Libsyn Directory

RSR528 – Nick Bullock – Building A Creative Retreat Studio for Artists Near Nashville: Freda Recording

Release Date: 10/17/2025

RSR538 - Toby Lloyd - From Punk to Producer - Tiny Triumphs over Mindset, Workflow & Vibe

Recording Studio Rockstars

What does a rooftop studio, a cold plunge, and a punk rock heart have in common? Producer Toby Lloyd shares how surrender, discipline, and creative flow helped him build Tiny Triumph Recordings and rediscover joy in making music. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: Howdy Rockstars, my guest today is Toby Lloyd, a music producer, studio engineer, and mixing engineer who runs Tiny Triumph Recordings, a boutique rooftop recording studio in Wellington, New Zealand. Toby has worked with artists like Shapeshifter, Hollie Smith, Stan Walker, and Nightmares on Wax, and he’s...

RSR537 - Rich Bernett - The sound of machines: Contact Mics, The Cassettone, Guitar Pedal Feedback Loops, Oh My!

Recording Studio Rockstars

Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: Howdy Rockstars, my guest today is Rich Bernett, aka Sound of Machines, a Richmond, Virginia - based sound artist, builder, and experimental musician. Rich designs and performs with his own DIY instruments like the CassetteTone 2 and Rotary Drone, blending circuit bending, contact mics, and field recordings to create wild, organic, and otherworldly soundscapes. With a growing following on YouTube, Patreon, and Instagram, Rich shares his creative process and connects with a community of makers and musicians exploring new sonic frontiers. ...

RSR536 - Ian Fitchuk - Grammy Winner Writer and Producer for Kacey Musgraves, Beyoncé, Chris Stapleton, and Maggie Rogers

Recording Studio Rockstars

Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: My guest today is Ian Fitchuk, a two-time Grammy Award–winning musician, songwriter, and producer based in Nashville. You’ve heard his work on Golden Hour with Kacey Musgraves - a landmark record that helped redefine the sound of modern country and pop. Ian has also collaborated with artists like Maggie Rogers, Joy Oladokun, Chris Stapleton, and Beyoncé, bringing his versatile musicianship and deep sense of songcraft to every project he touches. In this conversation, Ian shares his journey from growing up in a musical family to finding his...

RSR535 - Ryan Nasci - Mixing Mastery with Ryan Nasci [Harry Styles, Portugal The Man, Young the Giant]

Recording Studio Rockstars

Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: What does it take to go from Ohio to LA and start mixing records at the highest level? In this episode, I sat down with mixer and engineer Ryan Nasci to trace his journey from the Midwest to Los Angeles, where he worked alongside the legendary Tony Maserati and began mixing artists like Kingfish, Celeste, and more. Ryan breaks down how he built a hybrid workflow that blends analog gear, plugins, and Atmos into mixes that stay musical, open, and emotionally focused. We dig into Ryan’s approach to gain staging, managing headroom, using trim...

RSR534 - Derek Bargaehr - The Nerdy Mic Episode You Didn’t Know You Needed!

Recording Studio Rockstars

Learn why polar patterns matter more than EQ as Derek Bargaehr of Vanguard Audio Labs breaks down capsules, circuits, self-noise, phase tricks, stereo techniques, and practical mic placement you can use on your next session. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: My guest today is Derek Bargaehr. A lifelong tinkerer, he started out burning himself with a soldering iron and modding guitar pedals at 15, eventually working as Director of Operations for a successful microphone company. A freelancing engineer, producer, gear tech, and bassist, Derek earned a BA in Commercial Music – Audio...

RSR533 - Chris Selim - Building a Home Studio and a Music Community From Quebec to Calgary

Recording Studio Rockstars

What happens when a French-Canadian music producer trades poutine for prairie skies and builds a new studio in Calgary? Will his acoustic panels survive the move? Tune in as Chris Selim shares his journey, one recycled bass trap at a time. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: My guest today is Chris Selim, a musician, music producer, and mixing engineer behind Mixdown Online, where he helps home studio owners and musicians improve their recording, mixing, and production skills. His YouTube channel has grown to over 125K subscribers and 14 million views, thanks to his clear, practical...

