Archive
Monthly Archives: April 2017
Monthly Archives: April 2017
The DIY ethic is running deep in the audio and recording business once again as a variety of manufacturers now provide kits to build everything from preamps to compressors to microphones to ???. It’s a great way to not only learn how your gear ticks, but also get some great sounding gear at a very […]
Continue readingWhile we live in an period of unlimited DAW tracks, there’s still much fascination with the time where there were far fewer variables, and that means the mono world of the 50s. In that era and the one that immediately followed, mixing held little resemblance to today, since all the magic took place in the recording. Placement […]
Continue readingOver the last few years I’ve received what seemed to be the same request from many of my mailing list members. “I would gladly register for your 101 Mixing Tricks program (or other programs) if only it were available for a monthly fee.” Let me tell you, I’ve heard those emails loud and clear. That’s why I’ve created […]
Continue readingIf you’re a Pro Tools user you hold your breath with every announcement from Avid. The thought that comes most often is, “How much will it cost me this time?” The next question usually is, “Is this for the stockholders or for the users?” The latter question comes to mind first with Avid’s recent announcement about […]
Continue readingWhen it comes to portable recording, it’s hard to beat anything made by Sound Devices. The company has consistently made some of the highest quality recording gear that’s become a standard on any television or movie set. Now the company looks more towards musicians, podcasts and YouTubers with a penitent for quality with its new […]
Continue readingYou may not know my guest Paul Wolff’s name but you certainly know his products. As a former owner of the console company API, Paul was not only responsible for the acclaimed Legend and Vision series, but also the creator of the 500 series racks and modules, for which he was rewarded with a membership […]
Continue readingRadio airplay has always influenced how songs were produced, chiefly the length, as for years it was felt that 3 minutes was the ideal length to keep the listener engaged. In fact, today songs are sped up routinely in order to have more plays per hour. Now a pair of new studies published in Musicae Scientiae, […]
Continue readingEventually every singer has some voice trouble, and if you’re not careful, it can really lead to long term damage. That’s why it’s important for a singer to learn to be especially aware of the need to take care of him or herself. Here’s an excerpt from the band improvement book How To Make Your Band […]
Continue readingIf you’re like me, you probably hate trying to do any serious recording on anything smaller than a laptop. A friend once described iPads and iPhones in a nutshell as “output, not input devices” and that’s true for many of us used to the heavy duty studio rigs that we own. But a new generation […]
Continue readingMultiband compressors are some of the most useful tools you’ll find on a mix buss or for mastering, but many engineers don’t have the patience to set them up correctly. That’s where the new Drawmer S73 Intelligent Master Processor plugin comes in. It takes much of the setup out of the engineer’s hands thanks to a number of […]
Continue readingGavin Lurssen started as a protege of the great mastering engineer Doug Sax (the very first indie mastering guy) but quickly forged his own way and sound, first at the famed Mastering Lab, then at his own Lurssen Mastering in Hollywood. Along the way he’s mastered projects for everyone from Foo Fighters, Queens of the […]
Continue readingWe’ve always liked visuals that are synergistic with music, with a history that dates back to the light organs and wet light shows of the 1960s. Today, just about any LED-based stage light has a mode that will listen to the sound around it and respond with the appropriate colors and intensity. What’s even cooler is […]
Continue readingPhase is important to a great drum sound, but often overlooked. That’s why some drum recordings just don’t sound right, and no amount of processing can make them sound better. Here’s an excerpt for the 4th edition of my Mixing Engineer’s Handbook that outlines 5 easy steps to getting those drum mics in-phase. The chances […]
Continue readingBefore the digital delay there was the tape echo machine and it was cheap enough that every band (and in some cases guitar players) had one. The problem was that most of the models available at the time weren’t exactly “studio-ready,” so they rarely made it into the average studio in the U.S. Then came the […]
Continue readingDynamic processors are all the rage these days as well they should be. It’s a new approach to an old problem with a lot more control. Most dynamic processors are quite flexible and can be used on just about any kind of track, but the new Oeksound Soothe has a primary purpose, and that’s to […]
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