Forced motions and resolutions - Harmony Basics - Part 25
LearningIn the previous article you saw how the different voices of a chord evolved to get to another chord, following a very specific voice leading procedure, which is called a "forced" motion. And that's w…
Recording a bass amp - The ultimate guide to audio recording - Part 52
LearningIn the previous article, you saw how to direct record an electric bass. Although such recordings can be pretty good, they have a major drawback: lack of body. This can be a real problem when the prod…
Summary of the main chapters - Guide to Mixing - Summary
LearningHave you just finished recording and editing the tracks of your masterpieces? That's great news! But you still have quite some work left to do before your songs are ready to be listened by other huma…
Context and first resolution - Harmony Basics - Part 24
LearningIn the last article, we saw consonances and dissonances according to our Western point of view, as well as the alternation that governs their use. In the present article you will see how to lead thes…
Direct recording a bass guitar - The ultimate guide to audio recording - Part 51
LearningAfter two articles dealing with the pre-requisites for any bass recording worthy of the name, today we will dive into the heart of the matter with the direct recording of a bass guitar.
A final word - A guide to mixing music - Part 147
LearningThe time has come to put an end to this series of articles dedicated to the art of mixing. In this installment, which is unlike any other so far for obvious reasons, I invite you to take a look behin…
Recording bass guitar - Prerequisites (Part 2) - The ultimate guide to audio recording - Part 50
LearningIn the first installment of this chapter dedicated to the recording of bass guitar, you saw the impact the instrument itself can have on the overall result. But there's much more to consider before p…
Give it a twist - A guide to mixing music - Part 146
LearningFor this penultimate episode, I will show you some tricks that might end up disrupting your daily routine and spicing up your mixes. This article is obviously addressed to people having already some …
Recording bass guitar - Prerequisites (Part 1) - The ultimate guide to audio recording - Part 49
LearningAfter the chapter dedicated to drums, it seems natural to continue with the second most important element of groove: the bass guitar. To begin this section I would really like to stress a notion I've…
Serendipity - A guide to mixing music - Part 145
LearningToday I ask you to join me in this somewhat particular article where I'll discuss something that's a bit off topic but you nevertheless ought to always bear in mind: accidents in the context of music…
Life-saving shortcuts - The ultimate guide to audio recording - Part 48
LearningIn the previous article we looked at some technical solutions that can ease the life of lone home studio owners. Mobile apps, MIDI pedalboards and wireless keyboards can prove very useful, as long as…
For producer and mix engineer Dave Isaac, being a great… - The Ears Have It
LearningMusic has been a huge part of Dave Isaac’s life since he started listening to it intently as a child. Isaac, who grew up in Detroit during the heyday of Motown, says that by the time he was five, he …
Real-life mixing - A guide to mixing music - Part 144
LearningIn a couple of weeks, this mixing guide will come to an end. I'm not kidding! Even the neverending story must come to a conclusion. However, I do love good thrillers, so I left one last twist for the…
Recording yourself - The ultimate guide to audio recording - Part 47
LearningYou probably all know that technical tasks are mainly processed with one hemisphere of your brain while the artistic domain is handled by the other one. For reasons I won't get into here, it just so …
Increasing your productivity - A guide to mixing music - Part 143
LearningI must admit that today's topic makes me grind my teeth, but we really need to call things by their name. And, as with any other creative discipline, when it comes to mixing, productivity is importan…