RSR516 - David Kalmusky - Inside the Ultimate Dream Studio, Addiction Sound, and the Future of Music Production

Recording Studio Rockstars

Lij Shaw

Music

4.8 • 543 Ratings

🗓️ 25 July 2025

⏱️ 103 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What does it take to build the ultimate dream studio? Grammy-winning producer, engineer, and guitarist David Kalmusky returns to the show to share his journey of designing Addiction Sound Studios and how it's shaped his approach to music production. Known for his work with John Oates, Journey, Shawn Mendes, and many more, David talks about the importance of studio setups, the magic of drums and microphones in recording, and how technology has changed the way we make records. We talked about drive-by sessions, archiving sounds for future inspiration, and why it matters to always have gear ready to capture a great performance. David also reflected on Nashville's rich musical history, the legacy of instruments, and personal connections with legendary artists. In the second half, we talked about quality over quantity when it comes to instruments, the creative use of high-strung guitars, and the process of setting up an Atmos room for immersive mixing. David shared his thoughts on curating a creative space, navigating sound libraries, and how streaming has impacted music careers. We also got into the business side of things—like understanding royalties and publishing—and why internships can be such a valuable path for new producers. It was great to catch up with David and hear what he's been working on—lots of cool stuff in this episode.

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My guest today is David Kalmusky, a Multi-Diamond producer, songwriter, guitarist, mixer, and engineer. His credits include Joss Stone, Shawn Mendes, Carrie Underwood, John Legend, Keith Urban, Mickey Guyton, Mötley Crüe, Nate Smith, Warren Zeiders, Parmalee, Rita Wilson, K. Michelle, and many more. By 2025, his catalog has amassed over 40 billion streams.

Let me know if you'd like any tweaks! Dave has been a guest on the podcast in episodes RSR052 and RSR371.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode of Recording Studio Rockstars is brought to you by Isotope, Native Instruments,
0:06.7	Adam Audio, and S-A-E Institute. You're hearing my voice right now mixed through isotope,
0:13.4	ozone, and velvet on atom audio monitors and headphones. Make sure to get my free mixing course
0:20.0	at Mixmasterbundle.com, and please check out our
0:23.7	awesome sponsors using the links in the show notes. And please like and subscribe to this YouTube
0:29.6	channel because it's a great way to help support this show. Now get ready to rock. And I think
0:35.1	it's every production room. Everybody's got their tools. Even if you're in the
0:37.7	box, you know, you've collected your virtual instruments. Everyone who's ever got the new serum
0:42.2	or the new Omnosphere or whatever you go, you spend your afternoon. You go through your presets.
0:47.0	You mark your favorites. You try to kind of get ready to understand to have a tool kit and a
0:52.3	palette ready for when the artist is in the room
0:54.6	and you're looking for Hollywood strings or you're looking for, you know, a sine wave lead synth,
0:59.9	you can get there quickly. I think a lot of people wonder if I'm a gear collector, and it's not
1:05.2	real, I don't collect gear. This is not a collection. It's all deployed.
1:26.3	Welcome to Recording Studio Rockstars. I'm Lid Shaw, and this is the podcast created to help you become a rock star of the recording studio.
1:33.7	Dreaming of a career in audio or the entertainment business, SAE Institute, Nashville,
1:39.5	in the heart of Music Row, offers hands-on programs where you'll learn on professional grade gear
1:46.1	with industry pros, learning through real projects, not just lectures. Explore studio production, live
1:52.8	sound, audio for film, and a whole lot more. Or take the entertainment business program to learn about
1:58.4	contracts, promotion, and more. With Diploma, Associate, and
2:02.8	bachelor's programs, there's a path for you. Book a tour today at Nashville.sae.edu or call 615-244-5-848.
2:15.0	Howdy Rockstars, it's your host, Lid Shaw, and welcome back to recording studio rockstars,
	...

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