I can now officially call it "The Award Winning METAL SHOP PODCAST"!!!

Here's my speech.

In honor of recieving this award.............................fuck this. Speeches aren't metal! HAPPY 2008 and KEEP IT METAL!

Thanks to Big Al from PSN for helping me out on episode 12.

While I don't actually own ribbon mics, nor do I know anyone close to me with a pair that I could try, Big Al from The Project Studio Network was kind enough to send me audio files of an acoustic guitar recorded with two different ribbon mics for episode 12 of The Metal Shop Podcast. The samples he sent can be heard in episode #94 of The Project Studio Network, and you can stream that online at projectstudionetwork.com.

I'm nearing completion of the segment, which means the episode should be out relatively soon. Sit tight, and keep it metal!

More new vids on the youtube channel!

I'm in the middle of production on the Acoustic Guitar episode, and I've found a few video's on recording acoustic guitar that I've added to the channel. Check them out. The playlist includes a music video of The Foo Fighters performing "Times Like These" acoustically in the studio. Although I'm sure that the micing set-up for the studio shots were staged just for the video (I could be wrong, but I doubt it), it still shows how one could mic a guitarist and vocalist at once.

Keep tuned in, Episode 12 is on the way. Keep it metal!

Working on new episodes. We're back up and running!

I'm in the process of getting the materials together for episode 12, which will focus on recording acoustic guitar. If all goes well, it'll be out in a few days. But I've got a lot on my plate over the next few days, so it may take longer.

Here's what I've got planned for the next few episodes.

Acoustic 101
Reverse Effects
Review of Lamb Of God's Sacrament, producer edition
Mic Shootout
Interview with Siddius about the recording of "Preaching To The Choir"
Several episodes dedicated to the recording and mixing process for "Preaching To The Choir".

With any luck, this will take me through episode 20.

I've also been sent show ideas from a couple of listeners. Herman wants me to do an episode focusing on compression. This may be a good time to throw in a free plug in show, as I've got several free compressors I use. And Kris from One Over Eight is thinking about sending a segment comparing a real Mesa to a modeled Mesa, pointing out the pro's and cons of both. He also wants to submit one of his bands songs and maybe come on the show to talk about how it was recorded.

I've also been talking to a few people, such as Mary Magdalan (based in LA) who just released an album and may come on to talk about the recording process, and Chris Mara may come back on to talk about how to find work as a producer. And I'm thinking of expanding on the guitar doubling segment, but focusing on clean tones this time.

So I've got some great ideas floating around, I just need to get off my ass and do them. Keep an eye out for episode 12 coming soon. Thank for your patience everyone. Sorry to keep you so long between episodes. Hope you all have a kick ass new year, and keep it metal!

I'm one of Lamb Of God's Newest Producers!

Any of you who didn't catch my earlier blog entry (I think back in October) about Lamb Of God releasing the multi-track files to their album "Sacrament", I'll give a quick re-cap. They've released the files, and you can mix the songs yourself. You can add stuff, take stuff away, ect. It's pretty cool.


Well, I got it for Christmas. I've toyed with it for about 30 seconds, and here's my first reaction.

For only $14.95, it's worth it, but it has it's limitations.

The drums are already processed for you, and are on a single stereo file. The other instruments are likewise. They fit all the audio files in mp3 format on an audio CD.

Now, I know you may be thinking "YUCK! MP3'S THAT ARE ALREADY MIXED?", and I agree, but think about this. Like I said, it's only $14.95. What do you expect, every single snare drum hit on it's own wav file track unprocessed? After all, it's packaged with the album, so you're not just buying the multi-track files.

Also, consider this. If they were to include all the individual tracks in wav format, they'd need to put it on several data dvd's. I for one have not put a dvd drive on my pc that I got refurbished over the summer, so if this had been the case, I'd have been screwed. Also, making it full of data dvd's would've skyrocketed the price. This way, the average joe who has Audacity or Garageband can get their hands on the files and start working on their mixing skills.

So was it what I expected? No. Do I still think it's well worth it? Hell yeah. Go out and buy it, as I feel it's a great tool to help hone your mixing skills.

Anyway, look for a short review of it in a future episode.

NEW BLOG!

Ok, the blog you're seeing here is different from the myspace blog. But this is the new blog for the show. I'm in the process of moving all the other blog entries over from the myspace blog to here, so sit tight.

Anyway, if you're seeing this, then you've been to the newly designed website at themetalshop.info. Email me at metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com with any thoughts on the new layout.

Most importantly...............

NEW EPISODES COMING SOON!

Adobe Audition 3 - Using the 30 day free trial.....ME LIKEE!

Ok, I'm using the free 30 day trial of adobe audition 3.  Figured that since it was out now, I'd give it a shot.

I like.

I want.

I'm glad the upgrade is only a hundred bucks.

I haven't delved too deeply yet, but the coolest thing I've found in my three minutes of use is that in the two track editor, you can boost the gain of a selection just by selecting what you want, then adjusting a knob that appears at the top of the screen.  Makes Normalization pointless, and this is a lot quicker!

Here's a screen shot of what I'm talking about.

And another cool feature that I'm dying to try is that Audition 3 supports virtual instruments.  1.5, which I use on the show, does not.  So you can imagine my dismay at the fact that even if I wanted to, I couldn't use something like EZ Drummer!  Well, version 3 supports those things, and I'm going to try a free virtual drumming package that was talked about recently on PSN.  I'll keep you posted.

Still Alive!

I'm not going into podfade, so don't worry. Getting some personal things taken care of, as I said in the last episode, and hopefully it shouldn't be long before I can get back in the saddle and bring another episode to you. Sit tight.

Empire Extreme

I wanna thank the kick ass people over at EmpireExtreme.com for supporting The Metal Shop, and posting our logo and link on their site!

Empire Extreme is a metal focused Magazine based in Pittsburgh, and I'd suggest checking it out!

Keep it metal!

The Next Episodes.....

Hey, remember how I said at the end of episode 11 that I'd need some time before the next episodes came out?  Well, it's been almost a month now, and I'm still working on a few things, but I wanted to update everyone on what's going on.

First of all, I've decided that the next episode will be my first in a series on recording Acoustic Guitar.  I've been writing notes and brainstorming this one for a while, and it's time to take it off the back burner and do it.

Second of all, the following episode may be about reversing and some of the cool effects you can make with it (reverbs, textures, ect.)

Third, the mic shootouts are coming due, and I need to get the mics back to the manufacturers, so I'll be working on that.

Finally, I'll be starting a series of episodes explaining how I recorded and mixed "Preachin To The Choir (Cause They're Gettin Outta Line)" from Siddius.  This should include an interview with the band about the recording process as part of the first episode, followed by episodes that break down each individual aspect of the mixing process for this song (the bass drum, guitars, vocals, ect.).  I'd talk about one thing per episode so I can really go in depth on it.  You'll be SICK of the song by the time it's over.

Oh yeah, Siddius is giving the multi-track files for the song for you to mix, and I'll release them during the episode where I interview them.

After that, it's all up in the air.  I may sprinkle a guest segment in there somewhere to fill some time if need be, so feel free to make a segment and send it in to me.

Oh yeah, no word on where yet, or if / when it'll happen, but I may be relocating in the future.  The show may be put off for a bit while I get that taken care of, but I'll let you know if that happens.  Maybe I'll find another host to take over until I get things finished.....who knows.  It's a thought.  Then again, it's ALL just a thought right now.

Hang in there guys, and keep it metal.  For those of you who celebrate it, I hope you had a good Thanksgiving.

