Bob Clearmountain Demos His Plugins
Jamulus Review: The ‘Zoom’ for Musicians
Jamulus isn’t the first of its kind, but it’s definitely gotten more traction the past several months. As the need for remote collaboration skyrocketed this last year, we’ve seen dormant technology like Jamulus emerge stronger than ever. We’ll strive to…
5 Quick Automation Mixing Tricks
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…
Recording, Editing & Mixing Rock With Matt McQueen
Best Recording Software for Your Home Studio
We’ve covered recording software quite a bit over the past few months, taking a look at both the top inexpensive options, the best free daws as well as the best-of-the-best in digital audio production. And while we can’t in good…
In Ear Monitors vs Earbuds – What’s the Difference?
Technology moves fast these days. Everyone has a personal listening device in their pocket, and with those come a slew of choices for how to get that sound to your ears. IEM (short for in-ear monitors) vs earbuds appear fairly…
SubMission Audio DoubleTap – The Low End Solution
What is Spring Reverb?
Spring reverb is an early form of synthetic reverb. Similar in principle to plate, spring reverb uses a coiled up piece of metal instead of a flat sheet. What is Spring Reverb? A spring system has a transducer at one…
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…
Turning Classic Literature to Classic Rock: Rush’s “Tom Sawyer”
Motu M4 Review | ‘Premium’ Entry-Level Interface?
The M4 by Motu is an impressive interface at a super affordable price. In this Motu M4 review and spec breakdown, we’ll take a look at what sets this audio interface apart! Motu M4 Audio Interface The affordable desktop interface…
What Is Time Stretching and When Would You Use It?
Being able to time stretch digital audio, independent of pitch, is handy in all sorts of ways. Let’s have a look! What Is Time Stretch? Time stretching enables us to shorten or lengthen audio without changing its pitch. Stretching techniques…
SPL Transient Designer | Level-Independent Dynamic Control
When it debuted at the Frankfurt Prolight + Sound Fair in 1998, the SPL Transient Designer was mysterious new technology. Everyone who visited the SPL booth had the same question: is it a compressor, or is it a noise gate?…
Building Your Own Sub Kick
PreSonus FaderPort: Does Your DAW Need One?
The PreSonus FaderPort gives users tactile control over features in their DAW. With transport buttons and a single fader, it’s main use is for writing automation in a hands-on way. Control surfaces like these bridge some of the gaps between…
Types of Music Royalties: How to Make Money as an Artist
Music royalties are a complicated legal game. What happens behind the scenes for artists, songwriters, publishers, or other copyright holders to get paid is best left to lawyers who know what they’re doing. But’s important for artists to at least…
Cthulhu VST Review
Cthulhu by Xfer Records is a chord memorizer and generator. Poised to be the perfect companion for songwriting and production, is Cthulhu VST the beast it appears to be? What is Cthulhu VST? Cthulhu is firstly a chord generator. What…
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…
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…
11 Weird Musical Instruments You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
Human ingenuity seems never in short supply, as witnessed here in 11 weird instruments. Some clever and others downright bizarre, these unique inventions stray a long way from tradition. 1. Marble Machine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1QVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled:…
Mid/Side Processing Explained
Mid/side processing is a means of further separating stereo information for detailed control while mixing or mastering. The mid channel contains information we perceive as the center, which is actually the sum of the left and right channels. The sides…
SSL Fusion: The Vintage Drive You Need?
Founded in 1969, Solid State Logic is renowned as one of the finest manufacturers of high-end consoles and recording equipment in the world. In the ’80s, their famed 4000 E series console set the benchmark for recorded music, becoming a…
8 Best LED Lights That Sync with Music for Your Home Studio
LED lights that sync with music are the recording industry’s best-kept secret behind multi-platinum hits. Okay, that isn’t true, but colorful lighting is definitely a great way to step up your studio’s aesthetics. And when you’re working late into the…
Best UAD Plugins for Vocals
Over 20 years ago, Universal Audio ushered in a new standard for plugins and interfaces. UAD’s plugin catalog is a huge collection of some of the best analog emulations out there. Most importantly, the software runs on dedicated DSP supplied by…
What Is a Line Level Signal and Why Does It Matter?
