From the Basic to the Esoteric, Here Are Proven Ways to… - Vocals Processing Tips: Part 1
LearningIt was late at night, at a live-in-concert recording session in Germany. As several thousand fans waited anxiously, the vocalist walked onstage, and picked up a set of headphones. I saw him plug them…
Wimpy Snare? Muffled Kick? Lousy Drum Part? There's Hop… - Salvage Your Drum Tracks
LearningIf a pop/rock/dance track doesn't have a great drum sound, you're in trouble. Big trouble. The Drum Replacement 101 solution is to have a drummer come along and play with the original track, then era…
When it’s time to mix a recording, you need a strategy - Mixing - The 12 Step Program
LearningMixing is not only an art, it’s the crucial step that turns a collection of tracks into a finished piece of music. A good mix can bring out the best in your music—it spotlights a composition’s most i…
Add that Final Polish to Your Mixes - Mastering Basics for Musicians
LearningThe article title alone is enough to cause some professional mastering engineers to run to various forums and start complaining. "That's what's wrong with this industry, these kids don't know how to …
And Mastering Loses... - Speakers Meet Mastering
LearningOne of the main functions of mastering is to make a mix transportable: In other words, it should sound good over any playback system
When Noise Attacks Your Signal, Fight Back! - Seven Ways to Reduce Noise
LearningIs noise really a problem? After all, analog tape hiss is almost extinct. We have 24-bit converters with signal-to-noise ratios that far exceed that of the CD. Low-level hum? Today's signals have ple…
Make Your Timing Tighter Than Tight - What Does "Sample Accurate" Mean Anyway?
LearningIf you think that "sample accurate" has something to do with random drug tests, you're probably browsing the wrong web site. But if you've heard the term applied to digital transfers, loop timings, e…
Proven Ways to Enhance Your Vocals - Recording & Processing the Ultimate Vocal
LearningSo what’s the best way to record vocals these days? The answer, of course, is that anything goes if it gives the sound you want. Following are some of the possibilities.
It's Possible to Get "hot" Masters without Losing Dynam… - Big Sounds without Overcompressing
LearningI was driving along one of those Floridian roads that goes between the coasts, and is flatter than the Spice Girls without auto-tuning . . . in other words, a perfect place to crank up my car's CD pl…
Sometimes Little Improvements Add Up to Big Ones - Quieter Recordings - One dB at a Time
LearningThe whole is equal to the sum of its parts…as anyone who ever used analog tape will attest. Who can forget that feeling of hearing yet another contribution to the noise floor whenever you brought up …
Panning According to Craig Anderton - Panning Laws Revealed
LearningThe idea of panning seems pretty obvious, right? You turn a panpot (real or virtual) to place a sound somewhere in the stereo field...
To Your CPU, Mixing Is the Ultimate Power Trip - Mixing in a Plug-In World
LearningYou gotta love plug-ins, but they’ve changed the rules of mixing. In the hardware days, the issue was whether you had enough hardware to deal with all your tracks. Now that you can insert the same pl…
Tips for Mixing Rap Vocals - Mixing Rap Vocals
LearningIf I had to pick the most frequent question I get asked on a regular basis – it would have to be “how do I mix rap vocals?” Or some variation thereof. At least once a week, if not more often.
All About Dithering - Much Ado About Dithering
LearningIt's a dirty job to go from high-res audio to 44/16, but someone's got to do it.
The Secrets Behind Wide, Spacious, Pro-Sounding Mixes - How to Create Wide Open Mixes
LearningHere are some secrets behind getting those wide, spacious, pro-sounding mixes that translate well over any system.
Exploring the Art of Filthy Signal Mutation - Extreme Drum Processing
LearningI like music with a distinctly electronic edge, but also want a human "feel." Trying to resolve these seemingly contradictory ideals has led to some fun experimentation, but one of the more recent "h…
How to Compress a Guitar or Bass - Dynamics Processing Meets Rock Guitar
LearningDynamics processing with studio-oriented processors? Been there, done that. But have you re-visited it lately in a guitar context? Dynamics control for vocals or program material is very different co…
Curve Analysis and Acquision Software - Curves of Steal: Fabulous Frequency Felons
LearningBob Ludwig, Doug Sax, Bernie Grundman - they're masters of mastering. They produce hit after hit, with nothing at their disposal other than...well, experience, talent, great ears, the right gear, and…
How to Compose Music in the Studio - Music Composing on the Fast Track
LearningDon't let technology get in the way of your inspiration—tame that technology, and make it work for you.
The Next Big Thing in Guitar Distortion - A Guitarist's Guide to Multiband Distortion
LearningIf you're a guitarist and you're not into multiband distortion...well, you should be. Just as multiband compression delivers a smoother, more transparent form of dynamics control, multiband distortio…
How to Get the Most Out of Them - Multitrack Drum Libraries
LearningMore drum libraries are showing up in multitrack format from companies like Discrete Drums, Wizoo, East-West, Reel Drums, etc. Although these are sold on the basis of being useable out of the box for…
Speakers, Amps & Impedance Feature Article - An Ohm Story
LearningConsidering that speaker/amp connections, impedance, the different combinations, and incorrect wiring are a recurring source of confusion for audio heads and musicians, we decided to try to clear thi…
How to Master Your Music at Home - Mastering: The DIY Guide
LearningMastering is one of the few creative processes that still finds itself quite high up on a pro-audio pedestal. The creation of music, the recording, mixing and production is all within the hands of th…
Marketing 101 for Musicians - How to Sell Your Music
LearningYou've recorded and produced your killer single. Now comes the really tough part: selling the drama. Here we will recap and add some steps in order to implement your marketing plan- putting it all …
Vocal Health for Singers - The Emotional Cords
LearningAs summer arrives, singers begin to worry about vocal health as summer is the season when most artists have most bookings. "Will I be able to manage all the upcoming shows without vocal fatigue?" The…
