for your studio—and what they can't.

Whether its conventional business loans, 0% store credit cards, even student loans... People have tried all sorts of ways to finance upgrades tp their new and existing studios. Are these strategies wise? Or will they just get you into trouble? Justin Colletti gives a primer on how—and how not—to use debt or credit effectively as part for your studio startup strategy. For a 50% discount on the mic used in this episode click here: https://usashop.jzmic.com/collections/new-models/products/amethyst

Sometimes it's easy to start new music projects. But actually FINISHING them can be the hardest part. Justin Colletti offers some strategies on how to finish your mixes and get moving on to promotion, playing and new projects.

Making high quality recordings requires that you ask the right questions as early on in the process as possible. Here's Justin Colletti's guide to getting your record on the right path from the beginning so you don't find yourself trying to "fix it in the mix", or worse yet, during mastering! Thanks to Focusrite, Soundtoys and Eventide for sponsoring this episode.