Using Reverb - Step by Step - A guide to mixing music - Part 56
LearningToday I'll describe how we will be proceeding to be able to work with reverbs in all tranquility.
Space Invaders - The Whys of Using Reverb - A guide to mixing music - Part 55
LearningWe have now reached a stage where it seems appropriate to start unwrapping those nice little reverb plug-ins you all have lying around.
We interview the jazz/prog guitarist about the producti… - Jane Getter Burns it Up
Interview / PodcastJane Getter's powerful jazz/progressive guitar playing is the focal point of “On,” the new album from her band Jane Getter Premonition. The record also features the virtuosic keyboard work of her hus…
Take a Break - A guide to mixing music - Part 54
LearningIn the first article of this mixing series I told you it would be a long journey, both for you and me. As with every quest, sometimes it's good to take a pause to let it all sit for a while and start…
A review of the Audient ASP800 8-channel mic pre and ADC - Why Not Add Eight?
Written testNot long ago we reviewed iD14, a two-channel audio interface from the British console maker Audient, which features the same type of mic preamps that are in its mixers. Audient recently started shipp…
Join us on a visit to one of Nashville's major studios - [Video] Inside Ocean Way Nashville
LearningIf you want to make a high-quality recording, nothing beats the gear and acoustics of a well-designed commercial studio. Unfortunately, the number of such facilities has dwindled down to a relative h…
How to Make Good Use of Presets - A guide to mixing music - Part 53
LearningTo close the chapter regarding dynamics processing once and for all, I'll give you my take on making good use of presets for this type of processors.
Ten Tips for Tracking - Helpful advice to make your recording sessions more efficient
LearningMixing gets the lion’s share of attention in how-to stories about the production process, but tracking —actually recording audio — is obviously quite important, too. It’s crucial to capture high-qual…
Expanders, De-essers, Limiters and Dynamic EQs - A guide to mixing music - Part 52
LearningIn this penultimate article dedicated to managing dynamics during mixdown, I'll briefly mention some other processing options sometimes used at this stage, as well as the reasons why I won't look int…
The Best Noise Gate Plug-Ins - A guide to mixing music - Part 51
LearningThere is plenty more to say about the possible uses of a noise gate, especially from a creative point of view. However, that would divert us from the subject at hand. Besides, by now, I hope you have…
Ducking with a Noise Gate - A guide to mixing music - Part 50
LearningThis week we'll take a look at yet another technique specific to noise gates, namely ducking. Personally, it's not my cup of tea, but when you don't have the time for other solutions, it can really …
Studio on a Budget - How to put together a quality recording setup for under $500
LearningWhile it may be as tough as ever to earn money with music, the bright side remains that it’s become much easier to build a recording studio based mostly around your computer — without spending a fort…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Noise Gate 101 - A guide to mixing music - Part 43
LearningThis week we'll tackle a type of dynamics processing that was used all the time in the analog days, but, bizarrely enough, doesn't get called upon nearly as much in the all-digital era. And yet it's …
A video tour of Fry Pharmacy Recording, an all-analog s… - A Studio Where Tape is Still King
LearningLocated about 20 minutes northeast of Nashville, Fry Pharmacy Recording is a throwback to the days when tape ruled supreme. Audiofanzine visited the studio recently, and we produced this video tour.
Transient Processors - A guide to mixing music - Part 42
LearningWhile the compressor is the tool par excellence when it comes to treating the dynamics of an audio signal, you shouldn't forget that there are other types of processors that can prove just as effecti…
A Who's Who of Software Compressors - A guide to mixing music - Part 41
LearningThe number of compressor plug-ins on the market is overwhelming. As you'll surely understand, it would be impossible for me to create an complete list here. Nevertheless, my collaboration with Audiof…
It Can Happen to Anybody - The Loudness War - Part 8
LearningThis is the next installment in our article series dedicated to the race for volume, its consequences on music, sound and human ears.
The Mad Max composer on his free video tutorial series,… - Junkie XL Gives Back
LearningTom Holkenborg (aka “Junkie XL”) has had a long and successful music career as a producer, recording artist, and remixer — and over the last several years he's become a top Hollywood film composer. H…
