Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull
110 episodes listed below
Two studio owners test compression, latency, and guitar signal chains on real gear.
DIY Recording Guys follows Vadim and Benjamin through the small decisions that make home recordings work: strings, DI boxes, compressors, DAW tracks, hearing, and songcraft. The tone is friendly and technical, with shootouts and examples doing more teaching than hype.
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DIY Recording Guys is a two-host, conversational education podcast in which Vadim Karaz and Benjamin Hall — engineers who each run their own home studio (Calm Frog Recording and DreamLoud Studio) — walk through recording and mixing concepts in a panel format. Many episodes are structured as multi-part series, such as a two-part breakdown of dynamics and compression covering threshold, ratio, attack, and release, or comparative gear tests like a four-test blind A/B on guitar recording signal chains. The hosts frequently use audio demonstrations, such as recorded snare-drum compression examples, and spectrum-analyzer readings to make signal-processing concepts concrete, alongside techniques attributed to industry figures like compressor designer Gregory Scott and mix engineer Andy Wallace. Recurring content includes gear reviews (Flare Audio ear inserts, Little Labs signal buffers), community showcase segments where listeners submit tracks for feedback, and personal asides about studio life. The sampled episodes show no outside interview guests; mentioned names are typically gear designers, mix engineers, or community members whose tracks are showcased rather than co-hosts. The show is built for musicians and engineers who record and mix their own material at home and want plain-language, technically specific explanations rather than gear marketing copy. Production is casual and unscripted, with hosts frequently referencing prior episodes as part of an ongoing series arc. Episode lengths in the sample range from about 30 to 75 minutes. The overall tone is instructional and practical, oriented around concrete techniques listeners can apply in their next recording session.
Made for: Home-studio musicians and DIY audio engineers who record and mix their own music and want plain-language, technically specific explanations of gear and processing.
What sets it apart: Grounds explanations in hands-on blind A/B tests and spectrum-analyzer comparisons rather than general gear chat, showing measurably how a setting or device changes a recording.
We believe that, with minimal gear and a bit of knowledge, DIY musicians can get pro quality recordings. Our mission is to provide that knowledge
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Vadim and Benjamin make recording technology legible by tying its settings, delays, and signal paths to the musical decisions they affect.
DIY Recording Guys turns recording problems into conversations between Vadim and Benjamin, two working engineers who explain what happens between an instrument, a computer, and the final playback.
Latency, DAWs, and overclocking become choices you can make before your recording session mutinies.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A practical guitar-recording conversation that turns fresh strings and amp-sim fizz into real production decisions.
Guitar recording is treated here as a chain of practical source decisions, not a single magic fix. Vadim and Ben pick up after earlier DI and Hi-Z shootouts, then use a new single as an excuse to keep testing what actually changes at the front end.
A clear, hands-on compressor lesson that makes attack, release, and level matching easier to hear.
DIY Recording Guys makes compressor talk feel like studio work instead of menu diving. Benjamin Hull and Vadim Karaz keep circling the practical question: what are attack and release actually doing to a sound?
A practical, engineer-minded intro to how dynamics shape punch, impact, and listener attention in DIY recordings.
Vadim and Ben turn dynamics into something a home recordist can actually hear: the difference between volume changes that serve a performance and compression choices that can make impact feel oddly detached from loudness.
A clear, practical DI-box discussion for guitar recordists wondering when an interface input is enough.
DIY Recording Guys gives DI boxes the kind of patient, shop-floor treatment home recordists actually need. Vadim Karaz and Benjamin Hull start from a familiar guitar question: if an interface already has a high-Z input, does a separate DI still change the result enough to…
A relaxed songwriting craft talk about stronger lyrics, rule-breaking, and turning rough ideas into recordable songs.
DIY Recording Guys turns a lyric-writing episode into a useful, relaxed craft conversation. Vadim frames the chat around Syanna, a Toronto-based R&B artist and songwriter whose Flypaper piece, "Seven Songwriting Rules to Break," gives the room its best tension: learn the usual…
A grounded Flare Audio ear-insert review for engineers trying to separate real mix problems from everyday harshness.
DIY Recording Guys use this bonus episode to test Flare Audio's ear inserts where they matter most: in the messy gap between studio judgment and everyday hearing fatigue.
A practical recording conversation turns hearing itself into the gear question, from rooms and headphones to distortion, stress, and trust.
DIY Recording Guys takes a familiar home-studio worry, whether you can trust what you are hearing, and moves it from monitors and rooms into the ear itself.
A plainspoken DAW primer for DIY musicians, focused on tracks, inputs, MIDI, and the recording choices behind them.
DIY Recording Guys strip the DAW back to its working parts: session settings, sample rate and bit depth, audio tracks, armed inputs, multitrack recording, and the basic split between audio and MIDI.
Brian Funk talks Ableton workflows, mastering, and songwriting with working musicians.
Real drum-recording talk from working players.
Music craft, from studio floor to screen.
Producers talking shop, tangents and blunt advice included.
Music craft, traced back to its source.
Studio craft, argued in practical detail.
The hosts discuss their belated 2021 year-end review, reflecting on taking time off, studio work during holidays, and the importance of resetting for planning in the new year.
The hosts discuss the technical challenges of setting up their podcast with integrated video and audio, sharing personal experiences with troubleshooting and preparation for recording sessions.
This episode provides a back-to-basics tutorial on stereo width in music production, starting with a thought experiment about sound localization.
The hosts discuss their personal and professional Instagram strategies for music production branding in the finale episode of their DIY recording podcast.
The hosts discuss their interview with Brad McGowan of Louder Than Liftoff about the design process and appeal of analog gear in DIY music production.
