It’s always a treat to hear the isolated tracks from a hit, especially when they’re from the old days of extreme tape machine limitations. The Beatles “Day Tripper” is an excellent example of how great a recording could be with only 4 tracks as we listen to the isolated bass and drums from the song. Of course, the magic […]
Continue readingMusic publisher Greig Watts is the guest on this week’s Inner Circle Podcast, and his UK company DWB Songs has been very successful in Asia. We’ll discuss the differences in writing for that market, the challenges of getting paid and how he gets around it, writing in an EDM world, and the company’s very successful […]
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When it comes to percussion, we sometimes tend to lump it all in with drum recording technique. That’s far from how it should be approached though, as each different type of percussion needs a special technique in order to optimize the way it’s recorded. Here’s a great video where tablaist Sirish Kumar Manji shows you how to […]
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It’s surprising that so many monitors (speakers that is) are purchased just from a review or word of mouth, since they’re such a personal item. Here’s an excerpt from my Studio Builder’s Handbook (written with Dennis Moody) that covers some things to think about before you purchase your next set of speakers. “1) Don’t choose a monitor because […]
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As I said in my post yesterday, there were fewer audio software companies at AES than one might have expected. The reason is that many software companies are boutique operations with only a few employees, so taking time away from development and spending a lot of money on a show is a critical decision. When […]
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The AES Conference was in Los Angeles at the end of last week, and there was new gear everywhere. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much that you’d call “revolutionary” (which is the norm at gear shows these days), but there were a few things that caught my eyes and ears that I thought I’d share. The Show This […]
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Pamplamoose showed the world just how powerful some DIY YouTube videos could be, garnering millions of views that eventually landed the duo some national television commercials. Jack Conte, half of the duo, built on that success to form Patreon, a way for creators to make a living from their work through subscription payments from their […]
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There are so many guitar amps on the market these days that the choices are probably greater than any time in music history. In fact, just about every make and model from the past has been reproduced, and some of these designs have even been made better than before (if that’s possible). Since companies like Fender and […]
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I’m always amazed how musicians react to their headphones and cue mixes while recording. Some are extremely picky, needing everything to be as perfect as possible before performing, while others can make do with just about anything that closely resembles a mix and a working headphone or two. Rob Tavaglione recently wrote a nice piece at ProSoundNetwork […]
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If you’ve been a Pro Tools user for any length of time, then you know that sometimes the upgrades don’t have a lot to show in terms of user improvements. You’ll be glad to know that in the latest version, Pro Tools 12.6, there are some features that many users may find useful. Here are a few of the […]
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It’s rare when a modern compressor becomes a standard, but after 20 years, the Empirical Labs Distressor can be found in every major studio, as well as many smaller and home studios, and is as widely used as any of the “classics.” The Distressor has a sound that’s different from everything else, and is one of the few […]
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Brian Schmidt is a legend in game audio and he’s my guest on Episode #127 of my Inner Circle Podcast. Both a composer and sound designer, Brian has worked on over 150 games, and he’s been the architect for the X-Box audio system and XACT gaming audio tool. Brian is also the founder of GameSoundCon, […]
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If you’re a guitar player or an engineer that records guitar players, the tone is what you’re always trying to follow. For guitar players, it’s a lifelong journey to find that perfect tone, and for engineers, it’s trying to capture the tone that you hear in the studio, or help the guitar player improve what he […]
Continue readingSometimes getting an electric guitar sound is dead easy and other times getting it to fit into the track seems nearly impossible. Here’s an excerpt from my Audio Recording Boot Camp book that provides an almost foolproof method for miking a guitar amp. “Electric guitar recording has evolved through the years, from miking the guitar amp from a […]
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If you’re a musician or engineer, you life is entangled in some way with a computer. For some of us, the computer is an essential part of our workflow, while for others, not so much. If you’re one of the geekier readers who constantly lives inside the computer, then this post is for you. It’s […]
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