The Metal Shop Podcast Blog

FUCK PODOMATIC

2010-04-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

Brandon again.

So evidently The Metal Shop is too popular for Podomatic.com eh?

Fuck you, YET AGAIN, Podomatic. This show has been screwed by you twice now, and it WON'T happen again.

In truth, this show was screwed both by podomatic, and by me being a cheap skate and trying not to have to pay for podcast hosting (it's not like I'm getting paid to do this show after all......but you're more than welcome to donate to help pay for hosting by going to themetalshop.info [*wink*]). Hey, after all this downtime, a lot of my listeners aren't following the show anymore. During that downtime, the show's OLD syndicator, gcast.com (who incidentally was COMPLETELY free with no restrictions), closed it's doors. So as a temporary fix, the show was moved BACK to podomatic.com. How was I supposed to know that two episodes into the show's return we'd be shut down by podomatic?......AGAIN?! Guess that's what happens when you bring a mondo-celebrity on your show like Dave Chick........and then murder him! lol!

Fuck em. I'll be moving to libsyn soon.

Death Magnetic - The Moderus Remixes:

2010-04-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Brandon here.

We've all heard the complaints about the poor mastering job done on Death Magnetic. "DM" is one of the only albums I won't listen to anywhere but in my Bonneville, cause that's the one place that the extreme brick wall limiting doesn't annoy the holy PISS right out of me. Well, one fan did something about it.

When Guitar Hero released their Metallica version of the game, stem mixes of the songs individual components were made in order to make the mixes for the game. I don't know if these stems were made available to the public, or if they were leaked, or hacked, or whatever. But a guy who goes by the username of "Moderus" got ahold of the stems for the entire Death Magnetic album, decided to make a new mix for each song that would be without the brick wall limiting, and released them to the interwebs as .flac files.

I just got my hands on them.

I'll save my thoughts on this for an episode of the show, as the poor mastering job done on "DM" is something I hoped to address on the show anyway. This will give me a great chance to discuss that, show how clean the album COULD have sounded, and talk about what I do and don't like about Moderus's mixes.

Stay tuned.

Updates........and a concert review?

2010-04-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

It's Brandon here, how you been? Been a while! How bout I buy you a drink! lol.

First of all, a few quick updates. There are reports that Dave Chick survived his assasination attempt whilst leaving The Metal Shop Bunker after taping episode #25. We will address those reports when we have all the facts sorted out, as we don't want to comment on an ongoing investigation. lol!

Don Howatt from The Apostle Fractal has sent a segment about midi, we're unsure where that episode will fall in the scheme of things but I have it in que. I've also produced a segment that is waiting in the wings, Neil is tossing around ideas for one at the moment, I've got a mic review segment in production for the Rode NT-4, and we've got another rant episode (like #24) planned. So things are rolling again at The Metal Shop, and we truly appreciate all of you sticking with us through all the unneccessary down time. You rock.

-=THE REVIEW=-

So I got the chance to see "Them Crooked Vultures" last night, which was cool because it was my first ever concert where I got to view it from the VIP section (Thanks Rob!!!!!). I'll try not to bitch too much about my complaints with The Fillmore's VIP section, because since the other option was general admission, at least I got to get close to the stage without facing the pitfalls of standing in the middle of a crowd that large (Hey, I'm not 15 anymore ok! lol!). Besides, the tickets were a gift, so I have no right to bitch at all since I wouldn't have even been GOING if I hadn't recieved them.

Anyway, aside from the complaints I have about the VIP section at the Fillmore in Denver, the show was pretty good considering that I had never even HEARD of "Them Crooked Vultures" until about two weeks ago when I was offered the tickets. Once I learned who was in the band (I'm a HUGE Grohl fan), I couldn't pass it up! And that leads to the most dissapointing part of the entire evening for me. The VIP section at the Fillmore is off to the far left of the stage, right beside a huge stack of speakers, and you are viewing it from such an angle that you can only see who's in the front center and far right of the stage. Dave Grohl being in the back center, I couldn't see him the entire show! Occasionally, I'd see a cymbal moving, but that's about it! lol! I was really dissapointed, but at the same time.........the tickets were free!

Seeing John Paul Jones whip out every instrument imaginable was really fucking cool. I've NEVER heard a mandoline kick so much ass in a rock song! lol! Josh Homme was a cool presence, kind of like a stoner Elvis. And then there's the fourth member of the band, the guy they hired for the touring, a guy who I thought I recognized the entire time I was looking at him, until it finally dawned on me who it was. None other than Alain Johannes, former vocalist for Eleven! I've loved their song "Crash Today" ever since the early 90's, so seeing him in "Vultures" led to a very mild geek out.

Check out "Crash Today" from "Eleven"

Ok, so here's the skinny. The band was TIGHT! The band sounded HUGE and AMAZING. The band had a hell of an energy that I could only have hoped to reproduce live in my wildest dreams. If I had been able to see Grohl, it would've been one of the best shows I've been too (Powerman 5000 currently tops that list). But it did have it's drawbacks, and they weren't related to the band. THE SOUND AT THE FILLMORE SUCKED! It could've been the fact that I was already pissed at the bad placement of the VIP section at The Fillmore, or it could be that the stack of speakers was litterally 10 feet from me blasting many thousands of decibles as my ears. I'm not sure which, but I tell you that I noticed things (thanks to the fact that my ears are more in tune with things than they once were) that I don't think I'd have noticed a decade ago when I went to concerts more regularly. The speakers kept breaking up and distorting, and obviously not in a good way. There's the good analog saturation type of distorting, and then there's the squealchy digital clipping type of distortion. This was the latter. Some of the guitar effects used included pitch shifting going up an octave, and this did not help the clipping situation, but rather it made it 10 times worse! I have to wonder if I was sitting in the center of the venue behind the mixing console if I would've heard it as plainly as I did when standing right beside a 20 foot tall hanging enclosure of speakers, but the fact is that I heard it, and because I'm an audio engineer by trade, it partially ruined my enjoyment of the show.

From my vantage point of 10 feet from the PA speakers, the mix got really muddy at times and the band just sounded like noise played to a drum beat with a vocal harmony over it. I couldn't make out what was being played at times, and THAT added to my frustration. Another problem I had was that the vocal could've been much clearer in the mix, as it was hard to understand what he was singing. Again, I think my perspective of it all was skewed due to my placement by the speakers, but I got what I got.

On the other hand, there were some really sweet sound system moments involving the low end. I could swear that Grohl had some sort of super-deep bass trigger hooked up somewhere on his kit (but can't verify that BECAUSE I COULDN'T SEE HIM .....calming down.....), because during this one really driving rhythmic mid-tempo song there would be this inaudible low end sub-bass rumble that would just shake the floor. I've never felt anything like that at a concert, it was sooooooo fucking deep! INSTANT GRIN! It added so much dimension to the song they were playing, which I can't identify because I'm really not familiar with their songs yet (though I will be getting the album as soon as I can, they were really fucking good last night).

The show as a whole was just a straight up rock show. No fancy effects, no tricks, just plug in and rock out for the good people of Denver. It was refreshing, and especially for a band of this superstar stature, I hope to see this more often. Sure, putting on a "show" with special effects and stunts can be cool (guy on fire in Cunning Stunts), but sometimes you just need to let the music do the talking and that's exactly what these guys did.

Before the show, I was looking into the band, and I noticed that they have their own Youtube Channel. There's a vid on there of Grohl called "Fresh Pots". Evidently this guy is more of a coffee nut than I am. I wonder if he drinks Dave Mustaine's own blend of coffee? lol!

THAT ONE is gong in the youtube channel! Dude, seeing his drumming in this vid just makes me even MORE pissed that I couldnt' fucking see him at the show. Grohl is one of my own personal rock icons (Nirvana, Foo, Probot, love them all), so this was a big deal show for me just because Grohl was there. What a let down!

I might comment on this during the show, we'll see. I'm not sure when Neil and I can get together again, I have to check with him. But we'll try to bang out another episode for you soon. Thanks again for sticking with us. We'll see you on the RSS!

And the Storm King mixes are rolling in!

2009-09-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've recieved a few mixes, and they are all very good. Scot Gallop's is very tight fisted modern metal, my own is a bit bass heavy, Neil went Old School, but the most interesting one I received so far is an industrial take on the song! All of these mixes are below in the flash player for you to listen to, and I've included the band's mix (done by Dave Piatek) for reference.

Still waiting for your mix. Email it to me at metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com. Keep it metal!

Episode #24 update.

2009-09-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well, as you've seen below in this very same blog, I've already recieved one remix of Storm King's "The Death Equation". Thanks to Scot Gallop of Bloomington, Indiana for the remix.

I'm working on my own remix at the moment, and the focus of episode #24 will be about that remix. The plan is to have me and Neil each do a segment about what we did to mix the song. After that, we'll be moving on to other topics for future episodes, while playing your remixes as they come in.

