Mixing With Emotion and Finding Purpose
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
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”
Slate Digital FG-Dynamics Review
From Mellow To MADNESS – Apogee Clearmountain Phases
Antares’ Auto-Tune Unlimited
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
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
The Secret To Mixing Low End
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
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
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”
From Punk Guitarist to Nashville Producer: Jay Joyce
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
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…