We’re out of the holiday season for now, but that doesn’t meant the next one isn’t right around the corner. These gifts for music producers are sure to satisfy the hard-to-buy-for creators in your life. Useful Gifts for Music Producers…
World Class Latin Pop Engineer & Mixer: Maria Elisa Ayerbe
Maria Ayerbe is Grammy nominated audio engineer with more than 13 years of experience in recording, mixing, music production, and audio post production. Born and raised in Colombia, Maria knew she wanted to be an audio engineer by the time…
Sonnox Inflator Review: Loudness without Compromise
The Sonnox Inflator plugin has been around for almost two decades. It’s sort of a mysterious desert island tool for many engineers, somewhere in between a compressor and a limiter. The Inflator is able to increase perceived loudness, and it…
Sub Bass: EQ and Mixing Tips
Sub bass is the stuff that’s felt more than heard. It’s an important part of a mix because it contributes to so much of the power listeners feel. In some genres sub bass a leading part of a mix, and…
Are Speakers the Most Important Part of Your Studio Setup?
In this episode of MakeMineMusic, Marc Daniel Nelson talks about his journey with critical listening and speak choices. Follow as he gives tips on how to best setup your speakers and what to think about while choosing a speaker that…
Using Parallel Compression to Craft Hard-Hitting Drums!
Today, we are talking all about parallel drum compression! We actually recently completed a course on drum compression using only Slate plugins! Click here to get Mixing Pop/Rock with Slate Plugins! In the course, I mix a song by Little…
Lyle Workman: World-Class Composer & Session Guitarist (Beck, Jellyfish, Sting)
Lyle Workman hasn’t just had a successful career—he’s had three. As a sideman and first-call session musician, he’s toured and recorded with everyone from Beck and Sting to Frank Black and Todd Rundgren; as a composer for film and television,…
Spotify Playlist Placement | Have Your Music Heard
Digital streaming is the #1 way people consume music. Streams equated to almost 85% of US album sales in 2019, which means pushing physical copies is a thing of the past for most artists. Beyond just uploading to the platform,…
Synchro Arts VocAlign Ultra Review
Synchro Arts are the makers of the Emmy-winning VocAlign software for post-production and music. They’re proud to announce the newest addition to their audio alignment lineup: VocAlign Ultra. VocAlign Ultra: Industry Leading Audio Alignment VocAlign has been the go-to tool…
Artists Who Changed Music: Django Reinhardt
Written by Paul Tingen Django Reinhard has been called “the greatest guitarist who ever lived.” During his heyday, the 1930s and 40s, Reinhardt came up with solo and harmonic innovations on the guitar that had a big impact on modern…
You May Ask Yourself…How Did They Get There?: The Sonic Fusions of the Talking Heads’ Remain in Light
Written by Caitlin Vaughn Carlos Reflecting on the lyrics to the Talking Heads iconic track “Once in a Lifetime,” David Byrne told NPR, “We’re largely unconscious. You know, we operate half awake or on autopilot and end up, whatever, with…
McDSP Royal Mu & Q Plugins Review
McDSP announces two brand new APB plugins today, designed for use with their Analog Processing Box hardware — the Royal Mu and the Royal Q! Many of us are already familiar with McDSP, as they’ve been an award-winning audio tech…
Neural DSP Archetype: Gojira Review
Over the past few years, Neural DSP have established themselves as a premiere amp sim developer. Their popular Archetype series features signature plugins by renowned modern guitarists, including Plini, Tosin Abasi, Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood, and Cory Wong. Today, the series…
Mad Scientist in Nashville: Justin Cortelyou Refuses To Be Boxed In
Written by Paul Tingen Click here to get Recording & Mixing Country with Justin Cortelyou! “The most inspirational day of my career was probably when I was working on the first Hollywood Vampires record. It was so cool to be…
Monitor Isolation Pads | Home Studio Accessories
Monitor isolation pads are a small but important addition to any home studio arrangement. In this article we’ll look at what they are, whether they’re 100% necessary, and how you might make some of your own! What are monitor isolation…
Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro: The Wireless Earbuds Used by Grammy-Winning Artists!
