There’s just no way around it: the most important factor in recording acoustic guitar is the player! A quality performance with great technique will get you an awesome recording 99 times out of 100. After the musician, the next most important…
What are the best reference tracks for indie/alternative bands? | FAQ Friday
This week we have a little something extra to add to FAQ Friday! Just yesterday, Martin from Fender reached out to us and asked if we would like to try out the brand new Fender Acoustasonic Stratocaster! And of course…
From Writing Letters to Studios to Writing Hit Songs | Interview with Gary Go
A complete transcription of the interview can be found below: Warren Huart: Hi everybody, hope you’re doing marvelously well. Sitting here with Gary Go. How are you? Gary Go: Good, thank you, Warren. Good to see you. Warren Huart: Good to…
IK Multimedia Brings the Magic of Sunset Sound to Your DAW
The legendary Sunset Sound is a world famous studio where some of the most iconic music of all time has been recorded. Few studios in the world have made as much of an impact on music culture as Hollywood's Sunset…
8 Tips for Amazing Low End!
Mixing low end can be tricky, and it is something we get a lot of questions about! Today I will be sharing some tips and tricks that you can use to get great low end in your mixes! We also…
Stem Mastering Explained
If you’ve heard “stem mastering” mentioned in recent years, you’re not alone if you’re wondering what the heck it means! We’ll take a quick look at the “regular” mastering process and how stem mastering differs from it. Let’s refresh. What…
6 Reverb Tips for Clean and Creative Mixes
Learning how to use reverb is an essential mixing skill. Time-based effects have the ability to add dimension to your mix, and give instruments their own sonic space. Reverb is often used to push mix elements further back, but it…
Does tinnitus affect your mixes? | FAQ Friday
Today's featured question is: Does tinnitus affect your mixes? For those of you who don't know what tinnitus is, it is the sensation of hearing ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, whistling, or other sounds, caused by prolonged exposure to loud sounds.…
An Acoustic Approach to Electronic Music | Interview with Neon Vines
Neon Vines is an Austin-based electronic musician with an acoustic background in classical piano, drum line, and marimba. She attributes many of the techniques she developed as a marimba player to the skills she uses to produce music today. A…
Building a career in music – From small clubs to national tours | Interview & Studio Tour w/ Rodger Carter
Rodger Carter is one of the rare Los Angeles natives working full-time in the music industry. He began his life in professional music by playing club shows on the Sunset Strip at just 14-years-old. A drummer by trade, steady studio…
Mix Bus Compression Tips for Better Mixes Today
Every professional mix/master you’ve heard has benefitted from a splash of bus compression. It adds what we call “glue” to a mix by smoothing out the overall dynamic range of the material. Done well, mix bus compression can take your…
The Different Kinds of Microphones and Their Applications
The more you get into the recording craft, the more you’ll start to recognize different types of microphones and their uses. There’s a huge world of mics out there, but knowing the major types will help you determine what to…
How can you make your mix stand out? | FAQ Friday
We're back with another fabulous FAQ Friday! Today's featured question is: Besides width, what can I do to make my mix stand out in a mixing contest? I have participated in and judged quite a few mixing competitions in my…
Black Sabbath’s Genre-Defining Debut Was Released 50 Years Ago Today
Friday, February 13th, 1970 is inarguably one of the most important dates in music history. On the eve of Saint Valentine’s 50 years ago, Black Sabbath released their earth shattering self-titled debut album. It’s not hyperbolic to say that the…
Kali WS-12 Project Watts Subwoofer | Demo & Giveaway
We have a very exciting demo for you all today! Kali Audio has just released the Kali WS-12 Project Watts Subwoofer, and we have the opportunity to try it out! We are also lucky enough to get to give one…
Our Top 10 Guitar Riffs of All Time feat. Quist
We recently had the amazing opportunity to sit down with Quist - aka Jacob Quistgaard - of QuistTV! Quist first picked up his father's acoustic guitar when he was just 6 years old, learning chords and Dylan-esque finger picking from…
Pro De-Esser Tips for Better Sounding Vocals
Sibilance is what we call the hissing noise made by “ess” and “shh” sounds in the voice. We typically don’t notice it in conversation, but it can get really harsh on a recorded vocal! Naturally, the digital audio world came…
Kick Drum: Killer Tips for the Best Sounding Low End
The kick drum is one of the most important elements of any mix. Together with bass, it forms the backbone of a song and establishes the groove which grabs listeners’ attention. It’s a challenge to get the kick sounding its…
What acoustic guitars would you recommend for a pop/rock mix? | FAQ Friday
Happy FAQ Friday everyone! We have some great questions in today's video! Before we get to those though, we have an exciting new plugin to share with you: The Pulsar Smasher! This plugin is a straightforward extreme compressor modeled after…
From Humble Home Studio to Massive Audio Career with Colin Liebich | Interview & Studio Tour
Colin Liebich: … and I was walking down the hallway and the manager said, “Hey, I’m talking to you,” and I said, “I know. It’s ridiculous.” I literally said that. I was just done with work and I knew it…
Award Winning Storytelling through Sound & Score | Interview with Lars Deutsch
Warren Huart: Hello everybody. Hope you’re doing marvelously well. I’m sitting here with Lars Deutsch. How are ya? Lars Deutsch: Nice. How are you? Warren Huart: I’m marvelous, and we’re just talking about a second ago, this is Magic Corridor…
Vocal EQ Tips for Beginning Mixers
Vocal EQ is one of the ways we get a recorded performance from “dry” to “radio-ready.” It has a huge influence on the overall quality of a vocal, and even just simple moves like filtering can change the sound completely.…
How to Use Parallel Compression
Parallel compression, also called New York compression, is a form of upward dynamic control. An instrument’s dynamic range is reduced not by squashing the peaks, but by bringing up the quietest parts in the material, adding greater detail and excitement…