Finn McKenty, Author at Unstoppable Recording Machine

JOEL WANASEK: Subwoofer placement, the myth of selling out, opportunity cost

Joel Wanasek is a producer, mixer, and co-founder of URM Academy, Nail The Mix, and Drumforge. His impressive discography includes work with major artists across the rock and metal spectrum, such as Machine Head, Blessthefall, Attila, and Monuments. Known for his direct, no-BS approach to both the art and business of music production, Joel has helped countless producers level up their skills through his educational platforms and his own successful career in the studio.

In This Episode

In this classic “Dear Joel” episode, Joel Wanasek tackles a ton of awesome questions from the URM community, blending practical advice with some serious mindset coaching. He kicks things off with a deep dive into subwoofer placement, arguing for a common-sense, ear-based approach using reference tracks over getting lost in pure science. From there, he launches into a killer rant about why “selling out” is a dead concept and why artistic evolution is essential for survival. Joel also offers some real-world career advice for a live sound tech feeling stuck in a dead-end gig and closes with a powerful discussion on opportunity cost—reminding everyone that the time spent arguing on Facebook could be the time you use to build your dream career. This one is packed with actionable tips and the kind of tough love that every serious producer needs to hear.

Products Mentioned

Timestamps

[2:50] Joel’s practical approach to subwoofer placement
[4:25] Why you need to give a ported sub room to breathe
[5:09] How to dial in your sub by ear using familiar reference mixes
[5:30] Why mixing is ultimately about art and emotion, not just math
[7:00] Joel’s fiery take on why the concept of “selling out” is stupid
[8:58] Comparing a band changing its sound to a mixer trying a new plugin
[11:34] Why you shouldn’t give a fuck what elitists and purists think
[14:27] Learning to find things to appreciate in albums you once hated (like *St. Anger*)
[16:38] Applying metal low-end mixing principles to 808-driven hip-hop
[17:20] The crucial relationship between the kick and sub in modern pop and hip-hop
[22:27] Career advice for anyone feeling stuck in a non-ideal day job
[25:39] Why you should never mentally check out, even from a job you hate
[29:44] How “failed” experiences provide the essential skills for future success
[32:29] The importance of being able to pivot and adapt in your career
[38:15] Understanding opportunity cost and where you’re wasting your energy
[39:43] Why arguing about flat earth on Facebook is killing your creative drive
[42:45] How to accelerate your career by focusing on what’s actually working
[47:59] The most important skill for a modern creative: filtering out the bullshit

GENE HOGLAN: Learning Opeth’s Set in Hours, The Visualization Technique, Writing for Death

Gene Hoglan is a powerhouse drummer who has left his mark on numerous iconic metal bands. His career includes influential stints with Death, where he played on the seminal Individual Thought Patterns and Symbolic albums, Dark Angel, and Strapping Young Lad. Known for his incredible versatility and professionalism, he’s also been the go-to guy for bands in a pinch, having filled in on tour for Fear Factory, Testament, Opeth, and Anthrax, often learning entire complex sets with almost no notice.

In This Episode

This is a cool one. Gene breaks down the mindset that’s made him one of the most respected drummers in the game. He gets into the musicality behind his performance on Death’s Individual Thought Patterns, crediting influences like Steve Gadd and explaining how playing guitar helps him write more effective drum parts. He shares some wild stories about learning full sets for bands like Opeth and Unearth in a matter of hours, attributing it to his practice of “visualization”—a technique he uses to master songs mentally before even sitting at the kit. For you producers, he talks about what he wants from an engineer (a chill vibe), his philosophy on recording in the digital age versus the analog days, and the eternal struggle of making sure ghost notes don’t get buried in a dense mix. It’s a super insightful look into the work ethic and communication skills required to have a long, successful career in music.

