The 6 Principles For Adding Effects

A major element of a mix is dimension, which is the ambient field that the track or tracks sits in. Dimension can be captured while recording, but it’s usually created or enhanced when mixing by adding effects such as reverb, delay, or modulation. Dimension might mean re-creating an acoustic environment, but it could also mean […]

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The Arrangement And Performances – The Intangibles Of A Mix

It’s easy to think that getting a good mix is just a matter of pushing up some faders, getting a reasonable balance, adding some effects, and you’re finished. Although that might work for a rough mix, there are still a number of intangibles that are vitally important to a great mix. Awareness is always the […]

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New Version Of Audacity Has Users Worried About Their Personal Data

You kind of expect your data to be collected and shared from any number of websites, social networks, and ecommerce sites these days, but when those practices are adopted by your DAW, does that finally cross the line? When the free DAW Audacity changed its terms of service agreement on July 2nd for its upcoming […]

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My Top 10 Channel Plugins For 2021

I get asked often what plugins I usually use. Just like everyone else, I change the plugins in my standard template that I use more often than I realize. That’s because mixing tastes change, new plugins are introduced, and different combinations seem to work best with one another. That said, here are the Top 10 […]

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7 Tips For Getting Your Voice Ready For Your Next Gig

The pandemic is on the downward slide, many areas are now fully open, and pretty soon artists and bands will be back gigging again. It’s time to get those chops back up to speed, which means voice as well as fingers. Since the vocalist is the only musician who can’t put their instrument away in […]

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Check Out Pete Townshend’s “Pinball Wizard” Isolated Guitar Tracks

We haven’t done an isolated track for a while so it’s time for another one. For those of you who have heard The Who’s “Pinball Wizard” over and over for the last 50 years, you’ve probably never heard some of the parts in great detail (I know I haven’t). Here are the isolated acoustic and […]

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Get A Great Sounding Drum Kit With These 3 Keys

It’s true that different people have different ideas of what constitutes a great sounding drum kit, but in the studio it usually means a kit that’s well-tuned and free of buzzes and sympathetic vibrations. Free of sympathetic vibrations means that when you hit the snare drum, for instance, the toms don’t ring along with it. […]

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The 10 Products That Shaped Music History

If we take a global view of the history of music, we find that over the last 100 years or so technology has driven the art form more than many realize. That said, if it wasn’t for a number of products that represented real advances, music would not only sound different today, but be delivered […]

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12 Steps To Great Overdub Performances

Many times the ear candy of an overdub session can really make or break a song, but sometimes it’s not easy to create to capture that magic. Here’s an excerpt from the second edition of my Music Producer’s Handbook that can act as either an outline or as a reminder to check a number of critical points both […]

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Please Contribute To The Michael Bishop Memorial

Recipient of 10 Grammy awards, former chief engineer for Telarc and his own Five/Four Productions, Michael Bishop was always at the forefront of recording technology. DSD recording, high-res formats, surround sound, difficult setups – it didn’t matter as he was always on top of it. It’s safe to say that there was no one better […]

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Another Semiconductor Chip Factory Destroyed By Fire

The part of the music industry that uses semiconductor chips was already reeling from the AKM factory fire last October, and now there’s been another – this time at the giant Renesas Electronics factory in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan – just north of Tokyo. While on the surface the AKM fire seems to be more […]

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Guitarist Jennifer Batten, Payola For Streaming, And Supercharged Hard Drives On My Latest Podcast

My guest on the podcast this week is Jennifer Batten, who played lead and rhythm guitar on Michael Jackson’s Bad, Dangerous and HIStory world tours. She’s also appeared on 2 Jeff Beck albums and was a member of his touring band for 3 years. Jennifer continues to give clinics and master classes all over the world, and […]

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New Music Gear Monday: Acustica Audio Sienna Headphone Mixing Plugin

Headphone room simulation plugins are all the rage these days and for good reason – they really do help provide a reasonable simulation of a good playback environment so you can get better mixes using just headphones. While most of the plugins in this category focus on simulating one particular studio environment, Acustica Audio has […]

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“Oh, No. I’ve Been Hacked!” And Other Funny Accidents

It all started last Friday evening when I started getting emails saying that my various sites were redirecting to other places on the Web. Most of the redirects were trying to sell something (like the Google Play Store) but none of them were pointed at my blogs, podcast or personal website URL. I tried to […]

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A Tech Guide To Livestreaming

Livestreaming has been the big buzzword over the last year as it’s the only way for creators to safely get their wares out in front of the public. That said, there’s a bit more to it than signing on to Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram (pick your platform). If you want your stream to look and […]

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