Metal By Numbers. 1..2..3!

This is fucking awesome. I know it has nothing to do with the show, but still!

The Final Mix!

Ok, here's an mp3 player loaded with the final mix of Preachin To The Choir from Siddius, as well as the four rough mixes I'd made before the final mix was done. The fourth rough hasn't been posted here yet, so this is your first time hearing it.

I know it's getting redundant, but some of you are asking for me to do an episode on the mixing process, so I figure this will be interesting to those who want that, as they can hear how the mix evolved from it's original state to what it currently is.

Enjoy, and keep it metal!

I made this music player at MyFlashFetish.com.

Coupla live Siddius clips added to the youtube channel!

CHECK OUT SIDDIUS ON MYSPACE!

Since I'm about to do a series of shows using the song I recorded for Siddius, I figured I'd post these vids of them that I found on youtube. I also put them on The Metal Shop's Youtube Channel! I did this for two reasons. First is to help promote the band (not that they won't already get a bunch of free promotion from me and the show, but hey), and two because I thought they were cool clips.

The first one is of them playing at a local all ages venue / youth center called Rhino's. I don't know the name of the song, but it's a pretty good quality live clip. I'm guessing they were recording the board line-out feed or something to get the audio, but I tried that once with this band at this venue and it didn't sound this good. So who knows. It's odd to me because it's a better quality recording (in my opinion) than the ones they had on their myspace before I recorded them last month. I think they should've posted that one if they had the audio from it! Anyway..........Keep an eye on the bassists' right hand. His fingers are something to watch. They remind me of a taranchula pouncing it's prey! It's fucking awesome!

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Anyway, the second video looks like it came from a cell phone or something. But I posted it because it (coincidentally) features about 30 seconds of the song we recorded! The audio sucks, and so does the video capture, but you can hear it's the same song!

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Anyway, these guys were great to work with. They are very talented for being a bunch of high school kids. I've got my final mix of the song ready to go, and I'll be posting it here soon. In the mean time, head over to my freelance profile to hear it and other work that I've done.

Hoping I can have the band on the show soon when I feature their song. That'll be fun if I can get that all worked out.

Keep it metal!

If I'm reading this correctly..........

This is the first time I've calculated my subscribers since I moved to the new server.  If this is correct, I should now have..........

7424 SUBSCRIBERS!

You all kick ass!

The evolution of a mix....Siddius Part 3.

Using some of the tips I learned while doing research on drum mixing for a future episode, I was able to dramatically improve the overall sound of the mix of "Preachin". Here's a player with all 3 of my rough mixes in it, from most recent to the fist one.

I made this music player at MyFlashFetish.com.


I'm very happy with the mix. All that I have left to do really is to do some track clean-ups (getting rid of amp hum, pitch correcting flub ups, fixing the false start at the beginning, things like that) and the song is done in my opinion. I may add a few things later, but I think this mix is pretty brutal so far.

And again, I'll be detailing what I do to the mix in future episodes.

Keep it metal!

An article picturing a good kick drum EQ Curve.

I was doing some research on drum mixing tips, and I found this article that showed a picture of a good eq kick drum curve.  I tried it on the kick in the siddius song, and it's helped.  I'll post samples later.

Here's the link.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov03/articles/logicnotes.htm

And click on the picture on the right that shows the eq curve.  Try it.

Another Siddius Rough Mix.

I've been working on the mix for Siddius's "Preachin". Here's an mp3 player so you can hear what I've done so far. I've also included the old rough mix for you to compare it too. There's still a lot of editing I need to do to the audio tracks themselves in the mean time, so sit tight.

I'm thinking that I'll be going through this entire song step by step in future episodes..

I made this music player at MyFlashFetish.com.

The DEN Timeslot Update!

Don't forget that The Metal Shop Podcast is being played on The Doogz Entertainment Network, which has been the sponsor of the last few episodes of The Metal Shop.  I'll be on every Monday at 7:00 p.m. eastern, which translates into 4:00 p.m. pacific for those of you who are bad at math.  lol.

Check out the programming schedule here to find out what other shows are on, and what times you can hear them.  If there's not a show scheduled, it's likely just automated random music playing.  Keep in mind that The DEN still has open timeslots and is looking for talented DJ's who are interested in hosting their own show.  So if you're interested, log on to doogz.net to apply!

Keep it Metal!

New Vids On The Youtube Channel!

I had to replace a few of the vids that had been taken down, specifically the ones with Lars Ulrich and Angela Gossow using the SM7B.  But while there, I found a few interesting Metallica video's of them recording St. Anger, and one of Kirk talking about the recoding of the new album.  Enjoy.

Random But Funny

My first real band Day 9 (RIP 1999-2002) really was an experience in amateurism.  We played badly, we performed badly, and we even took bad photos to promote ourselves.  We didn't know any better, and it was a memorable experience.

A few years ago, I found this website called Rock And Roll Confidential that has a section called the hall of douchebags.  Basically, they go through a bunch of real band promo shots and make fun of them.

I found a hidden gem!  One of our old promo shots is in the hall of douchebags!  When I originally found this, I laughed my ass off!

Here's the link.  And please, look at the other shots while you're there!  It's a pretty funny site, and you may even find yourself there!

http://www.rockandrollconfidential.com/hall/hall_detail.php?dd_keyid=187

P.S.- I'm the douchebag on the left with black hair wearing the tool shirt.  lol!

Debating Ideas.

I'm debating ideas for episode 12.  I'm leaning heavily toward drum mixing, focusing specifically on the kick drum first and saving the others for another episode, finishing off with the kit as a whole.  Or I could do the acoustic segment I've been keeping on the back burner for some time now.  Or I could do a gear review.  Or, I could talk about the mixing process using the siddius song for an example.  Or...well, the possibilities are wide.

Any ideas?

Lamb Of God Has A New Producer.....YOU!

[Copied from http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=84193]

Grammy-nominated metal band LAMB OF GOD will release the "deluxe producer edition" of its latest album, "Sacrament" (with bonus CD) on December 4, 2007.

LAMB OF GOD is breaking down the smoke and mirrors and allowing fans and professionals alike the revolutionary opportunity to produce and/or remix the entire "Sacrament" audio CD. All of the studio audio tracks (guitar, vocals, drums and bass) from the entire "Sacrament" album have been isolated, separated and prepared for use by music fans everywhere in ANY Mac or PC, so it is very user-friendly.

Remix the album any way you want to hear it. More bass? Your call. Less drums? Your call. Dub remix? Your call. New vocals? Good luck!

Track and add your own effects, vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and anything else you can imagine! Isolate tracks to help learn or to play/sing along. Create your own new unique songs or loops by cutting apart, rearranging or mixing up tracks or even entire songs. The possibilities are endless and the tools are now in your hands.

Let your inner-producer shine! Share your LAMB OF GOD creations online and check out the creative adventures of other new producers. You are the beginning of a revolution in music as we know it.

To hear samples of the release, go to www.lambofgod.tv.

- OR just push play! -

I made this music player at MyFlashFetish.com.

Episode 11 - Rick Shriver Interview Pt. 3!

Professor Rick Shriver


This is episode 11 of The Metal Shop Podcast! In this episode, I talk with Professor Rick Shriver about the meshing of multi-media with traditional media, as well as the advances in the media program at Ohio University's Zanesville Campus. Rick Shriver is my former professor at Ohio University's Zanesville branch campus, and is the head of the Electronic Media Department.

