Studio Stuff

Studio Stuff Podcast #40 | The Omelet Crisis and How Many Reverbs You Actually Need

Alright, the steak omelets are gone and the vibes are… fragile. But despite the breakfast tragedy, we’re digging into a topic that separates the bedroom demos from the pro records: Reverb. Specifically, are you using it to make things "wet," or are you using it to create a 3D space?

In this episode, we answer Cornelius’s question about how many reverbs are too many. We talk about why we’ve moved away from the "one size fits all" reverb buss and how we use EQ and compression on the reverb itself to keep things clean. Plus, we address a listener who thinks Steve is crazy for needing to "acclimate" to his mixing headphones. (Spoiler: Steve might be crazy, but he's right about the headphones).

You’ll Learn:

Why reverb is actually a dimension tool, not just an effect

The "Feel vs. Hear" rule for modern vocal processing

How to EQ your reverb returns to stop them from eating your mix

Why "Critical Listening" requires a different brain state than the gym or the car

The reason professional reference headphones feel like "learning a new language"

Topics & Stories:

The tragic loss of the Denny’s steak omelet (and Chris’s resulting mood)

Steve’s philosophy on "sub-spaces" for snares vs. toms

Why high-passing your reverb is the fastest way to a pro sound

The difference between AirPods and reference-grade monitors

Why Steve thinks you need to "re-learn" your ears every time you switch gear

Listener Q&A: A massive shoutout to Cornelius for the reverb deep dive and to Rome 81 for calling Steve out on his headphone habits! We break down the technical difference between "casual listening" and "data-driven mixing."



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Studio Stuff Podcast #39 | The Band That Broke the Internet (And What It Means for You)

We lost the Denny's steak omelet. But we found hope for music.

There's a band from Quebec called Angine de Poitrine, that stopped us mid-conversation and made us ask a question we hadn't thought to ask in a while: what does it actually sound like when human creativity has no ceiling?

That's where this episode starts. And honestly, it's one of the more hopeful conversations we've had on this show."

You'll Learn:

Why micro-tonal, math rock music is so disorienting at first listen, and why that's exactly the point

What makes this Quebec duo different from just "weird for weird's sake"

How real, raw talent is the most durable weapon against AI-generated music

Why the next generational band might already be building an audience right now

How Steve trained his ears to trust the low end on reference headphones after years on speakers

The EQ-boost technique that bridges the gap while your brain catches up

Topics and Stories:

The band from deep Quebec with more frets than you've ever seen on a guitar

Why loop stations, quarter tones, and impossible time signatures somehow groove

What Genesis, Rush, and 2112 have to do with a sold-out show in San Francisco

Chris's daughter Kayla and son-in-law now casually listening to micro-tonal math rock in the car

How Denny's became the emotional villain of this episode

Listener Q&A:

Huge shoutout to Ryan, who asked a great question about mixing on headphones after years of doing live sound. When you're used to feeling the PA in your chest, reference headphones can feel like mixing in a vacuum. Steve breaks down exactly how he made that mental shift, including the boosted EQ phase, why he gradually pulled it back, and the moment he realized he actually trusted his ears again.



👉 Got a question for us?
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We pull topics directly from your questions and YouTube comments.

And if you’re digging the show, hit follow/subscribe and leave a quick review.
It really helps more home studio folks find Studio Stuff.

Studio Stuff Podcast #38 | Mixing With Your Eyes: Visual Tools, Meters, and the Mix Bus Limiter Debate

Can you actually mix with your eyes? Should you? We're diving into one of those conversations that sounds like it has an obvious answer, until you really start pulling it apart.

This week, we're talking about the visual tools we actually use in our mixes: spectrum analyzers, tonal balance plugins, phase correlation meters, LUFS readouts, and more. We get into when they help, when they hurt, and how to keep them in their lane so they're working for you instead of turning your mix into a connect-the-dots exercise.

We also celebrate a big milestone, one year on YouTube. If you've been watching and listening, this one's partly for you.

You'll Learn:

Why tonal balance tools like iZotope's Tonal Balance Control are about finding the ballpark — not the bullseye

How freezing Pro-Q's spectrum display changed the way Chris hears his mixes

Why the low end is where visual metering earns its keep (especially in untreated rooms)

When to close the analyzer and just trust your ears and your instincts

How phase correlation meters caught a real problem on a live MCC stream

Why gain staging with your speakers off is not only okay, it's smart

Topics & Stories:

Steve's algorithm keeps serving him Chris's face, even at home, in his off time

AJ calls in mid-recording via the "ring even on silent" feature, it works, everybody

We talk about our favourite spectrum analyzer plugins (Tonal Balance Control, Ozone overlay, the Pro-Q freeze trick)

Chris's journey through three different rooms and why metering became a survival skill

We accidentally prove we've now been doing this long enough to repeat ourselves (we already did an episode on mixing full albums, we forgot)

How ear fatigue makes your meters more trustworthy than your ears after hour two

Listener Q&A:

Big shoutout to Stefan Jorissen for this week's question: "Do you put a limiter on your two bus from the beginning of the mix? What are the settings, and do you adjust them during the mix or adjust the tracks to keep within the desired range?"

