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.
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.
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.
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 …
All You Need to Know About Sound Synthesis - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 30
LearningDear friends, the time has come to say goodbye, at least regarding this article series. This last article is a sort of summary of what we've seen throughout the series, which I hope has been useful.
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…
Tread Carefully on Craigslist - A guide to selling your gear online — part 3
LearningCompared to eBay, Craigslist is like the Wild West. Whereas the former is governed by strict rules and regulations, Craigslist is basically a free for all. It offers you the opportunity to sell in yo…
The Trautonium and the Theremin - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 29
LearningIn the previous article we discovered two amazing instruments, the Ondes Martenot and the Ondioline. In this, the second-to-last installment of this series, I invite you to discover two even more ama…
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…
Dialing in a Multiband Compressor - A guide to mixing music - Part 40
LearningIn the previous article we saw how multiband compression can be used at the mixing stage. Today I'll show you how to dial in a multiband compressor to get the best results.
Good Arrangements = Better Mixes - The road to a good mix starts very early — in the arrangement stage
LearningBefore multitracks were invented, when all recording was done totally live, it was the arrangement more than anything that made the music sound balanced. The composer had to write for the ensemble as…
The Ondes Martenot and the Ondioline - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 28
LearningAs I mentioned in the previous article, I want to end this series by reviewing some rather extraordinary instruments.
A First Look at Multiband Compression - A guide to mixing music - Part 39
LearningIn this new installment we'll tackle multiband compression during mixdown.
eBay Selling Tips for Musicians - A guide to selling your gear online — part 2
LearningIn the first installment of this series, we talked about the relative advantages and disadvantages of sites like eBay and Craigslist for selling your gear online. This time around, we’ll focus on eBa…
Stochastic and Graphic Synthesis - Sound synthesis, sound design and audio processing - Part 27
LearningGraphic and stochastic synthesis are not very widely used and, yet, they are quite interesting. Let's see why...
Compression as Glue - A guide to mixing music - Part 38
LearningThis week we'll look into a side effect of compression that's beneficial, as long as you use it wisely. It's the so-called "glue" effect that takes place when you use a compressor on a group of track…
Mastering and remastering - The Loudness War - Part 7
LearningHere's the latest installment in our series of articles dedicated to the race for volume, and its consequences on music, sound and human ears.