LAST WEEK'S TRIVIA
The trivia question for this episode asked; "What instrument made the warbly sci-fi sound effect at the end of Monster Magnet's Space Lord single?"

The correct answer is an instrument called The Theremin. Congrats to Mike Hickey for having the right answer. Mike wins a copy of my solo album "Orphan".

Here's a video clip demonstrating the Theremin, for those unfamiliar.



THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA
This week's question comes to us courtesy of Neil O Mac from Neil-O-Mac's Music Attack! Neil asks "During the song Rocket Queen from Guns N Roses, there's the sound of two people fornicating near the end of the song. How did those sounds get recorded?

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. The music bed at the beginning and end of the show was created specifically for this podcast, while the music bed at the beginning and end of the Rick Shriver Interview is a song called Dirty, and was recorded by me at OU's multi-track lab in 2003-2004!]

Episode 11 should be up in the next 24 hours.

Episode 11 is ready to go, I just have yet to upload it to the podcast server.  So sit tight, as I've got to go to my day job.  After that, I'll see if I can work on getting the episode on the web for you.

Also, after it comes out, I've got to take care of a few personal commitments before I can work on episode 12.  So it may take me a few weeks to get the next one out to you, but sit tight.

Keep it metal!

Just a rough mix of Siddius for you to hear what we did.

This is relatively unmixed. I've got a lot of editing to do to the tracks as well. There are a few spots of bad timing and sour notes, ect. But I wanted those elements in there so I can fix them and tell you how.

Keep in mind, this is a very very very very very rough mix. I haven't edited out anything, including when the vocalist yells "PENIS" during a part with no vocal line. I wanted to highlight the difference between the rough raw tracks version and the finished product.

I'll be using the tracks from the session as examples in upcoming episodes, including on how to process drums and bass and vocals.

Here's the song we recorded. It's called "Preaching To The Choir".


free player from mysplayer.com

Oh yeah. It was recorded in the bassists parents bedroom while the parents were away. It was done at about 10:30 at night, and the cops were called after the drum tracks were recorded. lol. We cut the noise for a few, then cut the rest of it at low volumes. So when the drummer yells "They called the cops" at the end, that was genuine! lol.

We have a trivia winner!

Mike Hickey has guessed the right answer to the trivia question, which means he'll be getting a copy of my solo album Orphan!  Congrats Mike.  I'll announce what the answer was in the next episode.

Of course, now this means I have to re-record the end of the next episode.  Damn, I was sooooo close to having it done!  lol.

Keep it metal!

The Shure SM58 - The world's toughest mic?

The newest addition to The Metal Shop Youtube Channel!

Siddius Recording Session Update.

I haven't had a chance to mix the Siddius song yet.  One hold up was how long it took for me to import the files to my PC from the BOSS BR-1600CD.  You had to wait for it to convert the track to a wav file, then import it to your computer, then move on to the next track.  That's right.  ONE TRACK AT A TIME!  That's one of the things I really didn't like about this unit, but you'll hear that eventually when I review it later on down the line.

Anyway, I finally sat here for three hours while dumping each of the tracks from the BR-1600CD onto the computer, and I will begin editing them for mixing soon.

Here's the cool part.  Siddius is willing to give the tracks to you guys too so you can mix the song yourselves!  Caleb, the drummer, said he thinks it's a cool idea, and can't wait to hear your mixes!

So, I'll get them ready as soon as I can get to it, and when they are ready you'll see them on the web site!

On a side, but related, note:
Someone should make a website that allows bands to upload their multi-track files so people like you can download them and mix them for practice!  I think it would be sweet!

Happy Halloween!

Episode 10 - Rick Shriver Interview Pt. 2, Plus Trivia Prize Announcement!

Professor Rick Shriver

This is episode 10 of The Metal Shop Podcast! In this episode, I talk with Professor Rick Shriver about studio overkill, portable recording, and more!  Rick Shriver is my former professor at Ohio University's Zanesville branch campus, and is the head of the Electronic Media Department.

TRIVIA PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENT:
I've decided on a prize for the trivia questions in the show!  The winners will now recieve a digital copy of my Solo Album!  Check out my web site to preview the entire album!

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.  The music bed at the beginning and end of the show was created specifically for this podcast, while the music bed at the beginning and end of the Rick Shriver Interview is a song called Blinded, and was recorded by me at OU's multi-track lab in 2003-2004!]           

[Download Mp3]

Equipment used on Siddius session.

I'll try to get a list from Siddius of their equipment so I can tell you all what they were running through, but here's a list of what I used to record the band last night.

Drums:

Kick Drum - Shure SM7B
Snare - Shure SM57
Floore Tom - Shure PG57
Two Rack Mounted Toms - Audio Technica AT2020
Overhead - Shure KSM27

Bass Amp:

Direct Line Out Of The Bass Head
15" Speaker - Sennheiser E906
15" Speaker (from about two feet back - Shure KSM27
10" Speaker - Shure SM57

Guitar Amp 1:

Top Left (4x12 Cab) - Shure SM57
Bottom Left (4x12 Cab) - Audio Technica AT2020

Guitar Amp 2:

Top Left (4x12 Cab) - Shure SM57
Top Right (4x12 Cab) - Sennheiser E606

Vocals:

Track 1 - Shure SM7B
Track 2 - Sennheiser E606
Track 3 (the evil laughing track) - Shure KSM27

It was all recorded onto the BOSS BR1600CD.  The bass was an Ibanez, but I don't have the model number.  The guitars were both Jackson guitars. Guitar amp 1 was a peavy, but I don't have the model number.  Guitar amp 2 was a marshall MGD100 head and cab.  The distortion came from a BOSS floor processor, but I don't have the model number.

Can't wait to get some tracks from it up for you guys.

Siddius Recording Session

I just finished recording a song for a local metal band called Siddius.  These are great guys, all very talented, and the recording process was a lot of fun.

I recorded the song using the BOSS BR-1600CD as part of my review of the item.  Killing several small pigeons with one massive piece of flint, I also tried out some of the mics that are on loan to me for various applications.  For instance, the Shure SM7B works great for a kick drum mic!  The Sennheiser E606 works great when combined with the SM57 for a heavy guitar tone, and it also works great for backup vocals when using a windscreen!  And the Shure KSM27 is a killer mic for getting a room full of doofuses all laughing histarically for a song atmosphere element!

The session was also a good lesson in how to get around your limitations!  I only had one overhead on the drums (KSM27), and I only had one mic for the two rack mounted toms (AT2020).  My PG57 was taped to an old cymbal stand (due to lack of mic stands) and put on the floor tom.  The SM57 was used on the snare, and the SM7B on the kick.  The whole reason for the funky configuration was a lack of available mic stands and cables, but there are ways around those limitations which I'll discuss on the show down the road!

I had fun.  The BR-1600CD held up really well.  I found a few things I didn't like about it, but you'll hear them in my future podcast review of the item.

Rock on, and keep a weather eye on the horizon for episode 10 of The Metal Shop!

Finally - A Prize For The Metal Shop Trivia!

I've decided on a prize to give out for The Metal Shop's trivia question.







.....









......






Well you don't expect me to ruin the surprise now do you?! I mean, hell you can wait til the next show to come out! Hahahahaha!

Episode 10 coming soon. Yeah, Already!

I know that since episode 4 I've been lucky if I could get an episode out once a month.  But that's the beauty of having the Rick Shriver interview edited already!  I just have to cut into the show the part I wanna use, and add the beginning and end banter!  I'll try to get it done within a week of last week's show.

Keep it Metal!

No rest for the wicked!

