Mixing With Emotion and Finding Purpose
Today, we're joined by our good friend and Grammy-nominated engineer, Matthew Weiss of Weiss Advice.  Matt Weiss is a GRAMMY-nominated, platinum recording and mixing engineer who’s worked with artists like Akon, Swae Lee, Jeremih, Chris Brown, Sonny Digital, Nicky Minaj, Becky G,…
What Is RMS and How Does It Differ from True Peak?

What is RMS? What’s true peak? What the heck is LUFS? All of these are totally reasonable questions in the weird world of audio! There are lots of different ways we measure loudness, and it can be tough to pin…

Akai MPK Mini Mk3 MIDI Controller Review

The Akai MPK Mini Mk3 is one of the most popular choices for a quality, travel-size MIDI controller. There’s an abundance of options available in the 25-key category, but Akai remains a standout. Akai Continues to Build on Its Legacy…

Scale Degrees: What Are They and Why Do They Matter in the Studio

Engineers and producers can always benefit from understanding the basics of music theory. Knowing enough of the “language of music” to get by is helpful for communicating effectively with session musicians, for example. Having the ear is most important, but…

JZ Microphones vs $50,000 Vintage Microphones
Warren let Studio Manager, Eric and Production Editor, Mel Torres take care of things for the day. We had our friend and artist, Davon in the studio so Mel and Eric decided to film the entire process whilst shooting out…
The 5 Best Shotgun Microphones for Your Home Studio

The shotgun mic is a film/TV industry staple for capturing extremely directional audio with little ambient noise. We’ll cover a few of the top shotgun microphones around if you’re looking to pick one up for your personal collection. What Is…

9 Best Stereo Imaging Plugins Available [FREE & PAID]

Stereo imaging is a pivotal part of any mix. It mostly has to do with with the spatial locations of each sound source, both side-to-side and front-to-back. A well-mixed stereo image means listeners can easily identify where sounds are coming…

Ableton Push 2 Review: An All-in-One MIDI Controller

Ableton launched the Push controller in collaboration with AKAI back in 2013. Designed to function inside Ableton Live software, it was an innovative device meant to be treated like an instrument rather than an average MIDI controller. The company soon…

Plugin Boutique Scaler 2 Review

Scaler 2 is one of many compositional aids and chord generating plugins currently available. It makes sense; software helps with everything else related to recording music—why not give us a push at the actual songwriting stage? We’ll see how Plugin…

How the Buggles Predicted the Future of Popular Music with “Video Killed the Radio Star”
At 12:01am on August 1, 1981 - MTV opened its debut broadcast with the perfectly titled “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Written several years earlier in 1978, Buggles co-founders Geoff Downes, and Trevor Horn, along with former bandmate Bruce Wooley…
Slate Digital FG-Dynamics Review
We're really excited about this one! Slate Digital just announced their brand new compressor, the FG-Dynamics! It felt exactly as it needed to feel and does what my SSL does! Check out the full review below. About FG-Dynamics Slate Digital’s…
From Mellow To MADNESS – Apogee Clearmountain Phases
Today we are checking out the brand new plugin by the Mixers Mixer, Bob Clearmountain! Get the Phases Plugin here! 'Phases' is an authentic plugin emulation of Bob Clearmountain’s Vintage Analog Flanger & Phaser Rack Modules. They've also kindly given…
Antares’ Auto-Tune Unlimited
Today we are with Matt Weiss, Adam Steel, & Cato Zane, checking out Auto-Tune Unlimited by Antares! Auto-Tune Unlimited delivers the complete set of tools you need to make any vocal performance a perfect performance. Our friends at Antares also…
Understanding Texture in Music (And How to Utilize It in a Mix)

When we hear the word “texture,” we tend to picture visual or tactile mediums. Paintings and photographs can vividly capture a sense of texture, as can sculptures, architecture, and things naturally occurring in nature. But what about texture in music?…

Serenity Meets Pop: How Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” Set the Tone for Nineties Songwriting
Over the course of the 80s, British electronic music legends Depeche Mode led the forefront of the synthpop and industrial pop music scenes, catapulting the alternative sounds of these worlds into mainstream attention. At the decade’s end (and seemingly at…
Using Polyrhythms to Create More Interesting Mixes

