Category Archives for "Engineering"
- in Book Excerpt , Engineering , Production by Bobby Owsinski
6 Exercises To Help You Visualize Your Mix
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 taken from my Audio Mixing Bootcamp book that […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Engineering , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
Get The Most Out Of Your Condenser Microphone
A condenser microphone can sometimes require some extra attention that other types of mics don’t need. Here are a number of tips from the 4th edition of my Recording Engineer’s Handbook that can not only prolong the life of your mic, but also keep its performance as high as the day it left the factory. […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Engineering , Production by Bobby Owsinski
When It Comes To Panning, Respect The Big 3
One of the most overlooked or taken for granted elements in mixing is panorama, or the act of placing a sound element in the soundfield. To understand panorama we must first understand that the stereo sound system (which is two separate audio channels, each with its own speaker) represents sound spatially. Panning lets us select […]
Continue reading- in Engineering , Production , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
8 Tips For Getting A Singer’s Best Vocal Performance
One of the hardest things to record can be a vocalist who is not comfortable with the studio conditions. Even a seasoned pro sometimes can’t do his or her best unless the conditions are just right. Consider some of these suggestions culled from the 4th edition of my Recording Engineer’s Handbook before and during a […]
Continue reading- in Engineering , Production by Bobby Owsinski
Bobby Owsinski And 101 Mixing Tricks Named In Sonarworks 2018 Mixing Guru Guide
I’m really pleased to announce that Sonarworks has selected my 101 Mixing Tricks course in its 2018 A-Z Mixing Tutorial Guru Guide. Thanks to Lee Chapman and everyone at the company for the recognition! If you don’t know about the 101 Mixing Tricks course, it’s techniques that I’ve garnered from some of the greatest mixers on […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Engineering by Bobby Owsinski
The 7 Signs Of An Amateur Mix
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 7 signs of a amateur mix come from the 4th edition of my Mixing Engineer’s Handbook and are useful in picking out problem areas, looking at it from a global […]
Continue reading- in Engineering , Video by Bobby Owsinski
Steven Slate 5 Mixing Mistakes That Are Easy To Fix
Steven Slate not only builds products that are widely used by hitmakers everywhere, but he also has a great deal of recording and mixing expertise. This is understandable in that you can’t build a good product unless you know what you’re looking for it to be able to do. Steven has a great VLOG where […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Engineering , Production by Bobby Owsinski
5 Simple EQ Tips That Work On Just About Anything
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, but there are some very simple general guidelines that can be an enormous help for those new to […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Engineering by Bobby Owsinski
Celebrating The Influence Of Mastering Engineer Doug Sax
It’s hard to underestimate the influence that engineer Doug Sax had on the business of mastering. He was one of the first independent mastering engineers and literally defined the art when he opened his world-famous Mastering Lab in Hollywood in 1967. Sadly, Doug passed away in 2015, but his magic remains a big part of […]
Continue reading- in Acoustics , Engineering by Bobby Owsinski
Traditional Car Speakers May Soon Go The Way Of The 8 Track
Let’s face it, we do so much listening in our cars that we know the sound probably better than in our studios. In fact, the automobile is still the main reference point for many mixers. Forget the expensive studio monitors, if it sounds right in our car then the mix is right with the world. […]
Continue reading- in Engineering , Production by Bobby Owsinski
Reverse Engineering Cuba’s “Sonic Weapon”
You might have read about the mysterious injuries that American and Canadian diplomats stationed in Havana, Cuba were suffering a while back. The symptoms were consistent with a concussion (memory problems, an inability to concentrate, mood problems, headaches and fatigue) and although the results of several studies by the FBI and independent engineers have been […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Engineering , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
Checking Drum Phase By Using Your Ears
The chances for a phase problem are far greater on the drum kit than in almost any other band-level situation because it usually has more mics on it than any other instrument. That said, there is a simple technique for checking for a problem as outlined in this excerpt from the 4th edition of my […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Engineering by Bobby Owsinski
Improve Your Mix Workflow With These 5 Prep Steps
These days a typical session has plenty of tracks that won’t be used in the final mix. Deleting or hiding these tracks and then putting the rest in a logical order can be the single most useful thing you can do while prepping your mix. In this excerpt from the 4th edition of my Mixing […]
Continue reading- in Engineering by Bobby Owsinski
Get Ready For The Acoustic Tractor Beam
The famous tractor beam of Star Trek seems like science fiction, but the fact is it may be closer to reality than you think. Researchers at the University of Bristol have actually created an acoustic tractor beam that’s able to hold objects in the air (see the video below). The interesting part here is that […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Engineering , Production , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
Drum Tuning Techniques Every Engineer Should Know
There’s no doubt that getting a drum sound is the number one priority for any recording that has a drummer. Sometimes you luck out and the drums sound great by just putting the mics in front of them, but other times they require more care in order to make them sound the way you want. […]
Continue reading