Trim it Down - A guide to mixing music - Part 15
LearningIn this second installment dedicated to using an EQ during mixdown, I'll let you in on another "secret" and then we'll see where to actually start working...
Dave Pensado and Herb Trawick on mixing in the digital … - The Pensado Interview
LearningGrammy-winning mix engineer Dave Pensado (Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Elton John and many others) is one of the tops in his field. Five years ago, he and his manager/business partner Herb Trawick creat…
The gear, the history and more from a legendary studio - A Video Tour of Ocean Way Recording
LearningWe recently had the privilege of an in-depth tour of Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood, and we just happened to bring along our video gear...
Talking recording with producer, engineer and author, M… - Zen and Now - The Mixerman Interview
LearningWhen it comes to the world of recording, Mixerman has a lot to say and the cred to back it up. He’s a producer and mixer whose credits include Ben Harper, Lifehouse, Amy Grant, Pete Murray, and many …
The EQing Primer - A guide to mixing music - Part 14
LearningToday we'll begin to address equalization. But be warned: We'll linger here quite a bit, considering that the EQ is the ultimate mixing tool.
The Match Game - How to use a match EQ to manipulate your audio
LearningA Match EQ is a specialized type of equalizer plug-in that works by extracting the EQ profile from one audio file and applying it to another, so that the latter sounds more like the former. This type…
Demystifying Latency - Understand and minimize latency when recording in your DAW – Part 1
LearningEvery musician doing computer music, regardless of whether he or she is a beginner or a seasoned musician, is confronted with this problem. Audio delays, erratic MIDI management, crackles, and wild p…
On the Level - A guide to mixing music - Part 13
LearningNow that we've dealt with panning in our rough mix, it's time to address the levels. The goal is simply to find a basic balance that allows you to hear each element as clearly as possible, in accorda…
DAW Tips for Tracking - Advice to make recording in your DAW more productive
LearningYour DAW is a powerful piece of software, and the more you can take advantage of its capabilities, the better your results will be. In this article, we offer up an assortment of DAW-related tips to h…
The Top Convolution Reverbs - Our readers' choice of the best commercial convolution reverbs
LearningOf all the reverb types on the market, convolution reverbs are perhaps the most intriguing, because their sounds are based on impulse responses from actual spaces such as concert halls, recording stu…
Left, Right and Center - A guide to mixing music - Part 12
LearningAs mentioned in the last installment, we'll start the rough mix by panning the different elements of the mix. To do that, I recommend you an incredibly effective game I discovered several years ago t…
All Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales - Black Friday 2014: All the Deals
LearningFor this new Black Friday / Cyber Monday sale, Audiofanzine lists all the special deals available at audio gear manufacturers and sound library, audio plug-in and virtual instrument developers for ma…
Studio tips, techniques and wisdom from a producer, eng… - Alan Parsons Talks Recording
LearningAlan Parsons' career is as impressive as it is long. He got his start as an assistant engineer at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London...
Create a Rough Mix - A guide to mixing music - Part 11
LearningIn the last installment, I gave you an overview of the mixing method I'll be presenting in the upcoming articles. In that workflow, one of the first things you need to do is create a rough mix, and i…
Talking about guitar building with the man who designs … - Video: Andy Powers - Taylor's Master Builder
LearningAndy Powers is Taylor's guitar design guru, tasked by company founder Bob Taylor to create new models, and in some cases, revise existing ones. In this video interview, Powers talks about how he rede…
A Method to Your Mixing - A guide to mixing music - Part 10
LearningThis time, I will give you an overview of the mixing method we will follow in the coming weeks. I don't intend it to be "The Method," since there are lots of other ones that are just as valid. Howeve…
Candid comments from the renowned producer/engineer abo… - Jack Joseph Puig Speaks His Mind
LearningOne of the best known and most successful producer/engineers in the business, Grammy-winner Jack Joseph Puig has worked with heavyweights like U2, Green Day, Stone Temple Pilots, John Mayer, Fergie, …
Critical Listening - A guide to mixing music - Part 9
LearningBesides guaranteeing "virtual headroom" and an optimal level to process each track with any plug-in or outboard gear, the "gain staging" method described in the last installment also allows you to ma…
Should You Go Paperless Onstage? - The pros and cons of using an iPad to view charts and lyric sheets on the gig
LearningIf you’re one of those performing musicians who needs to bring charts and lyric sheets to the gig or rehearsal, you might want to consider getting rid of all that paper and your music stand, and conv…
It's Your Gain! - A guide to mixing music - Part 8
LearningIn this installment, we will examine the first practical task of your mix, which also happens to be the last purely technical one. Once you've done it, you will finally be able to confront your visio…
A video journey through the Taylor Guitars factory comp… - Video: Taylor Factory Tour
LearningAudiofanzine recently visited the Taylor Guitars complex in El Cajon, California, and we shot a lot of footage during a tour of the factory. We put together this video to give you an up close look at…
Start Small, Think Big - A guide to mixing music - Part 7
LearningFrom what we've seen up to now, we could deduce the following: Mixing can be assimilated to assembling pieces of a 4D puzzle according to a given tempo to form a sonic moving picture. But what can we…
Time Is on Your Side - A guide to mixing music - Part 6
LearningAs eloquent as it may be, the puzzle analogy for mixing conceals a major aspect of music ─ in the end, the puzzle represents only a static image, yet music is essentially dynamic. So it's only natura…
Video: Altering Pitch with Melodyne Editor 2 - Change pitches in melodies and inside of chords with Melodyne Editor 2
LearningCelemony Melodyne Editor 2 is a powerful plug-in and standalone editor that can do a great deal of impressive DSP, involving both pitch and time. In addition to corrective work, it can also be used c…
Colin Leonard takes the analog path to mastering success - It's About the Vibe
LearningColin Leonard, owner and engineer of SING Mastering in Atlanta, has to be ready to handle any musical style that comes his way. “I could go from Gaelic Christmas music to hardcore hip-hop to pop to …