Introducing polyrhythm is one way to make your productions more interesting. It doesn’t have to be overly complex to stand out and take your music to the next level! Polyrhythm vs. Polymeter: What’s the Difference? Both share a prefix, but…

Getting a Job in the Music Industry
Today our wonderful friend and Produce Like A Pro team member, Eric, is joining us to share how he got into the music industry, and to pass along advice on how you can get your start in the industry as…
The Secret To Mixing Low End
Today we have the incredibly talented Mixer, Producer and Engineer, Emiliano Caballero, with us sharing his trick to mixing low end. This trick preserves and increases the headroom of the mix without thinning out the entire track and maintaining a…
Moog Mother 32 Review: The Last Modular Synth You’ll Ever Need

The Moog Mother 32 is a semi-modular desktop synthesizer. It’s a great introductory synth for anyone looking to get into modular territory, though it performs just as well as a unique standalone instrument for beginners or veterans alike. The Moog…

Building A Studio: Measuring The Room’s Response
Today, we have another video looking at our progress with our new studio build! We are changing a small kids bedroom into a studio, and showing you guys every step in our process so you can build a studio too.…
Understanding Note Frequency Charts (And Why You Should Be Using One)

A note frequency chart lists the 12 notes of the Western scale and their corresponding frequencies in Hz across octaves. Charts like these are very easy to read, and while it isn’t a requirement to keep one nearby at all…

One Trick To Save Time When Mixing
Our new and incredibly talented content creator, Mel Torres, is joining us today to share his one trick to save time when mixing! This trick works in any DAW, and is a consistent way to achieve mixes that involve the…
When to Use Serial Processing vs Parallel Processing

Serial processing and parallel processing are two common techniques mixers use everyday. We’ll examine the differences between the two, and cover some basic scenarios where you’d want to employ one or the other. What is serial processing? Serial processing is…

From the Savoy to Studio 54: How Chic Transformed Dance Music with “Le Freak”
In 1977, the band Chic was a fast rising phenomenon. But that still wasn’t enough to grant Chic founders Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers access to one of the hottest New York clubs of the time - Studio 54. In…
From Punk Guitarist to Nashville Producer: Jay Joyce
Jay Joyce is an American record producer, songwriter and session musician. In the 1990s, Joyce, with Chris Feinstein and Brad Pemberton, recorded and toured as Iodine and began working as a record producer, working with artists such as The Wallflowers,…
Hooktheory Hookpad Review: The Ultimate Musical Sketchpad

As we all know, songwriting isn’t easy—if it was, everyone would be doing it. We can have ideas in our head, but sometimes translating those through our instrument(s) and into our DAW becomes tedious and uninspiring. Sometimes we’ll sit down…

3 Essential Mastering Tips You Need To Know
Today we are showing 3 different excerpts, from 3 different courses, with 3 different producers and they will talk you through their master bus processing! These excerpts tell you about essential mastering tips that can help you with any mix. Check…
Bluebird SL Condenser Mic Review

The Bluebird SL by BLUE Microphones is a low-cost, all-around condenser that’s suitable for a range of applications. We’ll take a look at whether you should add one to your mic locker! The Bluebird SL cardioid condenser microphone is a…

Mixing On The BRAND NEW Sennheiser HD400 PRO
Today we are looking at the Sennheiser HD 400 PRO Headphones! Using songs by The Fray (that Warren produced), Queen, and more, we will be testing out these headphones and seeing what amazing things they can do. Sennheiser generously gave…
Ry Cooder: An American Genius
Cooder is a master of the slide guitar, both acoustic and the electric. He has integrated many rock elements into his blues- and folk-based playing, and his rhythm playing is as distinct as his soloing. Cooder possesses immaculate feel, timing,…
How To Create Ambience With No Plugins
Today we have our friend and Grammy-Nominated Latin Producer and Mixer, Emiliano Caballero, sharing his trick to creating ambience WITHOUT plugins! Emiliano started out at Galaxy Studios in Belgium, where he worked in several scoring projects for movies with composers…
Building A Studio: The Best Interfaces and Speakers For Home Studios
Today we have part THREE of our Building A New Studio series, where I am turning a small children's bedroom into a studio! Check out Part 1 and 2 here Our friends from Sweetwater, including one of my old engineers…