Category Archives for "Production"
- in Isolated Track , Production by Bobby Owsinski
Here’s Just The Bass On The Entire Beatles Abbey Road Album
It’s always such a treat to get to hear isolated tracks from big hits no matter how far back they go. We can always learn something from them, and often there are surprises that are covered up by the entire mix. That’s the case here as we can listen to the Paul McCartney’s isolated bass […]
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2 Methods For Creating Quick Mixes With Pink Noise
An interesting mixing method that can be used for quick rough mixes or as a balance starting point for a mix is by using pink noise. Since the frequency response of pink noise is similar to that of the human ear, it can be used as a reference point against a mix. As you’ll read […]
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The 5th Edition Of The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook Is Now Available At A Special Price
I’m really pleased to announce that the The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook 5th edition is now available, and at a special introductory price. Mixing continues to evolve and this latest version reflects all the recent changes in our technology and studio operating methods. What’s New Some of the brand new topics include: Three new mix build […]
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It’s Getting Harder And Harder To Write A Song Without Committing Plagiarism
It seems like every day there’s a new music plagiarism lawsuit that pops up. From “Stairway To Heaven” to “Blurred Lines” to the latest round of lawsuits against Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” it just goes to show how difficult it is to write a song that isn’t subject to a plagiarism action these days. Considering that […]
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The Common Characteristics Of A Hit Song In 2022
It doesn’t matter if you’re an artist, band, songwriter, engineer, producer or label exec, I’m sure you’re all too aware that crafting a hit song isn’t easy. Most people in the music business struggle their entire careers to be a part of just one, while others will do anything they can to get a sweet […]
Continue reading- in Production , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
Two Excellent Techniques To Mike A Cowbell
It’s a cliche now that a song “needs more cowbell,” but there’s nothing better if that sound works in a mix. It’s pretty easy to just use a sample where needed and be done with it, but if you’re a purest and really want to record one, here are two good ways do it. Some […]
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Are Your Lyrics Metal-Enough? This Study Shows What Words To Use And Which To Avoid
This is something that I posted about 5 years ago, but it’s still fascinating because of the thought and actual data behind it. It’s some research put together by Iain Barr, who’s actually a data scientist and obviously a metal-head. You can’t help but be impressed with the depth of his study, which is in […]
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Producers, Don’t Overlook This Crucial Part Of Preproduction
If you’re a producer that’s about to work with a new artist or band, there’s a crucial part of the preproduction process that’s very often overlooked. It’s the “Getting To Know You” phase where you actually sit down with an artist to find out what are the influences that got them to this point. This […]
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The 5 Ways To Charge For Your Services
If you’re a producer, engineer or musician, chances are that you’ve been asked to work on someone’s recording. That’s all well and good, but how do you get compensated for your efforts? Here are 5 ways that you can charge for your services. Here’s a typical scenario. An indie band asks you to work with […]
Continue readingNew Music Gear Monday: Accusonus ERA Audio Clean-Up Assistant
We all have those tracks that require cleanup to make useable. Excessive noise, too much room, too many S’s, lots of breaths – the list goes on. Most post pros will use one or more of the iZotope RX tools for cleanup, but that can be expensive and there’s a learning curve that many music […]
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5 Reasons Why Music Creation Today Is Better Than Ever, And 5 Reasons Why It’s Not
As 2021 comes to a close and we look forward to what 2022 might bring, now is a good time to reflect on some of the good and not so good points about music creativity. I’m old enough to have seen music and gear go through many changes so I think I have a good […]
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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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Create Mixes That Work On Different Playback Systems With The 3 Level Balance Technique
One of the problems that most new mixers have is creating a mix that sounds great in their studio, but not so much when it’s played in a car or another playback environment. While playing your mix on different monitors is one option, that can get confusing if you’re not careful. You may be thinking, […]
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Session Musicians Win Suit Against The Musicians Union
I can remember growing up in rural Pennsylvania, gigging in my cover band, where I couldn’t wait to join the Musicians Union (or American Federation of Musicians – AFM – as it’s officially known). I was under the mistaken impression that as soon as I joined, the union would get me and my band a […]
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New Music Gear Monday: Eventide SplitEQ Plugin
If you’ve followed my New Music Gear Monday’s for any length of time, you know that plugins are rapidly changing away from emulating the analog processors of the past to something much more modern and capable. If we don’t depend upon the constraints of the past, we’re freed to experience the future more easily, and […]
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