Yes, that's right. I posted episode 9 just earlier today, and I'm already editing down the second segment of the Rick Shriver interview.

Speaking of the interview, I hope you all enjoyed it. Neil-O-Mac said he sounds like an interesting chap (Neil's from Scotland), and I agree. He was fun to study under.

Keep tuned in. More to come soon!

Thanks again to Niel-o-Mac's Music Attack!

Neil-O-Mac's Music Attack included the promo I made for The Metal Shop in their latest episode! So thanks Neil MacDougal for helping promote the show.

Check out the attack right here!

New video on the youtube channel, thanks to Niel-O-Mac!

Neil-O-Mac sent me this video. It's not really showing anything other than Dream Theatre playing the song in the lab, so maybe I'll make a playlist for videos shot in the studio. For now, it's in the "Bands In The Lab" playlist. But it's pretty cool to watch the band perform it, considering that all the processing has already been done to everything. Enjoy!

One thing I really liked seeing that I want to point out is that at the end of the song, the bassist switches from using his fingers to using a pick. The reason I point this out is that it changes the bass tone, helping to create a wall of bass sound that really fits with the guitars and drums at that point in the song.

Episode 9 - Rick Shriver Interview Pt. 1, Plus Pandora Mixes!

Professor Rick Shriver

This is episode 9 of The Metal Shop Podcast! In this episode, I talk with Professor Rick Shriver about recording, podcasting, microphones, and Malaysia. Rick Shriver is my former professor at Ohio University's Zanesville branch campus, and is the head of the Electronic Media Department.

Rick mentions samples of Malay instruments that he recorded while spending a year in Malaysia. He's offering the recordings up to you for use as samples, or whatever else you can come up with. He asks that if you use them, please give him credit and please write to me at metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com to let he and I know about it. We'd like to hear it after all!

- Click here to go to Rick's website and download the sampled audio! - The audio doesn't play in Firefox on my PC, so if you have problems, try Internet Explorer. They worked there for me.

Rick sent me this picture of the mic he's using in his home studio.

We also hear from Uncle Bonehead, who has submitted 4 mixes of Pandora. He tells us how he did it and what he used in an audio comment! You'll only hear snippits of the mixes in the show, so check out this flash player to hear all 4 mixes from start to finish!

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

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. The music bed at the beginning and end of the show was created specifically for this podcast, while the music bed at the beginning and end of the Rick Shriver Interview is a song called Hiding, and was recorded by my band Day Nine in 2006 at Audition Studios in Circleville Ohio!]

[Download Mp3]

Episode 9 Update!

Episode 9 is so close I can practically taste it. Sit tight folks. Just a few more touches on it.

The Scoop On Episode 9 Regarding My Server Issues.

So episode 9 will be posted on both podomatic.com and gcast.com.  No matter which feed you're subscribed to, it'll be sent to you.

However, after that I'm going to change the feedburner feed to reference gcast.com instead of podomatic.com.  Then I'll post a notice on podomatic.com in the form of an audio file.  The notice will be your alert that you're on the wrong feed address.  I'll also post one on gcast.com telling you that you've got it right, and you don't need to do anything to keep getting the new episodes of the show.

So either way, you'll know if you need to change feeds.

Best thing to do is cut it off at the pass and make sure you're feed address is feeds.feedburner.com/themetalshop.

Rock on!

Episodes 9, 10, and 11.

In the next three episodes, I'll be playing parts of the interview I had with my former professor from OU-Z, Professor Rick Shriver.  Episode 9 is almost done, so sit tight.  Episodes 10 and 11 won't be hard to put together because most of the interview is already edited together.

Oh, and Episode 9 will feature 4 listener mixes of Pandora, the song I recorded for episode 6.

After that, I'll be posting the episode on recording acoustic guitars.  I wanna space that segment out away from Home Recording Odyssey's current episode on the same topic.

Sit tight.  Keep it metal!

The DEN Timeslot Info

Looks like The Metal Shop Podcast, as well as other music industry podcasts that join the roster later on, will be played on The Doogz Entertainment Network weekdays at 7:00 eastern time!  So far, episode 1 of The Metal Shop was played at least once on The DEN!  Episode 1 will be replayed each night this week at 7:00 eastern, and you can tune in by heading over to Doogz.net

For those of you who just are scanning this for a quick link to The DEN:

Tune In To The DEN!

Fuck Podomatic.com!

For any of you who may have tried to download episodes of The Metal Shop over the last coupla days, I apologize.  The fact of the matter is that I ran out of bandwidth for the month on podomatic because of each and every one of you awesome listeners downloading the show!  SWEEEEEEET!

Anyway, podomatic extended me a 7 day grace period, but it ended two days short of my bandwidth being reset.  Think they coulda maybe helped a brother out with two extra days?  lol.

So anyone who downloaded the show before last night at midnight would've received a recording of a British man trying to get you to donate to my show so I could afford more bandwidth!

Well, now I'm back up and running.  Another episode is in the works too.  And I'm going to be switching to another server, as I've discussed in my blog before.  So keep tuned in for changes.

Oh, if you subscribed using the podomatic.com rss feed, you may wanna make sure you re-subscribe using the gcast.com feed address that's listed on themetalshop.info!

Rock on, and keep it metal!

Tune In To The DEN!

The Metal Shop Podcast will soon be syndicated on The Doogz Entertainment Network (The DEN) at doogz.net!  The station is run by a friend of mine, and he's looking for podcasters to include in a timeslot dedicated to the music industry.  You'll remember the DEN promo that I played in the last Metal Shop episode, well I made that promo for him.  the promo mentions that he's also looking for DJ's, so if you've ever wanted to be a DJ without the limitations of the FCC, this is your chance!  You can fill out the DJ application over at doogz.net, like my frien Uncle Bonehead did!  he may be on the DEN soon!  And it looks like PSN may also be syndicated on The DEN along with The Metal Shop!

More details on timeslots will be coming soon!  Keep it metal!

BOSS BR-1600 CD

Roland US just sent me their BOSS BR-1600CD for a 30 day period. I've been waiting for this one! My mouth is watering just thinking about it! lol!

Shure Mics and 2008!

Ok, it's October, which means my 90 days with the Shure Mics ends on the 28th.  So I wrote to the guy who sent them asking him if that matched his records (I don't wanna be charged for them after all!  lol).

Well, he just told me he'd give me til the end of the year with them.  Don't know why, but don't care.  lol.  SWEET!

Brainstorming For New Show Ideas.

I recently started working on a mix for a song called Hiding.  It's from my band Day Nine.  I just may use an example or two from this recording in a segment about mixing drums.  I also may use it to showcase the free plugins I use.

That's just a couple of ideas in the works.  Tell me what you wanna hear!

Rick Shriver Interview In The Editing Phase!

I've just finished chopping down my 1:42:00 conversation with my former professor Rick Shriver into 3 different show segments. I've also edited all the mistakes out of the third of those segments. Maybe tomorrow, I'll be able to get to the other two. But in the mean time, rest easy knowing that the next string of shows is on your heels!

The Metal Shop To Be Sydnicated On The DEN!

The Doogz Entertainment Network, official sponsor of The Metal Shop Podcast, will be syndicating The Metal Shop on it's internet radio station! Time slot information is still in the works, as Doogz.net is looking for more podcasters to syndicate. They are hoping to have a show focusing on music industry tips, and will play various podcasts (such as The Metal Shop) that deal with areas of the music industry!

Keep tuned in to this blog for details, and Tune In To The Den at doogz.net!

Update on my monitor situation.

