Inside the Studio – From Studio to Stage: The Sound of Shinedown

A few years ago, I got a last-minute call to record Godsmack at the Uproar Festival in Indianapolis. Last minute, as in the night before. No notice, 50,000 people, more than 100 inputs coming off the stage… no problem! So, engineers Dan AckneyI, Jacob Culberson and I went down, set up during soundcheck and knocked it out. The tour manager also asked us to record the other two acts, Staind and Shinedown. Staind was fine, Godsmack was great, but Shinedown… now they put on a great show. I immediately became a fan.

A couple of months ago, an old friend asked me if I had heard Shinedown’s latest album, Planet Zero. It immediately reminded me of what I loved about their stage show—tight arrangements, larger-than-life sounds, great vocals and well-written songs. The album’s production and lyrics also felt very personal. Whoever did this had a lot on their mind and something to say. Songs like “America Burning” and the title track “Planet Zero” explore social commentary, while “Daylight” takes a turn inward towards mental health and self-exploration. Add a plethora of creative segues to this, and you get a very proactive modern rock record. I needed to know more. Enter Mike Picotte.

Mike has been the “unofficial” head of artist relations at Sweetwater Sound for years. In addition to being a close personal friend, Mike is one of Sweetwater’s top veteran sales engineers, and his client list is a who’s who of movers and shakers in the pro audio community. As luck would have it, Mike is friends with Andy Meyer, who runs front of house for Shinedown, Justin Timberlake and others. It also just so happened that Andy and I are both huge fans of Rupert Neve Designs.

I called Andy, and he invited me to come see Shinedown in Irving, TX. Andy also suggested I talk with Shinedown bassist Eric Bass who produced and engineered Planet Zero at his new studio in Charleston, SC. Let’s check out the sound of Shinedown both on stage and in the studio.