Harmonic and Structural Arrangement of Songs - Arrangement 101
LearningBefore getting into the meaning of arrangement, I want to take a moment to stress the importance of arrangement. Arrangement ultimately bridges the gap between the composition and the mix. Give that …
Interview with Ned Douglas - Super Heavy Sound Made in L.A.
Interview / PodcastLast may, we heard that Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and Mick Jagger had teamed up to form SuperHeavy, an international "superband" also formed with Joss Stone, Damian Marley and AR Rahman (film compos…
All About Dynamics Processing - Mysteries of Dynamics Processing Revealed
LearningA dynamic processor is something that outputs a signal, where the level of the outgoing signal is based on the level of the incoming signal. In other words, a loud signal coming in will come out diff…
World Class Mix Engineer Answers Some Questions - Exclusive Interview with Dave Pensado
LearningDave pensado is a man who requires minimal introduction. He’s a world class mix engineer who’s worked on countless hit records. He’s also a teacher & mentor to an entire generation of successful mix …
Composite Vocal Tracks, Compression, and Reverb - Vocals Processing Tips: Part 2
LearningHard disk recording techniques have affected every aspect of recording, including vocals. Although overdubbing vocals has been a common technique for years, today's programs let you do multiple track…
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 …