Here's the snag. Hopefully it won't take long for me to get episode #24 ready. Unfortunately I have had an unexpected event come up and will have to move, therefore my time will be focused on that until October. I'll work on my Storm King mix and on episode #24 when I find time, but finding a new place to live in under 30 days and getting moved in in that time will be rough and will obviously have to take priority over the show. So bear with me, and I'll have a new episode out when I can.

As for ideas for future episodes:

I'll be doing a review of Rhythm Rascal, as well as a review of some free drum sequencers you can use in Reaper and other programs that support Virtual Instruments. I've asked Brian Stephens if he'd mind recording some single hit drum samples and sending them our way, and he said he was excited about the idea. Those single hit samples would be great for drum replacement, or for use in Rhythm Rascal. Hopefully, when he gets those ready (not rushing him, he's a busy guy), he'll be able to come on the show to talk about how he recorded the samples. I've asked Neil to put together a segment reviewing Addictive Drums. So lots of drum sequencing, midi, and replacement stuff to talk about soon.

In a recent episode of Sessions With Slau, Slau talked about the multi-track files from Stevie Wonder's "Superstition". I've been talking with Slau and he may be coming on The Metal Shop at some point to talk with Neil and I in sort of a round table setting about another set of multi-track files that I've located. The song we'll be discussing could very well be "Verse Chorus Verse" from Nirvana, which I recently found the mastered multi-track files for.

I've been in touch with Bob at Acoustic Music Revival in Denver, and he's agreed to come on the show to talk about the differences in acoustic guitars and the tones they produce. Should help you pick the right acoustic for what you wanna do in the studio.

The Apostle Fractal's Don Howatt is working on a segment about how he's reworked midi drum data to create bass lines. I'm quite interested in that one myself, since I don't own a bass.

Since I've become a fan of Sessions With Slau, I may be using his show's format for a few segments I want to do about some recent recording sessions I've been involved in (as I've told Slau about already. After all, imitation is flattery). At christmas last year, I got a Sansa Fuze 8GB mp3 player (thank you Sarah), and it has a built in voice recorder that actually doesn't sound bad. I've been taking it to recording sessions and hitting record while all the tracking and candid banter is going on. It's not the greatest, and it can't handle very high SPL's, but for capturing the talking that goes on at a session this is a pretty cool device. So I may be doing a segment about some ways you can apply this little voice recorder, and I hope to do a segment about recent sessions and play bits and pieces from the sessions that I captured using the Sansa Fuze.

Neil mentioned in episode #23 that he had a friend who was doing some recording, and he was going to try to interview that friend about the recording process when it's finished. That should be an interesting listen as well.

So stay tuned. Lots of cool stuff coming from The Metal Shop. Keep it Metal!

Props to The Home Made Hit Show.

2009-09-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

Just a quick thank you to Dave Criddle from the Home Made Hit Show for mentioning The Metal Shop at the end of episode #169.

Check out the Home Made Hit Show at http://www.homemadehitshow.com

A cool new tool that I will likely incorporate into the show.

2009-09-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

Screenr. It's a new thing that is incorporated into Twitter. It allows you to make screen shots of whatever you're doing and publish them. This below is my first Screenr vid, and it's just a short shot of Rhythm Rascal. It really highlights my need for a RAM upgrade (running 512 mb! GRR!), but that's not the point. Enjoy.

The Metal Shop #23 is finished!

2009-08-11T16:02:00.000-07:00

I'm working on getting everything up on the server so I can get it out to you all, but you'll be pleased to hear that Episode #23 of The Metal Shop is now finished!

Also, if you're on Facebook, be sure to become a fan of The Metal Shop!

The Metal Shop Podcast on Facebook

Stay tuned!

Episode 23 progress.

2009-07-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

I just wrapped up a double-ender with Neil McDougall for episode 23. This episode will be a MASSIVE episode if all goes according to plan. It's been 14 months since I've been active on the show, and it feels good to be back in action finally.

The things we discuss on this episode include the reasons why I'll no longer be including Trivia in the show. Quite frankly, if you've listened to the show for a while you know that it never really got that many responses anyway. It was a cool idea (that I "borrowed" from The Project Studio Network), but it never latched on with you folks, so it'll be gone from here on out. And those of you who read the blog here will know that ahead of time.

Of course, episode 23 will be focused around the interview with Dave Piatek, who recorded Storm King's latest release, during which we talk about the recording process for the album as well as some of Dave's personal recording techniques and methods. Scott Massie, who you heard on episode 17, gave Dave permission to donate the multi-track files to the Storm King song "The Death Equation". I have recieved the files, and so has Neil, and you'll hear us discuss our thoughts briefly on the files that we recieved. We'll both work on our own mixes, and they should be on the episodes that follow #23. But when #23 is released, you'll all be able to get copies of the files by downloading them from themetalshop.info, where I'll post them in mp3 and wav formats in zipped folders. Download them, have fun with them, practice your mixing chops with them, and send us the results. We'll play them on future episodes.

I won't ruin the rest of the show for you, but I will tell you that quite a few of you over the past years have told me you LOVE long podcasts, and for those of you who fall in that category, this come-back show will NOT disappoint you. Thanks for sticking with me and Neil during our unintended downtime. Episode 23 will be up as soon as I can get it to you.

- Brandon.

New activity brewing.

2009-06-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

In 2 hours I'll be on the phone wit Dave Piatek of http://www.davepiatekrecording.com/ to talk to him about the recording of Storm King's latest release. We'll be talking about the recording process, and I'll hopefully be getting some multi-track files from Dave for one of Storm King's songs so that I can disperse them to you and you can practice your chops.

Other episodes in the works (for real this time, I swear) include a review of Rhythm Rascal (http://www.rhythmrascal.com/), a free plug in round up, a review of Karma Audio's K-Micro Condensors, and a little talk about my recent recording sessions with Littleton Colorado's "Alternum Divide".

Keep it Metal.

.....where to begin. lol!

2009-04-28T08:02:00.001-07:00

Hey guys, it's Brandon. If you're reading this thanks for sticking with us. Here's what's up.

You may remember Scott Massie of Storm King, formerly of Bottomfeeder, from episode 16. I told you I'd bring him back on to talk about Storm King in the future. Well, we're working on that.......sort of. Scott has asked me to interview his studio engineer instead of him, as I'd likely get more info about the recording process from him than from Scott. So he's put me in touch with Dave Piatek (http://www.davepiatekrecording.com/) who is tweaking the knobs during Storm Kings current recording sessions. I'm working on setting up an interview with Dave when the Storm King sessions are done.

Scott also told me he'd give the show the multi-track files for one of Storm Kings new tracks and allow all of you to download the files to remix yourselves. More on that when Storm King is done in the studio.

I'm sure you've noticed the web site was down for some time. I had some server issues with Godaddy.com and was too busy with my day to day to get a chance to get The Metal Shop website back online. Have patience. It's coming back very soon.

I've been busy with the day job, and busy with moving again to a new home (only 20 miles away, staying in the Denver area), and busy working on recording sessions for a local band called Alternum Divide. They are rock, but not Metal, so I'm not sure I'll use anything from them on the show, but you never know. But that project is on hold temporarily, so hopefully I'll be able to focus on the show soon. I promise it's not going away, I won't let it. Thanks for sticking with it thus far.

Keep it Metal.

updates.

2009-02-26T13:20:00.001-08:00

Hey, it's Brandon.

I'm about to work on a segment that outlines some of my favorite free plug-ins. But before I could do that, I had some work to do updating the web site. The background no longer worked, and the page wasn't updated after Neil published his own episode to reflect that show's publication. So I took care of that today.

Some other updates to the site are coming soon, including a page dedicated to downloading multi-track files for you to mix. But more on that later.

I'll be working on an episode soon, so sit tight. Thanks for the patience, it's not been a very fruitful year for the show. I'll be trying to fix that a.s.a.p.

A tribute to Natasha from Eleven.

2009-02-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

Not particularly show related, but I wanted to share this.

I heard this song on a video compilation that came out in 1993 called Rock Video Montly. I LOVE this song. I just found out that the keyboardist died in July. Sad. I wish I'd paid more attention to the band. Here's my tribute to Natasha Shneider in the form of me posting the video to my favorite (and only one I know) song from Eleven. Enjoy "Crash Today".

The prodigal son returns?

2009-02-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

Brandon (the bearded slacker) here with an update.

It seems at the moment that activity is brewing at The Metal Shop. I've got a few ideas for segments that I'm tossing around, and Neil just published his first solo episode. I'm listening to episode #22 now, and good job Neil. Thanks for taking the reigns for a time.

Neil and I are throwing around ideas for my return, and so far it looks like my return to the show will include some extensive banter on the ins and outs for beginners. I don't know what else Neil has on his idea list, but I'm contemplating an episode dedicated to free plug ins that are kick ass, as well as an episode on how much gain you actually need on guitar to get your tone in the studio, and finally a long overdue series of episodes on drum recording.

