Parallel Compression - A guide to mixing music - Part 36
LearningIn this week's chapter, we'll tackle a specific use of compression you have surely heard about before, not least in our series of articles dedicated to mastering. I'm talking about parallel compressi…
Formant and Linear Arithmetic Synthesis - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 26
LearningThis time around, I invite you to discover two unusual forms of sound synthesis: Formant and linear arithmetic synthesis.
Serial Compression - A guide to mixing music - Part 35
LearningNow that we've seen the basic usage of compression when mixing, I'll walk you through a couple of tips and tricks that I'm sure you'll find quite useful. This week we'll look into a technique that mi…
An interview with Grammy-winning producer/engineer Reuv… - Energizing the Mix
Interview / Podcast“For me, the most important part is for the music to sound alive and to have good energy," says producer/engineer Reuven Amiel, "and I always base the mix on that. No matter what type of music it is,…
The Opposite of Punchy - A guide to mixing music - Part 34
LearningToday, I invite you to continue exploring the possibilities of dynamics processing at the microdynamic level. After having dealt with "punchy" sounds, we'll use dynamics to go for the opposite — "rou…
Compression Has Consequences - The Loudness War ─ Part 6
LearningIn this new installment we'll continue discussing the consequences of volume on music, sound and human ears, and we'll see how digital technology has enabled the reduction of dynamic range in recorde…
Make Your Mix Punchy with Compression - A guide to mixing music - Part 33
LearningAfter looking at some applications of compression at the macrodynamic level in the two previous articles, we'll deal here with microdynamics, starting with how to get a "punchy" sound.
Top Australian engineer Klaus Hill on mixing, mastering… - Hybrid Mixing from Down Under
Learning“I've always mixed people's records,” Klaus Hill says, “it's just something I've always been very good at.” In the eleven years since he moved from England, Hill has established himself as one of the…
Weighing the pros and cons of DIY mastering - So You Want to Master Your Own Album?
LearningFor a long time the mastering process was a mystery for most musicians, even those with studio skills. But thanks to all the information now available online, it's a lot easier to learn about how mas…
Pulsar and Phase Distortion Synthesis - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 25
LearningWe are slowly coming to the end of this series!
More than Just the Full Mix - Alternate mixes that pro engineers do for every song — and so should you
LearningProfessional engineers typically render more than just a full version when they finish mixing a song. They also run a number of variations, which are referred to as "alternate mixes." In this article…
The Right Way to Loudness - A guide to mixing music - Part 32
LearningToday we'll continue our discovery of the use of compression with an application that will surely interest all of you: An increase in loudness.
Subway + Radio = Ouch - The Loudness War ─ Part 5
LearningIn this new installment in our race for volume, we'll see how changes in music listening have fueled the loudness war, and we'll look at radio's role in the escalation.
Watching the Waves - Visual clues from a DAW’s waveform display can speed up your workflow
LearningIf you are someone who’s interested in learning more about recording technology — and you probably are, since you’re reading this — you may have come across interviews with big name engineers and pro…
Add Consistency with Compression - A guide to mixing music - Part 31
LearningIn this episode, we'll concentrate on dynamics processing during mixdown, and we'll see how to use compression to give consistency to your tracks. This usage, in my opinion, is the most important one…