Weird.............

I had uplugged the left monitor that was fried.  I took it off the desk and set it aside for a few days.  Just now, for the hell of it, I plugged it back in.

IT WORKS!  HELL YEAH!  Hoping it doesn't shut down again. lol.

Looks like I’ll be using headphones til I can afford new monitors! lol!

Fortunatly, the monitor of mine that fried was the one on the left. That one is completely passive, getting it's signal from the right monitor, as well as it's power. I've still got the right monitor. Maybe I can find a lefty on ebay?!

Either way, the right one still works so I can use that for quick reference. And.......it has a headphones input so I can mix through my headphones IN STEREO! I'm not totally fucked! YAY!

Hopefully I've finished with a mix I've been working on for a client. If so, I'll get to work on the next string of episodes. Keep it metal!

Monitor Troubles

My left monitor on my Roland MA-8's just went out on me. FUCK! This is really bad because I have a mix to finish that I've been working on for a while (but keep hitting roadblocks like pc problems, illness, ect). And furthermore, I have no money to go spend on monitors. This sucks.

Well, I'll be considering my options. Anyone know of any insane deals?

Updated Blog Appearance

FYI, I've customized the blog look and feel.

Files Are Up On Gcast!

So I've uploaded the shows to G-cast.com.  Turns out they do give you a page for your show, unlike what I previously thought, but you don't have any editing control over it and it's pretty bland.  I think I'll keep my web site.

But if any of you care enough to do this, feel free to go over to gcast and listen to the show there.  Let me know if you notice any downgrade in the audio quality.

Here's the link.
http://www.gcast.com/u/hiremedia/themetalshop

Rock on!

Have The Myspace Spammers Run Out Of Ideas?

Come on, you can do better!  

New episode update.

Just so you all know, I'm working on this bandwidth issue, as well as a few other things not involving the show directly, and when that's all said and done I'll get to work on another show.

I'm brainstorming though. Keep it metal.

Bandwidth, and a possible change in servers.

As mentioned in a previous blog, the show has eaten up all the free bandwidth that Podomatic.com would give me.  This came as a direct result of my simul-podcast with Big Al from PSN, as I got quite a few new subscribers after that.

It's kinda funny, cause Podomatic.com hasn't cut off my feed yet.  I've used 16.1 gb of my 15gb of bandwidth this month, and it doesn't reset for another 8 days.  I'm checking it often to see if they pull the plug on me, and in the mean time I'm uploading the files onto a backup feed over at g-cast.com.  They don't charge, have unlimited space and bandwidth restrictions, and are easy to use.  BUT, they don't offer stats.  However, since my feed would be re-directed from them to feedburner.com, no one would have the g-cast feed url, and feedburner would keep track of my stats for me.  For that reason, I'm thinking about making the switch back to g-cast.  I used them for my old "Music Industry Tips" podcast, and I really liked them.  We'll see what happens with podomatic.

Website Updates.....

I'm working on some new idea's for the web site.  Anyone have any ideas that would be cool?  Even if you read this one year from now, but have a cool idea, let me know about it!  I may implement it!

Here's what I've got so far, as far as idea's go.  I'm surfing other podcast websites to get these, btw.  Seems like some good ideas being used elsewhere, may as well give them a shot here.

Meet The Host
This would be ny bio page, where I list my other activities and tell a little about me.

Contact
Well Duh.  This page would include links to contact me at Myspace, The Metal Shop Forum, Email, and maybe eventually a number for fans to leave phone messages.

Forums
This page would contain a direct link to The Metal Shop Forum, and maybe a couple of other forums that I hang out at like the HRO forum.  Not sure yet.

Promote the show
This page would include promotional goodies for the fans, including links to download mp3 promos of the show for use on other podcasts and such, as well as codes for html banners, and codes for html flash players that play individual episodes of the show, or the entire feed.

Behind The Scenes
This would be a link directly to this blog so that people can read the behind the scenes happenings.

That's all I've got so far.  Let me know if you have any good ones.

Oh, and thanks to everyone who's subscribed to the blog.  You rule!

Bandwidth Sucks!

Ok, so I've just about reached my free bandwidth limits on podomatic.com, and I have 2 1/2 weeks til it resets.  Looks like it may go kaplooey.  lol.  If this keeps up, there won't be another episode until then for that reason.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing though.  I think it's a good thing.  It means that a lot of you are listening, and thanks for doing so.

The simulcast on PSN helped boost my ratings exponetially, so thanks to those guys too.

If the feed goes limp for a bit, the bandwidth is the reason.  You can help me cut that off at the pass though, by donating to The Metal Shop over at The Metal Shop.info!

Rock on!

50 Subscribers On Monday Alone!

Thanks a million to all of you who are listening.  The good thing is that I've got over 4000 subscribers now, and on Monday alone, I received 50 subscribers!  That's the most I've had in one day since my record of 69 subscribers on July 3rd!  So thank you all for listening!

The bad thing is that now I'm using close to my limit of free bandwidth on Podomatic.com.  This means I'm looking for paid podcast services, and seriously considering libsyn.com to host the future episodes of the show.  But as far as bad things go, I'd rather be dealing with this than the computer problems I had a while back....lol!

I'm working on segments.  My plan is to get a few ready to go, then put them out on a regular interval while preparing more behind the scenes.  Hopefully, this way I can keep up on getting the show out on a more frequent basis than the last two months have been.  Among the segments are the three part interview with Rick Shriver, and the first part in a series dedicated to acoustic guitars.  Plus I've still got to review all of the mics I've recieved from Shure, Sennheiser, and Audio-Technica.  And I'm planning on taking some raw drum tracks from Day Nine's stint in the studio last summer and using them to show how to mix a drum set.  We'll see.

I do wanna thank Big Al Wagner and Dave Criddle for the help on the last episode, Doogz.net for sponsoring the episode, and Uncle Bonehead for the mixes of Pandora (which you'll hear on the next episode)!

I'm always looking for segments.  I've got Neil-O-Mac working on one with the Pod-XT, but welcome any other ideas anyone has.  Write to me at metalshoppodcaast@yahoo.com if you have a segment idea.

Other than that, we'll see which segment turns into the next episode.

Oh, by the way, don't forget to come to The Metal Shop Website and link over to Musiciansfriend.com from there if you are planning on ordering anything from them.  I get a small commision on anything sold using links from my site, so you'd be paying the same amount while supporting The Metal Shop!

Keep it Metal!

Episode 8 - Comparing the SM57 and the PG57, with Special Guest Host "Big Al" Wagner from PSN!

This is episode 8 of The Metal Shop Podcast! This episode features a comparison of the Shure SM57 and the cheaper Shure PG57. On this episode, PSN's Big Al Wagner joins in the conversation to give his perspective on the mics, and HRO's Dave Criddle gives us a soundbite with his take on how these mics stack up to one another!

(Left - SM57 | Right - PG57)

This segment is being simul-podcast on the Project Studio Network.

The Project Studio Network Podcast - Subscribe For Free Now!

Want to hear the audio samples uncompressed so you can decide for yourself which mic you like better? I've put them in a zipped folder on my server, and you can download them here!

The banter at the beginning and end of the show was recorded using the Sennheiser E935 that is on loan to me from Sennheiser.Interested in buying any of these mics? Use these links to order from MusiciansFriend.com!

Shure SM57 Instrument/Vocal Mic..

Shure PG57-XLR Instrument Microphone..

