Sometimes what seems like the simplest solution is actually the worst. If you’re using your computer to run in-ears, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. I’m as much an advocate for using computers on stage as anyone, but this is one thing that you shouldn’t use your computer for. I’ve got 8 reasons why and what you should do instead. P.S. What do you use to run in-ears? ★ Support this podcast ★...
Apr 17, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Here’s how to use tracks on stage, without cheating and feeling like a fraud. We’ve all seen those videos of a pop artist’s performance going sideways with tracks and all of the sudden the whole world knows they’re lip-syncing. And yeah, I’m not a fan of that. But that’s not what the way most artists use tracks. Some of the best musicians in the world are using tracks on stage. And they’re doing it in a way that maintains the authenticity of musicianship and skilled performance. In this video, y...
Apr 10, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 59
I’ve been an Ableton Certified Trainer for 13 years. These are the 8 most common questions I get. I take a few minutes to answer each question, but I also share where you can get loads of free resources to dive deeper into each topic. My suggestions on the best gear for live performance 👇 https://fromstudiotostage.com/gear Session View vs. Arrangement View 👇 https://youtu.be/l_4lIV3Ehqc https://youtu.be/sukloetXkJE Should you become an Ableton Live Certified Trainer 👇 https://youtu.be/vCQY7mk...
Apr 03, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Mike is a pro drum tech and playback tech — building and setting up rigs for some of the biggest metal artists to…Avril Lavigne and Smashing Pumpkins? Yep. Plus, he’s a From Studio to Stage student. Mike was kind enough to hop on a call with me and share his story about becoming a playback tech and what really helped him get to the point he’s at now working with these pro artists and bands. He also shares some great stories from the road and even some nice little tid bits of advice for aspiring ...
Mar 27, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 57
I’ve made this dead simple. These are the only 5 pieces of gear you need to start running tracks with your band. When it comes to buying gear to run tracks, you’ve got more options than you know what to do with. And if you’re just starting out, it’s hard to know what’s actually necessary versus what can wait til later. Well, I’m making it easy. These 5 pieces of gear give you everything you need to start running tracks. Plus, learn about the Ableton template that 4,000+ musicians and touring art...
Mar 20, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 56
I branched out from Ableton and live audio for two whole years to run a video broadcast. What I learned surprised me. I never wanted to be a broadcast video guy, and honestly, I don’t know if I’ll do it again. But for 2 years, that was my job. And it was 100% worth it. It made me a better Ableton trainer and playback tech, and it taught me some basic principles that I apply every day in what I do now. -- 0:00 Things I Learned as a Broadcast Video Director 0:11 Behind the Space Bar: My Experience...
Mar 13, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 55
I used to see other people in my industry as a threat. And it turned me into a bit of a jerk. But I eventually flipped the script and became a champion of others rather than just viewing them as the competition. I guess I’m still a jerk, but I’ve made a lot of progress (yep, it really was that bad). So to build on this, I’m focusing on community over competition in 2023. And I’ve distilled my experience into 5 tips to help you stop seeing other people as the competition and start celebrating the...
Mar 06, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 54
If I were in charge of a music tech company, these would top my list of things to create. These three pieces of music tech don’t exist yet, or if there’s a version of them that does, there are things I’d change. Or maybe I’m not aware that they do exist! (Drop a comment with a link if they do!) What’s in this episode: 3 ideas for music gear and/or tech Why and how they’d be useful Recommended prices for each Maybe this gear or something really close already exists, and I’m just unaware of it. If...
Feb 20, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Wanna learn Ableton the best and fastest way? Start with these 7 tips that you can do before spending any money. I started using Ableton on stage to run tracks 20+ years ago. I made a lot of mistakes, but also did some things well. Book a 15-minute coaching session with me 👇 https://fs2s.link/15minute Book a 1-hour coaching session with me 👇 https://fs2s.link/oneonone Subscribe to this channel 👇 https://fs2s.link/youtube-subscribe 0:00 7 Tips for Beginners Just Getting Started with Ableton Li...
Feb 13, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 52
What goes into being a musical & exec producer for a live TV special? How do you manage 40+ musicians on stage? And how do you plan and prepare for it all within just a few weeks? Keith Everette Smith is here to break it all down for us. Keith and I have been friends for long enough to make us both feel old, and he recently invited me to run playback for a live TV special that he was producing — A Chaotic Christmas and K-Love Turns 40. The event was a blast, but there were only a few weeks t...
