Mastering Engineer Colin Leonard On His Aria Online Analog Mastering

It takes a lot to convert hit-maker mixers like Phil Tan and Dave Pensado into big fans, especially if you’re not in one of the media country’s media centers, but Atlanta-based Colin Leonard and his proprietary mastering technology has managed to do just that. With credits that include Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, Echosmith, Leona Lewis, Al […]

Continue reading

Don’t Look Now But There’s More Sampling In Music Than Ever

When digital sampling first came available in the 1980s it was a revelation. Sounds could be replaced with better ones and loops of audio could be used as the basis of songs. For some reason many musicians, artists, and producers have been under the impression that sample use peaked around the turn of the century […]

Continue reading

New Music Gear Monday: Eventide Instant Flanger MK II Plugin

Anyone who listened to either the Small Faces “Itchycoo Park” or The Beatles “I Am The Walrus” has been captivated by the sound of what’s become known as “flanging.” The name was given to the process by John Lennon because you have to place your hand on the tape flange (see the figure below) as […]

Continue reading

Producer Jack Miele, Beamforming Audio, And Streaming Keeping The Dough On My Latest Inner Circle Podcast

My guest on the podcast is producer/engineer Jack Miele, who’s won a Grammy, Emmy, 4 Telly awards and 2 Global Music awards. Based in New Orleans, Jack has a wide range of studio credits that include Rod Stewart, The Roots, Beyonce, Aloe Blacc and the Zac Brown Band, among many others.  As a composer, Jack’s work has […]

Continue reading

Manny’s Music Site Sold To The Rockefeller Group

Everything has a cycle, even though we know that there’s always a tear shed at the end, and Manny’s Music is no exception. Although the store has been closed for over ten years now, the building was knocked down last year, truly putting a final end to a brilliant era of New York City music […]

Continue reading

Engineer Frank Filipetti On Recording Drums

From Celine Dion, Carley Simon, James Taylor, Tony Bennett and Elton John to Kiss, Korn, Fuel, Foreigner and Hole, Frank Filipetti has credits that run the entire musical spectrum. Known for his fearless ability to either extensively experiment or get instant sounds as the session dictates, Frank’s old school wisdom combined with his adventuresome and […]

Continue reading

Holy Crap, There’s Another USB Format Coming

USB has been a useful universal interface connection through the years, but it sure can be confusing with all the versions. If you aren’t aware, there’s USB 1.0, USB 1.1, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB 3.1 (two types), and USB 3.2 (4 types), and USB Type-C. Then there’s the confusion of Thunderbolt 1, 2 and […]

Continue reading

New Music Gear Monday: Boz Digital Labs Little Foot Kick Enhancer Plugin

Sometimes you need a little more girth from a kick drum, but EQing down at 40-60Hz can make it sound flabby. Back in the early days of dance music we’d use this trick – set an oscillator to a desired low frequency then trigger it via a gate with a sidechain connected to the kick […]

Continue reading

Vinyl Mastering Engineer Kevin Gray, 3 Inch Single, And AI Music Ed On My Latest Inner Circle Podcast

My guest on the podcast this week is Kevin Gray, who specializes in vinyl disc cutting. Kevin has mastered music for every major label in every genre, including pop, rock, jazz, classical, adult contemporary, alternative, punk, heavy metal, new age, gothic, world ethnic, disco, dance, soul, blues, and hip-hop / rap. His credits include more than […]

Continue reading

Paul Reed Smith Makes Great Guitars And Spy Technology Too

Just about every guitar player is aware of Paul Reed Smith. His PRS guitars and amplifiers have become a major piece of the musical instrument industry and the company seems to becoming more popular every day, thanks to new models being constantly released. What many don’t know is that Paul also created products used by […]

Continue reading

3 Miking Techniques For Upright Piano

With the piano samples available in the typical electronic keyboard these days, there’s little need to try to mike the nearest available piano for most projects, especially in a home studio. That said, there’s nothing like the live feel of a recorded instrument. Most small studios aren’t blessed with a grand piano, but an upright […]

Continue reading

Here’s What The Speed Of Light Looks Like

I like to keep this blog pretty focused on music and audio, but sometimes there’s something outside that category that’s so cool that I have to share it. In this case, it’s an ultra-slow-motion video of the actual speed of light. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second, which, as far as we currently know, […]

Continue reading

New Music Gear Monday: MeterPlugs Loudness Penalty Plugin

Many mixers have been confused about the LUFS levels that they should be delivering to the various streaming networks, and while this isn’t the big deal that many believe it is, there’s a new tool that should take some of the confusion out of the process. Mastering engineer Ian Shepherd’s company MeterPlugs has developed a […]

Continue reading

Producer Michael Beinhorn, CD Baby’s Sale, And The Audio Interface Survey On My Latest Inner Circle Podcast

My guest on the podcast this week is producer Michael Beinhorn, who has produced a wide range of artists including Herbie Hancock, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith and Soundgarden, among many others. He is the author of the book Unlocking Creativity, and is an outspoken advocate of the importance of artist development and pre-production […]

Continue reading

Reverb Developer Exponential Audio Acquired By iZotope

Fans of Lexicon reverbs know that Michael Carnes was involved with their development for 25 years before forming his own company – Exponential Audio to create his own reverb products. Now that company has been acquired by iZotope, and I don’t think you could ask for a better fit. Exponential Audio’s reverbs have been a […]

Continue reading