The Mix Forge Podcast

We’re back for part two of our chat about all things Slate. Having got the All Access Pass and loving the Slate plug-ins, we then moved onto the ML-1 microphone which then snowballed us into going ‘all in’ and making Slate the focus of our studio renovations (we even called it ‘Project Raven’). We chat about the Slate virtual microphones, the dual touchscreen Raven and the VSX headphones. Enjoy!Slate MicrophonesRaven MTI2VSXWebsite: oldblacksmiths.comEmail: studio@oldblacksmiths.comInstagram: @theoldblacksmithsTwitter: @oldblacksmithsFacebook: @oldblacksmiths

Apologies for the break, we’ve been very busy in the studio this summer! But fear not, we’re back with a new series. This is part one of our chat about all things Steven Slate and how his products and services really gave us an uplift in quality with our recording and mixing. We chat about our introduction to Slate Digital, the Slate All Access Pass, his tutorials and Trigger. Enjoy!All Access PassTrigger PS. Sorry for half the chat sounding rubbish - things sometimes go wrong in the studio!PPS. We’re not being paid to talk about Slate. We have purchased every Slate product we own and we really do use it all out of choice.Website: oldblacksmiths.comEmail: studio@oldblacksmiths.comInstagram: @theoldblacksmithsTwitter: @oldblacksmithsFacebook: @oldblacksmiths

We’re back for part two of our overview of what we do and how we do it. After a brief chat about unwinding after a day of tracking, we give an insight into what happens once our clients have left the building; what’s editing and why do we do it, our three stages of mixing (mix prep, sonic mix and automation), project organisation and naming stems, giving our mix the final ‘jerk’ before sending to the client, why we like a sh*t sandwich and a brief guide to mastering. Enjoy!Website: oldblacksmiths.comEmail: studio@oldblacksmiths.comInstagram: @theoldblacksmithsTwitter: @oldblacksmithsFacebook: @oldblacksmiths

On this week's episode we start with some listener correspondence as we were sent in a video from the studio’s Fratton days, working with Van Gosh and what we’ve both been up to in the studio recently. The main topic at hand though is what we do and how we do it. In part 1 we take a quick look at the process from initial recording enquiry, booking, why we don’t do it ‘live’, guide tracks, drum tracking and why at the end of the day your track still sounds rubbish. Enjoy!The King Is Dead Rehearsal (Old Fratton Live Room): https://youtu.be/xa6qlII7iZkVan Gosh: https://vangosh.bandcamp.com/Archie McKeown: https://spoti.fi/3INrh3PYoung Pine: https://spoti.fi/3zhj2tyWebsite: oldblacksmiths.comEmail: studio@oldblacksmiths.comInstagram: @theoldblacksmithsTwitter: @oldblacksmithsFacebook: @oldblacksmiths

Welcome back for part two of our chat about the history of The Old Blacksmiths Studios. We carry on from where we left off (2011) until the present day. The studio changed hands into Ben’s ownership and a new dawn had begun but not without its challenges in an ever evolving landscape. A further renovation happened in 2018 giving us the recording facilities we use to this day and after surviving a pandemic, we’re back to full strength and doing what we love. Enjoy!Website: oldblacksmiths.comEmail: studio@oldblacksmiths.comInstagram: @theoldblacksmithsTwitter: @oldblacksmithsFacebook: @oldblacksmiths

Welcome to The Mix Forge Podcast. We are Ben Whyntie and Neil Elliott and we are recording/mixing engineers and producers at The Old Blacksmiths Studios in Portsmouth, UK. In this first episode we talk about the history of the studio from its creation in 2000/2001, prominence in the local music scene, tricky change of premises and how we both got involved with working there. This was a lovely trip down memory lane. Enjoy!Website: oldblacksmiths.comEmail: studio@oldblacksmiths.comInstagram: @theoldblacksmithsTwitter: @oldblacksmithsFacebook: @oldblacksmiths