And wasn't there something in the works a year and a half ago about me recording a band and giving you the tracks to mix yourself? I haven't forgotten about that. I just suck, that's all. lol.

So enjoy episode #22, and keep your ears to the ground for #23. Oh, and keep it Metal.

Couple more things.

2009-01-15T11:22:00.000-08:00

Couple things I forgot to mention. First of all, a metal group from Daytona Beach that is Violin Based (No guitars) added me on myspace. I've been talking with them after listening to their stuff, and I have to say that it's an impressive sound. I've invited them on the show in the future to talk about how they do it. I have my suspicions, but I'll let them tell it when I bring them on in the future. Check them out!

http://www.myspace.com/armandvio7

Also, The Metal Shop, as well as other great podcasts such as Radioactive Metal, can be heard now on 95x! The Metal Shop airs Mondays @ 5p.m. EST and Saturdays @ 10p.m. EST.

Click here to tune in to 95x!

Keep it Metal!

Update.

2009-01-15T11:06:00.001-08:00

Hey, it's Brandon.

Ok, the most common question I've been getting lately is "Are you still doing the show?"

Well, the show isn't going away, it's just been put on the backburner. As I stated earlier this year, I had to step down for a bit while getting my life in order in Colorado. It's been almost 7 months since I moved, and I admit I've been a bit lazy about it, but I've also had other priorities to take care of in my personal life, so the show hasn't been coming out as regularly as it once did. But I assure you that things are stirring once again.

One thing that I want to announce is that I've opened Skyline Sound Studios Of Colorado. Check it out on Myspace.com/skylinesoundco. I can mix your projects, record you if you're local, process your tracks through analog equipment to help you get analog tone with REAL analog equipment, create radio and podcast imaging and do voiceover work, and more. If you need something, hit me up! You can use metalshoppodcast [at] yahoo [dot] com if you want.

Neil has promised me, as well as all of you on this blog, that he'll be putting out a new episode soon. I told him I'd let him do a solo show or two before I came back in, and I wanna hold to that, which is one of the reasons that it's taken so long for me to come back into the fold. It's taken him some time to get to it. Keep in mind though that neither of us are paid for this, and we both have lives to live aside from this podcast, so if it takes him some time to get his first solo show out, so be it.

I've got some ideas for my return to the show. On my agenda is possibly a bit of a how-to on recording piano, as I rarely hear that on any recording podcasts, and piano is used in Metal now and then. If/when I do that segment, I'll be using some cuts from a recording session I did with Shawn Garmon if she approves of me using her tracks. It's not metal, but I don't have any other examples to use, and the point isn't what she's playing but how I recorded it....that is IF I do that segment. I'm still deciding on that one.

Another idea that will likely be in my first episode back will be focused on how much gain to add to distorted guitars. I'll also likely do a review of my new K-Micro's from Karma Audio. These are condensors that cost $5 each, and you've heard them reviewed on Home Recording Odyssey.

Neil and I are throwing around the idea of recording a song together, so if that happens we'll be sure to give you all the details and likely share the tracks with you.

I've done some updating of the Youtube section. A lot of the playlists had videos that were no longer available. I've purged those off of the playlists, replacing the ones I could, and now it should all be running smoothly.

Other than that, I suggest that you stay tuned. Sorry for being gone so long. Keep it metal, I shall return.

- Brandon

Time for a long overdue Ep. #22 update...

2009-01-07T03:20:00.001-08:00

Neil here, long time no blog.

Episode 22 is mostly in the can. It's a bit 'live' sounding (did it all in a couple of takes, and I'm probably not going to be too fussy about editing the crap out of it), but I figure after this much delay, a rough-as-arseholes Episode 22 is better than no Episode 22 at all.

I'll be talking about going back to basics, and what someone new to the game of recording needs to do to get their guitar riffs into their PC. It won't be a mammoth show, but the last few were lengthy epics, so it's a nice change of pace.

Hope 2009 finds you all well. :-)

Been a while. Quick update.

2008-11-18T17:10:00.000-08:00

It's Brandon here with a quick update. Ok, so Neil tells me that episode 22 is in production, so keep your shirts on. I'm contemplating what my first segment will be upon my return to the show, and trying to get some aspects of life in order.

I did wanna share this with you, and it's just been added to the "Fucking Brutal" playlist.

Rock on, and be patient.

Another Rocky Mountain Update.

2008-08-23T00:28:00.000-07:00

Brandon here, just checking in. Here's a little update on what's going on in my neck of the woods.

Ok, settling in has been hectic, but I'm slowly getting there. When you have to move your entire house 1100 miles in a hurry, it can be a bit exhausting. Because of this we're taking our time getting settled. I've still got boxes going up the wall in the den and bedroom, but I'm slowly getting there.

The Plan:

Ok, so out here in the greater Denver Metro area, I plan to piece together a recording studio. I'm working out names and other details for it now, but it'll likely take a year or so before I'll be up and running. I've got other expenses right now, but hopefully I can devote some dough to the studio soon. Another hurdle will be to find a location for the studio once I've got enough equipment to operate on a bare bones level. I'm considering government grants and/or small business loans, so keep your fingers crossed.

I'm loving the Rockies. In fact, it's inspired me to discover the theme of the studio once I get it off the ground. I don't have a solid name for it yet, I'm throwing ideas around though. But the theme will have something to do with mountains most likely. Name ideas include "Rocky Audio", "Rocky Studio's", "Mountain's Of Sound Studios", ect. I know, the names are cheesy, but I don't wanna just cater to rock and metal musicians so I'm keeping it genre neutral. Feel free to comment and let me know what you think of the names, or to suggest one!

My Thoughts on the new Metallica:

Ok, being the big metallica fan that I am, I'm sure you're all wondering what my first impressions are of "The Day That Never Comes". I've listened to it a total of 1 time. Here's my thoughts.

Does it seem to anyone else that they are trying to highlight their entire career with this one? The beginning is very long, which is classic Metallica. But the slower cleaner first half of the song reminds me a lot of The Unforgiven mixed with Bleeding Me (at least in it's overall feel). But then they start injecting these riff-o-rama parts that takes the song in a whole different direction, and feels a lot like a combination of their first 4 albums put together. The riffs in the second half of the song didn't feel like they belonged together in my opinion, and they changed so often that it was like I was listening to a Kill/Ride/Master medley. But the riffs were so different from one another that it seemed like the Kill/Ride/Master medley was recorded during the Justice sessions.

Now maybe this is the producer in me talking. Maybe I am at a point where I can't listen to riffs that don't make sense together anymore without questioning why they were put there. Maybe I'm just getting old! lol! But the riffs just didn't seem to fit together that well to me. Maybe once I've had time to digest it after a few listens, it won't be such a big deal. After all, The Memory Remains took me a few listens before I started liking it. So we'll see.

And now to my worry about Rick Ruben producing it rather than Bob Rock. I feel that he let Metallica brew this album up themselves in an organic way, and that's fine. My beef is with the way it sounds. It doesn't have that larger than life, bombs dropping 10 feet away, explosive.........bigness (I guess that works) that the Bob Rock era of Metallica had. I don't think I'm a big fan of the Rick Ruben sound. I hear that same thing missing from the two S.O.A.D. albums he did, and I hate those albums for both their songwriting and their sound overall. I can't tell yet, but based on the online stream of "The Day That Never Comes" as well as the myspace mp3 of the Iron Maiden song they covered, I just don't think I like the sound as much as I did on the Bob Rock albums. That's my opinion. Take it or leave it.

Anyway, I'm starting to get to the point where I wanna decide what topic to cover on my next show when I come back to The Metal Shop. So the gears will be turning again very soon. Neil assures me that even though he's been held up a little, episode 21 will be out a.s.a.p. In the mean time, keep it metal.

Episode 21 - the latest

2008-07-28T15:28:00.001-07:00

Hey, Neil here with an update on Ep 21...

Work on the episode ground to a halt for a while...got a bit demoralised after I crashed and subsequently scrapped my car a few weeks ago. However, I've picked the baton up again, and work on the episode is progressing nicely.

Be warned - Episode 21 is looking like a LOOOOOOOOOOONG episode - looks like it could top an hour and a half, if the current status is anything to go by.

Oh, in other news, I went to see the mighty English neo-prog band Frost a few weeks ago, supporting the equally mighty American prog band Spock's Beard, and both bands were great, especially Frost - their first album (Milliontown) was one of my absolute favourites of 2006. I'd love to get their main man (Jem Godfrey, keyboards) on the podcast - it'd possibly be hilarious, if Frost's youtube video blogs are anything to go by.

As for our resident mountain-dwelling Metal Shop architect, Brandon, he's still knee deep in boxes, last I heard. Anyone got a spare forklift near Denver?

