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, …
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-…
Sidechain - How Does a Sidechain Work?
LearningBack in the analog area, audio effects with a sidechain circuit were rare and usually among the most expensive. So sidechain was used only in big productions to fine tune the processing of certain re…
Parameters of a Compressor - How to Set Up a Compressor
LearningA compressor basically serves to reduce signal dynamics, that is to say the difference between loud and quiet signal parts.
Have Fun with Noise Gates - Noise Gates Don't Have to be Boring
LearningNoise gates aren't as relevant as they were back in the analog days, when hiss was an uninvited intruder on anything you recorded. But noise gates can do some really cool special effects that have no…
How to Compress a Guitar or Bass - Dynamics Processing Meets Rock Guitar
LearningDynamics processing with studio-oriented processors? Been there, done that. But have you re-visited it lately in a guitar context? Dynamics control for vocals or program material is very different co…
Compressors: How They Really Work - Compressors Demystified
LearningIt's one of the most used, and most misunderstood, signal processors. While people use it to make a recording "punchier," it often ends up dulling the sound instead because the controls aren't set op…
EQ and Compression Techniques Pt.2: Drums - EQ and Compression Techniques Pt.2: Drums
LearningDespite the preponderance of exceptional drum samples and loops on the market, for certain genres of music (notably country and rock) there is no substitute for a great session drummer playing on a w…
Mixing Guitar and Vocals - EQ and Compression Techniques for Vocals and Acoustic Guitar
LearningAs an engineer/producer, one of my biggest early challenges was getting my mixes to sound as polished and balanced as the mixes of songs on my favorite albums. Living in Nashville, I knew the problem…
