Enhancing Percussive Elements with a Noise Gate - A guide to mixing music - Part 49
LearningToday we'll see how to create a percussive instrument from scratch using an acoustic take.
Learn the Pro Tools edit modes and tools in this tutori… - [Video] Get Started with Pro Tools Editing
LearningWhen you're editing in Pro Tools, whether it's Pro Tools 12 or an older version, you won't get far if you don't understand how the edit modes and the main editing tools work. In this video we'll expl…
Demystifying Synth Programming – Part 2 - How oscillators, LFOs and filters affect your sound
LearningIn our last episode, we talked about the differences between parameters and parameter values and between acoustic and electronic parameters. We also discussed envelope generators and the relationship…
A review of the U-He Hive virtual synth - Hive: Be Careful, It Stings!
Written testBest Product awardHive, the latest instrument from u-he, does not claim the precision of Diva the richness of Zebra 2, or the modularity of Bazille or Ace. No. Hive looks and feels simple, is easy to use, and provides…
How To Tell the Key of a Song - Harmony Basics - Part 3
LearningAs we saw previously, the construction of any given scale requires that you respect certain intervals between the notes. To achieve that, and depending on the tonic and whether it's a major or minor …
A review of the Splice Sounds sample subscription servi… - Half a Million Sounds
Written testDo you use a lot of samples in your music production? Do you pay for individual samples or sample packs on a regular basis? If so, you might want to check out Splice Sounds, a recently launched servi…
How to fix pitch and timing with the most economical ve… - [Video] Tap the Power of Melodyne Essential
LearningMelodyne Essential is the least expensive version of Celemony's acclaimed editing software, and though it doesn't have the same feature set of its big brother Melodyne Editor, it's nevertheless quite…
Improve Your Drum Tracks With a Noise Gate - A guide to mixing music - Part 48
LearningThis week I'll show you how to use a Noise Gate to significantly improve your drum tracks.
Review of the Audient iD14 USB audio interface - Keep the IDeas Rolling
Written testA little over two years ago we reviewed the iD22, the first ever audio interface manufactured by Audient, an English brand well-known for its consoles and mic preamps. Considering the crossover to th…
A review of Studio One 3 Professional - Worth the Wait
Written testStudio One users have been awaiting a major upgrade for quite some time. Studio One 3 is the first such update since October of 2011, when Studio One 2 hit the market. PreSonus has added new instrume…
TC Electronic PolyTune Clip Review - A Gripping PolyTune
Written testYou all know the PolyTune, right? The pedal that revolutionized the tuning world five years ago by providing a polyphonic mode that allows you to see the pitch of all strings at once? Well, after int…
New Standards - The Loudness War - Part 10
LearningIn this installment, we'll discuss the consequences of volume on music, sound and human ears.
Getting Creative with a Noise Gate - A guide to mixing music - Part 47
LearningUp to now we have only seen the more typical uses of a Noise Gate. Now we'll start looking into less obvious techniques that can make a gate much more interesting during mixdown.
Demystifying Synth Programming - Part 1 - Understanding synth parameters is key for creating your own sounds
LearningImagine if you could break free from the limitations of synthesizer presets and create your own custom sounds to fit your music. The first step toward that goal is to understand the standard synth pa…
Use a Gate to Kill the Spill - A guide to mixing music - Part 46
LearningIn the previous installment, we saw what bleed is, and the problems it can cause during mixdown. Today we'll look at how to remove or minimize this harmful phenomenon with a noise gate.
Major and Minor Modes - Harmony Basics - Part 2
LearningToday we'll dive into the heart of the matter and tackle the different modes, major and minor (natural, melodic and harmonic), as well as the relative scales.
Periphery’s bassist/producer on recording drums, EQing,… - Tracking and Mixing with Nolly
LearningAdam “Nolly” Getgood is more than just the bass player in the progressive metal band Periphery. He's also a producer and engineer with an extremely intelligent approach to recording, and he played a …
Don't Let it Bleed - A guide to mixing music - Part 45
LearningToday we'll talk about the phenomenon of mic bleed, and how it can cause difficulties during a mix.
Sonar 2015 Platinum Review - Recording Studio for Lease
Written testBest Value awardIt's been more than a year and a half since Sonar X3 came out and, keeping up with the usual update schedule, the newest version was launched last January.
Classic synth emulations that won't cost you a dime - 5 Free Vintage Synth Plug-Ins
LearningYou often hear that a $1,000 laptop today has the power of a billion dollars worth of computer equipment from 50 years ago. Likewise, the equivalent of thousands of dollars of vintage synthesizer gea…
A review of Positive Grid Bias FX Professional modeling… - Amps and Effects on the Grid
Written testThe competition in the amp-and-effects modeling market is fierce, and there is no shortage of excellent products. Positive Grid, which established itself on the iOS side with JamUp and JamUp Pro, and…
Setting the Gate - A guide to mixing music - Part 44
LearningNow that we've seen the main parameters of a Noise Gate, let's move on to the practical side, starting with its most traditional use: suppressing noise.
Preserve Your Music! - Strategies for archiving your session files and mixes for the long haul
LearningBack in the days of analog tape, archiving multitrack sessions was not an easy task. You needed a place to store the bulky tape reels, and if you didn’t “bake” the tapes to get the moisture out of th…
A review of the UAD AKG BX 20 spring reverb plug-in - Spring Has Sprung
Written testWhen you think of spring reverb, the sound that probably comes to mind is the “boingy” one associated with guitar amps. For mixing sources like vocals, drums and pianos, you probably wouldn't conside…
Play It By the Rules - The Loudness War ─ Part 9
LearningIn this new installment we'll continue discussing the consequences of volume on music, sound and human ears.
