The Ears Have It! (part 2) - The challenges of adjusting to an in-ear monitor system
LearningIn part 1, we talked about how in-ear monitors can benefit performing musicians, this time around, we'll look at some of the issues you'll face using an in-ear system.
Getting Down to Work with Reverb - A guide to mixing music - Part 78
LearningWe have been discussing reverb for quite some time now, although in a more or less theoretical way. I know it can get a bit frustrating but, trust me, it was necessary. Now that we are done with all …
The Ears Have It! (part 1) - Improve your band’s onstage sound with in-ear monitors
LearningBands frequently run their stage monitors super loud in order to better hear themselves singing. But in the process, they're not only increasing stage volume to unbearable levels, they're also sabota…
A review of Cakewalk Rapture Session - A Rapture on a Budget
Written testRecently, Cakewalk announced Rapture Session, a new member of its Rapture software-instrument family. It offers less sounds and no programmability, but it has the same synth engine as the flagship Ra…
Chord Progressions - Harmony Basics - Part 12
LearningIn the last article, we saw how chords have a natural tendency towards other chords depending on their degree in the key of the song where they are currently been employed.
The Importance of Contrast in a Mix - A guide to mixing music - Part 77
LearningToday I'll close the brief parenthesis I opened last week. And I'll do that tackling a notion that is crucial when it comes to mixing, namely...
When you want to get creative with an audio processor, … - 5 of My Favorite Delay Plug-Ins
LearningA versatile delay plug-in is one of the most useful tools you can have in your audio-processing arsenal. It will not only enhance your tracks, but it can also contribute to the creative process by su…
Of Width and Depth - A guide to mixing music - Part 76
LearningI feel a bit compelled to add a brief parenthesis after what I wrote at the end of the previous article. So, in the next couple of articles I will not limit myself to working with space but rather to…
A review of the Waves NX Virtual Mix Room plug-in - A Revolution in Headphone Mixing
Written testInnovation awardHeadphones are great for checking details when you’re mixing, but to mix on them exclusively has always been a challenge — at least until now. Thanks to a revolutionary new Waves plug-in called NX (M…
More About Compressing Reverb - A guide to mixing music - Part 75
LearningToday we'll continue exploring the use of reverb and dynamics processing by looking at post-reverb compression.
A/B Your Plug-Ins - Head-to-head comparisons of similar plug-ins will help you decide which one to use when
LearningBetween the plug-ins in your DAW, and others you may have purchased, you’re likely to have some duplicate functionality; that is, more than one reverb, compressor, EQ, etc. But when you choose to use…
Producer/engineer/songwriter Joe West’s fearless approa… - Never Say Never!
LearningJoe West has never been afraid to take on a project, even early in his career when he didn’t always have the requisite experience. “If you turn a gig down,” he says, “you end up in a situation where …
Reverb Meets Compression - A guide to mixing music - Part 74
LearningToday we'll see how to make reverb and compression work together. At first sight it might seem weird to want to compress a reverb. And yet a compressor placed before or after the reverb can prove qui…
Gated Reverb - A guide to mixing music - Part 73
LearningIn this new episode we'll address the strange marriage between reverbs and gates.
A review of the UAD Marshall JMP 2203 Plug-In - JMP for Joy
Written testUniversal Audio has an ongoing partnership with the software whizzes at Softube to develop plug-ins for its UAD platform. This collaboration has resulted in many different plug-ins, including models …
LiquidSonics Reverberate 2 Review - Reverberate Goes Fusion
Written testInnovation awardThere are two clearly distinguishable schools in the software reverb world: algorithmic and convolution.
Sculpting Reverb with EQ - A guide to mixing music - Part 72
LearningWith this article we'll close the study of spectral control of reverberation by looking at post-reverb EQ.
Leading the Way - Harmony Basics - Part 11
LearningIn the previous articles we looked at how cadences work and how the fifth degree of a scale tends towards the first degree (yes, I know I've been repeating this every article). But, regardless of cad…
Why You Need a Dedicated Digital Audio Editor - For some common audio editing tasks, a digital audio editor is often better than your DAW
LearningWhen it comes to music-production software, DAWs get all the glory. And for good reason: You use them for all the glamorous parts of the process, such as tracking, overdubbing and mixing. Conversely,…
Comparing Guitar Rig Player, AmpliTube Custom Shop and … - 3 Free Amp Simulators Face Off
LearningNative Instruments Guitar Rig 5 Player, IK Multimedia AmpliTube Custom Shop and Line 6 Pod Farm 2.5 Free, are all free amp-modeling software suites offering both plug-in and standalone operation. Eac…
Reverb Damping - A guide to mixing music - Part 71
LearningToday we'll continue our study of frequency control applied to reverberation by addressing damping. Usually, if you have given enough care to choosing your starting preset, you shouldn't need to twea…
Reverb and EQ - A guide to mixing music - Part 70
LearningWhen it comes to reverberation, spectral content is crucial. Processing at the frequency level can happen at three distinct points in the audio path: before, during or after reverberation. Today, we'…
That's an Order! - How to create a dynamic and engaging song order for your album or EP
LearningLet’s face it: Albums are not what they used to be. I’m not talking about the music (although there are some who would make that argument), and I’m not talking about the production. I’m referring to …
A review of Joey Sturgis Tones Finality Advanced limite… - Limiting Unlimited
Written testA track with too wide a dynamic range can cause problems when mixing. Rather than using automation to smooth out the levels, which is very time consuming, a compressor or limiter can do it for you au…
Early Reflections - A guide to mixing music - Part 69
LearningIn the last article, we discussed reverb time, which, in the end, corresponds more or less to the duration of the reverb tail. Today we'll take a look at what happens on the other side of the reverbe…
