Category Archives for "Production"
- in Gear , Production , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
3 Critical Compressor Tweaks You Might Be Overlooking
Everybody loves compression. It’s not only the sound of modern music, but music in general, even orchestral these days. Compression beefs up the sound, brings up the quiet parts, and controls the transients, if you use it right. That said, there are 3 compressor tweaks that are critical to optimizing the processor’s setup in order […]
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Unusual Overdubs With Andrew Scheps
Noted engineer/producer Andrew Scheps is not afraid to think outside the box when it comes to recording or mixing. Many of us (especially if we’ve been in the business for a while) sometimes have one way to do something and stay ridged in that approach. You can’t do that with music though, since each song […]
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Jimmy Douglass On Mixing Justin Timberlake’s Vocals
After learning at the knee of engineer/producer Tom Dowd during Atlantic Records’ glory days, Grammy winning engineer Jimmy Douglass (affectionately known as “the Senator”) has gone on to become one of the most sought-after engineer/mixers in R&B, hip-hop, and rock. One of the few engineers who can cross genres with total ease and credibility, Jimmy […]
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Is Remastering Really Necessary?
With the introduction of some very nice mastering plugins that allow you monitor your mix as it would sound on various streaming services comes the misconception that you have to submit a different master for each one, which means “remastering” your master. It’s easy to see why one might think that, but actually this is […]
Continue reading- in Gear , Microphones , Microphones , New Music Gear Monday , Production by Bobby Owsinski
New Music Gear Monday: ZYLIA ZM-1 Multitrack Microphone
As anyone who’s ever played in a band before knows, there are times when you play a song and its just magic. Everyone plays their parts with precision, and the feel is undeniable. The problem for many bands (even some of the great ones) is that they can never seem to capture that same feel […]
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A Deconstructed Mix With Mick Guzauski
It’s always fun to see how great mixers do their thing. The fact of the matter is, no two mixers do the same thing, and no two mixes will ever sound the same, but the journey to get there is always fascinating and there’s always something new to learn. In this video, Grammy-winning mixer Mick Guzauski […]
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Confessions Of Top Studio Musicians
Studio musicians are frequently unsung not only for their playing, but for their contributions to the songs they many times help arrange. Occasionally they get credit and even some royalties, but usually that’s not the case. Of course, session players (especially the top studio musicians) were used a lot more on the hits of yesterday […]
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Robert Orton Talks Mixing Lady Gaga And More
If you’ve enjoyed the big hits from Lady Gaga’s The Fame and The Fame Monster albums, such as “Poker Face,” “Paparazzi,” and “Just Dance,” then Robert Orton is your man. After spending eight years at the side of producer extraordinaire Trevor Horn, Robert has gone on to craft hits for Robbie Williams, Enrique Iglesias, Ellie […]
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Why Today’s Singers Are Losing Their Voices More Than Ever
I have a theory that part of the reason that live sound is marginal these days despite advances in equipment is the fact that an entire generation of live mixers (maybe 2) learned the wrong way, focusing more on the drums than on the element that needs the most attention – the vocal. It appears […]
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New Music Gear Monday: Fiedler Audio Stage Stereo Toolkit Plugin
We’re at the evolutionary point in audio software where it’s not enough to be just another me-too plugin. If you’re going to launch a new product, it better have a new twist that goes beyond refinement of an old standard. That’s the case with the new Fiedler Audio Stage Stereo Toolkit, a new sound stage […]
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A Look Inside A Google Data Center
With so much of our information now being contained in the cloud, we’ll soon be getting to the point where local storage won’t be as necessary as it once was. That said, the “cloud” seems so faceless, and few of us have any idea of what it really is. To give you a look inside […]
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New Music Gear Monday: Eventide Ultratap Delay Plugin
If delay is your thing when mixing, then you probably have a couple of multitap delays in your toolbox. It’s probably safe to say that none of them are as powerful as Eventide’s new Ultratap, which may very well be the ultimate example of the genre. What makes Ultratap so special? It goes beyond just […]
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The Rise Of The Cassette Culture
No one ever thought that it would happen, but cassette tapes are making a slow and subtle comeback. A whole army of young music consumers really have discovered the format and are enamored with it for different reasons. Some listeners just like the analog sound they provide, others like them because they want to own […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Production , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
The Producer’s Vocal Recording Checklist
Getting a great vocal take comes from having a comfortable vocalist, and most of the time it’s the little things and attention to detail that counts the most. Here’s a checklist from my Music Producer’s Handbook to follow before vocal recording that will help make sure your singer is as comfortable as possible to enable a […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Production , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
14 Sound Replacement Tips For The Perfect Drum Sound
Although you may be great at recording drums and have a great sounding studio with an excellent signal chain, the two chief variables in the recording are the drummer and his drums. No amount of technique or gear can overcome a bad sounding kit or a drummer that hits inconsistently, hence the importance of sound […]
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