How to Know When Your Mix is Finished - 5 questions to ask yourself to determine if your mix is ready to go
LearningTop mix engineers will tell you that they instinctively know when they're finished with a mix. But for those of us who haven’t reached that level yet, it’s usually hard to have that kind of certainty…
The Ears Have It! (part 3) - Frequency and sound issues with in-ear monitor systems
LearningIn the final installment of this three-part article, we’ll look at a few other key issues to consider when contemplating switching over to an in-ear monitor system.
More Chord Progressions - Harmony Basics - Part 13
LearningIn the previous article I introduced you to some of the most popular cadences and chord progressions. But there are still some left!
A video review of Eventide Anthology X - A Big Bundle of Processing
Written testThe Eventide Anthology X bundle ($999 street) offers users a large collection of effects processing plug-ins. Although there's an emphasis on the harmonizer/delay type effects that Eventide is famous…
Choosing Reverb Sounds - A guide to mixing music - Part 79
LearningToday we'll follow up on the previous article by discussing the presets for five of the nine reverb buses of the template I proposed.
The Best DJ CD Decks for Around $500 - The top budget CD decks for DJs
LearningEven if DJs are turning more and more towards immaterial formats nowadays, it's still useful to keep a good old CD player lying around, one that can play back normal Red Book CDs as well as those sta…
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…
