Recording Studio Rockstars

https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!

https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4KcgK6N3gowUGrKLxBGkgy?si=65a448e9f89c42e6

Listen to the podcast theme song “Skadoosh!” https://solo.to/lijshawmusic

Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify:

If you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/Review

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRoockstars.com/538

Download this Episode

RSR537 - Rich Bernett - The sound of machines: Contact Mics, The Cassettone, Guitar Pedal Feedback Loops, Oh My! 0

Dec 19, 2025

Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com

Howdy Rockstars, my guest today is Rich Bernett, aka Sound of Machines, a Richmond, Virginia - based sound artist, builder, and experimental musician.

Rich designs and performs with his own DIY instruments like the CassetteTone 2 and Rotary Drone, blending circuit bending, contact mics, and field recordings to create wild, organic, and otherworldly soundscapes.

With a growing following on YouTube, Patreon, and Instagram, Rich shares his creative process and connects with a community of makers and musicians exploring new sonic frontiers.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!

https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!

https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5FEzCg4bWv4y9FZlZaMVMk

Listen to the podcast theme song “Skadoosh!” https://solo.to/lijshawmusic

Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify:

If you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/Review

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRoockstars.com/537

Download this Episode

RSR536 - Ian Fitchuk - Grammy Winner Writer and Producer for Kacey Musgraves, Beyoncé, Chris Stapleton, and Maggie Rogers 0

Dec 12, 2025

Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com

My guest today is Ian Fitchuk, a two-time Grammy Award–winning musician, songwriter, and producer based in Nashville. You’ve heard his work on Golden Hour with Kacey Musgraves - a landmark record that helped redefine the sound of modern country and pop. Ian has also collaborated with artists like Maggie Rogers, Joy Oladokun, Chris Stapleton, and Beyoncé, bringing his versatile musicianship and deep sense of songcraft to every project he touches.

In this conversation, Ian shares his journey from growing up in a musical family to finding his voice as both an artist and a producer. We talk about the evolution of the Nashville music scene, how collaboration shapes every great record, and why fear can actually be one of the most powerful creative tools in the studio. Ian opens up about rediscovering his own songwriting, balancing commercial work with personal expression, and learning to embrace uncertainty as part of the artistic process.

Whether you’re a songwriter, producer, or studio musician, this episode is packed with insight into what it really means to make music in Nashville today - not just as a profession, but as a lifelong creative pursuit.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!

https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!

https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6on3LJZ2s6RnTOkHEkDyCZ?si=e6896b3481a74242

Listen to the podcast theme song “Skadoosh!” https://solo.to/lijshawmusic

Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify:

If you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/Review

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRoockstars.com/536

Download this Episode

RSR535 - Ryan Nasci - Mixing Mastery with Ryan Nasci [Harry Styles, Portugal The Man, Young the Giant] 0

Dec 5, 2025

Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com

What does it take to go from Ohio to LA and start mixing records at the highest level?
In this episode, I sat down with mixer and engineer Ryan Nasci to trace his journey from the Midwest to Los Angeles, where he worked alongside the legendary Tony Maserati and began mixing artists like Kingfish, Celeste, and more. Ryan breaks down how he built a hybrid workflow that blends analog gear, plugins, and Atmos into mixes that stay musical, open, and emotionally focused.

We dig into Ryan’s approach to gain staging, managing headroom, using trim plugins, tightening low end, and shaping vocals for dynamic performers. He shares how he uses tape vs. plugins, when hardware matters, how to set compression strategies that preserve energy, and why understanding the why behind every move is the key to a competitive mix.
Ryan also talks about mixing in Atmos, building depth with headphones, creative mic choices in small studios, keeping mixes clean without over-stacking plugins, and how persistence, day-rate pricing, and good communication help engineers build sustainable careers in today’s industry.

Huge thanks to Michael Estok for connecting us!

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!

https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!

https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!