Thematic Forums guides & articles

Today I'll address some constraints inherent to recording in a home studio. Being aware of these issues will allow you to prevent them more easily to avoid any unwanted noises making their way into y…

Today we'll look into a concept that's relatively simple to understand and which will be of a lot of help when you automate your mixes.

This week we'll tackle a somewhat peculiar case: hardware synthesizers.

Last week Yours Truly had the boldness of giving you some homework: to analyze the mix of "The Look" from an automation point of view. This week it is my turn to do the honors.

I'll dedicate the first article of the year in this series to tidiness in your home studio. I know it seems a bit off-topic, but trust me it is much more important than it appears at first sight.

In my opinion, automation is at the core of a well-accomplished mix. And yet, as I have pointed out numerous times, this stage is often neglected by beginners, most certainly due to a lack of underst…

In this episode I invite you to discover a trick that every beginner ought to know, the so-called 3:1 rule.

Today we'll see how to automate the most important track of your mix. This is usually the vocal track, but it might as well be a solo instrument. The true star of your song deserves special attention…

After having recorded a bowed upright bass last week, today we'll see how to track a double bass played with the fingers, a technique called pizzicato.

What do Keith Richards, James Taylor, Katy Perry, John Mayer and Eric Clapton have in common? They’ve all had albums produced, mixed, or engineered by Dave O’Donnell. A native of upstate New York, Da…

Up to now we've seen automation from a relatively theoretical point of view. That's all very nice, but the time has come to really take the plunge. And that's when the questions start to arise: how s…

In this article we'll see how to record an upright bass played with a bow. But don't worry, we'll also see how to record a pizzicato double bass in our next article.

Today we'll look at the parameters better suited for artistic automation.

This week we'll see how to make life easier to your "future you."

One of the most high-profile producer/engineers working today, Fab Dupont has accumulated an impressive and eclectic credit list that includes Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, David Crosby, Snarky Puppy, Bon…

As we saw in the previous article, the comfort of the musician is crucial to getting a good performance, and hence a precondition for every good recording. And this comfort depends largely on the sub…

So, what can you learn from the movie analogy from last week? That's what we are about to see right this moment!

In this week's episode we will discuss something that ought to precede any attempt to record your music. Considered optional by some, pre-production is often ignored by beginners. And yet they are th…

After having discussed the functional aspect of automation, it's time to look at it from an artistic point of view.

Having the best gear in the world and being an audio engineer without equal is very nice, but unfortunately that doesn't mean you'll be able to make the best records.

The smartest among you might have realized, after reading the previous article, that most of the problems addressed with functional automation can be solved in other ways, which is something we'll lo…

After addressing the "whys" of automation last week it's only logical that we start looking into the "hows" this week.

Today we'll see how to record a transverse flute.

Though he has a Music Production and Engineering degree from Berklee, Todd Whitelock says it was on-the-job training that helped him become one of the top recording engineers in the jazz world. White…

Invented by a great Belgian clarinet master around 1840, it is just as widely used in classical music as it is in pop or contemporary music. But it's definitely in jazz where it has gained more promi…