Eyal Levi, Author at Unstoppable Recording Machine

Jenson Manning: Taming low end, fixing pancaked snares, and building a portfolio from scratch

This episode’s guest is Jenson Manning, an aspiring producer and mixer from Montana who is working on building his portfolio by mixing raw tracks from other studios to hone his craft and start his career in the industry.

In This Episode

Hosts Joey Sturgis, Joel Wanasek, and Eyal Levi jump into another edition of #MixCritMonday with guest Jenson Manning. The crew gets deep into the technical side of Jenson’s mix, providing a masterclass on tackling some of the most common issues that plague modern metal productions. They diagnose an unruly low end that swallows the mix and discuss killer strategies for getting bass under control with compression, limiting, and bus processing. The conversation then shifts to a lack of transient impact, exploring why the snare sounds “pancaked” and how mastering settings, drum sample phase alignment, and the right use of clippers can fix it. They also break down why vocals get buried and offer solid advice for achieving high-end clarity by carving out space instead of just boosting frequencies. To top it off, they give Jenson some real-world advice on how to build a killer portfolio from the ground up.

Products Mentioned

Timestamps

[18:07] Meet Jenson, an aspiring producer from Montana
[19:08] The raw materials: a breakdown of the multitracks Jenson mixed
[20:51] A look at Jenson’s two-bus chain and approach to mastering
[26:22] The number one issue: diagnosing and taming an uncontrolled low end
[29:15] Why consistency is king for modern metal bass
[30:55] The myth of the “perfect” virtual bass instrument
[32:31] How a bus compressor can help glue your kick and bass together
[33:47] Setting attack and release times on a multi-band for low-end control
[37:19] Why does the snare sound “pancaked”? Investigating the lack of transients
[41:23] The critical importance of phase-aligning your drum samples
[45:04] Why the vocals are getting buried in the mix
[46:40] How your speaker setup’s “phantom center” can mess with your vocal balance
[50:52] A pro trick: using a multi-band compressor as a dynamic EQ on vocals
[55:40] The difference between warm analog clipping and harsh digital clipping
[1:02:48] Creating high-end clarity by notching out annoying ringing frequencies
[1:09:48] How to build a pro portfolio when you’re just starting out

Eyal Levi, Joey Sturgis & Joel Wanasek: Musical Translation, Producer vs Songwriter, Handling Difficult Clients

This episode features a roundtable discussion with URM founders Eyal Levi, Joey Sturgis, and Joel Wanasek. Eyal Levi is a producer and guitarist known for his work in the band Dååth and for producing artists like The Black Dahlia Murder and August Burns Red. Joey Sturgis is a renowned producer and mixer who defined the sound of modern metalcore with landmark albums for Asking Alexandria, The Devil Wears Prada, and Of Mice & Men. Joel Wanasek is a producer and mixer who has worked with a diverse range of heavy artists including Machine Head, Blessthefall, and Monuments.

In This Episode

The guys get into one of the most crucial but least-talked-about skills in production: being a “musical translator.” They discuss the art of converting a band’s vague, creative feedback (like “make it sound like tractor pull metal”) into concrete engineering decisions. This is a deep dive into the psychology of running a session, from establishing trust and managing backseat producers to reading body language to know what an artist *really* means. They also debate the blurry line between producer and songwriter, sharing insights on when it’s appropriate to step in creatively. Packed with real-world stories, this conversation explores how to handle difficult clients, when to say no to a project, and why sometimes the best thing you can do for a hyper-talented “unicorn” artist is just get out of their way.

