Category Archives for "Book Excerpt"
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A Mix Doesn’t Always Have To Start With The Kick
Despite what you might think, there is no standard mix element to start and build a mix from. Modern mixers employ various techniques and they’re all valid, especially in different genres of music. For instance, here are the places from which a mix can be started: Then there are some mixers that just push up […]
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11 Things To Think About When Recording Background Vocals
Recording background vocals is a distinctly different process from recording solo vocals because of how they will eventually fit in the mix. That requires a different technique for both recording and production in order to get the best result. Here are 11 background vocal-related points lifted from the 5th edition of my Recording Engineer’s Handbook […]
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Choose The Best Studio Monitors For You With These 3 Tips
“How do I choose a set of studio monitors?” This question comes up a lot, and although I’ve addressed it before, it’s never a bad time to do it again. When it comes to monitor speakers, there are certainly plenty of choices, and currently there’s no single favorite that dominates the industry. A Standard? It […]
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Does Your Mix Have Any Of These 8 Traits?
Before you can even delve into creating a great mix, it’s good to be aware of the traits of one that isn’t there yet. These 8 traits of an amateur mix come from the 5th edition of my Mixing Engineer’s Handbook and are useful in picking out problem areas, looking at it from a global […]
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Get A Great Drum Sound With These 14 Sound Replacement Tips
Although you may be great at recording drums and have a great sounding studio with an excellent signal chain, the two chief variables in the recording are the drummer and his drums. No amount of technique or gear can overcome a bad sounding kit or a drummer that hits inconsistently, hence the importance of sound […]
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The 8 Characteristics Of A Tight Band
With so much music being created with loops and samples, it almost seems like having a group of real musicians play together is becoming a lost art. Because going the electronic route is so easy, many producers or potential bands give up when things don’t sound right, and they don’t know why. The fact of […]
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5 Simple EQ Tips That Just About Always Work
Equalization is one of the most difficult parts of recording to get the hang of since there’s literally almost an infinite number of possibilities. Most of us learn by experience and usually massive amounts of trial and error before our ears become trained to recognize EQ problems when we hear them, but there are some very […]
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Before You Begin, Visualize Your Mix With These 6 Exercises
The essence of mixing is the balance between instruments or mix elements. No matter how good you are at other aspects of the mixing process, if you don’t get the balance right, you don’t have a mix. Here are some questions to ask yourself as well as 6 exercises that will help you visualize your mix before […]
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How Producer George Martin Changed The Finances Of The Record Business
When iconic record producer George Martin passed away in 2016 it brought effusive thoughts, memories and well-deserved accolades from all quarters of the music business. Most dwelled on Sir George’s creative accomplishments, and truly there were many. Just his work with The Beatles alone changed the way we make music forever, not to mention his work with other top selling artists […]
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Here’s Why Recording Reggae In Jamaica Is Different From Anywhere Else In The World
There are a lot of musicians that think they can play reggae, but unless you’ve actually been to Jamaica and exposed to the culture, it’s usually just a hollow rendition. Although known more recently as a music publisher with his Artist First Music as well as being the former president of the American Independent Music Publishers association, my good buddy […]
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The Most Overlooked Items When Building A Studio
It’s inevitable. No matter how many times you’ve built a studio, you have that “Oops, I forgot,” moment at the end. If you’re lucky, it’s something that isn’t major, but a lot of people have been known to do things they’re sorry for later, like close up the walls before installing the electrical or the […]
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The 6 Types Of Gigs Musicians Can Expect To Play
For an artist, musician or band, not all gigs are created equally, mostly because of the stature of the artist and the purpose of the gig dictates the type of venue he or she plays. As a result, gigs can be divided into six general categories; local shows, one-offs, fly dates, mini-tours, full tours and corporate […]
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Get A Great Audience Sound With These 3 Techniques
If you’re recording a live performance, then you want to pick up some of the audience to make it sound realistic. Here are some techniques and considerations culled from the latest edition of my Recording Engineer’s Handbook. “Audience recording is both the key and the problem with live recording. It’s sometimes difficult to record the audience […]
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When A Song Isn’t Working, Here’s What To Do
You may have been here before. You’re working on a song but it just isn’t coming together. If you’re experienced you probably know exactly what to do, but even after a couple of steps you might hit a dead end. This excerpt from my Music Producer’s Handbook provides 10 questions to ask in order to troubleshoot a […]
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You Know Your Mix Is Finished When It Has These 8 Things
One of the hardest things for many mixers to determine is when a mix is finished. In fact, engineers new to mixing may think a mix is ready in an hour, but a pro will usually take considerably longer in most cases. How much longer? Well, some big hit maker mixers that I know may spend up […]
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