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This week Range and I set out to create a song from scratch and release it the same day. What started out as a simple idea, ended in a fully released body of music for the world to hear.  There were many concerns, and these concerns were spoken about in this episode. Despite these concerns, we figured it would be a challenge we had to overcome. When the idea came, the passion to commit to this and fulfill this idea was so strong, that we believed this was a challenge that we accepted to complete to glorify God.  By the grace of God we created this song in about 10 hours and released it to the world at 11:59 pm.  Full Song - "The Man" - https://soundcloud.com/julianforjesus/the-man Watch the song making process Thanks for listening! If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the show, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

When we are not mixing albums, as mix engineers we need to focus on what will continue to keep our business successful. What are the very things that enhance the overall customer experience to the degree that they will continue to come to us for their mixing needs, as well as refer your services to others? On today's episode, I break down 5 expectations we must meet to ensure we will provide a great experience for our clients. Below are the 5 expectations, and throughout the episode I will break down each number more thoroughly. Do Good Work Meet Deadlines Serve Your Client (Go the Extra Mile) Multiple Mixes (Main mix – vox up, vox down // Instrumental // Performance) Customer Service Thanks for listening! Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZBqTVdVYuAQ Full show notes: https://www.themixlodge.com/ep13 If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the show, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

Have you ever wondered how certain podcasts just seem to sound louder, fuller, and more polished? Well, a lot of the reasoning for that goes into the editing, mixing and mastering process. If you have a good quality microphone, good room acoustics, good mic placement, and achieve a good quality recording, you can export and upload your podcast with confidence it will sound good...but it won't sound great. The reason it won't sound great is because tools such as EQ and compression are vital to adding a more polished and full sound to your voice. On today's episode, I will be breaking down the next and last step to a finished podcast - editing, mixing, and mastering. Thanks for listening! Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZBqTVdVYuAQ Full show notes: https://www.themixlodge.com/ep13 If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the show, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

This is part two of our three-part series about podcasting in 2020. In today's episode I am breaking down how to record, which will include the importance of mic technique. I am breaking down how to optimize your microphone and podcast setup, even with budget-friendly gear. Have you ever wondered how to set the levels of your recording? You may be asking, what do the colors and numbers on those meters mean? Maybe your concern is how to properly and most effectively record phone calls. What gear do you need to accomplish this? If these are your pain points when it comes to producing a quality podcast, this episode is for you! I believe that 2020 is your year to step out and either start a podcast, or maximize the quality of your existing podcast. I'm honored to provide this insight and information for you to do just that, and I pray you find value in this episode and all the episodes to come! Thanks for listening! Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZBqTVdVYuAQ Full show notes: https://www.themixlodge.com/ep12 If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the show, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

Are you looking to start a podcast but don’t know where to begin? Maybe you already have a podcast but are looking to improve your audio quality. I created a three part series on my guide to podcasting and today were talking about microphones, and what to record to. Today were discussing which mics you should use for podcasting, and what devices you need to plug them into to get the best results. Whether you're a beginner, or advanced podcaster, I'm sure you will find this information valuable for your next year in podcasting. Let's do it big for podcasting in 2020! Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzvrH3eQwaw Full show notes: https://www.themixlodge.com/ep11 If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the show, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

When it comes to mixing vocals, the struggle is real! The most important part of any song, is almost always the most complicated instrument to mix. The reason for this is because with all that's going on in a mix, the vocal has to be the one to stand out. Oftentimes it needs to be front and center, right in your face...which is not an easy task. So much goes into mixing a vocal, especially when it was not well recorded. This particular vocal mix was from a song with Range and Chris Weaver. I used an Ehrlund EHR-M condenser mic into an Apollo Twin Duo API unison mic pre. This was a great setup, but I think I did make one big mistake though. I was paranoid about the acoustics in my vocal booth and wanted some "extra" absorption, so I put the sE reflection filter on. I didn't realize at the time, but having the mic lodged too deep into the filter made the mic pic up some excess low frequency build up, causing me to have to cut that muddy sound considerably. I had no choice but to "fix it in the mix!" Listen to "No Filter" by Range feat. Chris Weaver: https://music.apple.com/no/album/no-filter-feat-chris-weaver-single/1490549519 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v92ZkyELPME Full show notes: https://www.themixlodge.com/ep10 If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the show, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

When you're about to mix a song, do you just dive in to mixing, or do you take the time to listen and learn the material you are about to mix? The truth is, when you're mixing a song without ever taking the time to listen to it from the standpoint of the general listener, you may be mixing solely from a technical point of view. In other words, your mix may sound good sonically, but may lack the feeling needed to fully convey the artists emotions. Sure, it may sound good, but will it resonate with the listener? Does your mix impact and draw out listeners emotions? As a mixer, does listening and learning the song actually enable this to happen? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2ELP8eUpKO4 Full show notes: https://www.themixlodge.com/ep9 If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the show, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