Products Mentioned

The Dip by Seth Godin

Timestamps

[4:33] Why producers are often socially awkward introverts
[6:50] The “musical translator” concept: What does a producer really do?
[8:45] Translating abstract requests like “tractor pull metal” into mix decisions
[11:27] Handling backseat producers who try to dictate your every move
[15:42] Reading a band’s internal power dynamics and psychology
[16:47] How a band’s prior negative studio experiences can impact your session
[20:08] The importance of learning to say “no” to the wrong projects
[22:11] The great debate: Should producers write music for bands?
[25:49] How co-writing and songwriting camps dominate the radio rock world
[30:56] Eyal’s nightmare scenario: A simple mix job spirals into a months-long disaster
[36:49] The key difference between being a leader and being a boss
[40:33] Using the book “The Dip” to know when to quit a bad situation
[45:21] Knowing when to get out of a great artist’s way
[49:09] Why face-to-face (or at least Skype) meetings are crucial
[52:16] When a “unicorn” artist gets mad that you’re *not* pushing them hard enough
[1:00:49] Helping vocalists who can’t reproduce their live energy in the studio
[1:05:24] The debate: Make the artist comfortable vs. using better studio gear
[1:08:41] Using positive pressure and discomfort to create peak performance
[1:14:31] Pre-recording rituals (or a total lack thereof)

JOEY STURGIS, JOEL WANASEK, EYAL LEVI: The 6 Pillars of Success, Finding Mentors, and Overcoming Failure

This inaugural episode of the URM Podcast features hosts Joey Sturgis, Joel Wanasek, and Eyal Levi. Joel Wanasek is a rock and pop producer/mixer known for his radio-friendly metal work with bands like Vinyl Theater, Righteous Vendetta, and The Bloodline. Eyal Levi has worn many hats, from his time in the Roadrunner Records band Daath to his production and engineering work at Audio Hammer with artists like Chelsea Grin, Demon Hunter, and Job for a Cowboy. Joey Sturgis is a producer and entrepreneur who has worked on seminal albums for bands like The Devil Wears Prada and Asking Alexandria, while also co-founding companies like Drumforge.

In This Episode

In “EP 1 | Food For Success (In Audio Production),” hosts Joey Sturgis, Joel Wanasek, and Eyal Levi kick things off by breaking down the essential mindset for building a real career in music. Forget magic bullets and lucky breaks; this is all about the tangible “ingredients” you need to cultivate. The guys get into a no-bullshit discussion on the six pillars of success: Ambition, Vision, Execution, Determination, Luck, and Timing. They share personal stories about the importance of finding mentors, creating your own opportunities, and why you should only take advice from people who have actually achieved what you’re striving for. It’s a deep dive into the psychology of what separates the pros from the hobbyists, covering everything from overcoming failure to why “no one really knows what the fuck they’re doing” is actually a liberating concept. If you’re looking for a reality check on what it truly takes to make it, this is it.

Products Mentioned

Timestamps

[2:21] Eyal Levi shares his background with the band Daath and Audio Hammer
[6:40] The rare joy of working with incredibly talented and prepared musicians
[8:05] The psychological stress of having to “make a band” in the studio
[9:58] The myth of the ’70s and ’80s: Were bands really better then, or did they just have session musicians?
[13:14] The core concept of the episode: success is not an accident
[15:51] “Follow the money”—why you should model the behavior of the best in the world
[17:21] A classic Gene Simmons story about who you should (and shouldn’t) take advice from
[19:15] The right way to approach a potential mentor so they’ll actually want to help
[24:38] Eyal discusses being mentored by industry legends like Colin Richardson and Andy Sneap over AIM
[27:24] Ingredient for Success #1: Ambition
[32:08] Ingredient for Success #2: Vision
[37:03] Ingredient for Success #3: Execution (Why you have to get shit done)
[42:01] Ingredient for Success #4: Determination
[43:29] Why you’ll start getting hate the minute you start succeeding (and how to deal with it)
[48:13] The three ways people react to failure, and the only one that leads to growth
[52:50] Ingredient for Success #5: Luck (and how to create your own)
[58:39] Ingredient for Success #6: Timing
[1:05:15] The liberating truth: “No one really knows what the fuck they’re doing anyway.”