These synths may be lesser known, but they sound awesome - 5 Top Soft Synths You Might Have Missed
LearningTo help you avoid making music that sounds like everyone else’s, I want to tell you about some premium-quality soft synths you may not know about. Although none of these instruments are terribly obsc…
Reverb: Pre- or Post-Fader? - A guide to mixing music - Part 59
LearningAs we saw in the previous article, it's often better to use reverbs on auxiliary buses. Consequently, it's only logical to ask yourself about the best way to send a signal to those aux buses.
Beyond Passive Pickups - Everything about guitar and bass pickups - Part 5
LearningAn active pickup is a normal pickup ─ but active. Got it?
Reverb In or Aux? - A guide to mixing music - Part 58
LearningBefore you start working with reverb, you need to set up a couple of things. That's why this week we'll look into the different routing options available and examine their advantages and disadvantage…
A video trip to D'Angelico's NYC headquarters - Video: Audiofanzine Visits D'Angelico Guitars
LearningWe recently visited the D'Angelico showroom in midtown Manhattan and got a chance to see and play both electric and acoustic guitars. In addition to all the guitars, D'Angelico has a fully setup stag…
Pickup Formats - Everything about guitar and bass pickups - Part 4
LearningUp to now we have been talking about what's inside the pickups, but today we'll deal with the physical appearance.
Reverb Don'ts - A guide to mixing music - Part 57
LearningIn this episode we'll point out a couple of things to avoid when dialing in reverb settings.
Add space to your recordings with these free reverb plu… - 5 Top Freeware Reverbs
LearningWe all know that reverb is one of the staple effects in a mixer's toolkit. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a recording or live mix without at least some reverb in it. But does getting a good r…
About Single-Coils, Dual-Coils and More - Everything about guitar and bass pickups - Part 3
LearningTaking the pickup concept we've seen so far (the combination of one or several magnets surrounded by a coil), you get so-called single-coil pickups. This type of pickup produces a characteristic soun…
Using Reverb - Step by Step - A guide to mixing music - Part 56
LearningToday I'll describe how we will be proceeding to be able to work with reverbs in all tranquility.
What Are Guitar and Bass Pickups Made Of? - Everything about guitar and bass pickups - Part 2
LearningIn this second article of our series dedicated to guitar and bass pickups, we'll take a look under the hood.
Why Your Guitar Won’t Play or Stay In Tune - How to understand and deal with tuning and intonation issues
LearningWhat is there to say about being in tune? You turn on the tuner, tune up, and you are in tune. Would that it were so easy. The truth is, any experienced guitarist or repairman will tell you there is …
Space Invaders - The Whys of Using Reverb - A guide to mixing music - Part 55
LearningWe have now reached a stage where it seems appropriate to start unwrapping those nice little reverb plug-ins you all have lying around.
We interview the jazz/prog guitarist about the producti… - Jane Getter Burns it Up
Interview / PodcastJane Getter's powerful jazz/progressive guitar playing is the focal point of “On,” the new album from her band Jane Getter Premonition. The record also features the virtuosic keyboard work of her hus…
How Magnetic Pickups Are Built and How They Work - Everything about guitar and bass pickups - Part 1
LearningAn essential part of electric stringed instruments, pickups are surrounded by a mysterious aura, lots of rumors and charm. For some, the instrument's wood and craftsmanship are at the core of its sou…
MIDI Learn Explained - Control your software remotely with real knobs, buttons and faders
LearningI’m often surprised by musicians who use their mice or trackpads to change MIDI software parameters, and then complain that they miss using real knobs and buttons. I’m surprised because they could us…
Take a Break - A guide to mixing music - Part 54
LearningIn the first article of this mixing series I told you it would be a long journey, both for you and me. As with every quest, sometimes it's good to take a pause to let it all sit for a while and start…
Join us on a visit to one of Nashville's major studios - [Video] Inside Ocean Way Nashville
LearningIf you want to make a high-quality recording, nothing beats the gear and acoustics of a well-designed commercial studio. Unfortunately, the number of such facilities has dwindled down to a relative h…
How to Make Good Use of Presets - A guide to mixing music - Part 53
LearningTo close the chapter regarding dynamics processing once and for all, I'll give you my take on making good use of presets for this type of processors.
Ten Tips for Tracking - Helpful advice to make your recording sessions more efficient
LearningMixing gets the lion’s share of attention in how-to stories about the production process, but tracking —actually recording audio — is obviously quite important, too. It’s crucial to capture high-qual…
Expanders, De-essers, Limiters and Dynamic EQs - A guide to mixing music - Part 52
LearningIn this penultimate article dedicated to managing dynamics during mixdown, I'll briefly mention some other processing options sometimes used at this stage, as well as the reasons why I won't look int…
If You're Thinking About Getting a Pedalboard - Part 2 - Pedal order, powering, and securing effects to the pedalboard
LearningIn the second and last installment, we’ll cover three main issues that you need to work out order to get your pedalboard up and running: The order of the pedals, how to get power to them, and how to …
If You're Thinking of Getting a Pedalboard - Part 1 - Whether you're buying or building a pedalboard, here's what you need to know
LearningWhether you’re upgrading to a new pedalboard, switching over from an all-in-one digital unit, or getting your first pedalboard, there are endless options. The aim here is to give you the info you nee…
Metering and Correction Software - The Loudness War - Part 11
LearningIn this, the penultimate installment in our series discussing the consequences of volume on music, sound and human ears, we look at tools for measuring loudness.
The Best Noise Gate Plug-Ins - A guide to mixing music - Part 51
LearningThere is plenty more to say about the possible uses of a noise gate, especially from a creative point of view. However, that would divert us from the subject at hand. Besides, by now, I hope you have…