Jan 30, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Charge too much — no clients. Charge too little — wasting your time. These are both myths. Watch to find out why and learn how to set your rates for teaching Ableton (including a breakdown of my own rates and the reasoning behind them). If you’ve been using Ableton for a while and think you’re ready to start teaching others what you’ve learned, you need to figure out what you’re going to charge. Easier said than done, right? I started doing this in 2008, and my rates have changed dramatically si...
Jan 23, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Ableton crashes suck. Take a deep breath, and let’s get you up and running ASAP. Few things are as frustrating as software not working properly. And I get it — you’re relying on Ableton for a live performance. You’ve gotta get this fixed RIGHT NOW! But you can’t rush through troubleshooting — at least not if you want to do it successfully. So do whatever you need to do to get a level head, and then work your way through these seven tips & best practices to identify and solve the issue. Also ...
Jan 16, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Don’t make the mistake that brings so many solo live looping shows to a screeching halt. Instead, learn this simple concept from traditional on-stage performers. Bands and artists who play on a stage do this without even thinking. But it’s something live looping and solo artists sometimes overlook — because it’s not inherently built into the set up. If you don’t implement it, it can cause your whole show to come crashing down. What you’ll learn: - This important concept - How it works in traditi...
Jan 09, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 48
6 side hustle ideas for musicians and how to actually be successful with them. Making extra money from side hustles is completely possible. My entire company started as a side hustle, and I was able to grow it into my main source of income. You can sell your time, your knowledge, or both. In this video, I’m gonna help you get started so you can crush it in 2023. What you’ll learn: 3 ways to sell your time 3 ways to sell your knowledge 5 tips for success that I used to grow From Studio to Stage P...
Jan 02, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Learn exactly when and how you should update your software and hardware. The tale is as old as time (well, as old as the internet has been around, I guess). There’s an update available and you jump on it. Next thing you know, things are broken and you’re chugging coffee trying to fix the mess. If you’ve had that happen, maybe you’ve resolved to avoid updates at all costs. But soon, you’re running old software and you’re missing out on genuinely better features. The last Behind the Spacebar episo...
Dec 26, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 46
A systematic process to help you quickly troubleshoot when things go wrong in Ableton Live. You can apply this process to anything in Ableton, and honestly anything else you’re troubleshooting. In this episode replay, you’ll learn the four steps to troubleshooting that will help you stay calm, find the problem, and quickly fix it. At the end, I’ll share some thoughts I have today and why I really believe rubber duckies might be the key to solving all your problems. PS. Ever talked to a rubber du...
Dec 19, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Pretty much anybody can learn how to do something or develop a new skill. But experts go beyond just learning how to do something. Today’s throwback episode is from an episode I did in January of 2022 where I talked about the one thing people need to focus on to be successful. The difference between a good guitar player and a great guitar player isn’t how well they can play a difficult part. The great guitar player understands why that part works in that part of a song and in conjunction with wh...
Dec 12, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Why can some people persevere through learning something hard while others give up? This video is a look back at a podcast episode I did in January 2022. In the episode, I talked about how I noticed a difference in people who would stay subscribed and get the most out of my course subscription at From Studio to Stage vs. those who would cancel and not get that much benefit. 10 months later, I feel that being humbly confident and humbly curious is even more important than I did then. And I share ...
Dec 05, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Bands make these 5 mistakes all the time when running tracks, and it kinda ruins everything. Here’s what they are and how to avoid them. If you’re running tracks on stage or you plan to soon, make sure to avoid these 5 mistakes that way too many people make. Mistake #1: Faking It Don’t have your lead vocal or a blazing guitar solo in your tracks with someone trying to mime it. Unless you’re a famous pop artist putting on a multi-million dollar show, it’s just not going to come across well. Mista...
Nov 28, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 42
What’s more important for your musicians, playback techs, and engineers: knowledge or experience? Well, you need both. Here’s why and how to get there. Each of us leans towards one or the other. Maybe you love learning but have some fear or hesitancy when it comes to applying your knowledge. Maybe you love diving into the performance without really thinking everything through. Just let the music flow, baby. Both types of people have had successful careers in music. But to really get to the next ...