Sennheiser 935 Cardioid Dynamic Microphone

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. The music bed at the beginning and end of the show was created specifically for this podcast, while the music bed at the beginning and end of the SM/PG comparison is a song called Slipping Away, and was recorded by me in 2004 at Ohio University's Zanesville campus multi-track lab. The song is available on my website brandonshire.net to preview for free or to purchase!]

[Download Mp3]

Episode 8 is pretty much ready!

I've got all the voice tracking done for episode 8, and it's mostly ready to go. Should be out soon! Sit tight!

4000 Subscribers And Going Strong!

After episode 7 hit podcatchers the world over, my subscribers hit over 4000!

You all rule, and thanks for listening!

Damn, this keeps up it won't be long before I'll need to pay for libsyn hosting instead of the free podomatic!  lol!

Metallica Used WHAT To Record That?

Check it out.  I found a site that claims to list all the amps James Hetfield used on each metallica album, as well as other gear including live equipment and microphones!

http://www.freewebs.com/montyjay/jamesamps.html

DAMN UPS!

Living in a college town, I get nervous when I am sent items for review.  For example, when Shure shipped me the mics, the UPS man just threw them on the porch.  Literally.  Sarah was home when they showed up.  The guy didn't knock or anything.  Just threw them on the porch with an audible thud and drove away.  Aren't you supposed to treat condensor mics gently?!

Then again, they were packed for shipping, and I used to work on the loading docks at UPS so I know that you don't send something you're not 100% confident will survive the trip with the packaging you provide.

But still, I live on campus in a college town.  The fucking undergrads here steal EVERYTHING!  I've had my recycle bin stolen (possibly turned into a beer cooler), and my rake as well (*WHO STEALS A RAKE FOR FUCKS SAKE!*)!  So I was really uneasy when the Audio Technica mics were left inside our screen door (which caused the door to be propped open and more noticable from the street) when no one was home!  Sarah found them when she got home!

So I was in here typing my blog about the guitar, when I hear a thud!  Knowing that Sennheiser is sending mics, I rush outside to find the box with the e935 in it just sitting inside my screen door!  The UPS driver was accross the street getting in his truck.  I yelled "Hey, don't you have to knock or something?"

He said "I don't have to knock if it doesn't say I have to knock"
I said "But don't you need a signature from me?"
He said "I don't.  I can leave it inside your screen door!" then drove off.

WHAT KIND OF POLICY IS THAT!  I'll be calling them to bitch about this, and giving the link to this blog to Shure, Sennheiser, and Audio-Technica.

Fuck you UPS!



On a good note, I got the first of the Sennheiser mics today!  WOO HOO!

Guitar Repair Stories Gone Awry!

It happens.  Sometimes it takes a few attempts to really diagnose a wiring problem, and it can take a few weeks to fix.  That's the story with my Squier Double Fat Strat.  It's been beat to shit on stage even before I owned it, and when my g/f bought it from my old best friend / guitarist for an anniversary gift, I didn't treat it much better over the years.  It held up great.........until just recently.

Aside from the abuse it suffered during my gigging days with Day Nine (dropped on stage purposefully, chipped paint, dropped on the street after a gig when I tried to carry too much, screws falling out of the neck pickup mount causing the pickup to swing into the strings onstage - which I used duct tape as a temporary solution), it finally had a problem that rendered it useless without repair.  The pickup switch went haywire.  It would cut out if you bumped the pickguard the wrong way, and when playing that can happen often.

So i priced some of the local stores.  Vance Music wanted about $14 to replace the switch, and about $30 labor.  Roadworthy Music wanted roughly the same.  When Smith Holden Music (the store that loaned me the PX4D for Episode 6) offered to clean the switch, polish the guitar, put new strings on it, and intonate it to E-flat for me for only $20.  How can I pass that up?!

Well, I had the repair done.  I got it back about a week before my vacation, and it was working like a dream.  And it looked great too!  I had already replaced the screw in the neck pickup, so that wasn't a problem anymore, but the gunk from the tape was still on the guitar.  They cleaned all that off, and it looked amazing.  Hadn't seen it look that way in years!  But then..........

Two days before I leave for vacation, the pickup switch cuts back out on me!  Realizing then that cleaning the switch out wasn't the proper course of action apparantly, I called Smith Holden Music the next day and they offered to fix it again with no labor cost.  The only cost would be for the part if it wound up being replaced.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get it in before leaving for vacation, but luckily when I got back they remembered me and took the guitar in.

That was two weeks ago today.

I just got it back today.

Evidently, there were deeper problems under the hood that needed to be addressed.  Aside from the fact that the guy had trouble getting the pickup switch to work in phase, there was another cord in the guitar that was shorting out too causing more confusion.  Til finally, they took their voltage meter to the cords and..........OOOOOH!

I got it back today.  Guitar repair can be a real bitch.

The reason I tell this story is that you don't want to be stuck with a guitar repair incident like this one when you're in a time crunch with studio time, or a deadline to get a record finished.  If possible, learn what you can about the instrument's inner workings so you can do light repairs yourself.  But always know when to take it to a professional.  And if possible, try to get the guitar a "tune up" before any studio time to help prevent problems like this when you're in a time pinch.

Working on episode 8.  Won't be long.  Sit tight!

Episode 7 - Are the SM57 and the SM58 really the same microphone?

This is episode 7 of The Metal Shop Podcast! In this episode, I do a comparison between the Shure SM57 and the Shure SM58. I've heard people say that they are essentially the same microphone, and I tackle that by talking about their similarities and differences. I used another Shure mic, the SM7B, to record the beginning and end segments of this episode!

Interested in buying these mics? Use these links to order from MusiciansFriend.com!

Shure SM57 Instrument/Vocal Mic..

Shure SM58 Mic..

Shure SM7B Microphone with Switchable Response..

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. The music bed at the beginning and end of the show was created specifically for this podcast, while the music bed at the beginning and end of the Shure comparison segment is a song called Pullout, and was recorded in 2001 by a former line-up of my band Day Nine. If you like the track, you can download it by clicking here. Check out the old band at http://myspace.com/daynineportsmouth.]

[Download Mp3]

Sennheiser And BOSS!

Just had a conversation with Tara at BOSS, and Ben at Sennheiser, about getting products to test out on the show. The cool thing is I may be getting a 1600CD from BOSS at the same time that I have a whole bunch of mics from Shure, Sennheiser, and Audio Technica!

I NEED TO FIND A DRUMMER TO RECORD! LOL!

Got The Audio-Technica Mics!

Got the mics today from Audio Technica! You may hear one of them on the next episode of The Metal Shop! Stay Tuned!

New Episode Is On The Horizon!

Ok, the new episode won't be any of the topics I've been talking about so far.  It will be a good episode however, and I'm going to keep it as a surprise to you all.

I will tell you that the segment Idea came to me on a whim and I did it almost as quickly as the episode idea came to me.

Stay tuned, should be out later this week if all goes well!

Damn cell phones!

Ok, I'm listening back to the audio from my interview with Professor Rick Shriver (since he sent me his side of the double ender today).  When we originally talked, he was talking to me on my cell phone while we each recorded our own voices on our own ends.  Well, cell phone reception SUCKS at my house.  There were a few times where I couldn't hear what Rick was saying, and It caused some pauses that I have to edit out.  The thing is that when I listen back to it, the things he was saying were really good AND I MISSED THEM THE FIRST TIME THROUGH!  lol!

The Metal Shop To Team Up With PSN For A Simulcast!

