Gibson is making news again, although not all for the negative reasons of the past. First of all, the company announced that it will be moving its Memphis manufacturing back to Nashville, and that the company will return to the upcoming NAMM show after a very obvious absence last year. When the company announced that […]
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Choosing a set of monitors is a subject that I’ve gotten a lot of questions about lately, and it’s also something that I’m experiencing myself. I posted this before but it’s a good time for it again. It’s surprising that so many monitors speakers are purchased just from a review or word of mouth, since they’re […]
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There’s always been a lot of repetition in song lyrics, obviously with some artists and songs more than others. That said, has it been happening more lately than in previous decades? Computer scientist Donald Kuth published an article in 1977 called The Complexity Of Songs that analyzed the subject back then, but there hasn’t been […]
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Really good standalone microphone preamps are expensive, as well they should be. There’s a lot more that goes into a great design than meets the eye, and for quite some time the price on most premium models has hovered between $800 and $1,200 or so per channel. That’s why the Daking Mic Pre II is […]
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My guest today on the podcast is Frank Fitzpatrick, who’s a multi-platinum selling record producer, Grammy-nominated songwriter, social entrepreneur and award-winning filmmaker. Frank started in the business in concert promotion but soon became a protege of hit producer Richard Perry. His eyes were always on music for film rather than hit songs though, and he’s been quite successful […]
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When it comes to Apple products I have one of each category from most of the production line. From iPhone to iPad to Macbook Pro to iMac, most of my personal and professional needs are covered. That said, I’ve dabbled in doing serious music on my iPhone and iPad and I could never quite get […]
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When iconic record producer George Martin passed away a few years ago it brought effusive thoughts, memories and well-deserved accolades from all quarters of the music business. Most dwelled on Sir George’s creative accomplishments, and truly there were many. Just his work with The Beatles alone changed the way we make music forever, not to mention his […]
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Believe it or not, electronic music started in the 1920s, gained steam in the 40s, took off in the 50s, and has become a part of our everyday lives today. We think nothing of having a computer generate music today, especially as artificial intelligence makes great strides, but the first time that music was created […]
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Cubase is a DAW that seems like it’s been around forever and has perhaps the largest paid user base of any platform. One of the reasons for its popularity is that Steinberg developers continue to update it on a regular basis with features that are usually a step ahead of the competition. True to form, […]
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My guest today on the podcast is trumpet player and vocalist Mark Pender, who’s played with Southside Johnny, Little Steven and Bruce Springsteen, and, as a member of the Miami Horns, toured and recorded with Diana Ross, Joe Cocker, Robert Cray and Bon Jovi, among others. Since 1993 Mark has been a fixture on late night TV, performing on over 4,000 episodes of Late Night with Conan […]
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While the typical guitar player of yesterday couldn’t wait to join a band, that’s not so much the goal of the guitar player of today according to the latest study by Fender. The consumer research done by the company actually indicates the guitar market is finally looking up after many years of decline, but maybe not […]
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With powerful mastering tools now available to everyone, it’s easy to do more harm than good when self-mastering. Although you’re always better off going to a true mastering engineer, sometimes that’s just not in the budget. Here are a few mastering compressor tips that can also apply to mixing from the 4th edition of my […]
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I’ve always been a huge Who fan and just as big a fan of producer/engineer Glyn Johns’ work. This video is from an interview at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, November 19, 2012, and focuses on the recording of the seminal Who’s Next. What’s especially interesting is how many of the main parts in several […]
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Cyber Monday is a great day for a deal, so I decided to put together my own list of cool accessories especially for musicians and engineers. Here are some items that make great gifts for any musician or engineer (even yourself). Etymotic Research ER20 Earplugs – I keep trying other earplugs and keep coming […]
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My guest today on the podcast is engineer Paul Hollman, who mixes and edits sound for film, TV, and streaming broadcast. His work currently airs on Netflix, Amazon, SyFy, Discovery, Seso, Go90, and Hallmark Channel, and he’s also mixed documentaries which aired on Fox, NBC and PBS. Paul offers clients a full range of sound […]
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