RSR532 - Lincoln Parish - Recording Rock with Cage the Elephant

Recording Studio Rockstars

What happens when you don’t cage the elephant—and let creativity run wild in the studio? Lincoln Parish shares how recording live, trusting your gear, and embracing bleed helped shape the sound of a Grammy-nominated band and his work as a producer today. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: My guest today is Lincoln Parish, founding guitarist of the Grammy-nominated rock band Cage the Elephant. After years of success on the road and in the studio with the band, Lincoln left in 2013 to focus full-time on producing and songwriting. From his Nashville studio Talk Box Rodeo, he’s...

RSR531 - Justin Francis - Mixing Grammy Winners on AirPods, Producing Records That Feel Great

Recording Studio Rockstars

Ever mix a Grammy-winning track on AirPods? Justin Francis did - and he's back to share killer tips on mixing in the box, vocal stacking, pedalboard tricks, and keeping the studio vibe fun. Get ready to level up your mixes and laugh along the way! Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: My guest today is Justin Francis, a Grammy award-winning engineer, mixer, and producer with a talent for channeling deep emotion through sound. Justin brings a creative, artist-first approach to every session, working across many genres - from Sheryl Crow and Kacey Musgraves to Tyler Childers, Lake Street...

RSR530 - David Streit - Pro Recording Techniques, Acoustic Music, and Teaching Sound Engineering

Recording Studio Rockstars

What do drum mics, bluegrass, and Pro Tools have in common? Find out as David Streit shares 35+ years of studio wisdom, from Quad Studios to acoustic sessions, and why trusting musicians might be your best mic technique yet. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: My guest today is David Streit, a recording engineer, producer, mixer, and live sound engineer based in Portland, Oregon. With over 35 years of experience, he started mixing live shows in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, before refining his recording skills in Nashville. He later freelanced in Nashville and Santa Cruz...

RSR529 - Don Cusic - The Legacy of Chet Atkins and the Evolution of Music Recording in Nashville

Recording Studio Rockstars

Did Chet Atkins invent fingerpicking just to keep other guitarists from catching up? In this episode, I talk with Don Cusic—author of Chet Atkins: Mr. Guitar—about Chet’s legendary style, Nashville studio secrets, and how the music biz has changed (and stayed weird). Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: My guest today is Don Cusic, the Curb Professor of Music Industry History at Belmont University and the author of over 30 books on music, culture, and the music business. His latest is Chet Atkins: Mr. Guitar, a newly released biography that explores the life, legacy, and lasting...

More Episodes

What does it take to build a dream studio from the ground up? Nick Bullock of Freda Recording shares how he created a retreat for artists on a Nashville farm, blending music, acoustics, and visual storytelling to support independent musicians.

Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com

My guest today is Nick Bullock, Co-Founder and CEO of Freda Recording, a boutique recording studio and Artist Services company located on a beautiful farm outside of Nashville, TN.

Nick returns to the podcast after previous appearances on episodes RSR030 and RSR411 to share more insights from his journey as a producer, engineer, and artist advocate. With a focus on serving the song and honoring the artist’s vision, Nick has built a career around making records that are intentional, meaningful, and emotionally impactful. He’s worked with artists like Alexz Johnson, Katie Kuffell, National Park Radio, St Paul DeVence, The Aqua Ducks, Katie Basden, and many others.

In 2024, Nick and his wife Meredith launched Freda Recording together—blending music production, visual storytelling, and hospitality to help artists realize their full creative potential and bring their dreams to life.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!

http://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com

https://usa.sae.edu/

https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!

https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!

https://www.adam-audio.com/

https://www.spectra1964.com

https://pickrmusic.com

https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academy

https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/

Listen to the podcast theme song “Skadoosh!” https://solo.to/lijshawmusic

Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify: