One of the best ways to make all the elements fit in a mix is by frequency juggling. That’s where you make sure that no two instruments are boosted at the same frequency so they never fight for attention in the mix. Here are 3 steps from the 3rd edition of my Mixing Engineer’s Handbook […]
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Here’s a brilliant video about some of the little things that every Fender Strat owner should know be probably doesn’t (I know I didn’t). In fact, I’ll bet there’s at least one of these things that you’ll probably want to incorporate right now after you watch the video. Here Phillip McKnight does a great job explaining these […]
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Let’s face it, when it comes to a new piece of gear or plugin we’re often enamored because it’s brand new, or because of the name on it, or what we’ve read about it. How often do we do real blind testing? The answer is probably “Not much” since blind testing is pretty hard to […]
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There’s so much to learn from the old Motown records in terms of arrangements and groove. You can hear more when you strip off the lead vocal and just listen to the instrumental track laid down by The Funk Brothers (the Motown house band), which is what we’ll do today with Smokey Robinson and the Miracles […]
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You’ve probably never wondered why the drums and especially the bass hold down the rhythm section, but it turns out there’s a very specific scientific reason. A recently published study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that perceptions of time are much more acute at lower registers, and those that play […]
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There’s always so much going on during a tracking session (especially one with a lot of players involved) that it’s pretty easy to get overwhelmed with the details and demands and overlook some of the things that can really help the session along. Here’s a Basic Tracks Checklist from my latest Music Producer’s Handbook 2nd edition book that […]
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Berlin’s Hansa Studios has long been a refuge for music celebrities seeking to stay out of the limelight while recording. U2, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Iggy Pop and R.E.M. have all used the studio’s unique live room and location to their advantage, and it has resulted in some of their best work. Although it doesn’t mean […]
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I’m happy to have producer/engineer and plugin developer Joey Sturgis from Joey Sturgis Tones on my latest Inner Circle Podcast. Joey makes some of my favorite plugins (I love Finality on Kick drum), and in the interview he tells you all about the process of creating a plugin, as well as why being a user […]
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OK, this is pretty wild. What if you want to add some extra ambience to your acoustic guitar, but hate the idea of plugging into an amp or adding effects pedals. If that’s the case, then the Yamaha TransAcoustic guitar might be the thing for you. The Yamaha TransAcoustic guitar lets you add reverb and chorus […]
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There’s been a lot of hits from the past that you continue to hear on the radio, but a perennial favorite is “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” from Blue Oyster Cult. The song comes from the band’s 1976 album Agents of Fortune album, where it hit #12 on the Billboard charts and has been around ever […]
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It happens to all of us. We’re trying to recording a sound source and for some reason it’s just not happening. What to do? It’s easy to just try a bunch of random things but sometimes that makes you more confused than ever. That’s when to try this following recording checklist when all else fails. […]
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Here’s a great piece of archival footage that shows the only film ever taken of the legendary Louis Armstrong in the studio. This was during the 1959 recording of the album Satchmo Plays King Oliver and it shows Armstrong and his All Stars recording the master take of “I Ain’t Got Nobody,” as well as silent footage […]
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My guest this week is Michael Perricone, who’s not only a movie and television re-recording mixer (mean post-production mixer), but a musician and screenwriter as well. Michael has worked on tons of movies and television shows, and has mixed a number of music episodes involving Heart, Cheap Trick, ZZ Top and many others as […]
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Those tiny Eurorack synth modules have been growing in popularity, going from a simple 10×20 foot booth down in the no-mans-land basement at NAMM to a huge pavilion on the main floor. While everyone loves hardware, for many of us its just impractical in our musical creation so the new Softube Modular Eurorack emulation plugin addresses […]
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“Carry On My Wayward Son” by Kansas has been burned into our minds thanks to 40 years of constant airplay, so it’s fun to listen inside the song to what’s really going on. Here’s its isolated guitar tracks, and you’ll be surprised with at least some of them. As with just about any hit, there’s […]
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