Where's the next episode?

2008-07-07T08:17:00.001-07:00

The answer to that question is simple, friends...

It's getting edited in Cakewalk Sonar right now! Bwahahahaha!

So. hopefully more audio goodies soon, and then I need to start thinking about just what the smeg I'm going to talk about in #22, my first solo episode. Eek!

Rocky Mountain Update!

2008-06-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

Hey, it's Brandon with an update from my new station in the rocky mountains. I've made the move to the suburbs of Denver, but my work is far from done. I've got a mountain of boxes to unpack, a house to set up, a job to find, and other such challenges that take priority before I can focus on the show again.

In the mean time, Neil has edited together and posted episode 20 and will be updating you guys on the progress of episode 21 right here on the blog. I'm listening to 20 now at the local library, good job Neil. Can't wait to hear 21. Thanks again.

I'll be back with updates as I can get to a computer. I don't have net access at home yet. Probably for the best anyway, as I'd likely sit around on myspace all day rather than unpacking! lol! In the mean time, enjoy the episodes that Neil is working on, and write to either of us (metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com - neil@neilmcdougall.com) with any questions or comments. METAL!

Episode 20 - Coming VERY soon!

2008-06-24T10:42:00.001-07:00

Editing is done, the MP3 file is uploading to the server as I type this, and with any luck, providing I can get the show notes looking decent on the website, Episode 20 should be landing in your podcatchers in the next few hours!

Short update on Episode 20

2008-06-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hey, Neil here with an update. Brandon should be driving to Denver by now.

Most of the basic editing work has been done for Episode 20, I just need to edit out any background noises and add the bumpers, blippers, swooshies, and other such stuff before it's ready for human consumption. With any luck it could be ready in the next few days, providing I can figure out all the stuff for the main Metal Shop website without too much hassle.

I might also put a small audio update out on the feed to acclimatise myself with Gcast (the podcast's media host) and to provide an update for those listeners not reading this here blog post.

Anyway, pin back yer ears, 'cause there's good stuff to come. Oh yes.

Things are moving slowly, sit tight.

2008-06-19T00:42:00.001-07:00

Ok, as you can imagine with all the crap you have to do to move cross country (I know, I whine about it, but still), I haven't had time to do anything related to the show except answer a few emails. That includes not being able to send Neil the necessary files so that he can edit episodes 20 and 21 together as he's agreed to do for me (which I thank him again very much for). I'm getting those to him today, as 24 hours from now I'll be loading the moving truck and my time will be up until I get to Colorado. I don't know how long it'll take for Neil to get an episode out, that's up to him and his schedule. But the files are going to him now, and I for now am signing off. Hopefully I'll be on my feet in Denver quickly and can come back to the show without a long hiatus.

In the mean time, don't forget to write to Neil at neil@neilmcdougall.com. You can still write me at metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com, and I'll answer if I can, but I'll likely forward it to Neil to handle as my time will be very limited.

Take it away Neil!

A big Thank you to Neil.

2008-06-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

As you no doubt know by now, Neil McDougall has been helping me out with episodes 18 and 19, and will be on board for 20 and 21. And if you read this blog, you also know that after episode 21 comes out, I'll be in the midst of my move to Denver, during which time Neil will take the reigns of the show for a few episodes. All this was supposed to happen after I put out episodes 20 and 21, which were both recorded quickly without email or trivia being read so they could be put out before my move.

Well, mother nature threw a wrench in my plans.

Friday, I drove to Chicago to watch REM. Great show. But on the way home to Bloomington Indiana, we got stuck in Indianapolis thanks to some massive thunderstorm activity that was hovering over the area and wouldn't let up or move out of the way. This resulted in flooding, and kept me from being able to get home until just earlier today. I was more fortunate than some, my house was fine and I just had to put up with a dank dingy hotel in Indianapolis. Many homes were lost, and 1 person in Columbus Indiana was swept from their car in rushing water and drown. Lots of property was lost, including cars and some businesses. The entire area was declared a disaster area.

Why is all this important? Well, it limited the time I had available to work on episodes 20 and 21. At this point, that amount of time has shrunk to none. I have to use the rest of my available time packing. Period. Luckily, Neil has stepped up to the plate yet again and said he'd edit episodes 20 and 21 together for me. So I'm sending him my voice track and he'll be taking the reigns from this point until I get set up in the Denver area.

So thanks Neil for picking things up for me. I, and all the listeners, appreciate it, and we all are excited to hear your first segments.

Keep it Metal!

19 is out!

2008-06-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

If you go to the web site, it still says the most recent episode is #18, but if you look at the flash player episode 19 is cued up and ready. It should be beaming to your podcatchers as I type this. It'll take me a bit to update the web site, but 19 is out for all to hear.

Metal.

Episode 19 update.

2008-06-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

Looks like episode 19 is coming together great. I've almost got it stitched together. It feels like I should be focusing my time on other things, because I really should, but I'm glad I've done it as I've been putting it off for a while. I'm editing together the end of the episode as we speak, and it looks to be another long one, so I'll need to have time to listen through it once to make final edits before I can post it. Expect it within 24-48 hours.......hopefully.

Relocation update.....

2008-06-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've found a place in Colorado and the clock is ticking. I'm working today to try to get episode 19 out to you as quick as possible. Episode 20 I can get mostly edited down, but Neil and I voice tracked the last part of episode 20 when we did episode 21 last week.....and Neil had technical difficulties. So we're going to have to re-do it. We're gonna try to do it on Wednesday. When it's done, hopefully it'll take no time for Neil to send me his audio so I can get started.

Here's the thing though. Friday, I've got Tickets to REM in Chicago, so I won't be able to work on the show any then. Sunday, I'm heading to southern Ohio for a week to see my family and won't be able to do the show then. After that's over, there's 5 days to get the rest of my stuff packed and onto the truck before hitting the road. So odds are that if I don't get it out to you by this weekend I'll either have to put it off or ask Neil to do the editing on the episodes. We'll see what happens, but I'm putting some time into it today so I can get the ball rolling.

......after all, it's not like I can clean out my shed today. We're under a tornado warning! lol!

Keep it metal!

Im in ur blog, shoppin ur metalz

2008-06-01T03:35:00.000-07:00

Oh hai. I can haz cheezburger?

Okay, that's enough LOLcat for one blog post.

If you've listened to episodes 13 and 18, you should be familiar with me - I'm Neil McDougall, aka NeiloMac, and I'm going to be running The Metal Shop while Brandon ups sticks and relocates to Denver.

What will I be doing? Well, I've got some ideas, but I'm keeping that under my hat for now. Don't want to ruin any surprises. ;-)

Any comments, questions, queries and offers of 'h3rb4l v14gr4!!1!!!' can be sent to neil(at)neilmcdougall.com, where they will all be read and, in the case of the last one, deleted with extreme prejudice.

Episodes update.

2008-05-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, Neil and I finished voice tracking episodes 20 and 21 today. They won't have trivia or email readings like the others. There's a reason for this. I move mid June, and I want to have those episodes out as quickly as I can before the move.

FYI, episode 21 will be a long one.

That said, what is to come during my downtime while moving? Well, I won't be able to pick the show back up until I'm settled in, have got everything unpacked (ugh), and have found a job in my new area. May be a month or two, but lets hope it's not longer.

But don't worry, the show won't stop during this time. That's right, Neil McDougall has stepped in and promised to keep the show from the pits of pod fade! Neil will be hosting the show after episode 21 is published and will continue to do so until I get on my feet in the Denver area. He's got some great ideas too!

So if you wanna contact him, just write to him at neil@nielmcdougall.com, or write to me at metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com and I'll forward it to him!

Building a studio? Looking for a soundproofing solution?

2008-05-25T14:30:00.001-07:00

This stuff is really cool. While packing my stuff, I like to turn on the TV. I usually turn it to HGTV to get some decorating ideas for my new place in Colorado. They are showing some new hi-tech home solutions, and they showed soundproof drywall. It's a drywall with a polymer coating to reduce DB's and keep sound either in or out. They gave an example by showing a ride cymbal coated with the polymer, and oen without the polymer coating. The one without rang out like normal, but the one with just sounded like a muted pie pan.

This stuff would be great in a home studio! Not only would it help reduce the sound from your control room and other live rooms, but it would help keep the sound away from the rest of your house and away from the neighbors!

Here in Bloomington, I live in a house next to a bunch of party-loving college students. My walls are paper thin. I REALLY wish I had this stuff on the walls in the house I'm renting!

Here's a link to one manufacturer of this soundproof drywall!

http://www.quietsolution.com/html/quietrock.html

Of course, there's much more to soundproofing than just putting up soundproof drywall, but it certainly can't hurt! Here's a link to an article with tips for soundproofing.

http://www.ehow.com/how_15992_soundproof-room.html

I've got the packing blues.

