#214: The Best FREE Plugins Every Producer Should Use

Creative momentum is built on steady habits—but real breakthroughs often require intentional space. In this episode of Inside The Mix, the show takes a purposeful pause to reassess what truly helps music producers grow. The mission remains the same: help producers make better music, finish more tracks, and build skills that compound over time. The format, however, is being refined for greater clarity, momentum, and measurable results. This episode explores why constant output doesn’t always e...

How to prevent overmixing and finish tracks faster is one of the biggest challenges facing independent producers. In this episode of Inside The Mix, Marc Matthews sits down with producer and Recording Studio Rockstars host Lij Shaw to unpack a powerful truth: the fix for overmixing isn’t another plugin, it’s a process. Why do producers overmix in the first place? What makes a song feel complete? And how do you know when to stop mixing music? Marc and Lij break down the psychology behind endle...

What is mastering in music, and what does mastering a song really mean for independent producers? In this episode of Inside The Mix, host Marc Matthews sits down with mastering engineer Ben Holmes to break down what mastering is, how it differs from mixing and mastering as a combined process, and why it’s the final step that makes a track translate everywhere—from phones and cars to clubs, streaming platforms, and CDs. Marc and Ben explain what mastering a song actually involves, starting wit...

Clearer mixes don’t come from buying more plugins, they come from making better decisions. In this episode of Inside The Mix, Marc Matthews sits down with returning guest Tim Benson (Aisle9) to show beginner and intermediate producers how to get clearer mixes using arrangement, sound selection, and simple processing choices that actually translate. This episode is for independent producers struggling with muddy, crowded mixes that fall apart on headphones, Bluetooth speakers, or in the car. M...

Free synth plugins can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re staring at an empty patch and just want results. In this episode of Inside The Mix, Marc Matthews walks beginner and intermediate producers through a practical Surge XT tutorial, showing how to design mix-ready high strings from an init patch using this powerful free synth plugin. Surge XT is a free, open-source synthesizer packed with features, but more options don’t always mean better results. Marc focuses on what actually mat...