Nov 21, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Click and tracks shouldn’t be universally used by anyone performing on stage. Here are 4 reasons you shouldn’t use them. Every once in awhile, I get someone commenting about how “real musicians” don’t use click and tracks. I’ve spent plenty of time debunking that myth, but I will concede there are times when you shouldn’t use click and tracks live. When is running click and tracks a bad idea? 1. You’re performing by yourself 2. The context isn’t right 3. You don’t want to 4. You’re not ready Rea...
Nov 14, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 40
These 5 tips will help you get out of your creative rut and start churning out work. Everyone gets stuck when they’re trying to create something. Even the best artists deal with it. But they also know how to get out of it. Here are 5 tips that I regularly use to get myself out of a rut and start creating. 1. Say it out loud 2. Schedule a pity party 3. Keep going! 4. The perfection myth and focusing on what’s attainable 5. Read the War of Art (link 👇) Buy the War of Art: https://fs2s.link/war-of...
Nov 07, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Ableton doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are 3 simple tips for saving money when purchasing or upgrading Ableton. Tip 1: Ableton for free? Yep. You can get a starter version of Ableton for free. Tip 2: Already have Ableton? Save when you upgrade. Tip 3: Discounts for qualified users: students, churches, etc. Bonus Tip: Discount for From Studio to Stage paid subscribers! Go to fromstudiotostage.com/subscribe, sign up, get a discount, and start mastering Ableton. 0:00 Did you know that you can...
Oct 31, 2022•9 min•Season 1Ep. 38
I've been running tracks for over 18 years, and I believe these are some of the best free tools out there to add to your Ableton Live setup. S Some will save you time. Others will grant you access to the power of automation. And all of it will cost you $0. Links to resources and tools 👇 MIDI Monitor https://www.snoize.com/midimonitor From Studio to Stage's Free Ableton Tracks Template fromstudiotostage.com/template Lockstep from Figure 53 Studio Projects https://figure53.github.io/studio LiveMT...
Oct 17, 2022•8 min•Season 1Ep. 37
If you’re going to use a click, don’t do it like this. Playing with a click track can be a game changer for your band. It can make you sound tighter and also open the door to playing with tracks that can fill out your sound. But there are 5 common mistakes I see bands regularly make. Listen to find out what those mistakes are and why you should avoid them. ★ Support this podcast ★
Oct 10, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Why do bands do this to themselves?! These are mistakes that are EASY to avoid and ensure you don’t embarrass yourself in front of or distract your audience. 1. Change things right before getting on stage Trust your preparation! If you have a moment of inspiration, write it down as something to try later that you can iron out in a rehearsal. 2. Update software Don’t update your software after sound check. If you do, you’ll increase your chance for stuff not working. 3. Hope something works (with...
Oct 07, 2022•11 min•Season 1Ep. 35
I made a pretty big mistake 15 years ago when running tracks for a new gig. What I learned still guides the way I run and teach running tracks with Ableton today. It even inspired the unofficial motto for From Studio to Stage: Humbly Confident. Humbly Curious. In this podcast, I talk about the mistake I made and how you can avoid it. PODCAST: Humbly Confident. Humbly Curious: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-space-bar/id1457883170?i=1000547426800 ★ Support this podcast ★...
Sep 26, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 34
These 6 tips will help you land (and keep) a gig as a playback tech. 1. Start with another role — most playback techs are also guitarists, drummers, or guitar/drum techs that learn Ableton to help their band switch to in-ears and start learning tracks. 2. The Little Mermaid Principle: be where the people are. 3. Show up and genuinely serve. 4. Be a “good hang.” If you want someone to invite you on a tour, being good at what you do is only half the job. Being pleasant to be around and spend time ...
Sep 05, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 33
WARNING: 🌶 spicy takes inside. Learn what I think is wrong about the way we approach buying music gear and three suggestions for how to do it better. It may sound cool to think PF Flyers are guaranteed to make a kid run faster and jump higher. But if you’re skipping leg day, there’s really no hope for you. Music gear is really only as good as the sound coming into it. It’s easy to get entranced by fancy specs and the newest toy that’s just been released. But at the end of the day, if it’s not s...
Aug 29, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Tips & tricks to help everyone in the band stay on the same page when things get off the rails. Good bands aren’t perfect bands. Things can go wrong even for the best. But when they do, they have ways to communicate with each other to avoid any noticeable errors. In this episode of Behind the Space Bar, you’ll learn four ways the pros communicate with each other on stage. 1. Hand signals (on stage charades!) 2. Talk-back mics (low- and high-tech options) 3. Plan for the unplanned 4. Rehearse...
Aug 22, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 31