The host discusses his struggles with straying from his established music mixing process and shares insights from fellow producers about this common challenge.
The hosts discuss the challenges and emotional aspects of revisions in DIY music production, focusing on band dynamics and avoiding conflicts.
This bonus episode provides a deep dive into understanding music rights and royalties, explaining the fundamental elements of a song and how they relate to copyright and compensation for creators.
The hosts discuss a humorous voice comparison to podcast legend Jad Abumrad before introducing their main topic of sampling in music production, including plans for live on-air sampling.
This episode continues a deep dive into music theory, focusing on modes, scale degrees, and chord progressions to provide practical tips for improving songwriting and overcoming creative blocks in DIY music production.
This episode of the DIY Recording Guys Podcast discusses the differences between real drums and programmed drums in music production, with hosts sharing personal preferences and studio tips.
This episode of the DIY Recording Guys Podcast introduces a discussion on fundamental music theory concepts including tempo, meter, and key for DIY music producers.
The hosts discuss the challenges of upgrading to Windows 10 for music production, including Pro Tools glitches and plugin management, before introducing the topic of different types of reverb.
The hosts celebrate reaching episode 85 of their DIY music production podcast while introducing a discussion about analyzing mixed versus as-recorded stems in music production.
The hosts discuss the challenges and importance of setting up a new recording studio room, including building acoustic panels and the psychological adjustment to a new workspace.
This episode of the DIY Recording Guys Podcast introduces a guide to DIY mastering techniques for home music producers, prompted by listener questions from their Facebook group.
The hosts discuss challenges with room acoustics when creating a drum virtual instrument, including bass frequency issues and using tools like Sonarworks and headphones for adjustments.
The hosts of DIY Recording Guys Podcast discuss technical recording mishaps and personal updates, including Ben's return from a break where he finally got married after pandemic delays.
This episode discusses compression techniques for individual tracks to improve mixing efficiency, while also announcing the podcast's hiatus and discontinuation of the Facebook group.
The DIY Recording Guys interview Eric Skazzini from Voodoo Glow Skulls about recording brass instruments and discuss technical issues from a previous failed episode.
The hosts of DIY Recording Guys answer listener questions from their Facebook community about music production topics like reverb, EQ, and stereo, while sharing personal anecdotes and humor.
This episode discusses practical strategies for setting up an effective mixing room for DIY music production.
The hosts of the DIY Recording Guys Podcast catch up on personal news, discussing becoming a dad and buying band shirts, while hinting at future music production topics.
Vadim provides a personal update about becoming a father and previews upcoming DIY Recording Guys episodes on music production topics like reverb, layering, and headphones.
This episode explores practical techniques for integrating guitar pedals into studio recording setups as outboard gear for creative sound processing.
This episode discusses how to use reference tracks in DIY music production while also sharing personal news about one host quitting his day job to pursue studio work full-time.
The hosts discuss their favorite audio tools and share personal stories about studio branding and logo design in DIY music production.
The hosts discuss practical recording techniques for a ukulele, emphasizing simplicity and effective microphone choices in DIY music production.
Vadim discusses his recent switch to the Reaper DAW for music production, exploring the practical and creative implications of changing digital audio workstations.
This episode discusses working with headphones in DIY music production, covering different types like in-ear monitors and over-the-ear headphones, including open back and closed back varieties.
Vadim introduces his new Substack and podcast called Three Minute Muse, where he shares short essays on creativity, inspired by his journaling and social media hiatus, and previews an episode about his weekly basketball sessions with a painter.
The hosts discuss their experiences and thoughts on mixing songs with artists present during the session, focusing on the dynamics of attended mix sessions in DIY music production.
The hosts discuss DIY music production techniques for achieving a massive sound with layers, while sharing personal updates about beer brewing as a hobby.
DIY Recording Guys hosts Vadim Karaz and Ben Hall run a four-test blind A/B comparison of guitar recording signal chains, covering old vs new strings, a Hi-Z input vs the Little Labs STD cable buffer, compressor engagement on the preamp, and a maximum chain combining all three elements.
DIY Recording Guys hosts Vadim Karaz and Ben Hall deliver Part 2 of their dynamics series, focusing on how to use a compressor: the four controls (threshold, ratio, attack, release), what each does to a sound, and when to reach for compression.
DIY Recording Guys hosts Vadim Karaz and Ben Hall deliver a foundational explainer on audio dynamics, defining the difference between macro dynamics (section-to-section loudness variation) and micro dynamics (moment-to-moment variation such as a single kick drum hit vs silence), using analogies including Google Maps zoom levels and a friendly robot on a volume fader.
Pajama pants set the tone.
In this episode, hosts Vadim and Benjamin interview Syanna, an R&B artist and songwriter, about practical songwriting tips.
Vadim Karaz and Benjamin Hall of DIY Recording Guys review two Flare Audio ear insert products — the Calmer and the Ear HD (90s and 360s) — sent to them after an interview with Flare founder Davies Roberts.
Trust starts at the output side.
Ben opens with a snare-drum confession, then the episode settles into a clear back-to-basics walk through the DAW.
Passive pickups keep the comparison honest.
Calm Frog begins with a worn-out workday and a notepad file.
Snow talk kicks things off.
Ben has a new Studio B, so his old computer has been moved into a vocal and guitar amp room where a summer intern can prep mixes on a cloned setup.
Morning voices give this one a loose, human start.
Vadim starts with shop housekeeping.
Back from break, Vadim and Ben sound a little rusty.
Josh Doran joins the conversation as Vadim steps away from the usual format.
Christmas Eve 2020 gives the episode its mood.