Sound Discussion

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What happens when two engineers leave a studio they’ve spent years building and start again with one clear goal? Make room for musicians to play together.

Sam Winfield and Tom Millar join Nate, Ben, and Neil to tell the story of The Pines Recording Studio, their new space in the Berkshire countryside. They talk about moving on from Studio 91, turning a old building into a recording studio, and the surprises they found beneath the floorboards.

The conversation moves from construction to the records they want to make there: tracking full bands, finding sounds in a large live room, using bleed creatively, and committing to tones while recording. Sam and Tom also explain how working as a pair helps them adapt to each artist and keep a session moving.

Key Five Takeaways
1. A studio can give artists a change of setting. Sam and Tom wanted The Pines to feel like a place where musicians could step away from daily routines and focus on making music.
2. The room changes the performance. Space for a full band lets players respond to one another, while the live room sound becomes part of what they hear as they play.
3. Building the space took constant problem solving. Keeping the vaulted ceiling, controlling sound, and fixing an unexpected hollow floor all shaped the finished studio.
4. Early decisions can help the rest of a record take shape. Sam and Tom describe dialing in tones during tracking so each new part responds to a sound that already feels like the record.
5. Their approach changes with the artist. They value live performances and creative commitment, while recognizing that some songs and players call for tighter, more isolated tracking.

Resources & Links
The Pines Recording Studio - https://thepinesrecordingstudio.co.uk/
The Pines on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thepinesrecordingstudio/

Listen to Sound Discussion:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-discussion/id1727711992
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4QLiTjT6OpY3prLIL8QoqD
Subscribe To Our Newsletter: https://sounddiscussionpodcast.com/newsletter
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Sound Discussion Is: ⁨@natekelmesmixes⁩ ⁨@benhlms⁩ ⁨@merchantaudioproductions⁩
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The Business of Mixing featuring Michael J. Morgan — Sweetwater Online Masterclass
https://www.universe.com/events/the-business-of-mixing-featuring-michael-j-morgan-online-masterclass-tickets-GZ2V8P

What if getting more clients isn’t actually the thing holding your audio career back?

Michael J. Morgan helps mixing and mastering engineers build businesses around their own goals, strengths and lives—instead of copying somebody else’s version of success.

In Episode 33, Michael joins Nate, Ben and Neil for an honest conversation about outreach, positioning, pricing and the foundations that need to exist before more clients can meaningfully change your business. He explains why successful outreach is about connecting with actual people, why knowing how much money you truly need matters, and why ethical, sustainable growth rarely comes from a one-size-fits-all sales formula.

The conversation also moves beyond business. What does success actually look like when you remove the Grammys, credits and social-media comparisons? Are you building a career that gives you the life you want - or postponing your life until some imaginary finish line?

At the center of it all is gratitude: for the clients who already trust us, for the work directly in front of us, for the stability that supports our ambitions and for every small step along the way.

KEY FIVE TAKEAWAYS

1. “I need more clients” may be a symptom—not the underlying problem.
2. Define the life and income you actually need before designing your business.
3. Outreach works best when it begins with relationships, empathy and mutual value.
4. Success should reflect your goals—not somebody else’s career, credits or awards.
5. Gratitude doesn’t mean settling; it means recognizing the life you’re building while you build it.

RESOURCES & LINKS

Michael J. Morgan / The Business of Mixing
https://mixing.biz

Michael on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mixing.biz/

The Business of Mixing featuring Michael J. Morgan — Sweetwater Online Masterclass
https://www.universe.com/events/the-business-of-mixing-featuring-michael-j-morgan-online-masterclass-tickets-GZ2V8P

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Sound Discussion, leave a rating or review, and share it with someone building a career in audio.

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Listen to Sound Discussion:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-discussion/id1727711992
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4QLiTjT6OpY3prLIL8QoqD

Subscribe To Our Newsletter:
https://sounddiscussionpodcast.com/newsletter

Shop:
https://sounddiscussionpodcast.com/shop

Sound Discussion Is:
@natekelmesmixes
@benhlms
@merchantaudioproductions ​

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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There has never been more information available to musicians and producers—but is all that content helping us make better records?

