January 2021

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…

Audio Engineering

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…

Drum Mixing

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…

Audio Engineering

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,…

Gear Review

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…

Songs That Changed Music

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…

Audio Engineering

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…

Gear Review

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…

Gear Review

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…

Audio Engineering

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…

Gear Review

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…

Gear Review

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…

Gear Review

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…

Audio Engineering

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…

Audio Engineering

“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…

Audio Engineering

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…

Interviews

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…

Audio Engineering

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…

The Best Microphone Preamps for Any Budget

Recording

The 12 Best Microphone Preamps for Every Budget in 2022

Microphone preamps are the next devices in the signal path right after the mic. We need preamps to amplify mic signals to line level, which is the standard operating level of recording equipment. Even when going direct with higher output…

Audio Engineering

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…

Gear Review

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…

Audio Engineering

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…

Audio Engineering

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…