2008-05-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, packing sucks. I've got to go through everything I own, which as it turns out is a lot of crap, and figure out what I still want and what I don't want anymore. YAY! But, fortunately, it not only gives me a chance to catch up on podcasts but it also gives me a chance to listen to episodes I'm working on and making edit notes! So right now, I'm listening through episode 19's voice track and making edits. Hopefully episode 19 won't take too long, but I can't give a timetable right now with all the crap I have to do that takes priority.

I hope to have episodes 19, 20, and 21 out to you before I move in a few weeks to Denver. We've found a place out there, but it may take me some time to have enough free time after moving to focus on the show. Sit tight.

Another hold up.

2008-05-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Due to things that I have to do regarding my move (apartment hunting, packing, job hunting, ect), I've got to put the show off for another few days. But I'll get some editing done when I can and hopefully have a new episode out to you in the next two weeks at some point.

Some of the things holding production up.....

2008-05-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, aside from the fact that I'm trying to pack my entire life away so that it'll fit into the dimensions of a U haul truck to take with me from Bloomington Indiana to Denver Colorado, I've also been trying to finish other projects before the move happened. Because of those, the show was put on the back burner while I worked to get that finished.

What was said project? Well, if you asked me a week ago I'd have told you it wasn't finished so I couldn't say anything about it. But now, it's finished, and the artist has the songs on their myspace profile, so what the hell. Here's some audio, as well as what I did to the songs. This may or may not get talked about on the show, who knows at this point.

The purpose of the session was so that my client, a really talented guitarist and songwriter named Kyle Chambers, could get his ideas on tape. He didn't just want a crappy demo, he came to me because he wanted something of quality so that he would come across professionally and stand out from the guys who buy a 4 track and hit record without having any idea what they are doing. He has a drummer named Zack who lives an hour away, so he wanted to be able to give his drummer the mixes of his guitar tracks so that Zack could practice when they weren't able to get together. Kyle also wanted me to put some drum beats down using the sequencer built into the BOSS BR-1600CD so that he'd have something to show off that sounded more like a band than just some guitar tracks.

So into my studio we went. He recorded 6 songs. He was playing a Squier Telecaster with P-90 Pickups through a Line 6 Modeling 1/2 stack. I used the Shure PG-57 to mic his amp, and it didn't take long to fing a desirable tone. We took our time, even though this was just a demo, and layered guitar parts to make it sound more like a pro recording. At the end of the session, I went back through and used the BR 1600CD to put custom drum beats on each song. Though it sounds like a sequencer, it fit the song better than putting down a generic drum loop that kinda sounded right. I dumped all tracks into Adobe Audition, and a few days of mixing and tweaking drum sequences later and we have the final mixdowns!

They are inquiring about having the drummer, Zack, come in to lay down the actual parts on these since they sounded so good to them. Remember that the purpose of this was for a demo, not for a record release, so some things that I would've normally corrected in a release were left in just because of it's demo status.

Now that this is over, I'm going to try to edit the show when I can, but as I've stated before, I'm moving to Denver. Time is limited right now thanks to lots of packing. UGH!!!!!!

So here's the mixes of the songs with my sequencing on them. If you like it, check them out at http://www.myspace.com/angerinstrangers.

New Metallica Studio Vid Added to theYoutube Channel!

2008-05-12T09:49:00.001-07:00

Ok, so what if this vid has got me fan-geeking out! It's still worthy f the youtube channel as it shows Metallica in the lab recording the new album. In fact, in one shot you see James using the SM7B, making it worthy of being added to the metal vocalists and the sm7b playlists, but it's also going in the "Bands in the lab" playlist.

Check this shit out!

Just out of curiosity, I.........

2008-05-10T13:34:00.001-07:00

I did a quick google search today to see if any other podcasts had followed my model and focused themselves on recording rock and metal.

I found none, but I didn't spend more than 5 minutes looking.

Are there any out there? Does anyone know of any other podcasts dedicated to recording rock and metal? Or am I the only one? metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com - let me know.

It'd be kinda cool to be able to say that I was the first podcast focused on rock and metal!

The Metal Shop Relocating To Denver!

2008-05-06T19:05:00.001-07:00

Yes, it looks like I'll be moving from Bloomington Indiana to Denver Colorado! WOO HOO!

The move will be at some point in the next 5-8 weeks, so it may affect the show a little until I get things set up, but I'll be keeping you all updated here on my progress as usual.

Just to give you an idea of how far away I am from Denver right now.....

View Larger Map

If you look really hard over the Rockies, you can see the top of the PSN towers from Denver!

Should be fun! I can't wait! Any listeners in Denver?

Episode 19 update, part 2

2008-05-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Neil and I just got off of skype. We finished the final portion of episode 19, including listener email and trivia and such, then moved on to episode 20. We went through the acoustic shootout, and are waiting until 19 has been out for a bit to finish the rest. When we finish #20, we'll do the double ender for #21 and be done with the shootouts.

But I've got to finish the mixing project I mentioned in the last post before I can proceed with the episode editing. So sit tight.

Episode 19 Update.

2008-05-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, so most of Episode 19 has been recorded, though not edited. Neil and I still have to schedule our double-ender to finish the episode and track episode 20, but I might be delayed until after Mother's Day due to a recording project that I have to have mixed by then. So sit tight.

Shownotes are up on the site!

2008-04-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

As the title says! Took me like 20 minutes, but Godaddy.com finally let me in! lol!

It's not Godaddy's fault. i use internet explorer as my FTP service, and sometimes it won't let me through right away. This is the longest I've ever had to wait for it though. May look into another FTP service. Eh well, this one is FREEEEEEEEEEE!

Episode 18 is out! But..........

2008-04-30T10:28:00.001-07:00

I'm having trouble logging into my web server to update the web site with the show notes. The episode is now online, and should be heading for your pod catchers, but it may take me a few to get the show notes online. Be patient, and check back. Oh, and Turn it up to 10 and enjoy!

LESS THAN A MONTH UNTIL THE 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE SHOW!

2008-04-30T09:16:00.001-07:00

You know, I'm working on episode 18 now, and over nearly a year that makes an average of about an episode every 3 weeks. Wow, considering that I at one time didn't get to a new show for two months, that makes me feel good! lol!

I made this widget at MyFlashFetish.com.

But who's counting?!

1:10:00 isn't that long..........

2008-04-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's another biggie, but I'm giving it the final listen through now to make sure there's nothing else that needs to be cut before down sampling and uploading. Shouldn't be too long. If I don't get it up today, it'll be ready to post within the next 48 hours.

Another long one?

2008-04-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the segment alone from episode 18 is clocking in at about 48:00. It's not as long as the last episode, but still one of my longer episodes. I'm going to work on getting the rest of the episode thrown together for you, and it should be out in the next few days!

Episode 18 on the way.

2008-04-29T07:21:00.003-07:00

I've got the segment for episode 18 mixed down, just editing out some mistakes from it then I'll be ready to put it in with the whole episode. Shouldn't be too long on this episode, so sit tight!

Ok, that's it. The new playlist is being made!

2008-04-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

I asked Neil-O-Mac what he thought of the Fucking Brutal playlist, and he sent me this vid to add to it. That confirmed it! The new playlist will be called "Fucking Brutal" and will feature the stupidest of the stupid metal youtube vids that never should've been made!

For example.....

Fucking Brutal! New playlist idea?

2008-04-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Dave Jackson had the best of the worst podcast, and youtube has a hell of a lot of horrible videos that never should've seen the light of day. The number of these videos that relate to metal in some way is astronomical!

I propose a new playlist on the youtube channel that features some of these atrocities! For example.....

Any thoughts? Leave comments please!

New Youtube Channel Video

2008-04-27T16:28:00.001-07:00

For those of you who are considering buying the ZOOM H4, Neil-O-Mac did a review of it last year and posted it on youtube! The video has been added to the playlists for Gear and Studio In A Box.

Potential episode topics!

2008-04-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

On the 6th of March, I posted a line-up of the upcoming episodes. I wanted to stick to that, but I didn't. Let's take a look at how it's going to be changing, and keep in mind that this could change at any time. I won't mention specifically when I plan to release the following episodes, but these are the ideas I have at the moment and am attempting to tackle soon.

Mic shootouts / 4 episodes
Chris Mara's return to the show
Episode 1 of Siddius Sessions + BR1600CD review
Drum micing techniques
Drum mixing techniques
Bass recording techniques
Guitar micing techniques
Vocal recording 102
Mixing an entire song
Mixing an entire album
Midrange and shaping your guitar tone
Combo amp vs 1/2 stack: differences and similarities
Free plug ins
The loudness factor: volume and your tone
Placing stompboxes in the right order for your sound
Stompboxes vs. multi-effects units
Gain - how much is too much
Interviews with producers and bands about current recordings
Funky effects and how to get them

And of course there's a whole slew of potential topics listed on themetalshop.info! Stay tuned!

