Do You Really Need Audio Theory to Mix Great?

Some of us love the graphs. Some of us love the vibe. In this episode, we (Chris & Steve) talk about the sweet spot between technical knowledge and practical decision-making.

How much theory do you actually need? When does ear training beat book learning? And how do you keep your mixes translating on cars, phones, earbuds, and studio monitors without chasing your tail?

We also answer a listener question about mixes that sound muddy or tinny on different systems, and lay out a quick, repeatable translation check using references you already love.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Audient.

We’ve been leaning on the iD-series interfaces lately: clean when you want it, pushable when you need it.

You’ll Learn:

• The real value of technical knowledge, and where it stops helping

• Ear training that actually speeds up your mix decisions

• A 10-minute translation test you can repeat every mix

• How to use references on each system before judging your own mix

• Why “enjoy the journey” is more than a motivational poster in the studio

Topics & Stories:

• Andrew Scheps vs. “feel-first” mixers - two valid paths to great results

• Harman curves, compression “definitions,” and the limits of theory

• Plugin Doctor curiosity vs. productivity

• The car test (done right): know the system before you judge the mix

• Gearspace nostalgia and why we avoid unproductive debates

Listener Q&A:
“My mixes don’t translate. They’re muddy on one system and thin on another.”
Our take: start with references on each system, then compare yours. Know your playback rigs (car, living room, headphones) by listening to pro mixes first, then A/B to gauge if you’re truly off, or just unfamiliar with the system.

Final Takeaway:
Learn enough to move faster, train your ears relentlessly, and keep asking, “Does this serve the song?” Translation comes from knowing your systems and using references, not buying a new pair of speakers.

👉 Got a question for us?
📩 Submit it here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

Everyone talks about “flat” headphones for mixing… but what does flat actually mean?

In this episode, we sit down with Rok Gulič of OLLO Audio to unpack the myths and realities behind flat response, low end, calibration, and translation when mixing on headphones.

We dive into why “flat” isn’t one curve, how calibration really works, and how psychoacoustics shape what we think we’re hearing, especially in the low end.

Plus, Rok explains the differences between driver types, the role of crossfeed and room emulations, and whether Atmos mixing on headphones is truly possible.

• What “flat” response really means (and why there’s no single standard)

• Why calibration matters for translation between pairs

• Dynamic vs planar drivers—and how they affect distortion and bass

• How referencing trumps tools when mixing on headphones

• Why our body experience changes how we hear low end

• Whether crossfeed and room emulation plugins are worth committing to

• How Atmos mixing on headphones is already happening

• From foam Walkman pads to pro studio cans

• The rise of headphone mixing in home studios

• “Flat according to what?”—the scientific tolerance range

• Unit-by-unit calibration explained (and why OLLO does it)

• Crossfeed as a way to “move out of the sweet spot”

• Bass perception, body memory, and translation struggles

• The future: Atmos on headphones and beyond

Q: Should I commit to crossfeed/room emulation plugins?
A: Use them like virtual “movement checks.” They’re not essential, but if they help you build trust in your balances, they’re worth trying.

“Flat” is not a single curve. It’s a range. The key is choosing trustworthy tools, referencing a lot, and learning what your headphones are telling you, so your mixes translate everywhere.

📩 Submit it here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

Automation: it’s more than fader rides, it’s storytelling.
In this episode, we’re unpacking how automation evolved from a handful of engineers riding faders on an analog desk to today’s unlimited possibilities inside the DAW. And more importantly, how we use it every day to make music feel alive.

• Why automation is the most powerful creative tool in your DAW

• How clip gain changes the entire mix before you even hit a compressor

• When to automate faders, plugins, EQ, panning, and when not to

• Why subtle automation moves create emotion listeners can’t even explain

• How presets and “happy accidents” can spark inspiration

• The wild days of four people mixing on the same console at once

• Our favorite creative uses of delay throws, panning tricks, and EQ rides

• When automation makes a part feel like a hook

• Over-automation: what it sounds like and how to avoid it

• The steak and salt analogy (why sometimes less is more)

• Plugin presets that sparked whole new creative directions

Shoutout to Ken from YouTube for sparking our talk about plugin presets and experimenting as a way to stay creative in the studio.

Automation isn’t about showing off, it’s about serving the song. When used with intention, it’s one of the most powerful tools we have to make music emotional, dynamic, and unforgettable.

📩 Submit it here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

Some of us are at home in a controlled studio, tweaking every detail until the mix is just right.
Others thrive under the pressure of a live show, mixing on the fly in front of thousands.
We’ve done both — and in this episode, we’re unpacking the lessons each world has taught us.

From corporate gigs to church productions to mixing album release shows, we share the wins, fails, and “MacGyver” moments that shaped our approach to mixing. You’ll hear why live sound engineers make faster decisions, how studio habits can make live shows more emotional, and why the best mixers often straddle both worlds.

• How to stay calm under pressure when gear fails mid-show

• Why quick thinking is a survival skill for live sound

• Studio automation tricks that bring life to live mixes

• How in-ear monitoring and click tracks changed the live game

• Why “perfection” means something different on stage than in the studio

• Chris’ church gig blackout disaster

• Steve’s take on managing band trust in fast-turnaround soundchecks

• Riding faders live like an instrument

• Bringing studio plugins to live shows (yes, really)

• Why wedges were the old enemy — and how in-ears saved the day

Live sound and studio mixing aren’t rivals — they’re complementary skills. The best engineers borrow from both worlds to create mixes that connect emotionally and translate in any environment.