Timestamps

[5:00] The unique groove on Death’s “Individual Thought Patterns”
[6:27] The influence of Steve Gadd and Al Di Meola on his playing
[11:31] Why learning guitar makes you a better drum part writer
[14:38] The importance of communication for a long session career
[15:51] Learning Opeth’s set in just a few hours to save a tour
[22:29] Rescuing an Unearth tour with one night of prep
[24:35] How he uses “visualization” to learn and practice songs mentally
[30:03] Having a relaxed attitude about making mistakes on stage
[35:29] Recording drums in the analog era vs. the digital era
[37:27] The pressure of running out of 2-inch tape mid-take
[39:34] Why he insists on performing parts correctly instead of relying on editing
[45:18] What he looks for in a producer/engineer (chill vibe, good communication)
[48:38] Overcoming “red light fever” and the pressure of the studio
[57:23] Chasing the Roger Taylor (Queen) drum tone
[1:00:26] Detuning one kick drum from the other to avoid the “typewriter” sound
[1:02:46] The eternal struggle of making ghost notes audible in a dense mix
[1:07:33] Advice for young musicians: learn to read contracts
[1:16:40] Why engineers love his drum setup (keeping cymbals far from toms)
[1:28:50] The communication dynamics of working with a creative force like Devin Townsend
[1:35:14] Why bands are more like sports teams than families

CARSON SLOVAK & GRANT MCFARLAND: Modern metal production, working with 90s legends, their viral Star Wars project

Production partners Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland of Atrium Audio have become a go-to team in modern metal. They’re best known for their long-running relationship with August Burns Red, producing multiple albums for the band including the Grammy-nominated Found in Far Away Places. Their impressive discography also includes work with bands like I The Breather and The Last Ten Seconds Of Life. In a unique turn, a childhood connection led them to work with veteran ’90s rock giants like Live, Candlebox, and Everclear, bringing their modern production sensibilities to a classic sound. They are also the masterminds behind the viral Star Wars-themed metal project, Galactic Empire.

In This Episode

Carson and Grant drop by to chat about how they joined forces and developed their signature workflow at Atrium Audio. They break down their unique and highly efficient two-room setup, where vocals and instruments are tracked simultaneously, allowing them to get twice as much done without burning out vocalists. The guys share the story of how they upgraded their studio by purchasing a facility previously owned by a member of the band Live, a connection that opened the door to working with a slew of major ’90s rock bands. They get into the differences between tracking a modern metal band versus an old-school rock band that wants to play live in a room together. They also share some killer technical advice on getting punchy snares without harsh high-end, dialing in ridiculously heavy guitar tones, and the full, wild story of how their passion project Galactic Empire blew up online.

Products Mentioned

Timestamps

[5:20] Their unique two-room workflow for tracking vocals and instruments simultaneously
[10:21] Why they prefer to do all their own drum editing
[12:32] The difference between recording a monster drummer vs. a less experienced player
[17:01] The history of Atrium Audio’s different studio locations
[20:01] Buying their current studio, a converted three-story row home
[22:11] The story of how Carson got connected with the band Live
[26:37] Is it different working with veteran ’90s bands vs. modern metal bands?
[28:18] Recording bands live in a room vs. modern piecemeal tracking
[34:30] Their Grammy nomination for August Burns Red
[40:22] How long it took before they were making a full-time living from music
[44:14] Advice for up-and-coming producers: Make mistakes and learn from them
[48:39] The full story behind their viral Star Wars metal project, Galactic Empire
[52:15] The insane complexity of arranging John Williams’ score for metal guitars
[56:26] How they got the punchy snare sound on the August Burns Red record
[58:02] Using the phase inversion trick to isolate and enhance snare transients
[1:00:53] Crafting an absurdly bass-heavy guitar tone for The Last Ten Seconds of Life
[1:04:54] How August Burns Red songs flow so well despite having tons of different parts
[1:10:37] Their go-to bass processing chain
[1:12:57] Their simple two-bus chain featuring the Manley Vari-Mu and Burl summing

JESCO LOHAN: DIY Room Treatment, Calibrated Monitoring, and Finding Your Listening Position

Jesco Lohan is a Berlin-based mixing engineer and studio acoustician who combines a background in aerospace engineering with a deep passion for music. With a focus on the intersection between the physics of sound and the creative art of mixing, he helps artists and producers get reliable, translatable results from their studio spaces. He recently celebrated one of his mixes achieving gold status in France.

In This Episode

In this studio acoustics masterclass, Jesco Lohan breaks down the complex world of room treatment into simple, actionable steps that don’t require a huge budget. He flips the conventional wisdom on its head, explaining why you should find your ideal listening position first before ever placing your speakers. Jesco details a simple, by-ear technique to find the spot in your room with the most balanced low-end, no measurement software required. From there, he gets into the weeds on DIY acoustic panels, making a strong case for building six-inch-deep absorbers to control reverb time evenly across the frequency spectrum. The conversation then shifts to psychoacoustics, exploring how establishing a calibrated, consistent monitoring volume is the key to truly “learning your room.” By eliminating variables like the Fletcher-Munson effect and the “louder is better” bias, you can make faster, more intuitive mixing decisions that translate everywhere.

