Mixing bad recordings—every audio engineer's nightmare! In this episode, Chris and Steve dive deep into the challenges of handling poorly recorded tracks and share real-world solutions. From digital clipping disasters to phase issues and excessive room noise, they break down their go-to techniques for salvaging flawed audio. Plus, they discuss the importance of capturing a great recording from the start and why mixing is not about fixing, but enhancing.

✅ Common bad recording issues – Digital clipping, phase problems, excessive sibilance, and more.
✅ Fixing bad recordings – Tools and techniques for restoring poor audio.
✅ The importance of proper recording techniques – Why fixing it in the mix isn't always the answer.
✅ EQ & Compression Tricks – How to clean up muddy or overly bright recordings.
✅ When to embrace the flaws – Sometimes, a "bad" recording becomes part of an album’s character!

🔹 iZotope RX (De-clip, De-crackle, De-reverb)
🔹 FabFilter Pro-Q3 (Dynamic EQ)
🔹 Soothe 2 (Resonance suppression)
🔹 Black Salt Audio De-Esser
🔹 Sound Radix Surfer EQ
🔹 Smart: De-Esser by Sonible
🔹 The Ultimate Guide To Cubase

"How do you train your ears to hear what needs adjusting when using EQ?"
Chris and Steve share their process, from identifying problem frequencies to balancing tracks in context.

Final Takeaway: The best way to avoid mixing headaches? Focus on getting a great recording from the start!
📢 Join the conversation! Have a mixing horror story? Share it in the comments or tag us on social media.

We love hearing from you! If you have a question about mixing, recording, mastering, or home studio gear, send it our way.

📩 Submit your question here: Form Link

We’ll do our best to answer as many as possible, but due to time constraints, we can’t guarantee every question will make it on the podcast. Priority will be given to the most relevant and commonly asked questions. So, ask away—your question might just be featured in an upcoming episode! 🎙️🔥

Welcome to the first episode of the Studio Stuff Podcast! In this laid-back yet insightful discussion, we dive into a topic that every home studio owner has an opinion on: Mixing on Headphones vs. Speakers.

Chris and Steve break down the pros and cons, share personal experiences, and even throw in some entertaining banter about food, farming, and about Andrew Scheps mixing on Sony MDR-7506s (yes, those headphones).

If you’ve ever wondered whether headphones can truly replace studio monitors or not, or how to optimize your headphone mixing experience, this episode is for you.

You’ll Learn:

✅ Why so many pros are shifting towards mixing on headphones

✅ The real difference between headphones and speakers for mixing

✅ How the Harman Curve can transform your headphone experience

✅ Why training your ears is more important than buying expensive gear

✅ How room acoustics impact your monitoring choices

✅ The role of crosstalk in speaker vs. headphone mixing

✅ Plugins that help bridge the gap between speakers and headphones

✅ Why Chris listens to new music on headphones first—even with a killer speaker setup

✅ The next big debate: Can we mix Atmos on headphones?

Listener Q&A

A listener asks: "Should I convert stereo virtual instruments to mono before mixing?"

Chris and Steve break down:

✅ Why stereo virtual instruments can be misleading

✅ How bouncing MIDI to audio helps workflow & avoids surprises

✅ Whether it actually affects sound quality

Resources & Mentions

🎧 Harman Curve & EQ for Headphones – Why it matters and how it works https://youtu.be/Yo_Bpo9ICZA?si=9FYr0EjKI5XqV8Zc

🎤 Andrew Scheps' Approach – How a legendary mixer made headphones work for him https://youtu.be/s4YuXNTCU2Y?si=YYVzpB00cNvWSFy5

🎶 Paul Third’s Insight – https://youtu.be/46gTNtTmzTU?si=JYYppZr-3USYT6of

Got a Question for a Future Episode?

We love hearing from you! If you have a question about mixing, recording, mastering, or home studio gear, send it our way.

📩 Submit your question here: Form Link

We’ll do our best to answer as many as possible, but due to time constraints, we can’t guarantee every question will make it on the podcast. Priority will be given to the most relevant and commonly asked questions. So, ask away—your question might just be featured in an upcoming episode! 🎙️🔥