Grammy-winning producer, musician, and recording engineer Lee Turner returns to introduce GainStage, a new online community created with Jim Stewart, Jake Fader, and Dan Millice.

GainStage is designed for musicians, producers, and engineers who are tired of fragmented tutorials, algorithm noise, plugin collecting, and growing in isolation. Lee takes us inside its flagship course, “Inside the Song: From First Idea to Final Master,” which follows a real record through writing, pre-production, tracking, mixing, revisions, and mastering—including the mistakes and difficult decisions usually edited out.

We also discuss why arrangement problems are often mistaken for mixing problems, what one-way tutorials cannot provide, and how trusted feedback helps us develop better creative instincts.

Lee also shares the story behind his Grammy-winning contribution to Jimmy Carter’s “Last Sundays in Plains,” including recording Darius Rucker’s performance of “America the Beautiful” and being given two days to mix it.

Learn more about GainStage:
https://www.gainstagecommunity.com/

Key Five Takeaways
1. **More information doesn’t guarantee growth.** Collecting tutorials, tricks, and plugins can feel productive without helping you finish better music.

2. **Learning is a human interaction.** Trusted peers provide feedback, context, accountability, and follow-up questions that one-way content cannot.

3. **Mix problems often begin earlier.** If a song isn’t working, the solution may be in the writing, arrangement, performance, or sound selection—not another EQ move.

4. **Professionals make mistakes too.** Experience is not the absence of mistakes. It is knowing how to respond to them, communicate clearly, and redirect the session.

5. **Community creates momentum.** Fresh ears, shared experience, and creative collaboration help musicians escape isolation and return their attention to making records.

Resources & Links

GainStage Community
https://www.gainstagecommunity.com/

Lee J. Turner
https://www.leejturner.com/

Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration — Grammy information
https://www.grammy.com/artists/jimmy-carter/7405/
https://youtu.be/SlUClnHgyoE?si=NHb_3yjmmungmL-N

Previous Episodes:
Lee Turner: https://youtu.be/a1BhaTRfRTc
Jim Stewart: https://youtu.be/NkF4TB7l2S0
Jake Fader: https://youtu.be/heeqHvKOr_k
Dan Millice: https://youtu.be/mI1AUi7UDfs

Listen to Sound Discussion:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-discussion/id1727711992
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4QLiTjT6OpY3prLIL8QoqD

Subscribe To Our Newsletter:
https://sounddiscussionpodcast.com/newsletter

Shop:
https://sounddiscussionpodcast.com/shop

Sound Discussion Is:
‪@natekelmesmixes‬
‪@benhlms‬
‪@merchantaudioproductions‬
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After more than 500 episodes of @RecordingStudioRockstars , Lij Shaw has spent countless hours exploring how other producers, engineers, and artists make great records. In this episode, we flip the script and explore the artist behind the podcast.

Lij joins Nate and Neil to trace his unconventional journey from architecture school to playing blues five nights a week in Hong Kong, discovering recording engineering, and eventually building The Toy Box Studio in East Nashville. He also opens up about the growing need to create music for himself after decades spent helping other artists realize their musical dreams.

The conversation explores Lij’s month-long songwriting retreat in Costa Rica, the portable setup that helped him write and record on the beach, and the power of collaboration, accountability, and shared ownership. Lij also offers thoughtful advice for anyone building a home studio: decide whether you’re creating a critical listening room or a space that makes it effortless to pick up an instrument and create—because those priorities don’t always lead to the same room.