As recording engineers, there are tons of mistakes that we could potentially be making that can impact our organization and flow during the recording process. And if we are also mixing the music we are recording, those mistakes can carry over into the mix as well. On today's episode, I break some common recording mistakes that we can all avoid so we can speed up our workflow in the studio, allowing us to work smarter, not harder. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AT4ySLGoP7I Full show notes: https://www.themixlodge.com/ep8 If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the shoe, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

The biggest challenge Christian musicians, artists, producers, and engineers face is the influence of secular music in their music. In others words, the argument is...is it okay for a Christian artist to be influenced by secular music? Some say no and some say yes, creating a major conflict in a Christian who makes music and sincerely wants to get better and serve God.  On today's episode, we have Range on the show. Range is a Christian rapper who shares his experiences on this very topic and provides his wisdom and insight on how Christian musicians should go about dealing with music as it pertains to developing your skill. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/05hKFzN9uQ0 Listen to Julian's album "Warground" - https://music.apple.com/us/album/warground/1450395752 Full show notes: www.themixlodge.com/ep7 If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the shoe, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

For the longest time I always struggled with getting my vocals to not sound harsh. The upper mid-range often sounded like frequencies piercing my eardrums. Even in the low-mids there were resonance issues. What was causing these issues?  There may have been many reasons for a harsh or muddy vocal, but one surefire reason was vocal resonances. Resonances are nobody's friend and could ruin the smooth sound of a good vocal recording. Today I dig into what these resonances are, the reason for them, and how to tame or remove them using very specific plugins to help you get a better sounding mix. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bXtI_P4d5vM Full show notes: www.themixlodge.com/ep6 If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the shoe, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

When you think of putting instruments into a particular space in a mix, do you only think of panning? Did you know that there's a bunch of ways to enhance the spatial placement of a mix? On today's episode I'm going to be going over 5 ways to improve spatial placement, what I use, and why these strategies work great. Some of the talking points are: Why would you need more space? 5 types of spatial placement Panning Time based effects Fake Stereo - Haas Effect Widening Mid-Side EQ Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bXtI_P4d5vM Full show notes: www.themixlodge.com/ep4 If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the shoe, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

Quality audio gear is most often the heart and soul of the recording studio. It's what determines the sound quality that you will get out of a recording and mix. But nowadays, we can achieve the same kind of quality at a fraction of the cost with nothing more than a computer and interface. Well, that last statement is still up for debate. Regardless, the gear crave seems to be just that...a crave and a desire to show off. At least that's what it was like for me and my studio. On this week's episode, I am going over all the gear I used to own, why I sold it all, and what I am currently using to replace all of that high end audio gear. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bXtI_P4d5vM Full show notes: www.themixlodge.com/ep4 If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the shoe, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

Today's episode is about how to get your mixes done faster using a template. Templates aren't the most enticing topic of conversation amongst audio engineers, and I for one avoided them like the plague! I was just too lazy to spend a couple hours building a rock solid foundation to my mixes. Well, after watching an Andrew Scheps tutorial about how he sets up his template, I was absolutely hooked! Because of that video, I finally saw the value of using templates, and I hope I am able to share that same impact with you. Some of today's talking points are: What is a mixing template? Why would you want to consider using a mixing template Reasons to consider a template: Issues with Template? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ok4YYrssx2A Full show notes: www.themixlodge.com If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the shoe, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

Today's episode is all about taking a live sound worship recording from an Allen and Heath QU32 and bringing into the studio realm to mix. The recording wasn't the cleanest, the microphones weren't the best, and the amount of drum bleed into those mics was almost unusable. Despite the odds against achieving a good mix, I decided to do everything I could to enhance the quality of this song and take it to a whole other level!  Some of today's talking points include: Level setting Drum replacement  Corrective EQ Multiband compression How to fix bleed from the drum kit into the vocal mics Compression How to remove vocal resonances Haas effect for making mono into stereo Master bus processing How to enhance background vocals Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gz2-eKiTIkc Full show notes: www.themixlodge.com If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the shoe, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com

On today’s episode, I am speaking about what The Mix Lodge is and what is the purpose of this podcast. I am going over what I will be talking about on future episodes, how frequent I will be releasing content, how I intend to expand the podcast, and who my target audience is. In a nutshell, this podcast will serve to provide content such as mixing tutorials and my thoughts and experiences on business and entrepreneurship. It will also include interviews with musicians, artists, and engineers. Whether it be interviews, mixing tutorials, or just general inspiration, this podcast will have a strong emphasis on the engineering aspect of music creation from a Christian perspective. What do I mean by Christian perspective? It means that this podcast is created as a platform not just for me to teach and share all that I learn, but also as a platform for giving God the glory by providing music and interviews that best glorify Him. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ok4YYrssx2A Full show notes: www.themixlodge.com If you would like to suggest a topic for me to cover, or want to offer some feedback on the shoe, you email me at daxhamma@themixlodge.com