Today, we are trying out the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro earbuds! These earbuds are wireless, noise-cancelling, and very affordable. They are also recommended by tons of people, including Grammy-winning artists like Ne-Yo, Colbie Caillat, Halestorm, Daya, and more! We…
IK Multimedia UNO Synth Review
UNO Synth Pro and UNO Synth Pro Desktop are two brand new offerings from IK Multimedia. Developed in conjunction with Italian boutique synth-maker Soundmachines, both of these new analog synthesizers take the UNO monophonic synth and expand it in practically…
Audio-Technica AT2035 Review
The Audio-Technica AT2035 is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone. This budget-friendly offering displays all of the hallmarks of a great multi-purpose condenser, including detailed frequency response and low self-noise. Its competitive pricing makes it one of the top choices for home…
Automations & Transitions: Take Your Mix to the Next Level – Marc Daniel Nelson
In this episode of MakeMineMusic, Marc Daniel Nelson talks about how automation and transitions can make or break your mixes. This topic has been talked about a handful of times on YouTube over the past few years, but what Marc…
“Out on the Wiley, Windy Moors”: The Transcendent Artistry of Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights”
Written By Caitlin Vaughn Carlos “Every night for a couple of hours I'd sing and play. When I was 15 my family thought it would be a good idea to maybe meet some people in the music business and see…
Marc Urselli: 3x Grammy Winner & Chief House Engineer at EastSide Sound!
Marc Urselli is a renowned, in-demand freelance producer and engineer. He is currently based in New York City at the historic & legendary recording studio, EastSide Sound, where he is the Chief House Engineer. Originally from Italy, Marc came to…
Grammy-Winning Engineer: Bill Schnee (Steely Dan, Ringo, Dire Straits)
Bill Schnee is a musician, music, producer, and audio engineer. He started playing music with he was very young, beginning with training in trumpet, saxophone, and piano In his senior year of high school, Schnee started a band called The…
UA Console Application Explained
The UA Console application is the key to Apollo interfaces’ Realtime UAD Processing capabilities. It lets you insert and control UAD plugins, as well as route and monitor audio. UA Console: Recording Through Plugins Perhaps the main feature of UA’s…
RC-20 Retro Color Review
RC-20 Retro Color by XLN Audio is a popular creative effects plugin. With its multiple parameters, you can quickly add character and vintage vibe to any sound source in your mix. RC-20 Retro Color Overview The idea behind Retro Color…
METAL MIX CONTEST! Over $25,000 in Prizes!
We are back with another mix contest! This is going to be a fun one because, for the first time, we are doing metal! We have done all kinds of genres, but we have never done full blown metal for…
Pro Tools Shortcuts for Faster Session Navigation
Keyboard shortcuts are the quickest way around your DAW. They let you do in one keystroke what would normally take extra time sifting through menus. If you hope to become a proficient engineer, then key commands are indispensable! Here are…
Flux BitterSweet v3 | Free Transient Designer Plugin
The first transient designer came out in the late ’90s. It was a whole new concept that left lots of people wondering whether it was a compressor, or a noise gate, or something else entirely. The real answer is the…
Songs that Changed Music: Phil Collins – In the Air Tonight
Written by Paul Tingen Phil Collins’ 1981 debut single, “In the Air Tonight,” is one of the most influential pop songs of all time. The song has many striking features. It starts with drums from a Roland CR-78 drum machine…
The Ultimate Studio Starter Pack? – EVO Start Recording Bundle
Audient has released a brand new product today: the EVO Start Recording Bundle! This bundle includes the EVO 4 interface, SR2000 Headphones, and an SR1 Condenser Microphone with a shock mount. This bundle is designed for beginners, to help you…
Slate Trigger: Industry Standard Drum Replacement
Drums are difficult to mix. Just the sheer number of mics creates unique challenges we don’t encounter with other instruments. This is probably why there are so many plugins dedicated to drum mixing; and Slate Trigger tops the list as…
Masters of Production: Hugh Padgham
Written by Paul Tingen Hugh Padgham is one of the world’s top producers, on par music industry legends like Phil Spector, George Martin, Quincy Jones, Phil Ramone, Brian Eno, and Rick Rubin, to name but a few. The reason why…
Squarp Pyramid Review: 64-Track Sequencer
The Squarp Pyramid Mk3 sequencer is considered ‘the perfect brain for your musical setup, from studio to stage.’ It combines a powerful 64-track sequencer, a looper, a rhythm generator, a real-time effects processor, a MIDI controller, and an I/O interface.…
Spectrasonics Keyscape Review
Spectrasonics Keyscape is a virtual instrument featuring an extensive set of ‘collector keyboards.’ Everything from iconic pianos to more obscure instruments were sampled to create this expansive collection. Spectrasonics Keyscape: A Studio Must-Have? Keyscape was ten years in the making.…
Happy New Year! – Download These 28 Sets of Multitracks for Free!
Happy New Year everyone! I know 2020 has been an interesting year, to say the least. It has been a trying year under the pandemic with so many people being stuck at home, and with so much economic insecurity all…