Get Up to Speed with Apple Loops - A video lesson on using Apple Loops in Logic Pro X and GarageBand
LearningWhether you're a Logic or GarageBand user, you can spice up your recordings with a huge range of instrument loops and sound effects via the Apple Loops that were included with your DAW. Here's a vid…
Trust Your Ears - A guide to mixing music - Part 22
LearningTo close this chapter dedicated to EQing during mixdown, I'll give you some tips and tricks that ought to help you adopt better habits.
Record Your Band on a Budget - A minimalist setup for tracking your group’s music
LearningSo you have a band and you’re sounding good, but you’re wondering if you have enough gear to start recording? Read on, as we’ll examine what your minimal equipment needs are to create a multitrack ba…
Review of the Ploytec Pi L Squared Leukos Synth - Little Bad Boy
Written testThe Ploytec Pi L Squared Leukos (PL2 Leukos) is a hardware synthesizer module that fits in the palm of your hand, and can plug into your computer and respond to your DAW. Its analog pulse wave oscill…
Subtractive Synthesis: Straight to the point - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 15
LearningDear friends, now that we've become acquainted with the main components used, it's about time we get familiar with the main forms of sound synthesis. Oh, yes, there are several!
Create Space and Depth with EQ - A guide to mixing music - Part 21
LearningContrary to popular belief, panning and ambience are not the only tools to use for adjusting the location of a track in the sound field of a mix. We are about to see that the sensations of space and …
Recording Resonator Guitars - How to capture the sound of Dobros, Nationals and other resonator guitars
LearningResonator guitars are most often heard in blues, bluegrass, and country music, and offer a unique tone that can add real spice to a recording. In this article, I'll take a quick look at the history o…
More Basic Synth Effects - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 14
LearningIn this article we'll take it from where we left off last week and continue exploring the main effects you can find on a synth.
A multitalented producer/engineer who masters all his p… - Joey Sturgis Has it Covered
LearningFor bands on the alternative metal scene who have an album to record, Joey Sturgis is the closest thing to a one-stop shop. He’s a producer, songwriter, guitarist, as well as a tracking, mixing and …
And There Was Color - A guide to mixing music - Part 20
LearningIn this episode we'll discuss a pretty subjective application of EQing, namely, coloration.
A review of the Alesis DM Dock drum interface - It's Sittin' On the Dock While You Play
Written testFollowing in the footsteps of its I/O Dock, which provided iPad musicians with a fully featured audio and MIDI interface with a docking slot, Alesis has released the DM Dock. Aimed at iPad drummers a…
Synth Effects - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 13
LearningThe previous two installments delved into the magical world of MIDI, including its modes, messages, and parameters. Now, in this and the following articles we'll take a look at the effects types that…
A review of Sound Radix Drum Leveler - A New Level of Control
Written testIf you use audio drum tracks in your productions, whether loops or multitrack recordings — you’re likely to have plenty of occasions where you wish you could adjust the levels of a particular drum or…
Lifting the Mask - A guide to mixing music - Part 19
LearningToday we'll deal with frequency masking ─ what is it actually, and how can we solve it?
The hottest 20 products seen at the NAMM Show 2015 - Best of Winter NAMM 2015
LearningThis Winter NAMM Show 2015 was, in our opinion, an excellent edition. Here are the Top 20 products that most caught our attention in Anaheim.
Understanding MIDI Modes and Messages - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 12
LearningAfter having discovered the MIDI standard in our last installment, let's now have a more detailed look into it.
If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it - A guide to mixing music - Part 18
LearningIn this installment, we'll do a quick review on how to deal with the rest of the mid frequencies and the high end. Why a "quick" review? Well, because there are no systematic rules this time around a…
Studio insights from Ryan Hewitt, Grammy-winning engine… - Video: Ryan Hewitt Interview
LearningThe engineers and producers who had the chance to receive a proper education by assisting studio legends may be fewer and fewer, but some of them are really keen to give it back to the new breed of m…
Introduction to the MIDI standard - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 11
LearningIn the previous article, we saw how the evolution of polyphony required ─ and, hence, lead to ─ the introduction of computing in the design of sound synthesis devices. We also saw that the arrival of…
Plug-ins, Key Features, and Free Trials - How to choose a DAW that meets your needs – Part 2
LearningIn part 1 we covered technical requirements, pricing and versions, and copy protection. In part 2, we’ll discuss plug-ins and plug-in formats, talk about some key features that could influence which …
Watch as producer Fab Dupont turns a demo into a mix-re… - From Creation to Mix: The Arrows
LearningIf you had an opportunity to watch over the shoulder of a famous producer as he worked with a band to craft a hit song, you’d do it right? And what if you could also download the tracks from that son…
Into the Gray Zone - A guide to mixing music - Part 17
LearningAfter cleaning up the low end, let's move on to the low/mids. You probably noticed that I wrote "low/mids" and not "low-mids". Why, you ask? Because we will be addressing frequencies between 100 Hz a…
Finding Your DAW - How to choose a DAW that meets your needs - Part 1
LearningIf you’re new to the world of digital audio workstations (DAWs), or just thinking of switching to a different one, this two-part article will help you decide which one is best suited for you. This is…
Polyphony, Paraphony and Multitimbrality - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 10
LearningIn the previous article we saw how a voice is defined in sound synthesis and how it can gather several oscillators without that necessarily meaning that the synthesizer in question is polyphonic.
A review of the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Big Muff Pi - Pi in Your Face
Written testFor many guitarists, the first thing that comes to mind when they hear the term “fuzz box” is the Big Muff Pi from Electro-Harmonix. With the new Deluxe Big Muff Pi, the company has added some cool a…
