Finn McKenty, Author at Unstoppable Recording Machine

ROBIN JE, LUKE EDWARDS & IVAN AGUILAR: Mixing in Untreated Rooms, Winning with ‘Vibe’, and Fast Workflows

On this special ‘Winner’s Circle’ episode, we’re joined by the top mixers from the May 2017 Nail The Mix competition for Saosin’s “The Silver String.” We’ve got Robin JE, a four-time NTM winner, alongside Luke Edwards and Ivan Aguilar, who also crushed it to land at the top of the polls. These guys are deep in the URM community, just like you, and they’re here to break down exactly what went into their winning mixes.

In This Episode

This episode is a killer peer-to-peer roundtable with the guys who won the Saosin mixing competition. They get real about why some months they land in the top 20 and other months they don’t place at all, emphasizing the huge role that capturing the right “vibe” plays. The discussion dives deep into workflow, with the guys sharing how they’ve learned to mix faster, trust their gut, and use templates to avoid overthinking—a lesson many learned from watching pros like Billy Decker. They also reveal that they’re all getting these results from untreated bedrooms, sharing their monitoring setups (including cheap subs and headphones) and referencing strategies. It’s a super honest look at the mental game of mixing, dealing with the highs of thinking you’ve nailed it and the lows of realizing your mix has flaws, plus some great chat on parallel compression and why elitist attitudes about tools like drum samples are totally pointless.

Products Mentioned

Timestamps

[3:53] How many times Robin has placed in and won the polls
[4:37] Why a multi-time winner sometimes doesn’t place at all
[6:14] Ivan’s approach: Doing the same thing every month until it finally clicks
[7:09] Luke’s approach: Trying something new and experimental each month
[8:39] The importance of understanding the “vibe” of a song
[11:49] Robin’s template-based, high-speed workflow
[13:51] The goal: Mixing a song in under an hour like Billy Decker
[16:34] The winners reveal they all mix in untreated bedrooms
[17:22] Why getting a cheap sub can improve your mixes by 50%
[18:04] How to successfully mix on headphones
[20:51] The feeling of thinking you have a winning mix, only to realize later it was terrible
[22:48] Why ear fatigue can make you love a mix that’s actually flawed
[25:05] Robin’s approach to parallel compression and sidechaining
[32:37] A fast and simple approach to mixing guitars without overthinking
[34:24] The winners’ reaction to Beau Burchell’s extensive parallel processing
[35:07] The shock of learning Beau used 100% sample replacement on the drums
[36:56] A discussion on elitist attitudes in audio (samples, amp sims, etc.)
[39:56] To listen to rough tracks or not? Two different approaches

JOHN BOECKLIN: Writing DevilDriver’s riffs, navigating band egos, forming Bad Wolves

John Boecklin is a powerhouse drummer and prolific songwriter, best known for his long tenure in DevilDriver. While he held down the drum throne, he was also a primary creative force in the band, writing a huge chunk of their material and often tracking the rhythm guitars himself due to his precise and powerful playing style. After parting ways with DevilDriver, he formed the modern metal band Bad Wolves, where he continues to be a core songwriter and drummer, exploring a different side of his musicality.

In This Episode

John gets real about his journey as a multi-instrumentalist who happens to be a drummer first. He explains how learning rhythm guitar on an acoustic forged his famously strong picking hand and shares some behind-the-scenes stories of how the guitar often ended up in his hands during DevilDriver sessions. He offers some solid, no-BS advice for producers on navigating band egos when the best player for a part isn’t the “official” guitarist. John also dives into the importance of intense preparation, his “get it done” mindset in the studio, and his thoughts on using (or not using) kick pads. He wraps up by discussing the creative process behind his new band, Bad Wolves, and answers some great audience questions on everything from writing transitions to hearing protection.