Key Five Takeaways:

1. Helping others create doesn’t replace creating for yourself
2. Collaboration creates accountability—and better records
3. Changing your environment can change your creative behavior
4. Build your studio around what you actually want to do
5. The best creative tool is the one that helps you finish music

Resources and Links:

More Lij:
Recording Studio Rockstars - https://recordingstudiorockstars.com/
The Toy Box Studio - https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/
Lij Shaw on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/493pQhEnKsrrRaJFHo1rK5
Poetry Scores - https://poetryscores.blogspot.com/
Lij Shaw’s Nashville home-studio case - https://ij.org/client/lij-shaw/

Songwriting and Music:
How to Write Songs - https://howtowritesongs.org/
How to Write Songs on YouTube - @htws
GoHill Records - https://www.hollywoodrecordingstudio.com/gohil-records

Studios, Education, and Media:
Middle Tennessee State University Recording Industry program - https://www.mtsu.edu/program/recording-arts-and-technologies-bs-m-f-a/
Mix Magazine - https://www.mixonline.com/
WRVU Nashville - https://wrvu.org/
Bonnaroo - https://www.bonnaroo.com/

Gear Mentioned:
Martin Backpacker Guitar - https://www.google.com/search?q=martin+backpacker+guitars
Carl Tatz Design and PhantomFocus - https://carltatzdesign.com/
ADAM Audio D3V - https://us.adam-audio.com/products/d3v
Grace Design - https://gracedesign.com/
Lynx Studio Technology - https://www.lynxstudio.com/
Slate Digital VSX - https://stevenslateaudio.com/vsx/
Native Instruments - https://www.native-instruments.com/
iZotope - https://www.izotope.com/

Listen to Sound Discussion:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-discussion/id1727711992
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4QLiTjT6OpY3prLIL8QoqD

Subscribe To Our Newsletter:
https://sounddiscussionpodcast.com/newsletter

Shop:
https://sounddiscussionpodcast.com/shop

Sound Discussion Is:
@natekelmesmixes
@benhlms
@merchantaudioproductions ​​
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just a heads up! We are switching to sequential episodes away from seasons.
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Big thanks to @ChordElectronicsLtd for supporting this episode. Their British-built DACs and headphone amps bring true studio-level detail into the listening experience, with gear used everywhere from hi-fi setups to world-class studios.

Check out the Mojo 2 and more from Chord Electronics here: https://chordelectronics.co.uk/mojo-2
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In this episode, we’re joined by Tom Vaughan of Chord Electronics for a conversation about sound, technology, and why digital-to-analog conversion matters more than most people realize.

Tom’s path into audio is anything but typical. Before working in high-end audio, he was a professional bassoonist, and that background gives him a really interesting perspective on how music is performed, recorded, and ultimately experienced by the listener.

We talk about the evolution of Chord Electronics, the impact of their Hugo DAC, and what makes one converter feel different from another — not just in terms of specs, but in timing, accuracy, depth, and emotional connection.

We also get into the practical side of listening: how DACs, headphones, speakers, and monitoring chains shape the decisions musicians, producers, mixers, and mastering engineers make every day.

At the heart of it all is a simple idea: better sound helps us connect more deeply with music. And whether you’re creating, recording, mixing, mastering, or just listening, the way your system translates that music matters.

Key Five Takeaways

Tom Vaughan brings a rare perspective to audio, combining his background as a bassoonist with his work in high-end audio engineering.
Digital-to-analog conversion plays a major role in how we perceive depth, detail, timing, and emotional connection in music.
Chord Electronics approaches DAC design differently, using FPGA-based technology rather than standard off-the-shelf DAC chips.
Better monitoring and conversion can help musicians, producers, mixers, and mastering engineers make more confident creative decisions.
At its core, the conversation is about the bridge between technical accuracy and emotional impact — how better sound can bring us closer to the performance.

Resources & Links

Chord Electronics - https://chordelectronics.co.uk/
Chord Mojo 2 - https://chordelectronics.co.uk/mojo-2
Dan Millice - https://www.millicemastering.com/
‪@NaturlAudio‬ AL-1 Limiter - https://naturl.audio/

Listen to Sound Discussion:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4QLiTjT...

Subscribe To Our Newsletter:
https://sounddiscussionpodcast.com/newsletter

Shop:
https://sounddiscussionpodcast.com/shop

Sound Discussion Is:
Nate Kelmes
Ben Holmes
Neil Merchant
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.