It’s pretty common for a musician or artist to finish a mix and not know how it’s going to play against other songs in the real world. Yes, there are plugins that allow you to do a listening comparison, but most don’t give you much more information than level differences. That’s where Expose 2 from […]
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Whether you do it before you hit the studio or at the studio before the session, the drum kit will need some time to be prepped so it will sound it’s best. Here’s a simple checklist from my Recording Engineer’s Handbook to follow to prep your drums before you set up any mics. Have the […]
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My guest on the podcast this week is Barry Rudolph, who’s probably done more magazine gear reviews that anyone on the planet by a factor of 10. As an engineer, Barry’s worked on 15 gold or platinum records by artists like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall and Oats, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger and many more. Barry has also written […]
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Did you ever want to copy the way a track sounds, but can’t quite do it even though you’re using the same plugins and settings? Did you ever hear a track and go “That’s perfect. I wish I could get my xxx (fill in the blank) to sound like that?” If you’ve run into these […]
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A major element of a mix is dimension, which is the ambient field that the track or tracks sits in. Dimension can be captured while recording, but it’s usually created or enhanced when mixing by adding effects such as reverb, delay, or modulation. Dimension might mean re-creating an acoustic environment, but it could also mean […]
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My guest on the podcast this week is Grammy Award-nominated keyboardist, composer, and record producer Jeff Lorber. Jeff has released more than 25 albums during his career and he’s considered one of the pioneers of the modern jazz genre. Many of his songs are featured on The Weather Channel’s “Local On The 8s” segments, and he’s contributed […]
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The very heart of a desktop studio setup is the audio to computer interface, but many times that’s overlooked in importance. As a result, the audio quality suffers until one day the user knows that it’s just time to step up to something better. A viable upgrade alternative is the new Antelope Audio Zen Q […]
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It’s easy to think that getting a good mix is just a matter of pushing up some faders, getting a reasonable balance, adding some effects, and you’re finished. Although that might work for a rough mix, there are still a number of intangibles that are vitally important to a great mix. Awareness is always the […]
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My guests on the podcast this week are president and founder Paul Hubert, COO Jim Rondinelli, and chief scientist JJ Johnston from the 3D mixing platform Immersion Networks. The company’s innovative Mix3 (pronounced “mix cubed”) software allows anyone to upload tracks and mix them in a three-dimensional environment. These mixes can be appreciated without special hardware and […]
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We get new modern audio plugins all the time but no matter what, there are still tried and true sounds that just seem to work. Take for instance, the SSL G series buss compressor, or the E series EQ, two hardware modules that always had some sort of audio magic to them. When it comes […]
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You kind of expect your data to be collected and shared from any number of websites, social networks, and ecommerce sites these days, but when those practices are adopted by your DAW, does that finally cross the line? When the free DAW Audacity changed its terms of service agreement on July 2nd for its upcoming […]
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My guest on the podcast this week is musician, composer, sound engineer, sound designer and producer Jurij Gianluca Ricotti. He’s worked with a wide range of artists that include Brittney Spears, Rita Ora, Casey Musgraves, Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin, Yngwie Malmsteen and even the Pope. Since 2015 Jurij’s worked on several #1 records as a sound engineer […]
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Most EQ plugins available today tend to be based on one vintage hardware EQ or another, and as a result, introduce some color into the sound. What if you want the opposite though? If you want the cleanest most precise EQ plugin available, then look no further than the MDWEQ6, the latest from the man […]
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I get asked often what plugins I usually use. Just like everyone else, I change the plugins in my standard template that I use more often than I realize. That’s because mixing tastes change, new plugins are introduced, and different combinations seem to work best with one another. That said, here are the Top 10 […]
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My guest on the podcast this week is singer, songwriter, politician, environmentalist and community activist John Hall. John is one of the founders of the group Orleans and a co-writer of their two huge hits that you still hear all the time – “Dance With Me” and “Still The One.” He has written songs for Janis Joplin, […]
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