Products Mentioned

Two notes Torpedo Live, Reload, and Studio

Timestamps

[2:54] When the best player for a riff isn’t the main guitarist
[4:22] How learning on an acoustic guitar shaped his powerful rhythm playing
[8:14] John’s simple approach to self-correcting his technique
[12:20] The studio dynamic when a drummer plays most of the guitar parts
[13:52] Tips for producers on navigating band ego when assigning parts
[16:11] “If you’re struggling and someone else can do it, hand it over.”
[18:26] The importance of keeping band turmoil private
[22:36] The power of preparation and work ethic in the studio
[25:40] Identifying as a drummer first, despite his guitar skills
[29:11] Why he hates recording and prefers to get things done fast
[30:19] His long-standing personal rule against using kick pads
[32:19] Discussing when using kick pads is totally acceptable for pro drummers
[42:08] The challenge of starting a new band after leaving an established one
[48:14] Collaborating with songwriter Max Karon on the Bad Wolves record
[53:18] Q&A: His approach to writing transitions between riffs
[55:39] Q&A: Why he disagrees that great songwriting is a repeatable “science”
[57:54] How his collaborative process has changed from DevilDriver to Bad Wolves
[1:04:07] Looking back on Devil Driver’s “Pray For Villains” and feeling it was over-polished
[1:05:39] Q&A: His simple, practical approach to hearing protection

Eric German: The RIAA vs Napster, Producer Agreements, and Why Bands Get Fucked by Labels

Eric German is a prominent entertainment attorney with deep roots in the metal scene. He started out as a metalhead kid playing in bands before recognizing the internet’s potential to unite music communities in the pre-Napster era. This insight led him to law school to focus on copyright law. His early career put him on the front lines of the digital music revolution, where he worked as the junior lawyer for the RIAA on the groundbreaking Napster and Kazaa lawsuits. Feeling more aligned with creators than with policing fans, he shifted his focus, becoming a partner at his firm and building a roster of clients that includes independent labels, producers, and artists like Steel Panther.

In This Episode

Get the real story of the music industry’s digital transition from someone who was right in the middle of it. Entertainment lawyer Eric German recounts his wild journey from trading metal tapes on Usenet to litigating the infamous Napster case for the RIAA. He offers a rare, insider’s perspective on the copyright wars that shaped the business we know today. The second half is a deep dive Q&A where Eric breaks down the nitty-gritty legal issues that producers and engineers face every day. He gives practical, no-bullshit advice on everything from setting up producer agreements and protecting yourself from liability when running a home studio, to understanding YouTube cover song licenses and navigating the often-tense relationship between artists and labels. This is an essential listen for anyone looking to build a sustainable career and keep their ass covered on the business end of things.

Timestamps

[03:21] How Eric went from playing in metal bands to law school
[05:23] Using the early internet (Usenet) to trade metal tapes
[06:57] Realizing the internet would unite niche music scenes globally
[08:55] Working as the “baby lawyer” on the RIAA’s Napster lawsuit
[11:30] The shift to suing individual end-users (grandmas and teenagers)
[12:44] Why he moved from being the “internet police” to working with indie artists
[15:08] Meeting the guys from Century Media Records and learning the label business
[17:55] How Steel Panther became one of his first artist clients
[24:01] The philosophy of enjoying the journey vs. chasing the “pot of gold”
[30:22] The “shelf life” of being a hired gun or working at an indie label
[37:58] The biggest mistakes producers make when working with labels
[39:59] Legal essentials for producers with home studios
[41:07] The difference between mechanical and sync licenses for YouTube covers
[44:03] The importance of having a clear producer agreement upfront
[49:18] Separating business and personal liability when running a home studio
[52:27] Why bands feel “fucked by a label” (it’s usually misaligned expectations)
[58:58] Why screaming at your label in all caps probably won’t help you
[01:03:13] How to find a trustworthy entertainment lawyer
[01:06:05] Dealing with promoters who refuse to pay you on tour

BILL HUDSON: Hitting rock bottom, getting sober, and joining Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Bill Hudson is a Brazilian-American guitarist best known for his work with the arena-rock phenomenon Trans-Siberian Orchestra. After moving to the US to pursue a career in power metal, he cut his teeth in the Metal Blade-signed band Cellador. As a sought-after touring musician, he has also played with Savatage offshoots like Circle II Circle and Jon Oliva’s Pain, as well as Westfield Massacre and I Am Morbid.

In This Episode

Bill Hudson stops by for a super candid talk about his insane journey from a metal-obsessed kid in Brazil to playing guitar for Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He gets real about the struggle, from the culture shock of moving to Nebraska to the ego-fueled implosion of his first signed band. Bill doesn’t hold back, sharing stories about a disastrous studio session with a drummer who couldn’t play to a click and how his own battle with alcoholism nearly destroyed his career. The main event is his incredible transformation—hitting rock bottom after a failed audition and a week-long bender, then deciding to get sober and in shape, which completely turned his career around. It’s a powerful lesson in perseverance, professionalism, and knowing your strengths, proving that sometimes the biggest hurdles you have to overcome are your own.

