Category Archives for "Gear"
- in Book Excerpt , Gear , Music by Bobby Owsinski
- |
- 4 comments
Why Do Guitar Amp Speakers Sound So Different?
Most guitar players are blissfully unaware of the details of the speakers they’re playing through. Sure, they may know what size the speakers are and how many are in the cabinet, but other than that, they have no idea about how much of an effect the make of the speaker can have on the sound. […]
Continue reading- in Engineering , Gear , Software , Video by Bobby Owsinski
Mixing Synth Bass And Real Bass Tracks
Sometimes synth bass tracks are a real bear to get to fit into the mix, but add a real bass to that and many mixers will be pulling their hair out before they make it work. That’s because a synth can have way more low end than a bass and it’s not always easy to […]
Continue reading- in Gear , Hardware by Bobby Owsinski
- |
- 1 comments
The 27 Foot Long Loudspeaker
Audiophiles can be quite obsessive, and when you’re an engineer it can make that obsession even worse. In the 1930s engineer Roderick Denman built a huge loudspeaker into the roof of his house that faced straight downward into an octagonal listening area that he used for the flare of his giant horn, which extended some […]
Continue reading- in Gear , New Music Gear Monday , Plugin , Software by Bobby Owsinski
- |
- 1 comments
New Music Gear Monday: FabFilter Pro-R Reverb Plugin
We’re starting to see more and more next generation DAW plugins where outside the box thinking results in an easier user interface which ultimates leads to new or more useful sounds. Nowhere is that more evident than with the new FabFilter Pro-R Reverb plugin which takes many of the more difficult reverb concepts and controls and presents them […]
Continue reading- in Engineering , Gear , Hardware , Software by Bobby Owsinski
Look Out Security – Headphones Turned Into Secret Microphones
If you’ve studied audio technology at all then you know that loudspeakers/headphones and microphones are both principally the same in how they operate, they just work backwards from one other. Where the diaphragm of a microphone responds to moving air molecules to turn sound into an electronic signal, the loudspeaker turns an electronic signal into moving air molecules thanks […]
Continue reading- in Gear , Music by Bobby Owsinski
7 Ways Electric Guitar Manufacturers Save Money (And Make You Pay More)
Electric guitar manufacturing has come a long way since the early days of guitar-crazed 60s. Back then, if you didn’t buy a brand name at a premium price, chances are that you were getting an instrument that was difficult to play and only a few steps beyond wood plank. Today’s precision manufacturing has changed all of […]
Continue reading- in Gear , Hardware , Music by Bobby Owsinski
Cool Cyber Monday Recording Accessories
We all love a deal and Cyber Monday is the day for it, so I decided to put together my own list of cool gear especially for musicians and engineers. Here are some accessory items that make great gifts for any musician or engineer (even yourself). EarPeace Hearing Protectors – They reduce the volume but don’t […]
Continue reading- in Gear , Software by Bobby Owsinski
- |
- 1 comments
Adobe VoCo – With Great Power Comes Responsibility
Adobe recently provided a sneak peak of a feature of the upcoming Adobe Max product that they call VoCo, which will prove to be revolution in both dialog and music vocal recording if it works as previewed. So what is VoCo? The company is calling it “Photoshop for voice.” It samples the voice of a […]
Continue reading- in Gear , Music , Video by Bobby Owsinski
Yes, There’s A Film About The 808 Drum Machine
I’m old enough to remember when drum machines first came out. The LinnDrum (see my Roger Linn interview for some great insight on how it was developed) was a wonder that allowed producers to finally get perfect time while scaring the pants off drummers everywhere now fearful for their jobs. Most of the LinnDrum imitators […]
Continue reading- in Computer , Gear , Hardware , New Music Gear Monday , Production by Bobby Owsinski
New Music Gear Monday: Slate Control Monitor Controller
One of the most important components of a home or desktop studio is the monitor controller, and while there are more and more such devices on the market these days, not all are a good fit for many studios. For instance, the needs of someone working with a laptop mixing on headphones are completely different from […]
Continue reading- in Gear , Hardware , Media , Vinyl by Bobby Owsinski
- |
- 1 comments
Can A New Process Improve Record Pressing?
Making a vinyl record is a messy, time consuming business. It involves toxic chemical baths, huge mechanical presses, stampers that wear out easily, and maybe worst of all, the final product is made from a petroleum product. Record pressing has shown small improvements over the years, but for the most part, it’s still done the […]
Continue reading- in Gear , Hardware , Music by Bobby Owsinski
- |
- 3 comments
The Story Behind Bruce Springsteen’s Iconic Hybrid Telecaster
There are some guitars that are forever linked to certain musicians. Eric Clapton’s “Blackie” and “Brownie” Strats, Brian May’s home-built one-off, Neil Young’s “Old Black” Les Paul, and B.B. King’s “Lucille” ES355 are just a few that come to mind. But there is another that fits nicely into this category and deserves equal attention because of […]
Continue reading- in Engineering , Gear , Media , Production , Software , Streaming by Bobby Owsinski
- |
- 1 comments
Using LUFS For Mixing
You might have noticed that in the last few years, the differences in level between television shows, commercials, and channels are pretty even, with no big jumps in volume. That’s because viewers were complaining for years about the fact that there was a dramatic increase in level whenever a commercial aired because it was so compressed […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Engineering , Gear , Hardware , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
Direct Box Basics
Direct boxes are something that we use every day in recording, yet take for granted because of their simplicity. Here’s an excerpt from my Recording Engineer’s Handbook that looks at the ins and outs of this useful recording tool. “Direct Injection (DI or “going direct”) of a signal means that a microphone is bypassed, and […]
Continue reading- in Consoles , Gear , Hardware , New Music Gear Monday by Bobby Owsinski
New Music Gear Monday: A-Designs Mix Factory Summing Amp
Mixers either swear by outboard analog summing amps or don’t see the need for them at all, but the ones that do are very passionate about them. We’re now into the second generation of summing amps, and the latest ones are incorporating a lot of features that the the first gen didn’t have. That’s one […]
Continue reading