📩 Submit your question here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

We all have those things we should do in the studio… but don’t. In this episode, we’re getting real about the habits we tend to skip—not because we don’t know better, but because sometimes it’s just easier (or smarter?) not to.

We’re talking about “studio laziness” in all its forms—from forgetting to print stems to dodging analog gear setup. The question is: when does it cross from saving time to causing problems later?

• Why we often skip printing stems… and how it bites us later

• The old plugin problem: why we keep them and when we finally let go

• Why setting up analog gear feels like going to the gym

• The truth about plugin presets (and whether we tweak them or not)

• Why finishing that song might not be laziness—it might be something deeper

• Armenian basturma and garlic tailpipes 🤢

• Dom Sigalas in yellow (if you know, you know)

• Our folder and file organization quirks

• How Cubase folders and macros help (or don’t)

• VCA groups vs Busses: a follow-up listener Q&A

Shoutout to “Popular Beat Combo” for the great question about VCA routing and keeping relative levels intact. We break down how it compares to using busses and why it still matters.

Sometimes “lazy” is just being efficient. But other times… it might be procrastination in disguise. The key? Know when you’re avoiding something that really matters—and fix it before it fixes your mix.

📩 Submit your question here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

Mixing is a bit like golf. You never really win—you just keep playing, keep tweaking, and (hopefully) keep getting better. In this episode, we’re diving into that idea: the journey of mixing as a constant evolution rather than a race to perfection.

We talk about our ever-changing templates, plugin chains that never stay put, and how our listening habits—and even what we listen to for fun—shape our mixing approach over time.

• Why your template will always be “almost right”

• How plugin choices evolve (and why your old favorites might not come back)

• The emotional side of mixing—and how to chase “feel” over “flawlessness”

• Why the best mixes sometimes come by accident

• What it means to truly enjoy the journey in your studio work
  
  

• The Denny’s breakfast that saved our morning (again)

• How Steve broke up with his UAD rig for a portable template

• Chris’s revelation that his bass is always pink

• Golf metaphors, left-handed rental clubs, and the weird mix of failure and joy

• Version 2 mixes vs. Version 53… and why the earlier one often wins
  
  

How loud should you crank a guitar cab when miking it up?
We break down how to find the amp’s sweet spot, why volume isn’t everything, and how to get the tone you actually want—before the mic even hears it.

You may never “arrive” as a mixer—and that’s okay. The real win is in evolving, enjoying the process, and learning to love the funny little moments that make your mixes feel alive.

📩 Submit your question here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

What happens when a band doesn’t exist… but they chart on Spotify anyway?

In this episode, we dive into The Velvet Sundown—a band that’s racking up serious stream counts, releasing album after album, and might not even be real. Yup, it’s our first deep-dive into AI-generated music as a product, not just a tool.

We break down what makes AI music sound a little too perfect, how platforms like Spotify are involved, and why human imperfection might just be the thing that saves us.

Oh—and we share some old-school gear we still can’t let go of.

🎧 Why The Velvet Sundown might be the first full AI band
📉 What makes AI-generated music sound “off” emotionally
💡 How copyright law is trying (and struggling) to catch up
🤖 The difference between using AI as a tool vs as the artist
📻 Why human imperfections still matter in music

• Kyle's breakfast theory on French-sounding plugin names

• Chris’s 2003 Drummer 1960 preamp (and how he found it on eBay)

• Steve’s emotional duffle bag of old gear

• Why AI music might become its own Spotify genre someday

• The Kiss avatar concert tour (yep… that’s a thing)

• Catching a falling mic mid-recording like Spider-Man
  
  

Shoutout to Jewel (aka Steinway Goat) from MCC! She asked what gear we’re still emotionally attached to—and that kicked off a trip down memory lane with cassette 4-tracks, floppy disk sequencers, and first CD players.

AI music is here—and it’s not going anywhere. But what makes human music valuable might just become its own genre too: one that’s imperfect, emotional, and real.

📩 Submit your question here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

If you could go back in time and give advice to the younger version of yourself—the one just starting out in music production—what would you say?

In this episode, we get honest about the lessons we learned the hard way. From arrangement mistakes to gear addiction, from music theory regrets to what “pro” really means, we’re unpacking the biggest takeaways we’d love to hand off to the past versions of ourselves.

Plus, a few laughs about beard sniffing, beef tallow, and the strange but beautiful journey of the modern home studio musician.

🎯 Why a good arrangement is the real secret to a great mix
🎯 What music theory knowledge we wish we’d learned earlier
🎯 The misunderstood role of gear—and when it actually matters
🎯 How we define being a “professional” in audio (spoiler: it’s not about the Grammys)
🎯 Why mixing is just volume control (seriously)

🔥 The beard-sniffing church guy and the magical beef tallow
🔥 Why both of us feel imposter syndrome as musicians and engineers
🔥 How renting gear helped shape our early careers
🔥 The myth of “the pro”—and why it's time to ignore it
🔥 What makes a mix “mix itself” and how arrangement drives every decision

We tackle a comment from YouTube: “I love when a non-pro tells people what the pros do…” and unpack what it actually means to be a professional in the music industry.

A great song, a smart arrangement, and a confident mix approach beat expensive gear and elusive titles any day. If it moves someone? You’re doing it right.

📩 Submit your question here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.