Harmony Basics - Part 19
LearningIn the previous article we saw how to use cadences to modulate to a different key. However, regardless of whether you use a cadence or not, a seamless modulation relies on the so-called pivot chords.
A guide to mixing music - Part 97
LearningAs promised, this week we'll see how to make the most of tape machine and console-emulating plug-ins.
A guide to mixing music - Part 96
LearningThis week we'll keep on discussing distortion by addressing plug-ins that emulate legendary tape machines and consoles.
A guide to mixing music - Part 95
LearningToday you'll see how to put into practice everything you've learned so far about harmonic distortion.
Harmony Basics - Part 18
LearningIt's not uncommon for a composer/songwriter to feel the need to leave the original key of the song he's writing and go explore some other ones. There are many reasons for that: to change the mood (i.…
A guide to mixing music - Part 94
LearningThis week we'll continue exploring harmonic distortion.
Mini-effects pedals make configuring your pedalboard a whole new ballgame
LearningOne of the great things about pedalboards is that they give you the freedom to choose the effects you want for your rig. There is one caveat: Your pedalboard is a finite size, and you can only add ef…
Coordinate your rhythm guitar parts to avoid a chaotic-sounding mess
LearningWhenever you have more than one guitarist playing chords in a song, you risk a cluttered and muddy sounding result if the parts they’re playing are not coordinated in advance. That said, there are pr…
A guide to mixing music - Part 93
LearningThis time around, we'll focus on distortion.
A guide to mixing music - Part 92
LearningIn the coming weeks we'll discuss in detail the so-called "glue" effect, in other words how to make the mix more homogeneous using different procedures. Today we'll discuss a simple method to emphasi…
A guide to mixing music - Part 91
LearningTo close the chapter dedicated to the use of delay during mixdown, we'll look into the relationship between reverb and delay.
Breaking the rules is standard procedure for producer/engineer Sylvia Massy
LearningPrince, Tom Petty, System of a Down, Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Sevendust are just some of the artists on producer and engineer Sylvia Massy’s discography. The 30-year studio veteran has never b…
A guide to mixing music - Part 90
LearningThis week we'll look into a somewhat particular use of delay ─ as a way of filling up a mix. You certainly won't be able to use this technique every day, but it can come in pretty handy to "dress up"…
Engineer Nathan Hamiel on the art of mastering
LearningMastering, like mixing, is an art form that requires good musical judgment and entails a great deal of decision-making. Just ask engineer Nathan Hamiel (pronounced “Hamel”), who does both mixing and …
A guide to mixing music - Part 89
LearningAfter having explored depth with reverb, we will now move into another topic that is just as important during mixdown: width.
Producer Andrew Wade shares his mixing and guitar-recording secrets
LearningAndrew Wade (aka “The Big Boss”) knows a little something about guitar recording. Wade is a producer/engineer/songwriter who has focused heavily on the pop-punk/Emo genres and has produced music (inc…
Harmony Basics - Part 17
LearningIn the previous articles... Yes, I know I often begin my articles this way but it's simply because I like things to make sense chronologically.
A guide to mixing music - Part 88
LearningToday I'll show you how to use delay instead of reverb to reinforce the sonic cohesion of your mix.
NI launches Mixcloud DJ Mix Competition
Hot newsNative Instruments continues its one-year Stems anniversary giveaway with the launch of a mix competition in collaboration with Mixcloud.
An interview with producer Michael Beinhorn
Interview / PodcastProducer, musician, artist, painter… Our guest today is someone who has always been looking for a way to let Art be expressed in every piece of music he has worked on. Primarily known and renown for …
A guide to mixing music - Part 87
LearningThis time around, we'll look at two "classic" uses of the delay effect.
Multitalented producer Greg Wells talks about his craft and his gear
LearningAlthough he spent most of his childhood playing and studying music, it wasn’t until Greg Wells was 18 that he got bitten by the recording bug. “I got my parents to co-sign a loan, and I bought a Mac …
Recording a clean ending is not as simple as it may seem
LearningWhen recording an ensemble or just overdubbing one instrument, there's one part of the song that gets very little attention: The time right after the very last chord or note has been struck. Especial…
A guide to mixing music - Part 86
LearningAfter closing the chapter dedicated to the use of reverb during mixdown, we will now focus on a relatively similar topic: delay.
We interview the author of “The Great British Recording Studios”
Interview / PodcastIn the early 1960s, at the beginning of the British Invasion, the studio scene in England was thriving, but it was very different from that in America. The British studios used different gear and got…
