Category Archives for "Engineering"
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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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Distorted Guitar Guitar Editing Made Easy
I don’t know about you but I’ve always found that it’s really difficult to do precise edits on a distorted electric guitar track. Here’s a great guitar recording tip that I got from Richard Chycki, engineer for Rush, Dream Theater, Aerosmith and many more that easily solves the problem. I liked it so much I’ve used […]
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This Is How Sound Isolation Is Measured
I recently received a couple of questions on how sound isolation is determined, so I thought it would be a good time to bring this post back. One of the things that many musicians and engineers don’t realize is that there’s a tried and true way to actually measure sound isolation. This excerpt from my […]
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How To Dial Up The Dr. Pepper Setting On Your 1176-Style Compressor
The 1176 compressor has been a go-to processor for almost every engineer since its introduction in 1967. Featuring a distinctive tone and a wide range of sounds, the peak limiter has become a studio standard over the years. It can be a little tricky to set up, but there is a more-or-less foolproof way to […]
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Yes, There Is A Difference Between Stems And Tracks
This is happening a lot lately. In a conversation, email, post or comment, someone say, “I received the stems for . . .” or “So I sent the stems to. . .”. If you’ve been around the studio for a while you’re surprised that the person didn’t actually mean “stems” at all, but “tracks.” So […]
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Yes, You Can Use One Stereo Mic To Record A Band
I posted this a long time ago but it’s so good that I’m going to post it again. In this video, engineer John Cuniberti uses just one stereo mic, in this case a AEA R88 stereo ribbon, to record the band San Geronimo – no overdubs, no additional mics. For those of you who don’t know, John […]
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It Came From The VU Meter – Some Audio Metering History
Today there are so many different types of audio metering that we can choose that it can be overwhelming if you let yourself get caught up in it. The fact is that today’s many meter choices all descended from the standard analog VU meter, which is a lot older than you think. Here’s an excerpt […]
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What To Look For When Buying Your Next Direct Box
Direct boxes are something that we use every day in recording, yet take for granted because of their simplicity. If you’re not familiar with what they do, then you might be tempted to purchase the cheapest one you find, but there’s a real difference in the sound between brands and models. This excerpt from my […]
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Yes, You Can Mix With Limited Processing And Kevin Killen Shows You How
Kevin Killen is a great engineer with a host of big time credits (U2, Elvis Costello and Peter Gabriel, for instance) and he’s been much in demand as a mixer for a long time. When I wrote the first edition of The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook, Kevin was one of the mixers I most wanted to […]
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Having Trouble With Self-Mastering? These 8 Tips Will Help
The mastering tools available today are so powerful that it’s easy to do more harm than good when self-mastering. Yes, you’re better off using an experienced mastering engineer, but for many artists, bands and songwriters, that’s just not in the budget. Here are a few self-mastering tips from the 4th edition of my Mastering Engineer’s […]
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5 Techniques For Recording Great Handclaps
It’s surprising how often handclaps are used, either as an enhancement to the backbeat or as a standalone mix element. That said, getting a great clap sound can be elusive, as the huge effect that everyone expects is more difficult to achieve than you might expect. Here are 5 techniques that you can use for […]
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Farewell Bruce Swedien, The Godfather Of Recording
Bruce Swedien was rightfully known as the “Godfather of Recording” because not only did he see it all from almost the beginning, he changed and adapted with the times and technology, breaking ground for the rest of us to follow. From engineering Count Basie and Duke Ellington at Universal Studios in Chicago in the 1950s, […]
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Producer/Engineer Mack On Getting Great Guitar Sounds
With a who’s who list of credits such as Queen, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Electric Light Orchestra, Rory Gallagher, Sparks, Giorgio Moroder, Donna Summer, Billy Squire, and Extreme, the producer/engineer who goes simply by the name Mack has made his living making superstars sound great. Having recorded so many big […]
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The 6 Track Editing Tips Every Mix Engineer Should Know
Mix engineers are called upon to do so much more than ever before. Individual track editing used to be done by the producer way before the mixing stage, but mixers now find that it’s part of the job they’re expected to do as part of the mix. Here are some tips for tweaking track timing […]
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The Reason Why You Can’t Hear Your Bass On Small Speakers
It’s happened to us all. We get a mix that’s just rocking out of our main monitors, yet when we play it on some tiny computer or phone speakers the bass instrument completely disappears. Here are some steps to take to ensure that the bass on your next mix will speak on just about any […]
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