Episode 18 and part of episode 19 are voice tracked!

2008-04-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right. Episode 18 - 21 will feature a special guest host, and the host and I just finished voice tracking episode 18 and most of episode 19. We couldn't finish episode 19 because we want to wait for some emails to roll in as well as trivia guesses. When episode 18 is out, we'll be waiting a few days before finishing episode 19 to allow for these to come in. When they've come in, we'll be working on the rest of 19, as well as most of 20. Then we'll follow suit for episode 21. Should hopefully roll out rather quickly, but we'll see.

The topic of episodes 18-21 will be comparing 10 microphones on various applications. Episode 18 will be comparing the mics on a distorted guitar amp. 19 will be on the same amp, same mics, but comparing them using a clean sound. 20 and 21 will be comparing them on an acoustic guitar and comparing them on vocal ability.

Mic's being compared are listed below.

Audio Technica:
- AT 2020
- ATM 650

Sennheiser:
- E 609
- E 906
- E 835
- E 935

Shure:
- KSM 27
- SM 7B
- SM 57
- SM 58

And the special guest host is.................
...
...
...
...
...
...
...Oh come on you can wait!!!!!

Back from Denver, getting the ball rolling.

2008-04-26T11:12:00.001-07:00

Ok, I've been back from Denver for about 3 days now. I'm working on getting things done for more episodes, including getting the huge mic shootout taken care of and planning other episodes. I'm still hoping to get to the list that I made a few months ago of upcoming show topics, but cooler topics keep coming up! lol!

In all seriousness, there are some that have been on the backburner so long that I need to get to work on them, and I will be doing that soon.

Anyway, a few updates. The Mic Shootout episode that I have planned looks like it will likely be roughly 3-4 episodes. I don't want to burn you all out after all, and there are lots of audio examples of each mic. I'll be having a special guest on the show for those episodes too.

I just spoke with Chris Mara who wants to return to the show to talk about his new studio called "Welcome To 1979". It's an entirely analog studio in the Nashville area that looks like it's straight from the 70's! That interview may be taking place next week sometime.

And Storm King (Scott Massie's current band) has wrapped up recording sessions and posted 4 songs on myspace. If you liked the music of BOTTOMFEEDER in episode 17, Storm King will melt your face off! I'm trying to see if Scott will return in the near future to discuss the recording of these songs, so we'll see.

Check out Storm King here!

That's about all I can think of for the moment. Still working on Day Nine mixes when I get free time, which I haven't had much of because of the Denver trip. Also, it appears I'll be cutting some demos for a local solo artist over the next week. So my plate is full of stuff, but I should be able to get more episodes to you soon.

Keep it metal!

Me, keeping it Metal at Red Rocks outside of Denver!

Website Update!

2008-04-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

Just redid the YouTube page on http://www.themetalshop.info to make it more graphically appealing! Go check it out! And as always, feel free to send me vids for the channel!

New addition to the youtube channel!

2008-04-23T23:59:00.000-07:00

This one was sent to me on myspace by my friend and bandmate Josh! It's going in the OFF THE WALL section!

ED's Furry Fucking Guide To Metal!!!!

Episode 17 is ready to go, but..........

2008-04-18T20:52:00.001-07:00

Ok, I was going to edit down parts of the Scott Massie interview since it would up making the episode just shy of 90 minutes and the file size just shy of 100 mb. Instead, other priorities came and I ran out of time. I'm leaving on a plane to Denver in 3 hours and I'll be gone for 5 days. So I've uploaded the entire episode to the server, and have to continue getting ready for the flight. The episode will be posted from my hotel room in Denver over the next coupla days. Hang in there.

Rock on.

Next episode is a doosey!

2008-04-14T22:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, episode #17 will clock in at 1:24:02 as it stands right now! Whew! Bear with me folks. The episode is all edited together, but since it's so long and I'm rather tired at this point tonight, I'm holding off until I've had some sleep and can re-listen to it more critically before I post it.

Won't be long.

New on the OFF THE WALL playlist!

2008-04-14T11:43:00.001-07:00

Change of plans for Episode 17

2008-04-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

Recently I interviewed Scott Massie, former frontman for the now defunct Pittsburgh band BOTTOMFEEDER. Scott is now the frontman for another Pittsburgh band called Storm King. The reason he was interviewed is because even though BOTTOMFEEDER is no more, the album "In The Name Of Love And Science" is an amazing album on both an artistic level and a production level. It's not as polished as a Bob Rock album (ok, maybe a little smoother than St. Anger....but you get the point), but instead it has a raw eclectic feel to it that is just indescribable and unlike anything you'll hear on the radio. And no, that's not in a bad way. I hate those people who think that just because it's not mainstream it has to be good even if it's crap. That's not the case with this band. It's not a mainstream sound, but it's anything but crap.

If you can't tell, I like the album! lol!

Anyway, I asked him to come on the show to discuss the making of the album. This album features some interesting tricks that aren't that common, such as dual drum sets, using a different guitar/amp/mic on each layer of each song, purposefully clipping the end of a song to heighten the intensity of the song, and mixing it all with electronic elements and beautiful orchestration.

Ok, if I still smoked pot (clean for a decade now), then this would be one of those I'd listen to in a dark room with headphones and just trip out! It's a very interesting album.

Anyway, now that I'm done praising the album, the reason I've bumped this one up to the front of the schedule of episodes is that Storm King has a gig this month that Scott wanted to promote in the interview, and I told him I'd get that out before the gig. So if you're in the Pittsburgh area, go check it out! It's coming up on the 25th at The Smiling Moose.

I'm planning a trip out of town next week, and I hope to have this episode out before that trip takes place. Keep your fingers crossed, and an eye on your pod catchers!

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - 40 years ago today.

2008-04-04T06:28:00.001-07:00

(In case you're wondering why this is posted in this blog of all blogs, it's because I feel a social responsibility to remember this man and his accomplishments. We must honor him and what he's done for society. Besides, there's a fun fact about U2 in here that may make a good trivia question!)

Taken away from the world 40 years ago today.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot in Memphis on April 4th, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. It was truly a sad day for our country, and truly a sad day for the world. Without this man, we would not have a Barack Obama, an Oprah Winfrey, or so many others who had the door opened to their futures by this great man.

Rest In Peace.

Actually, I have yet to read about this anniversary on the web or in the news. I saw todays date, which reminded me of the U2 song called "Pride In The Name Of Love", which was written about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

There's a verse of the song that goes:

Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride

Check it out.

Dr. King, thank you for all of your struggles, all of your commitments, all of your strength that you've passed down to others, and for all the seeds you've left behind for us. Rest in Peace.

Episodes update.

2008-03-21T09:42:00.001-07:00

Ok, so it looks like I'm going to probably have a special guest co-hosting with me on episode 17, which will be a mic shootout between the mics loaned to me to see what else is out there other than the famed 57 and 58.

But it may be a bit before that episode comes out. Here's why.

A. - My personal life.
I've got a few changes that I've got to manage right now, and since I'm not getting paid for the podcast.........

B. - Homework.
I'm doing my homework to make sure that in the upcoming episodes I know how to best explain the fundamentals of processing to you.

I have no timetable yet regarding when the new episode will be in production, but I've had downtime before so sit tight. You all know the show is going nowhere anytime soon.

Keep it metal!

Lessons learned!

2008-03-15T22:55:00.001-07:00

Ah, you never know what you'll learn about your DAW, even after years of using the same DAW, same version! Like me, right now I use Audition 1.5. I'm in multitrack mode trying to see if the audio from my double ender with Scott Massey will line up with my audio, but I spend 30 minutes trying to figure out why it won't let me adjust the sampling rate of Scott's file. Turns out that since I had loaded the file into the multitrack view before trying to convert it, it wouldn't let me adjust that parameter in the two track mode until I removed the file from the multi-track line-up!

Makes sense, but you'd think I'd have thought of that! lol.

3 new vids on the channel!

2008-03-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

These were added to the "Off The Wall" playlist of the Youtube Channel. Thanks Neil yet again for the first and third. The second, I stumbled upon.

Episode 16 out within 12-24 hours.

2008-03-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's already on my server, but I have to wait to post it cause I don't have time right now.

METAL!

Another New Playlist on the Youtube Channel!

2008-03-12T11:04:00.001-07:00

Check this out. There are some vids on youtube of people using Lamb Of God's Sacrament - Producer Edition and replacing drums and guitar parts with their own playing! I'll throw more vids relating to the producer edition as I find them, but this is a great starting point.

Just occurring to me when watching these is that you can use the tracks to practice your recording techniques. For example, you can work on your drum recording and mixing techniques in your home studio by re-recording the drums to the songs!

SWEET! Check these out!

Episode 16 nearly complete.

2008-03-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

Episode 16, which is my review of Lamb Of God's "Sacrament - Producer Edition" will be out soon. I've got it all edited together, and just have to find time to give it one last listen through to check for mistakes. After that, it won't be long.