Products Mentioned

Timestamps

[3:03] Growing up as a metalhead in Brazil
[5:33] Why it’s hard for local bands to succeed in South America
[9:20] Why he quit Musicians Institute after just three months
[15:30] Finding his first US band on MySpace
[19:42] Moving to Nebraska and getting “Americanized”
[22:10] The difference between seeing huge rock shows in the US vs. Brazil
[30:34] How ego destroyed his first band
[32:31] The nightmare of recording a drummer who can’t play to a click
[36:06] Comparing their album to a Cannibal Corpse record made with the same gear
[40:36] How life on the road led to alcoholism
[46:41] The disastrous tour that made him realize he had a problem
[48:14] The story of ripping a gumball machine out of the floor at a venue
[53:15] The failed audition that became his rock bottom
[55:49] Quitting drinking and discovering the gym
[58:04] How getting in shape led directly to his ESP endorsement
[1:05:27] The long game: How he worked his way into the Trans-Siberian Orchestra camp
[1:11:16] Playing a massive festival on two stages at once with TSO and Savatage
[1:15:14] Why is a power metal band like TSO so massive in the US?
[1:25:16] Knowing your role: The difference between being a performer and a songwriter
[1:33:02] Does the hustle to find the next gig ever end?

Henrik Udd: Lying to work at Studio Fredman, producing Architects, and his multi-band compression secrets

Henrik Udd is a Swedish producer who came up through the legendary Studio Fredman alongside Fredrik Nordström. His career kicked off with an internship working on Dimmu Borgir’s monumental Death Cult Armageddon, and he has since become a go-to producer for some of modern metal’s biggest names. His impressive discography includes landmark albums for bands like Architects, Bring Me The Horizon, At The Gates, and I Killed The Prom Queen.

In This Episode

Henrik Udd sits down to share his incredible journey, from lying about his Pro Tools skills to land an internship at Studio Fredman to becoming one of metal’s most sought-after producers. He gives an inside look at his early days editing the mountain of kick drums on a Dimmu Borgir record and explains how telling the guitarist from Architects that his live tone “sucked so bad” actually got him the gig. Henrik gets into the technical weeds of his acclaimed work with Architects, breaking down his complex guitar recording chain, drum miking techniques, and his secret weapon for controlling their massive low-end: multiple stages of multi-band compression. He also shares some hilarious and horrifying stories from life in the studio, including the infamous “shit pipe” incident and the pros and cons of giving bands 24/7 access to your control room. It’s a killer conversation packed with real-world advice on everything from studio workflow to salvaging a session when things go sideways.

Products Mentioned

Timestamps

[3:44] Lying about knowing Pro Tools to get an internship at Studio Fredman
[4:39] His first job: editing kick drums on Dimmu Borgir’s Death Cult Armageddon
[6:40] Working for free for a year just to stay in the industry
[8:06] The importance of just being able to “hang” with a band
[14:04] How he got the Architects gig by telling Tom his guitar sound “sucked so bad”
[15:46] The infamous “shit pipe” incident during the first Architects recording
[19:39] Dealing with bands who treat recording like a “day job”
[22:04] The benefits of having bands record in small teams instead of all at once
[26:24] Letting bands have 24/7 access to the studio
[27:40] A band member pouring a full beer into a Chandler compressor
[30:44] The time a band took a dump on Joey’s lawn (and the label paid for it)
[33:27] Why “Gone With The Wind” was one of the hardest Architects songs to mix
[44:42] Henrik’s drum mic setup for the Architects records
[47:01] The complex guitar recording chain for Architects (EVH into 5150, multiple cabs/mics)
[48:33] Using the stock Pro Tools Lo-Fi plugin for extra guitar distortion
[51:05] What he learned from Fredrik Nordström (and what they still argue about)
[54:42] Creating synth-like ambient sounds with guitars and Strymon pedals
[56:57] The key to his massive low-end: C4 multi-band compression
[59:51] Using multiple stages of multi-band compression on guitars and the master bus
[1:02:14] The constant struggle of getting bass to sit right in the mix