Waves CLA EPIC Review & Demo
EQ/Compression Plugins Modeled After Analog Gear
Not all, but many of the plugins we reach for while mixing in-the-box are modeled after analog gear. Engineers made some of the best sounding records of all time well before any of us started recording in our bedrooms; and…
How to Change Keys in a Song
One of the simplest ways to add interest to your songwriting is through key changes. Also called ‘modulation,’ knowing when and how to change keys in a song is a great skill to have. Modulation should not be confused with…
Free 2 Hour Mastering Course – Happy Thanksgiving!
Cytomic The Glue: Best SSL Bus Compressors?
Cytomic The Glue is an affordable SSL-style bus compressor plugin. The plugins gets its name from the SSL hardware’s famous ability to ‘glue’ mixes together. Even though there are tons of SSL bus compression plugins on the market, Cytomic makes…
Amazing Vocal Chain for Pop ITB (Including custom presets) – Marc Daniel Nelson
How Soon is Forever?: The Rocky Start and Lasting Legacy of The Smiths’ Iconic Track
Does Your Mix Sound Accurate?
10 Truths of Recording & Mixing
Who is Plini? “The Future of Exceptional Guitar Playing”
Plini Roessler-Holgate is an Australian, Sydney-based guitar player, who’s been releasing instrumental progressive rock/metal under his own name since 2013. He’s a key figure of the current instrumental prog scene, alongside other pivotal artists like Intervals, Polyphia, Jakub Zytecki, David…
The Old Music Industry vs The New Music Industry
The Rupert Neve Designs MBC: A Deep Dive
Written by Chris Frasco In an audio landscape where things are continually moving further inside the box, many of us are craving some tactile interaction with our mixes – not to mention some analog flavor. To help us along, Rupert…
Best Vocoder Plugins 2020: Fun Vocal Effects
A vocoder is an effect we’ve heard in music from the ’70s to the present day. It’s frequently described as the ‘robot voice’ heard in songs like “Intergalactic” by Beastie Boys. Like everything else, vocoders have gone software in the…
Remix Contest – $23,000 in Prizes! (CLO – Blackout)
FabFilter vs. iZotope Plugins for Music Production
When it comes to mixing and mastering, we have access to hundreds of amazing plugins from many companies. We collect our favorites from a variety of developers since there’s no be-all-end-all plugin maker. However, an interesting debate we’ve occasionally seen…
Artists Who Changed Music: Miles Davis
Getting Credit on a Major Label Release
For producers, engineers, and musicians, getting proper credit forms the foundation of a career. Credit, or lack thereof, can quite literally be the difference between being busy or waiting around for a gig. Particularly as engineers, getting credit on a…
Best Desktop Interface? | Antelope Audio Zen Tour Synergy Core
Should you use Mixing Templates?
Flanger vs. Phaser: What’s the Difference?
Two of the most common modulation effects are flanger vs. phaser. We’ve heard both all over various recordings, and they do have a similar sound. This lends itself to some confusion, but if you know the subtle differences between each,…
What Is a Pentatonic Scale? Basic Music Theory
The pentatonic scale has been around for centuries. It features 5 notes per octave compared to 7 notes per octave found in most other scales, such as the natural major and minor. Numerous ancient civilizations independently created their own pentatonic…
Find Your Signature Sound with the JZ Microphones BB29!
What Does a Pop Filter Do? Recording Vocals
(Alisa Apps Featured in Photo) A pop filter is a simple mesh shield we place in front of a microphone. Typically made of nylon or metal, they clamp to a mic stand with an adjustable gooseneck. For most close-miked vocal…
My Mixing Templates: Marc Daniel Nelson
Stop Motion Transformations: Peter Gabriel’s Artistic Ascent into Pop Stardom with “Sledgehammer”
Bass Compression: The Foundation of Any Mix
Bass compression is easily one of the most important parts of a mix. Bass gives music that energy which is often felt more than heard. Low-end energy is critical because it has the power to produce a defined groove and an intelligible…
How to Mix Background Vocals
We tend to mix background vocals differently than leads. Depending on the arrangement, they’re usually underneath the lead for support so they don’t steal the show. In some cases, background vocals will actually overtake the leads, such as in a…
Circle of Fifths: Easily Navigate Every Key
The circle of fifths is a roadmap for musicians. It shows the relationship between all 12 notes of the chromatic scale, and helps us navigate key signatures with ease. A fundamental part of any beginner to intermediate theory lesson, the…
Master Bus Compression: Hardware vs. Plugins
What Happens When Music Isn’t Fun Anymore?
Chances are you’ve experienced moments in your life when music wasn’t much fun, or maybe you’re experiencing it now. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an engineer, producer, songwriter, or all of those. It’s totally natural, from time to time, to…
Recording Huge Drums with 4 Mics: The Glyn Johns Method
The famed Glyn Johns Method get its name from the man himself — an exceptional producer/engineer who’s worked with legendary artists like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, the Beatles (Get Back sessions), The Who, Eagles, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, the Band, Eric…
Should You Record an EP or Full-Length Album?
This is an interesting question, because it seems an increasing trend for independent artists — especially those recording at home or on tight budgets — is to make an EP rather than an LP. There are some obvious and some…
Recording Drums with One Microphone: Techniques
Believe it or not, you can totally get away with recording drums with one microphone! Even though we’re accustomed to close miking each piece of the kit in order to get the biggest, punchiest sound we can, that isn’t always…
History of the Shure SM57, the Most Popular Dynamic Mic Ever Made
The Shure SM57 is the definitive workhorse microphone. It’s ubiquitous across the world, from home project studios to world-renowned places like Sunset Sound. The microphone is rock solid, pragmatic in cost and usage, and highly effective. It’s impossible to miss…
Preparing Your Band Record an EP Efficiently
Getting ready to record an EP is a bit easier than a full-length album from a logistics standpoint. Obviously, EPs are less material than full-lengths. They usually range anywhere from about 3 to 7 songs. Instead of trying to bulk out…
How to use the Drum Replacer plugin
How to Use F. Reid Shippen’s Drum Replacement Plugin of Choice In our blog post “Get F. Reid Shippen’s Drum Samples,” Reid mentioned a drum trigger software that “may or may not be coming out that he can’t confirm nor…
Making Music on Your Phone: The Best Apps for Mobile
Musicians’ creativity doesn’t stop when they’re on the road. In a perfect world, we’d all have access to the comfort of our home studios 24/7, churning out music as often as we’d like. But whether you’re a full-time artist/producer or…
Why I Love Leapwing Audio Plugins!
Van Halen: How a Los Angeles Bar Band Turned into Legends
Our Secret Weapon for Repairing Audio!
Recording Rock Royalty – Rush, Aerosmith & More (Interview with Richard Chycki)
