For many mixers, the legendary Teletronix LA-2A is still at the top of the list when it comes to vocal compressors, regardless of the vintage. The original unit does have some limitations however, thanks to its 1962 design. Many of these were addressed by the Tubetech CL 1B in 1991, a unit that was soon […]
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Lately I’ve been getting some questions regarding some of the terms I use during song critiques, so that means it’s probably a good time to break out the mixing glossary from my Mixing Engineer’s Handbook. 0dB Full Scale. Abbreviated FS, it’s the highest level that can be recorded in the digital domain. Recording beyond 0dBFS […]
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On my latest podcast episode: Mike Dickey and Russ Gavin of online collaboration tool JackTrip Labs speak about the things that contribute to latency in online collaboration, the musicians who are the most sensitive to latency, why zero latency can actually be disconcerting to some players, why conference calling apps won’t cut it for music, […]
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Mastering is a vastly misunderstood process that’s a lot more than just raising the level and adding some EQ. That said, mixers definitely have a need to do just that when mastering budgets are non-existent. That’s where the new MasterMind mastering plugin from United Plugins and SoundDevice Digital comes in. True mastering revolves around a […]
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The jury is still out on the legality of AI-generated songs or artist deep-fakes. Musicians, artists and songwriters generally feel threatened by the prospect, as well they should, since we’re seeing some Spotify charts already dominated by artificial artists and songs. But what if you taught a neural network to mimic your own voice? Is […]
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On my latest podcast episode: Producer/engineer/mixer Joe Chiccarelli talks about working as a music supervisor, the impetus for his Leapwing Signature plugin, the analog gear that the plugin is based on, producing in different genres, and much more. Is it worth being an opening act on a tour? A look at the AES NYC 2022 […]
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When Lexicon came out with its 224 digital reverb in 1978 it took the world by storm. When the company followed it up with model 480 in 1986 it became the go-to reverb in studios all over the world. Even today many engineers feel that it’s the gold standard for how reverbs are supposed to […]
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While most musicians want high-profile gigs that keep them from working day jobs, even those that are successful have a dream of getting into film scoring. Many musicians with lucrative gigs playing with superstars, and even superstars themselves, will quit everything for that one shot of touching Hollywood and scoring a film. There’s a glitter […]
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On my latest podcast episode: Indie Week (November 8 to 12) founder Darryl Hurs talks about the advice that led him to change careers, getting a job with Live Nation, the biggest mistake indie artists make, trends in the indie world, and much more. How playlists are now controlling the music industry without anyone noticing […]
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Modeling microphones are wonderful devices, designed to emulate a wide variety of vintage mics that are out of reach in price and availability to the average user. The problem is that you have to buy the microphone to get the simulations which can still be pricey. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could turn any […]
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Whenever I do song critiques or hit song analysis for my Hit Makers Club members, I can always bet I’ll get the same two comments, “How did you know to listen for that?” and “I’ve listened to this song dozens of times but I’ve never heard that before!” That’s because we’ve grown up hearing, but […]
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On my latest podcast episode: Music publisher Sean O’Malley talks about working for ASCAP, the differences between GMR and other PROs, AI-generated songs, the era of derivative content, the future of music publishing, and much more. The rise and fall of music clubs and venues – it’s been happen longer than you think The Global […]
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We live in a DAW world where outboard mic pres can suffice for most recording projects, but if you’re tracking and need a fair amount of mic pres, then there’s no solution like a real console. Most small studios don’t need a huge number of inputs that a large format desk can bring though, and […]
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While some people think of bongos as a remnant from the old beatnik days, it’s surprising how often they’re used to add movement to a track. Here are a couple of techniques from my Recording Engineer’s Handbook, along with some additional aspects of the instrument to pay attention to. Considerations Before placing the microphone, there […]
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On my latest podcast episode: Rod Stewart music director and keyboardist Chuck Kentis talks about playing sessions in New York City, getting the gig with Rod, writing production and game music, cutting basics with a band, Eurorack synthesis, and much more. A look at the rumored Spotify Platinum tier with HIFI audio Overlooked mastering skills […]
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