Tomorrow night, I'll be getting together with Big Al Wagner from the Project Studio Network to discuss the differences between the Shure SM57 and the Shure PG57.  When this is all said and done, it'll be simulcast on both PSN and The Metal Shop, with the segment included on both shows, and both shows being released on the same date!  Furthermore, we're going to try to get Dave Criddle from The Home Recording Odyssey to pre-record his thoughts on the mic comparisson too!  Not sure which episode of The Metal Shop this will appear on, but it will definitely be an interesting show!  Stay tuned!

The Rick Shriver Interview!

Seems I've got some work to do here.  I've got the Acoustic Guitar segment to make, as well as a mic shootout with Big Al Wagner from PSN, and now I've just recieved the audio from Rick Shriver's end of the conversation on our double ender interview two weeks ago!  That interview was 1 hour and 40 minutes, so it's going to be a three part series.  That looks like 5 episodes that I'm currently working on, rather than my usual 1!  lol!

Keep tuned in guys.  These should be great shows.

Topic of the next episode................?

Well, it appears that Episode 7 could be one of several things.

1. Part 1 of my 3 part interview with Professor Rick Shriver.
2. A Microphone Shootout between the Shure SM57 and the Shure PG57
3. Acoustic Guitars 101
4. Niel-o-mac's review of the Pod XT with the Metal Pack.

Shure, I've talked about 1 and 2 before in this blog, but 3 struck me last night as an idea since I've got the phantom power supply on loan.  Why not do a show on recording acoustic guitars?  After all, they are used a lot in rock and metal!

It also seems to be a good idea since I've had a bad cold this last week and haven't finished the samples for the SM/PG shootout to send to Dave Criddle and Big Al Wagner.  I also have yet to recieve Professor Shriver's audio from our double ender conversation.  Even with a sore throat, I can still play an acoustic guitar to record the samples!

And if Neil-o-mac sends me the segment we discussed, then that'll allow me even more time to get things just right for you!  So who knows!

So odds are that episode 7 will be out soon, and will be on recording acoustic guitars.  I'll try to go in depth as usual.  And that will allow me time to get the mic shootout in order, and allow me time to edit together the Shriver interview.

I'll try to post the next episode within this week.  Keep tuned in, and thanks for all your patience!

Audio-Technica Order Confirmation!

I recieved an email today that was basically an order confirmation of the mics from Audio Technica being sent.  I've heard nothing yet from Sennheiser, still waiting, but it's cool to know that the A-T's will be here soon!  Hopefully I can again get some phantom power for them, as one is a condensor.  These are going to be awesome reviews!

Audition 3.0! Damn upgrades!

Just like Mike and Al from PSN have always said, you don't need to upgrade if it still works well enough for you.  Well, that being said, I just found out that Adobe Audition 3 is being released soon, and I'm very curious to see what new features they've incorporated.  After trying 2.0 for a month, I really liked it, but there were things I was used to about 1.5 that I missed.  So when the 30 day trial of 3 comes out, you can bet I'll give it a shot and let you know my thoughts.  I may even upgrade if I like it enough!

My phantom power trouble is over!

When Shure loaned me some mics, they loaned me a condensor called the KSM27.  I don't have phantom power.  I see a problem here.

Well, I've found a solution to that problem.  I've borrowed a Behringer XENYX 1002 FX mixer from Vance Music Center here in Bloomington Indiana (they sell some of their stuff on ebay, their seller name is Vance Music - go check it out), on the agreement that I'd plug their business and their workings on ebay.  Since they were kind enough to loan this to me for a week free of charge, I see no problem with this.

So now I've got a temporary phantom power supply, as well as a new piece of gear to review on the show!  WOO HOO!

I'd better be careful, or this show will turn into a gear review show in no time!  lol.

My DAW blues are gone!

My copy of Audition 1.5 just came today!  I'll be loading it later today, and I'll be back in full swing!  WOO HOO!

Audio Technica loaning mics too!

First Shure sent me some mics to try out for free, on a strict loan basis.  Then Sennheiser plans to do the same, as they feel they have mics that can compete with the SM57 and SM 58 from Shure, which are two of the mics I've been loaned.

But those aren't the only two company's I've contacted.  Some of them haven't responded to me yet, but I just got an email today frm Audio Technica.  Seems they are interested in sending me some mics they feel are just as good as the 57 as well.  Check out what I'm gonna get from them soon!

AT2020

AT650

I'm excited about getting these, as it'll be really cool to pit the 57 against the sennheisers against the Audio-Technica's.  I've used the AT2020 before to record vocals for my band Day Nine (go check out Distant Memory to hear it).  I haven't recieved anything except the Shure's just yet, so keep tuned in for updates!

Neil-O-Mac's Music Attack!

Any of you who are familiar with the Home Recording Odyssey podcast know that on Episode 36, Neil McDougall reviewed EZ Drummer.  Little did I know that he's got a podcast that plays underground bands!  Anyone who likes those types of podcasts should check it out at http://musicattack.libsyn.com/.

Anyway, Neil expressed interest in submitting a segment to The Metal Shop about The Metal Pack for the Pod XT.  Can't wait to get it.

Anyone else who's interested in submitting a segment, email me at metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com!

Rock on!

Update on my DAW situation.

The Metal Shop Podcast is now getting 37 new subscribers per day, and that number just keeps going up and up!

The podcast has now reached over 3500 subscribers, in only 6 episodes!

I just wanna say thanks to all of you who are listening.  That number (37 per day) only reflects the number of those who subscribe.  It doesn't reflect the number who are listening over the internet, or listening with their friends or bandmates or other groups.  The podcast has reached quite a substantial number of people in just a few short months and a few short episodes.  So a big thank you to all of you is in order.

Please keep this thing growing.  Tell all your friends about it, and tell their friends!  The best way we can keep this growing is with word of mouth, and you guys have been doing a great job so far!

To all of you.........

KEEP IT METAL!

37 Subscribers Per Day, And Counting!

On average, The Metal Shop Podcast is now getting 37 new subscribers per day, and that number just keeps going up and up!

The podcast has now reached over 3500 subscribers, in only 6 episodes!

I just wanna say thanks to all of you who are listening.  That number (37 per day) only reflects the number of those who subscribe.  It doesn't reflect the number who are listening over the internet, or listening with their friends or bandmates or other groups.  The podcast has reached quite a substantial number of people in just a few short months and a few short episodes.  So a big thank you to all of you is in order.

Please keep this thing growing.  Tell all your friends about it, and tell their friends!  The best way we can keep this growing is with word of mouth, and you guys have been doing a great job so far!

To all of you.........

KEEP IT METAL!

Upgrades To The Metal Shop Website?

I'm thinking of doing some upgrades to The Metal Shop Website, but want to know if any of you have any suggestions for what I should include on the site?

Wanna Be On The Metal Shop?

Do you like what you're hearing on The Metal Shop Podcast, and think you've got something to add?

If you'd like to submit your own segments to The Metal Shop Podcast about recording rock and metal, shoot me an email at metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com and let me know what you've got in mind. If I like it, and think it fits, we'll use it!

Metal Shop Collaborative With PSN & HRO?

Since Shure sent me the Shure SM 57 as one of the mics I get to play with, I figured I'd do an episode where I compare it to the Shure PG 57, which I already owned thanks to it's price tag.

I'm not going to tell you my findings thus far, but I will tell you this.  Dave Criddle from The Home Recording Odyssey Podcast, and Big Al Wagner from The Project Studio Network may be on that episode to give me their feedback on the recordings made with these two mics!  That'll be a show not to miss!

