From Writing “Mad at Disney” to Producing “Dirty Martini” — Salem Ilese on Becoming the Artist She Needed

This is the free episode. The full conversation is available exclusively for Producer Pal subscribers on Patreon: patreon.com/producerpoints 🛒 Production templates & more: SoundBetter | Patreon Templates 🥯 My plugin company, Pizza Bagel Plugins, is live. Three so far: JJG Vocals: my actual vocal chain (preamp, tape, compressor, EQ, gate, de-esser, air) in one window. A few knobs and the vocal is done. Schmear: the micro-pitch widener I've used on 99% of my vocals for a decade. Free. Salt: an enhancer built from Dolby Type B/C curves. Tasteful highs, delicious lows, on anything. Mac and Windows, AU / VST3 / AAX, no iLok. First 1000 orders get 50% off. https://pizzabagelplugins.com In this episode of Producer Points, Justin sits down with Ori Rose, a producer, songwriter, artist, and vocal producer whose work spans pop, alternative, and the global K-pop world. Credits include 30 Seconds to Mars, MINHO, V of BTS, Tomorrow X Together, Hoodie Allen, MASN, Zach Hood, Crash Adams, and more. He also has his own artist project showing off his smooth voice and production. And somehow a massive Eagles fan and a Bills fan ended up in the same fantasy football league. 🎶 Song deep dives: "FRI(END)S" by V: how a song pitched years earlier came back around, reading the actual email where V said he liked it, the original concept that definitely wasn't going to fly, and letting your ego go so someone else can finish the record "Pretty Face" by Hoodie Allen: pitching the vocal down and speeding it back up, why the drums are one layer each, and learning the day one demo had all the magic (full deep dive on Patreon) 🎛️ We explore: Cold emailing everyone, including his mom's work friends, and how that turned into a publishing deal Why the music industry isn't a meritocracy, and why you need shamelessness and a little delusion to make it Why Zoom sessions might actually write better songs His first K-pop cut and getting asked for three separate harmonies on the hook Why vocal production is king in K-pop, plus his Waves Tune settings for leads Being the most insecure producer in the room Taste is everything, and why you should check yourself if you keep referring back to the brief Plug or Unplug: Metric Halo ChannelStrip 3, Acustica Ash, Baby Audio IHNY-2, Softube Tape, UAD Oxide Tape, CLA Vocals, Soundtheory Gullfoss 🔗 Follow & Listen: Ori Rose: @orirose Justin Gammella: @justin_gammella Producer Points: @producer_points Pizza Bagel Plugins: @pizzabagelplugins TikTok: @producer.points 🎧 Producer Points Playlist 🛒 SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

This is the free episode. The full conversation is available exclusively for Producer Pal subscribers on Patreon: patreon.com/producerpoints 🛒 Production templates & more: SoundBetter | Patreon Templates In this episode of Producer Points, Justin sits down with Pedro Calloni, a mixer whose work has been stopping him in his tracks lately. Every time a song hits different in a playlist, Pedro's name seems to be on it. Credits include Chris Stapleton, Bella Kaye, Stella Lefty, Ashe, Amy Allen, Nick Jonas, Joy Oladokun, Sasha Alex Sloan, LANY, GAYLE, Debbii Dawson, Alex Warren, Sadie Jean, and slimdan. In Justin's opinion, he's quietly becoming one of the top mixers to watch in the entire industry. 🎶 Song deep dives: "Fever Dream" by Alex Warren — the three-day Hail Mary call, taming a powerful voice without touching its tone, the parallel vocal weight channel, sidechained multiband on the instrument bus, and keeping the groove untouched "problem solver" by slimdan — keeping the vocal dry, the room hiss decision, that too-loud fuzz guitar, and going back in for the Medium Build version (full deep dive on Patreon) 🎛️ We explore: Growing up in Rio, the Berklee scholarship audition, and realizing he wasn't going to be a jazz drummer Landing at Village Studios and how end-of-session rough mixes made him a better mixer than he realized Getting Sasha Alex Sloan's debut album by saying yes to a tour he had no business taking His philosophy on restraint and why he's never lost a gig for not making enough moves The Cezanne analogy: finding the shape of a song and making sure it never gets lost Why plugins aren't necessarily getting better, and working fast without working in a rush Plug or Unplug: Kazrog True Iron, Goodhertz Megaverb, AudioPunks Great British Spring, Dangerous BAX EQ, Tube-Tech CL 1B, CLA Vocals 🔗 Follow & Listen: Pedro Calloni: @pedrocalloni Justin Gammella: @justin_gammella Producer Points: @producer_points TikTok: @producer.points 🎧 Producer Points Playlist 🛒 SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