Products Mentioned

Timestamps

[5:09] Why small rooms are so acoustically challenging
[8:40] The key to acoustic treatment: Fix one problem at a time
[11:26] The “roll test”: How to find your ideal listening position using just your ears
[16:42] Why you should treat first reflection points before installing bass traps
[18:00] A better way to test your room for flutter echo
[20:06] The ideal depth for DIY acoustic panels (and why to avoid thin ones)
[22:47] Absorbing frequencies below 60 Hz: Porous vs. resonance absorbers
[33:06] Psychoacoustics: How monitoring volume affects your perception and decisions
[35:10] Why changing your volume is like changing the EQ curve of your brain
[37:30] How to calibrate your monitoring volume for more consistent mixes
[41:28] What it really means to “learn your room”
[42:54] The subconscious power of “louder is better” is sensitive down to 0.1 dB
[47:51] Using the mirror test to find your first reflection points
[56:29] When (and if) you actually need to worry about diffusion
[58:58] Do bookshelves really work as effective diffusers?
[1:03:27] The 38% rule for speaker placement, updated for the real world
[1:09:45] How adding a subwoofer changes your acoustic treatment needs
[1:13:22] Dealing with console reflections and comb filtering
[1:21:06] Why huge glass windows aren’t necessarily a problem in a massive control room

JD OF ICE NINE KILLS: Orchestral Arranging, Realistic Samples, and Mixing Symphonic Metal

This episode’s guest host is JD from the band Ice Nine Kills. Since joining in 2009, he’s become the main orchestral arranger for the band, starting with early experiments on their 2010 album Safe is Just a Shadow. His skills really leveled up on the album Every Trick in the Book, where he was mentored by Francesco Farini of Fleshgod Apocalypse, diving headfirst into creating massive symphonic arrangements to complement the band’s heavy sound.

In This Episode

JD fields questions from the URM community in this deep-dive on all things orchestral production. He kicks things off by tackling a classic tech dilemma: should you use a dedicated slave PC for your sample libraries or just build one beastly machine? JD breaks down his own single-computer setup and explains why it works for his massive templates. He then gets into the nitty-gritty of making samples sound realistic, comparing basic libraries to pro-level stuff from Spitfire and EastWest, and explaining how layering articulations is key to getting bite and expression. The discussion covers his go-to libraries for different vibes—from organic and raw to polished and cinematic—and offers some killer workflow tips, like using a simple MIDI controller for real-time dynamics. He also shares practical advice on using reverb, creating smooth transitions between articulations, and making strings cut through a dense metal mix without turning into a muddy mess.

Products Mentioned

Timestamps

[0:28] JD introduces himself and his background with Ice Nine Kills
[2:05] How Francesco Farini of Fleshgod Apocalypse mentored JD in orchestration
[3:49] The pros and cons of using a slave PC vs. one powerful machine for samples
[5:50] A breakdown of JD’s custom-built single PC setup from DK Pro Audio
[9:06] JD’s thoughts on influential symphonic bands like Kamelot and Symphony X
[12:15] The common struggle of getting a great sound out of stock sample libraries
[13:30] Audio Comparison: Kontakt Factory Library vs. Spitfire Audio strings
[15:15] Layering articulations (like staccato) to add attack to sustained notes
[17:15] The importance of research and watching demos before buying new libraries
[18:00] How to approach EQ and reverb for orchestral elements in a dense metal mix
[20:47] Choosing the right sample libraries based on the “vibe” you need for a track
[21:41] Comparing the sounds of LA Scoring Strings, Spitfire, and Hollywood Orchestra
[22:49] Why Cinesamples and Spitfire libraries are great for more organic sounds
[24:19] Using a Korg Nano Kontrol 2 to perform dynamics and vibrato in real-time
[28:44] JD’s advice on learning music theory for orchestration
[35:10] Approaching reverb on EastWest samples: using a bus vs. individual tracks
[36:30] How to make articulation switches (e.g., legato to staccato) sound natural and seamless
[39:27] Why legato patches lack attack and how to make strings cut through a metal mix
[41:25] The best resources for learning MIDI orchestral programming in 2023