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 …
Putting Together the Puzzle - A guide to mixing music - Part 5
LearningSometimes the best way to make people really grasp an idea is to resort to a fitting metaphor. That's why, today, I'll show you a way to visualize a mix that ought to allow you to understand the whol…
Dynaudio BM Compact mkIII review - Danish Sound
Written testLack of space is a well-known issue for most people living in cities. When you live in a small apartment and you make computer music, every single inch counts. That's why one particular model caught …
Go Safely and Back Up - A guide to mixing music - Part 4
LearningBefore getting into the heart of the matter, I deem it necessary to deal with a subject that isn't only limited to computer music, namely backups.
Review of Eventide UltraReverb - More than Just Another Reverb
Written testEventide’s UltraReverb is an algorithmic reverb plug-in that offers impressive sound quality, sonic control and flexibility, making it a potent contender in the reverb plug-in wars. Not only does it …
Better Tracks Through Editing - Part 2 - How to replace bad notes or chords via copy and paste
LearningIn part 1 of this article we discussed using cut, copy and paste editing techniques to fix rhythmic mistakes. This time around, we'll use those same edit tools to replace notes that are the wrong pit…
The Living Colour guitarist on film scoring, DAWs, amp … - Vernon Reid Talks Tech
LearningWhen you hear the name Vernon Reid, your first thought is probably of his work with Living Colour, featuring his speedy and inventive guitar playing. But Reid is also an accomplished composer, scorin…
The Wet/Dry/Wet Technique - Improve your sound when using time-based effects in your guitar setup
LearningReverb, delay and all other so-called time-based effects can sometimes "dirty up" your basic guitar sound to the point that you are forced to reduce their level in order to preserve a minimum of audi…
The Prerequisites for a Relaxed Mixing Session - A guide to mixing music - Part 3
LearningThe simple act of clearing certain technical and practical tasks in the earliest stages of the production of a song can have miraculous effects, not only in terms of efficiency, but also from a creat…
Better Tracks Through Editing - Part 1 - How to Fix Rhythmic Mistakes in a Recorded Track
LearningToday’s DAW software — not to mention a slew of third party plug-ins — offers you powerful processing options for manipulating the time and pitch of your audio. But did you know that you can fix a lo…
A Demo of Native Instruments' Innovative New MIDI Contr… - Video: Komplete Kontrol S Series Keyboards
LearningWe recently visited Native Instruments' Los Angeles office, an impressive place where you can see the famous “Hollywood” sign when you look out the window. Though the view was dramatic, we were more …
A Video Demo of the New Apogee Thunderbolt Ensemble - A Visit to Apogee's HQ in Los Angeles
LearningApogee just released the newly redesigned Ensemble audio interface for Mac, a 30x34 unit featuring Thunderbolt 2 connectivity. We visited Apogee HQ in Los Angeles on the day it was released to video …
Mixing with Myself…or Not! - A Guide To Mixing Music - Part 2
LearningWe'll devote this second installment of our mixing article series to a bit of advice that is worth its weight in gold: Whenever possible, let someone else mix your songs and/or recordings
Classic Gear Spotlight: The Teletronix LA-2A - Legendary Optical Compressor
LearningA number of outboard compressors from the analog era are considered legends in the audio world, among them the Fairchild 670, UREI 1176, and the subject of this article, the Teletronix LA-2A. The LA-…
A noise-removal tutorial with the Spectral Repair Modul… - A Unique Tool for Cleaning Up Audio Glitches
LearningThere’s no such thing as magic, but after using some of today’s amazingly powerful DSP software, it sometimes seems like there is. One product that definitely has the magic touch is iZotope RX, an au…
Basic Guitar Chords - Guitar essentials for writing songs and playing with other musicians
LearningSome people may just want to learn the basic guitar chords to impress girls (or boys) on the beach or to modestly accompany themselves when singing. Whatever your reasons, here are some basic chords …
Avoiding Feedback with an Acoustic Guitar - Tips for Playing Acoustic Guitar Live - Part 1
LearningCommonly used by electric guitar players, especially to liven things up, feedback is the worst enemy of acoustic musicians. In this series of articles we'll look into the solutions to play a relaxed …
An Interview With Producer, Engineer and Guitarist Eyal… - Production Insights from a Metal Master
Interview / PodcastOver the last 15 years, Eyal Levi has become a highly respected producer, engineer and musician in the world of metal music. He’s worked on 40 albums that have made it to the Billboard Top 200 chart,…
Waldorf Streichfett Review - Fat Strings
Written testBest Value awardUnveiled last spring at Frankfurt, it wasn't until mid-summer that the Streichfett was to be seen in stores. As soon as it came out, we grabbed one and stripped it down!
Review of the PreSonus AudioBox iTwo - A Versatile Audio Interface for iOS and Mac/PC
Written testMore and more audio interfaces are hitting the market that are capable of connecting directly to an iOS device or a computer. PreSonus recently released two such units, the AudioBox iTwo and AudioBox…
Classic Gear Spotlight: The Vox AC30 - The Amp That Armed the British Invasion
LearningIn today’s digitally dominated world of music gear, one way to tell how highly a guitar amp is regarded is whether it’s been emulated in major amp-modeling software packages. One of the amps you'll f…
Taylor 814ce 2014 Edition Review - My Taylor is Rich
Written testBest Product awardIt's always a pleasure to review a Taylor, an American brand that stands for high quality among musicians.
Review of the Line 6 AMPLIFi FX100 - A Multi-Effects Pedal in the Palm of your Hand
Written testFollowing in the footsteps of the AMPLIFi 150 and AMPLIFi 75 amplifiers, Line 6 has released the AMPLIFi FX100, a floor-based multi-effects pedal controlled by your iOS device. How does this concept …
An iPhone, iPod touch, and Especially an iPad, Can Grea… - iOS Onstage
LearningWith the right apps and accessories, an iPhone, an iPod touch and especially an iPad can be a real boon to your live performance setup. Your iDevice can function as a sound source, effects processo…
Getting Down to "Bassics" - Create Authentic Sounding MIDI Bass Guitar Parts
LearningIf you're a recording musician who doesn't play bass, creating realistic MIDI bass guitar parts can be a challenge. The tips and techniques offered in this article will help you put together authenti…