We break down the different schools of thought, mixing into a limiter, using one as a bypass reference check, and why Chris eventually stopped mixing with one running the whole time (hint: his mastering engineer's limiter sounded a lot better than his).



👉 Got a question for us?
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We pull topics directly from your questions and YouTube comments.

And if you’re digging the show, hit follow/subscribe and leave a quick review.
It really helps more home studio folks find Studio Stuff.

Studio Stuff Podcast #37 | Third-Party Plugins vs Tim Tams: Which Actually Improves Your Mix?

Do you really need third-party plugins to make a professional mix… or are stock plugins already doing more than enough?

In this episode, we dig into one of the biggest mindset traps in modern mixing: believing the next plugin will magically improve your sound. We talk about where third-party plugins can genuinely help, where stock plugins are often underrated, and why better tools do not automatically mean better mixes. Along the way, we get into workflow, inspiration, tone, specialty processing, CPU efficiency, and how to think more clearly about what you actually need in your setup.

And yes… Tim Tams make an unexpected appearance too.

What We Dig Into:

Why stock plugins are often more capable than people think

Why buying more plugins does not automatically make you a better mixer

How third-party plugins can help with workflow, speed, tone, and inspiration

The difference between a plugin that is useful and one that is just tempting

Why specialized tools can sometimes solve problems faster than stock options

How learning your stock plugins first can make you a stronger mixer

Why some plugins become part of a mixer’s signature sound

Topics & Stories:

Chris introduces Steve to the Tim Tam coffee trick

The plugin rabbit hole and why so many mixers fall into it

Why great mixers still sound like themselves, even with unfamiliar tools

The real value of analog-style channel strips and plugin color

Why stock plugins often have an advantage when it comes to CPU efficiency

The difference between tools that improve workflow and tools that create distraction

Listener Q&A:
Shoutout to Oh Sushi Studio for the question:
What non-musical item is essential for a proper recording studio in 2026?

Chris and Steve share their picks, including a mug warmer, comfortable studio clothes, and the little everyday things that make a studio feel like a place you actually want to spend time in.

👉 Got a question for us?
📩 Submit it here: Form Link
We pull topics directly from your questions and YouTube comments.

And if you’re digging the show, hit follow/subscribe and leave a quick review.
It really helps more home studio folks find Studio Stuff.

Studio Stuff Podcast #36 | Headphones vs Speakers: What We Trust for Better Mix Decisions

Is mixing on headphones actually reliable? Are speakers still the gold standard? In this episode, we get into the real-world pros and cons of both after spending more time going back and forth between the two. We talk about what headphones reveal instantly, what speakers still do better, why stereo width and low end can trick you, and how learning your listening system matters way more than chasing the “perfect” setup.

This one also turns into a bigger conversation about trust, translation, and how to make better mix decisions no matter what you’re working on.

What We Dig Into:

Why headphones can reveal reverb, delay tails, clicks, edits, and vocal issues so clearly

Why speakers still feel more natural for judging bass, punch, and overall balance

How stereo width and panning can mislead you on headphones

Why room acoustics can completely change what your speakers tell you

The importance of acclimating before making decisions on either system

Why neither headphones nor speakers “wins” on its own

Topics & Stories:

A shoutout to the MCC mix feedback sessions and hearing members improve over time

How original music from the community makes feedback sessions so much more fun

Steve’s headphone mixing journey after finally committing to it

Why open-back headphones can annoy everyone else in the room

The “heated bathroom floor” analogy for getting used to monitoring changes

Why switching too fast between monitors and headphones can make you hate your mix

Listener Q&A:
We answer a question about the kick and snare relationship in a mix, including how we think about their level balance, how context changes the answer, and what we do when the snare or kick lacks body. We also talk about why kick and snare are two elements we’ll often shape in solo before fine-tuning them in the full mix.



👉 Got a question for us?
📩 Submit it here: Form Link
We pull topics directly from your questions and YouTube comments.

And if you’re digging the show, hit follow/subscribe and leave a quick review.
It really helps more home studio folks find Studio Stuff.