🎧 Matt Huber on Mixing Julia Michaels, Valley & Why Editing Is Half the Job 🎙️ This is the free episode. The full conversation is available exclusively for Producer Pal subscribers on Patreon: patreon.com/producerpoints 🛒 Production templates & more: SoundBetter | Patreon Templates In this episode of Producer Points, Justin sits down with Matt Huber, a multi Grammy nominated mix engineer based in LA and Nashville who has been putting out some of the best mixes of the past few years. Credits include Julia Michaels, Maren Morris, Alex Warren, Valley, Boys Like Girls, Underoath, Dylan Scott, Jamie Miller, Tove Lo, Maddie Zahm, Ingrid Andress, and more. He also gives out some of the best mix tips on Instagram, and Justin has definitely stolen a few already. 🎶 Song deep dives: "Scissors" by Julia Michaels ft. Maren Morris: making the 808 feel big without turning it into a hip hop record, word by word clip gain on the vocal, separating the lead from the harmonies, and layering a sample under a clipped kick "Like 1999" by Valley: rushed production, proximity effect, taming guitar scratches, and letting the 808 be the king of the low end (full deep dive on Patreon) 🎛️ We explore: The fateful "we like your rough mix better" moment that turned him from producer to mixer Why niching down made his career easier to understand His philosophy on sharing techniques and why mixing is not a zero sum game Keeping work hours and giving your freshest brain to the creative work The confidence to just hit send Taking big swings on a mix and when to ask permission first The saturation stacking trap and the gain match trick Top down mixing, cleaning tracks in solo, and why 50 percent of his mixing is actually editing Plug or Unplug: God Particle, Kirchhoff EQ, Trackspacer, Ozone 12, CLA Vocals 🔗 Follow & Listen: Matt Huber: @mattjhuber Justin Gammella: @justin_gammella Producer Points: @producer_points TikTok: @producer.points 🎧 Producer Points Playlist 🛒 SoundBetter |

This is the free episode -- the full conversation is available exclusively for Producer Pal subscribers on Patreon: patreon.com/producerpoints 🛒 Production templates & more: SoundBetter | Patreon Templates In this episode of Producer Points, Justin sits down with Jason Strong -- a multi-platinum producer and songwriter who has quietly built one of the most impressive and genuinely global careers around. His work spans pop, alternative, and K-pop at the highest level, with credits across the US, South Korea, Japan, and beyond, including Tomorrow X Together, TWS, D.O., Jessica Baio, Sueco, Knox, Christian French, Jamie Miller, and more. Born in South Africa, trained at Berklee, and now based in LA, he's built a career on being deeply musical, endlessly adaptable, and always artist first. 🎶 Song deep dives: "Other Side" by Jessica Baio -- how a chorus concept got completely reshaped in the room, keeping the production simple to let her vocal lead, and the reverb and delay choices that gave it that ethereal feel "Treadmill" by Knox -- full deep dive on Patreon 🎛️ We explore: Growing up in South Africa, discovering Berklee through John Mayer, and the audition that got him there Moving to LA right after graduation and building a career through visa-dependent production work Breaking into the Korean and Japanese markets and what makes those sessions different His philosophy on co-producing, handing off records, and when to let go of an idea Ableton vs. Pro Tools workflow and his approach to vocal chains Plug or Unplug: Keyscape, Goodhertz Wow Control, Chandler Limited Germanium Compressor, Splice Instruments, bx_console SSL 4000 E, iZotope Neutron, CLA Vocals 🔗 Follow & Listen: Jason Strong: @jasonstrongsongs Justin Gammella: @justin_gammella Producer Points: @producer_points TikTok: @producer.points 🎧 Producer Points Playlist 🛒 SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

🎙️ This is the free episode -- the full conversation is available exclusively for Producer Pal subscribers on Patreon: patreon.com/producerpoints 🛒 Production templates & more: SoundBetter | Patreon Templates Live drums. It might be the thing that scares the average producer even more than vocals. In this Producer Points Roundtable, Justin sits down with Scott Robinson, Sam Pura, and Jon Graber to talk about everything from mic placement and room selection to drum bus secrets, hybrid kits, and the eternal question: can listeners actually tell the difference? Scott Robinson (@greatscottcreates) -- Grammy-nominated mixer, producer, and songwriter. Credits include Demi Lovato, Bebe Rexha, Fall Out Boy, and Avril Lavigne. Sam Pura (@sampura) -- producer, engineer, and founder of The Panda Studios and Purafied Audio. Credits include Basement, The Story So Far, State Champs, Hundredth, and The Dangerous Summer. Jon Graber (@jgrabesmixes) -- LA-based recording and mix engineer with roots in punk and classical composition. From studios in New York to Capitol Records, built a career on capturing raw, honest performances. 🎛️ We cover: Where everyone lands on live vs. programmed drums in 2026 Can listeners actually tell the difference -- and does it even matter? When a record genuinely needs a real kit and when it doesn't The hybrid approach: blending live and programmed so they feel like one kit Matching a live kick to an 808 so they don't fight each other Drum editing: how far is too far before you kill the feel? The drum bus: parallel compression, saturation, and making live drums cut through Craig Bauer's AutoAlign tip that came up in the conversation: instagram.com/p/CUaKmSxAeo2 Indie Plugin Spotlight: I AM CHOIR by @amiaudio_official and CICO by @quaiko_ Current events: Spotify AI Persona badges and Phoebe Bridgers' "Lost Weekend" 🔗 Follow & Listen: Sam Pura: @sampura | @thepandastudios | @purafiedaudio Scott Robinson: @greatscottcreates Jon Graber: @jgrabesmixes Justin Gammella: @justin_gammella Producer Points: @producer_points TikTok: @producer.points 🎧 Producer Points Playlist 🛒 SoundBetter | Patreon Templates