In this episode of Prepping for the Studio, hosts Roy Silverstein and Brian Scheuble are joined by string composer and arranger, CJ Thomas, to discuss adding strings to your music.

CJ explains options ranging from experimenting with one local player and layering parts, to hiring a composer/arranger, to using sample libraries for mockups or big ensemble sounds, and why solo and quartet parts are far more convincing with live players.

He covers playability concerns like instrument range and string-friendly keys, remote recording with orchestras, and the tradeoffs of remote versus in-person sessions.

CJ outlines ways to find players, differences between concert and studio musicians, basic string techniques and colors, union considerations, and ballpark costs for different scenarios.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

00:48 Meet CJ Thomas

03:12 Preparation and Budget

04:45 Writing Without Training

08:20 Keys and Playability

09:56 Layering Live and Samples

11:34 Why Soloists Should Be Real Players

14:55 Remote Orchestra Sessions

20:08 Finding the Right Players

22:04 Concert vs Studio Musicians

26:29 Student Players and Intonation

28:09 Advanced String Techniques

32:57 Hiring A Team

35:43 Conductors And Leaders

38:26 Composer/Arranger/Orchestrator Roles

42:07 Printed Sheet Music vs. iPads

45:17 Budgeting

48:33 Union Rules And Overtime

52:55 Layering For Big Sound

56:07 Creative Effects And Wrap

Check out CJ-

Instagram: @cjthomas_music

Website: https://cjthomasmusic.com/

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Please visit http://www.preppingforthestudio.com for more info and to download the free ebook, "A Musician's Guide To The Recording Studio".

Hosts:

Roy Silverstein of Rarefied Recording (www.rarefiedrecording.com)

and

Brian Scheuble (www.brianscheuble.com)

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions please email Roy: info@rarefiedrecording.com

If you love this podcast, please leave a review on whatever platform you listen to your podcasts on.

In this episode of Prepping for the Studio, hosts Roy Silverstein and Brian Scheuble are joined by film/video director, Patrick Guera, to discuss prepping for your music video.

Patrick shares his background directing and working on major early-2000s productions, including working with top music video directors in Los Angeles and a $7,000 video he directed for Oceano that aired on MTV’s Headbangers Ball

He explains how budgets drive creative choices, from low budget, DIY phone shoots to midrange productions and beyond. He outlines how to choose a director through research and references, what core crew roles matter most, and realistic timelines including planning, shooting, editing, and promo teasing.

Patrick also covers shoot-day demands, post-production expectations, delivery formats for YouTube vs vertical socials, promotion tactics, the importance of credits, and his thoughts on the use of AI.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

01:55 Meet Patrick Guera

04:19 Why Music Videos Matter

07:05 Budget Tiers Explained

10:27 Finding the Right Director

16:19 Crew and Production Needs

21:32 Timelines and Release Planning

25:13 Director Workflow Breakdown

29:16 Music Video Grind

30:21 Hydration and Stamina

31:25 Budget and Scheduling

32:20 Post Production Workflow

32:57 Notes and Expectations

35:27 Color and Beauty Fixes

36:27 Delivering Social Formats

38:40 AI in Music Videos

46:51 Authenticity That Resonates

48:57 Promotion and Rollout Plan

52:20 Direct Links and Friction

54:56 Crediting the Crew

56:55 Wrap Up and Where to Find

57:25 Outro

Check out Patrick-

Instagram and TikTok: @directorpatrick

Rewind of the Living Dead (Horror movie podcast):

https://www.rewindofthelivingdead.com/

Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/RewindoftheLivingDead

----

Please visit http://www.preppingforthestudio.com for more info and to download the free ebook, "A Musician's Guide To The Recording Studio".

Hosts:

Roy Silverstein of Rarefied Recording (www.rarefiedrecording.com)

and

Brian Scheuble (www.brianscheuble.com)

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions please email Roy: info@rarefiedrecording.com

If you love this podcast, please leave a review on whatever platform you listen to your podcasts on.

In this episode of Prepping for the Studio, hosts Roy Silverstein and Brian Scheuble are joined by musical artist/guitarist/engineer/producer/studio owner, Arielle (of Analog Acres), to discuss the role of home recording versus professional studios and how both can coexist.

Arielle shares her background—growing up in Northern California, studying guitar at MI at 16, engineering to trade for studio time, touring, and building a farm-based studio outside Nashville—plus her Brian May collaboration that led to the “Arielle” guitar model.

The conversation covers using home recording for simple demos to avoid “demoitis,” the value of structure and accountability in studios, limitations of recording alone at home, the importance of purpose-built rooms, costs of inputs/mics/interfaces, and why studios remain busy.

Arielle also discusses Analog Academy, teaching recording and songwriting in real time, and offers advice on focus, learning, business mindset, getting feedback on songs, writing more than needed, and batching tracking by sound.

00:00 Show Intro

00:47 Meet Arielle

02:04 From Queen inspiration To Touring

05:10 Building Analog Acres

06:45 Brian May Guitar Collab

10:17 Home vs. Studio Debate

12:25 Home Recording Sweet Spot

17:23 Safe Space And Structure

20:53 Wearing All The Hats

22:49 Analog Academy

28:09 Limits Of Home Studios

30:20 Rooms Matter Most

32:56 Studios Aren't Dead

33:37 Thoughts on AI

34:23 Why Studios Still Matter

35:11 Home Recording Costs

36:33 Studio Vibes and Culture

37:11 Why Sounds Homogenize

38:11 Analog Gear Identity

40:40 What Holds Artists Back

48:05 Is Your Song Ready?

52:15 Write More Than Needed

55:26 Batching a Record

59:58 Budgets Then and Now

01:01:35 Wrap Up and Credits

Check out Arielle at:

https://www.analogacres.com/

Instagram: @officialarielle

Analog Academy

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Please visit http://www.preppingforthestudio.com for more info and to download the free ebook, "A Musician's Guide To The Recording Studio".

Hosts:

Roy Silverstein of Rarefied Recording (www.rarefiedrecording.com)

and

Brian Scheuble (www.brianscheuble.com)

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions please email Roy: info@rarefiedrecording.com

If you love this podcast, please leave a review on whatever platform you listen to your podcasts on.