I doubt that Dave Criddle will be on at the same time as Al Wagner, since Dave has his newborn daughter to watch after and all.  His time is pretty constrained.  But Dave told me to send him the Wav files and he'd record his thoughts on the sound differences between the two mics and send it back to me.  However, if I can work it out between his PSN commitments, Al Wagner and I may be on at the same time to talk about our thoughts on the mics!

This should be interesting, and I can't wait!

New Deal With Sennheiser?

Since Shure loaned me 4 of their great mics to shootout on the show, I figured I'd take a que from Andrew Brierley from The Home Recording Odyssey podcast. He once mentioned that he'd like to review mics that were as good as the SM 57 from Shure, but made by other manufacturers. We'll, he never really got that one done, but he said he didn't mind me doing it.

So I started calling Nady, Sennheiser, AKG, Audio Technica, and getting a bunch of voicemail boxes, or being asked to "send it in writing through email". After leaving messages, both in voicemail and email, I left it up to the Gods good graces that I'd get a response.

Thank you Sennheiser!

I talked to one of the guys from Sennheiser, who actually had googled the show before we got a chance to speak in person to each other. He said he liked what I was doing, and he'd be glad to help by loaning me some mics that he feels are just as good as the SM 57 for micing a guitar cab, and some that are just as good as the SM 58 for vocals.



So now, I'm just waiting to hear back from him next week. I've emailed him all the particulars about where to send them and what not, and I'll know more next week about wether this will go through. I'm pretty shure it will though. SWEET!

Now if some of the other manufacturers would just respond..........................................................

Stay Tuned!

Recent Interview With Rick Shriver!

I just finished the interview with my former professor at Ohio University - Zanesville's Electronic Media Department. Rick Shriver is the head of that department, and was kind enough to do a double ender with me to talk about recording, learning the art, some of his favorite techniques for rock and metal styles, and his conquests overseas in recording and studio building!

The interview went on for an hour and 40 minutes raw, with very little editing needed, which means that I'll probably do the interview in 3 segments, over 3 different episodes.

Keep tuned in for that. I'm waiting for Rick to send me his side of the conversation from the double ender. Once I get that, I'll edit it together and send it your way!

Rock on!

Episode 7 is on the way, sit tight!

Sorry for the delay getting episode 7 out to you. A few more complications have arisen thanks to my necessary computer upgrade last month. I'll explain.

The PC I was using to edit the show together had Adobe Audition 1.5 loaded on it. I bought that software about 3 or more years ago. After loading it on my machine, I loaned it to my guitarist in my band Day Nine so he could load it on his machine.

When I moved to Bloomington Indiana from Columbus Ohio a year ago, I didn't take the software with me. Now that I've had to change machines, since I didn't have my DAW software with me anymore, I decided to just load Audition 2.0 on the new Machine so I could try it out for 30 days and still put out a new episode.

During that 30 days, I went on vacation. When I got back, I wrote to Josh (my guitarist) and asked him to send the software back to me since I needed it do a mix I've been paid for, and to do the show. He should've sent it by now, but with the holiday weekend upon us, I won't get any more mail til Tuesday. I hope it shows up this next week.

Just in case this takes a while, I've downloaded some free DAW's. I can't do the mix I was paid for using them, as the learning curve is too steep for me to figure it out quickly, but hopefully I'll be able to figure things out well enough to do a new episode for you soon. And besides, this will give me a chance to review some of the freeware available on a future episode!

So keep tuned in. I'll get things going back up soon enough. Thanks for hanging in there with me so far, and see you on the other side!

Episode 6 - Review Of The Pandora PX4D Amp Modeler

August 05, 2007 01:25PM

This is episode 6 of The Metal Shop Podcast! In this episode, I do an in-depth review of the Pandora PX4D amp modeler from Korg! I recorded a song called "Pandora" while I had my hands on this modeler, and I'm giving you all the multi-track files from the song so you can take a crack at mixing it. The files are in .WAV and hi-quality .MP3 Formats. Here are the links to the zipped files holding the multi-track files!

MP3 - Click here to download

WAV - Click here to download

I also give you my custom settings for the PX4D so that any of you who own this unit can toy around with my sounds. You can find them in the Metal Shop Forum, which I've just launched! Check out the forum!

No one got the trivia question from the last episode correct, so we move on to yet another question. Tune in to hear it, and write me at metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com if you think you know the answer.

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 new Youtube channel at youtube.com/metalshoppodcast!

[All music in this episode was original music that I, Brandon S. Hire, had a hand in writing and recording. The music bed at the beginning and end of the show was created specifically for this podcast, while the music bed at the beginning and end of the Pandora PX4D review was recorded using the Pandora PX4D for this episode, and I've called it Pandora. This episode also features very short clips of "Redemption" and "Storm Winds" from Shadows Fall, and "Nemisis" from Arch Enemy.]

[Download Mp3]

Episode 5 - Choosing The Right Mic For The Job, And My Driver Issues

July 17, 2007 09:28PM

This is the long awaited episode 5 of The Metal Shop Podcast! In this episode, I talk about microphone frequency response, and trying out various mics to find the right one for the job. I compare 4 mics that I own, and show the different tones you can get with them.

Congrats to Tony Phillips for getting the trivia question correct last time. There's a whole new question in this episode! Think you know the answer, email it to metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com!

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 new Youtube channel at youtube.com/metalshoppodcast!

[All music in this episode was original music that I, Brandon S. Hire, had a hand in writing and recording. The music bed at the beginning and end of the show was created specifically for this podcast, while the music bed at the beginning and end of the Right Mic For The Job segment is a song called Inside Of You, and was recorded in 2001 by a former line-up of my band Day Nine. If you like the track, you can download it by going to http://myspace.com/daynineportsmouth. It should be noted that the song has been updated by the current line-up of Day Nine, and will be on our upcoming album.]

[Download Mp3]

A Warning About Episode 5

July 17, 2007 09:09PM

This is just a little warning about Episode 5.

Due to some driver issues I'm having with my PC, I've had some difficulty getting episode 5 out to you. First audio files wouldn't play longer than 10 seconds, then they would play but would sound like a CD skipping. The second problem is still there, which made mixing episode 5 a real treat, but at least it seemed that the audio I was recording into the PC was unaffected.....of course until I listened back to episode 5.

There's some cracking and popping that I can't get rid of, so bear with me cause it's not all that bad. Trust me, it's 1000 times worse on the production end of it, you guys got off easy!

So I'm going to have to re-install windows to see if this fixes the problem. That sounds like a lot of fun, let me tell you! I'll keep you updated on that in future episodes. In the mean time, until I can get everything together to re-install, I'll do what I can with what I have. Enjoy episode 5.

[Download Mp3]

Episode 4 - Vocal Recording 101

June 19, 2007 06:48PM

This is episode 4 of The Metal Shop Podcast! In this episode, I go back to basics with my Vocal Recording 101 segment. I discuss things like Ambient micing, Close micing, Plosives, Sibilance, and proximity effect.

This is also the first episode to feature a trivia question. The trivia question is at the end of the show. Think you know the answer, email it to metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com!

Enjoy the show? If you like it, write me at metalshoppodcast@yahoo.com, or check me out on myspace at myspace.com/metalshoppodcast

[All music in this episode was original music that I, Brandon S. Hire, had a hand in writing and recording. The music bed at the beginning and end of the show was created specifically for this podcast, while the music bed at the beginning and end of the Vocal Recording 101 segment is a song called Memory, and was recorded in 2001 by a former line-up of my band Day Nine. If you like the track, you can download it by going to http://myspace.com/daynineportsmouth.

[Download Mp3]