Prepping For The Studio

About Prepping For The Studio

A limited edition podcast for musicians who want to understand what goes on in a professional recording studio, how to prepare, and how to get the most out of their studio sessions.

Publisher

Roy Silverstein

Category

education · music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Feb 2024

Latest episode

24 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

29 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Sept 2026

   Prepping for Strings with CJ Thomas

   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/ ---- 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.

2. 

   27 Aug 2026

   Prepping For Your Music Video with Patrick Guera

   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.

3. 

   30 Jul 2026

   Home vs. "Pro" Studio with Arielle (Analog Acres)

   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 ---- 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.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 18 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

24

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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