Episode 17 probably won't be out as quickly as the last 3 have. 15 and 16 didn't take much editing time, so I worked on them while piecing together 14, which is why I was able to get them out so quickly after 14 was published. I'll try to get 17 out as quickly as I can though.

Keep it metal.

Did Korg Listen To My Suggestions?!?!?!?!?!

2008-03-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

In episode 6, I reviewed the PX4D from Korg. In my review, I had stated that I would like to see this unit have USB functionality. This would allow you to power the unit without batteries, transfer fx patches into and out of the unit, and share your patches with ease over the internet. You could also use it as a recording interface.

Seems like they listened!

The PX5D was just recently released, and it has those features!

Korg listening to my suggestions isn't entirely unbelievable, after all I had written them to tell them of my review. I know they listened, because they responded to things I said in the review. So, this means that my ideas may have made it to the design team! That's pretty friggin cool!

I'm going to contact the company to see if I can get one to review and compare.

- METAL!

Radioactive Metal #51 featuring....ME!

2008-03-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

I was interviewed on Radioactive Metal yesterday! Check it out!

The audio quality of my voice could've been better. We were doing a double ender, so I was in charge of how my voice sounded. However, I made the decision to use a computer mic to record my voice. The reason for this is that Dario and Snowy do this to record their show. Well, what started out as an experiment to make it sound like we were in the same room turned into something that sounded less than professional. What I should've done was set up a condenser and set it a few feet from me to capture the room sound as this would've sounded more like what I was shooting for.

Eh well. Live and learn. Next time I'll shoot for that.

Interviews, Interviews, Interviews!

2008-03-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

Ok, so Sunday will be a bit busy for me. I've got more interviews to do!

After recently interviewing Chris Mara, then appearing as a guest on The VM Underground to talk about the Lamb Of God thing, tomorrow I'll be talking to Dario and Snowy of Radioactive Metal as a guest on their show, then immediately recording an interview with Scott from BOTTOMFEEDER (now of Storm King) about the recording of BOTTOMFEEDER's "In The Name Of Love And Science...."!

Not to mention the jumble of shows I've still yet to produce that have been on the back burner for some time now!!! lol. Should be exciting! Great stuff to bring to you folks! Keep it metal!

Episode 15's Trivia - We have a winner!

2008-03-08T11:31:00.000-08:00

Neil McDougall has answered episode 15's trivia question correctly! Way to go Neil! I'd give him a copy of my album, but he's already got it! So in episode 16 I'll be playing his promo for Neil-O-Mac's Music Attack!

You want the answer? Wait til episode 16! lol.

Keep it metal!

Episode 15 - Chris Mara Talks About Data Management

2008-03-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

www.chrismara.com

This is episode 15 of The Metal Shop Podcast! In this episode, I speak with Chris Mara about the dangers of not backing up your data.

LAST WEEK'S TRIVIA

Last week's trivia question is about Ozzy Ozzbourne. An effect in the song Suicide Solution from Ozzy Ozzbourne caused him a lot of problems when, In October 1984, a nineteen-year-old shot himself in the head while listening to the song. Upon evaluating the song, The Institute for Bio-Acoustics Research, Inc claimed to have found subliminal lyrics in the song encouraging people to kill themselves. This prompted lawsuits against Ozzy, claiming the lyrics prompted people to commit suicide. What is the message that IBAR claims Ozzy is delivering?

The correct answer is in this video from youtube.

I had several correct answers this week, but the first one in was from Unkle Bonehead. Since Unkle Bonehead has my album already, I played his shows promo in this episode.

And don't forget to listen to The Unkle Bonehead Show!

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA

This week's trivia question comes from Chris Mara. "Everyone looks at V/U Meters. What do the initials 'V/U' stand for?

Enjoy the show? If you like it, write me at metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com, or check me out on myspace at myspace.com/metalshoppodcast. Don't forget to check out the Youtube channel at youtube.com/metalshoppodcast! And you can now keep up with my daily behind the scenes activities by reading the Metal Shop Myspace Blog at blog.myspace.com/metalshoppodcast! And finally, you can discuss all things Metal(shop) over at the Metal Shop Forum, which is over at metalshoppodcast.myfastforum.org/!

[All music in this episode was original music that I, Brandon S. Hire, had a hand in writing and recording, except for a short sample of "Suicide Solution" from Ozzy Ozzbourne for the trivia question. The song at the end of the episode is "You" from my album "Orphan". Check out my album at Brandonshire.net. The music bed at the beginning and end of the show was created specifically for this podcast]

[Download Mp3]

Contact Info updated on web site!

2008-03-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

Before, I only had my email and myspace listed in the contact section. Well, now I've posted several IM options, as well as my SayNow widget.

So get in touch!

Youtube Section Of Web Site Now Updated!

2008-03-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

I've created two new play lists. One, I've mentioned in the blog, the other I haven't. They are both now on the web site's youtube section.

The new one you don't yet know about is called "Drum Tech Tips", and here's a player for it!

Episode 15 should be out today.

2008-03-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

With any luck, there won't be any problems keeping me from uploading it. It's almost completely stitched together, and should be up within 24 hours max.

That was quick.

2008-03-06T10:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, all the voice-tracking for episode 15 is out of the way. Now I've just got to get together the appropriate audio samples and edit it all together. Gimme a coupla days, and hopefully it'll be up!

Keep it metal!

Episode 15 already in production

2008-03-06T10:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I published #14 last night. Well, you'll be happy to know that 15 is already on it's way. As I've said already in this blog, it'll be my interview with Chris Mara. In it, he asks the trivia question this time! Should be interesting! Hope to have it out to you soon, since the interview is already edited down. All I have left is just the beginning and end of the show.

Stay tuned. Keep it metal!

Forum

2008-03-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

Ok, no one uses The Metal Shop Forum......not even me! lol.

So I'm debating wether to take it down and put in it's place on the site a section to download multi-track files from episodes.

Thoughts? metalshoppodcast[at]yahoo.com.

Radioactive Metal

2008-03-06T08:32:00.001-08:00

Looks like Dario and Snowy from Radioactive Metal are asking me to come on their show! Exciting stuff! I like this show, and you should all check it out. I'll let you know if/when it happens!

Oooops!

2008-03-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

I mention the multi-track files from one of my bands songs being available in the shownotes. Forgot to post them! lol!

Working on getting them linked in the shownotes. In the mean time, get them here! Send me your mixes, and I'll play them!

Upcoming Episode Line-Up

2008-03-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, I asked, and you spoke. Episode 15 will be the Chris Mara interview.

Here's a line-up of what's to come after that (subject to change).

Episode 16 - review of Lamb Of God's Sacrament - Producer Edition
Episode 17 - more mic shootouts (maybe another special guest?)
Episode 18 - episode 1 of Siddius Sessions + BR1600CD review
Episode 19 - Drum micing techniques
Episode 20 - Drum mixing techniques
Episode 21 - Bass recording techniques
Episode 22 - Guitar micing techniques
Episode 23 - Vocal recording 102
Episode 24 - Mixing an entire song
Episode 25 - Mixing an entire album
Episode 26 - Midrange and shaping your guitar tone

Other idea's include:

combo amp vs 1/2 stack: differences and similarities

free plug ins

the loudness factor: volume and your tone

placing stompboxes in the right order for your sound

stompboxes vs. multi-effects units

Gain - how much is too much

Interviews with producers and bands about current recordings

And of course there's a whole slew of potential topics listed on themetalshop.info!

Episode 15 is a toss up. What do you guys want?

2008-03-06T00:19:00.000-08:00

I've got two things I can do for episode 15, and if I don't do one on 15, it'll be on 16. Those two things are:

- My review of Lamb Of God's "Sacrament - Producer Edition"
- My interview with Producer Chris Mara

So which do you want next? Email me. metalshoppodcast [at] yahoo.com (sorry for the email formatting. Trying to avoid spammers)!

We already have a trivia winner!

2008-03-06T00:17:00.000-08:00

I posted Episode 14 three hours ago, and Unkle Bonehead has guessed the right answer for the trivia question! Congrats to Unkle Bonehead! Thanks for listening man!

Episode 14 - Reverse Effects

2008-03-05T23:56:00.000-08:00

This is episode 14 of The Metal Shop Podcast! In this episode, I explore using reversed audio to create some interesting effects.

LAST WEEK'S TRIVIA

Last week's trivia question is about Metallica. In the documentary "Some Kind Of Monster", james is talking about blowing his voice out on the black album. What song does he say he blew it out on?

The correct answer is So What, an album B-Side. I had a correct answer from Mike Hickey this time, but since he's won before, I left the poll open. No one else submitted a correct answer to last week's question, so we move on. Don't forget that a winning answer gets you a copy of my solo album "Orphan".

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA

This week's trivia question is about Ozzy Ozzbourne. An effect in the song Suicide Solution from Ozzy Ozzbourne caused him a lot of problems when, In October 1984, a nineteen-year-old shot himself in the head while listening to the song. Upon evaluating the song, The Institute for Bio-Acoustics Research, Inc claimed to have found subliminal lyrics in the song encouraging people to kill themselves. This prompted lawsuits against Ozzy, claiming the lyrics prompted people to commit suicide. What is the message that IBAR claims Ozzy is delivering?

Enjoy the show? If you like it, write me at metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com, or check me out on myspace at myspace.com/metalshoppodcast. Don't forget to check out the Youtube channel at youtube.com/metalshoppodcast! And you can now keep up with my daily behind the scenes activities by reading the Metal Shop Myspace Blog at blog.myspace.com/metalshoppodcast! And finally, you can discuss all things Metal(shop) over at the Metal Shop Forum, which is over at metalshoppodcast.myfastforum.org/!

[All music in this episode was original music that I, Brandon S. Hire, had a hand in writing and recording, except for a short sample of an as yet untitled song from Neil McDougall, and a short audio sample of "Suicide Solution" from Ozzy Ozzbourne for the trivia question. Some audio excerpts from a session with Siddius were included in the Reverse Effects Segment. The song at the end of the episode is Crashing Down from my band "Day Nine", and the bumper music for the Reverse Effects segment is our song "Through The Fall". The music bed at the beginning and end of the show was created specifically for this podcast]

[Download Mp3]

Episode 14 out within 24 hours.

2008-03-05T20:27:00.000-08:00

Likely to be out within 6-12 hours, but just in case, expect it within the next 24 hours.

Also, if you haven't yet, check out Radioactive Metal!

Keep it metal!

Send a voice comment to The Metal Shop from your phone!!!!!

2008-03-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

This cool little widget will go on the website soon, and it's going on the myspace profile in a minute.

You can now call and leave a voice comment for The Metal Shop from your home phone! just enter your home number in the box at the bottom, and SayNow.com will call you back to record your voice message! That message will be placed here, and it may be used in the show!

Your number will remain confidential. In other words, I won't get it. This is a completely free service.

SayNow is free, but your cell phone carrier may charge you for receiving text messages.

A moment of inspiration? Perhaps just a fluke?

2008-03-01T10:41:00.001-08:00

I was in my car today, and here in Bloomington Indiana there is no good Rock Radio. You've got a good station out of Indianapolis that you can barely pick up that plays modern rock, then you've got the local "world class rock" station that plays Dave Matthews and John Mellencamp (loooooots of Mellencamp.....gag!)

Well, I hit a spot while driving where I could barely tell what was on the Indianapolis station because I was very out of range. However, it seemed to be melting into another station, and I heard that Jars Of Clay song from the 90's playing. But I also heard the heavy distorted techno riffs of whatever was on the Indianaplois station that was breaking up. The two of them almost seemed to melt into this fuzzy piece of genius that seemed to make more than a little sense.....they seemed to belong to each other!

I pull my car over in front of my house, where surprisingly enough I can pick up the Indianapolis station clear as day (for the first time in 2 years)! Turns out the song that was blending so perfectly with Jars Of Clay was "Trip Like I Do by Filter and The Crystal Method. I was amazed! It truely seemed like the two should've been in the same recording, melted together by some Hellbilly Deluxe-Era Rob Zombie! It truely was amazing!

Since I'm not much for song remixes, I figured I'd post it here so someone else can toy with it if they want, or maybe I'll look back in a few months or years and decide to toy with it myself. But It definitely should be toyed with!

Working on 3 segments at once guys. #14 will be out soon. Keep it metal!

Preview of Lamb Of God review!

2008-02-29T22:39:00.000-08:00

http://www.v-m-u.com

I was just on The VM Underground talking about Lamb Of God's "Sacrament: Producer Edition". I recorded the internet feed, and I recorded my end of the conversation, so we'll see if I can mix it together and get something that sounds good.

Check out The VM Underground!

A quick mix of a lamb of god song for you all to enjoy!

2008-02-29T20:17:00.000-08:00

Since I'll be reviewing Sacrament on episode 15, I figured I'd toy around with some mixes from the album. Here's just a quick one I did in 15 minutes. It's "Walk With Me In Hell".

Enjoy!

New episode is coming, sit tight.

2008-02-27T22:44:00.000-08:00

I've had a few hang-ups over the last week, and have just been a bit busy with non-show related things. Gimme some time to get things in order, new show will be out soon. Sit tight.

Past Guests List Added To Myspace And Blog

2008-02-27T22:41:00.000-08:00

I've added the following to both the myspace profile and this blog. I'll try to incorporate it into the web site when I get the new episode up.

Chris Mara
Episode 2

Big Al Wagner
Episode 8

Dave Criddle
Episode 8

Rick Shriver
Episodes 9, 10, 11

Unkle Bonehead
Episode 9

Neil McDougall
Episodes 11, 12, 13

New Playlist on the Youtube Channel!

2008-02-22T19:34:00.000-08:00

Links to this one will be added to the web site when I get around to it. But now there's a playlist just dedicated to gear! Can't believe I didn't think of that before!

New vid on the Youtube Channel thanks yet again to Neil-O-Mac!

2008-02-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

I laughed very hard!

This was added to the Music Video's and Off The Wall playlists of The Metal Shop Youtube Channel.

I also added this video of one of my solo works to the Music Video's playlist.

Episode 14 is coming soon.

2008-02-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

I'm doing things backwards this time. I'm recording the beginning and end before I complete the segment itself! Well, the segment itself is all I have left for Episode 14, and I've got most of the sound bites crafted already for it, so not too much left to do there. I'm going to try to fit a bit from a song Neil-O-Mac is working on that utilizes a reverse reverb on a guitar solo, and I'll be mentioning where to get some free multi-track files to mix from my band (hint, check out Home Recording Odyssey Episode 37).

Back to work. Keep it metal!

A studio lesson from Chris Mara:

2008-02-22T10:24:00.000-08:00

Studio Lesson

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Michael Ammot's Rigg!

2008-02-18T08:46:00.000-08:00

Click the picture to view it larger!

Chris Mara At Work.....

2008-02-10T23:27:00.001-08:00

Recording Anna Shepherd @ Darkhorse Studio 8.07

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A year since I last talked to Mara....

2008-02-10T23:08:00.000-08:00

The first segment I ever produced for this show was my interview with Chris Mara that appeared in episode 2. It took me two months after that was recorded to get the show ready, and the first episode (Guitar Doubling) was released in May 2007. So since it's Mid February now, and I last talked to Mara in March last year, it's been about a year since I last interviewed him for the show. Man how time flies!

It's late at night, and..........

2008-02-10T22:46:00.001-08:00

Since my girlfriend and I share a space (her desk on the other side of the room), and she's busy doing paperwork that will keep her occupied for a while, I have to be quiet. So since I can't voice track any new episodes of the show (like I had planned to do), what else is there?????

Well, there's a few things. I've been working on beefing up my knowledge of compression, specifically on bass drums. I'll be talking about how to do it in an upcoming episode, so I may as well work on it myself to make sure I cover all the ground.

Also, there's the Chris Mara interview that needs editing. May come out sooner than expected.....

And of course, I've always got a few songs that I can mix from my band (Day Nine).

I'm so glad they invented headphones!

[Ok, so this was just a not so clever way of telling what's in the works, but I'm sure you figured that out by now.]

Chris Mara Interview On Tape

2008-02-08T14:15:00.001-08:00

www.chrismara.com

Ok, here's another one for the backlogs of shows to edit. I've just concluded my interview with Chris Mara, who is a producer in Nashville TN.

We talked for a while about what to expect at the end of a recording session (from the artists perspective), what you should know and do at the end of the session (from the producers perspective), pre-studio preparation for the musicians, and how difficult it can be to find projects to work on.

On my end, I recorded about 40 minutes of audio, although some of that was switching phones when mine died, getting levels set, and gobbledy-gook that needs edited out. Also, my cat likes to make appearances when I do interviews, so depending on if she meowed when I was talking, she may be on there too!

Just waiting for Chris to send me his end of the Double Ender, and then I'll be able to get that edited together. I've got a few episodes planned before it comes out, but I may throw it out soon anyway.

Check out Chris Mara online at http://www.chrismara.com

1 year anniversary on the horizon!

2008-02-03T19:46:00.000-08:00

The first episode was published on May 24th, 2007, and what a ride it's been! It's now February, meaning we're coming up on the 1 year anniversary of the podcast!

I made this widget at MyFlashFetish.com.

.....But who's counting, right?!

Chris Mara Interview Number 2

2008-02-03T19:41:00.000-08:00

Looks like if nothing changes, I'll be recording interview number two with Chris Mara for The Metal Shop later this week. Stay tuned.