2,778 articles found
Record Your Band on a Budget - A minimalist setup for tracking your group’s musicLearningSo you have a band and you’re sounding good, but you’re wondering if you have enough gear to start recording? Read on, as we’ll examine what your minimal equipment needs are to create a multitrack ba…
Review of the Ploytec Pi L Squared Leukos Synth - Little Bad BoyWritten testThe Ploytec Pi L Squared Leukos (PL2 Leukos) is a hardware synthesizer module that fits in the palm of your hand, and can plug into your computer and respond to your DAW. Its analog pulse wave oscill…
Subtractive Synthesis: Straight to the point - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 15LearningDear friends, now that we've become acquainted with the main components used, it's about time we get familiar with the main forms of sound synthesis. Oh, yes, there are several!
Create Space and Depth with EQ - A guide to mixing music - Part 21LearningContrary to popular belief, panning and ambience are not the only tools to use for adjusting the location of a track in the sound field of a mix. We are about to see that the sensations of space and …
More Basic Synth Effects - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 14LearningIn this article we'll take it from where we left off last week and continue exploring the main effects you can find on a synth.
And There Was Color - A guide to mixing music - Part 20LearningIn this episode we'll discuss a pretty subjective application of EQing, namely, coloration.
A review of the Alesis DM Dock drum interface - It's Sittin' On the Dock While You PlayWritten testFollowing in the footsteps of its I/O Dock, which provided iPad musicians with a fully featured audio and MIDI interface with a docking slot, Alesis has released the DM Dock. Aimed at iPad drummers a…
Synth Effects - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 13LearningThe previous two installments delved into the magical world of MIDI, including its modes, messages, and parameters. Now, in this and the following articles we'll take a look at the effects types that…
A review of Sound Radix Drum Leveler - A New Level of ControlWritten testIf you use audio drum tracks in your productions, whether loops or multitrack recordings — you’re likely to have plenty of occasions where you wish you could adjust the levels of a particular drum or…
Lifting the Mask - A guide to mixing music - Part 19LearningToday we'll deal with frequency masking ─ what is it actually, and how can we solve it?
The hottest 20 products seen at the NAMM Show 2015 - Best of Winter NAMM 2015LearningThis Winter NAMM Show 2015 was, in our opinion, an excellent edition. Here are the Top 20 products that most caught our attention in Anaheim.
Understanding MIDI Modes and Messages - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 12LearningAfter having discovered the MIDI standard in our last installment, let's now have a more detailed look into it.
If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it - A guide to mixing music - Part 18LearningIn this installment, we'll do a quick review on how to deal with the rest of the mid frequencies and the high end. Why a "quick" review? Well, because there are no systematic rules this time around a…
Introduction to the MIDI standard - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 11LearningIn the previous article, we saw how the evolution of polyphony required ─ and, hence, lead to ─ the introduction of computing in the design of sound synthesis devices. We also saw that the arrival of…
Plug-ins, Key Features, and Free Trials - How to choose a DAW that meets your needs – Part 2LearningIn part 1 we covered technical requirements, pricing and versions, and copy protection. In part 2, we’ll discuss plug-ins and plug-in formats, talk about some key features that could influence which …
Into the Gray Zone - A guide to mixing music - Part 17LearningAfter cleaning up the low end, let's move on to the low/mids. You probably noticed that I wrote "low/mids" and not "low-mids". Why, you ask? Because we will be addressing frequencies between 100 Hz a…
Finding Your DAW - How to choose a DAW that meets your needs - Part 1LearningIf you’re new to the world of digital audio workstations (DAWs), or just thinking of switching to a different one, this two-part article will help you decide which one is best suited for you. This is…
Polyphony, Paraphony and Multitimbrality - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 10LearningIn the previous article we saw how a voice is defined in sound synthesis and how it can gather several oscillators without that necessarily meaning that the synthesizer in question is polyphonic.
A review of the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Big Muff Pi - Pi in Your FaceWritten testFor many guitarists, the first thing that comes to mind when they hear the term “fuzz box” is the Big Muff Pi from Electro-Harmonix. With the new Deluxe Big Muff Pi, the company has added some cool a…
Cleaning Up the Low End - A guide to mixing music - Part 16LearningIn this installment, we'll continue our focus on EQ, looking at how to clear out unneeded clutter in the low end of the frequency spectrum.
Review of AIR Music Technology's Advance Music Producti… - One Suite DealLearningThe AIR Advance Music Production Suite makes it possible to obtain a large and diverse collection of studio software with a single purchase. It contains 34 virtual instruments, including all the majo…
Trim it Down - A guide to mixing music - Part 15LearningIn 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...
PreSonus Monitor Station v2 Review - Control and RoutingWritten testBest Product awardThere's not much to choose from in the "advanced" desktop monitor controller world ─ meaning controllers that are more than just a volume knob ─ for about $300: Mackie and PreSonus, with their Big Kn…
Dave Pensado and Herb Trawick on mixing in the digital … - The Pensado InterviewLearningGrammy-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 RecordingLearningWe 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...