One of the first things we learn about a recording system is the variety of audio signals that connect to it. It’s a concept that can initially be tough to grasp, but once you learn it you never forget it.…
Naji Soul Mix/Remix Contest Winners Announced with Ady & Warren
Mixing Orchestral Elements with Sara Carter
Gullfoss EQ Plugin Review | Smart Software at Its Best
The Gullfoss EQ plugin by Soundtheory promises to be a better-maker. The adaptive EQ, which does not rely on AI but rather a new form of technology altogether, serves to balance your mixes in the most pleasing way possible. If…
EZDrummer 2 vs Superior Drummer 3: Which Is Right for You?
Toontrack produces industry-leading virtual instruments and sample libraries, including two popular drum plugins: EZDrummer 2 and Superior Drummer 3. While both are powerful in their own right, they tend to serve different purposes depending on what you’re looking for in…
What Is Atmos Music? An Immersive Audio Experience
Dolby Atmos Music hasn’t completely taken over yet, but it’s planting the seeds for the future of audio. It’s is a three-dimensional format, and for film and television, it’s already pretty well established. We’ll take a dive into the fully…
Artists That Changed Music: Muddy Waters
How to Design and Use Supersaw Synth
The “supersaw” originated in the ’90s and had a surge of popularity in the early 2000s, featured heavily in genres like trance, future bass, and progressive house. The now-iconic sound is a staple of EDM production. What Is Supersaw? Supersaw…
Home Studio on a Budget: Getting Started for Less than $1000
It’s 2019: You can make records in your home studio and spend less than $1000 getting set up! Today’s recording tech has given everybody the opportunity to create high-quality music in their bedroom, even with just the bare essentials. We’ll…
How to Prevent Cymbal Bleed | FAQ Friday
Aphex Aural Exciter | Breathing Life into Recordings
The Aphex Aural Exciter is one of the most recognized exciter effects. Its main job is to add a bit of top-end sheen to a signal while imparting some subtle harmonic distortion as well. Lots of engineers like it on…
Waves Announces CR8 Sampler and Sample Finder, COSMOS
Dexed VST | Free Yamaha DX7 Plugin
Dexed VST by Digital Suburban is a free software emulation of the coveted Yamaha DX7. The first successful digital synthesizer ever, the DX7 changed the course of modern synthesis. Free VST Plugins: Dexed Dexed VST is a multi-platform, multi-format plugin…
Best Vocoder Plugins 2022: 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…
Digital Audio Tools: Linear Phase EQ
Anytime you change the frequency content of a sound source with an equalizer, a tiny amount of phase ‘smear’ occurs. This is a normal result of latency being added to the signal whenever you alter the amplitude of specific frequency…
The 5 Best Studio Desks for Home Mixing [2022 Guide]
The studio desk is the centerpiece of your creative space. It should have everything you need at arm’s length to keep the inspiration flowing! Not only that, but it should be comfortable, fit your space, and keep your workflow neat…
10 Music Blogs to Submit To | Marketing Tips
The hardest thing an artist can do these days is have their music played. That’s partly because the democratization of the music industry has made the market overwhelmingly saturated. However, there are still ways to get yourself out there in…
Master The 3 Pillars Of Mixing with Sara Carter
Understanding Music Modes and Their Role in the Studio
There are seven total music modes including the major and natural minor scales. Why learn them at all? Songwriters and producers can always benefit from music theory; when you know the rules, or at least the basics, it can help…
Audio Test Kitchen Review: Test Up to 300 Mics for FREE!
Audio Test Kitchen is an incredible free resource for recording enthusiasts. One of the biggest challenges engineers face is becoming knowledgable about mics. And there’s really no way to do that without trying them on practically every instrument over the…
Aaron Marshall of Intervals Redefines Instrumental Guitar Music
Intervals is the brainchild of guitarist/composer Aaron Marshall. Since the project’s inception in 2011, Marshall has explored sounds within the instrumental progressive scene. His latest full-length, Circadian, is a complete realization of Marshall’s unique voice on the guitar and his personal take…
My Top 10 Recording Books and 1 Killer Trick from Each
What Is Saturation (And How Do I Use it)?
Saturation is an engineer favorite. It’s one of those tools that, used effectively, can take an instrument or mix to the next level. If you’re asking yourself “what is saturation?”, they you’ve come to the right place! What Is Saturation…
The Best Automatic Tuner? Slate Digital Metatune
The 8 Best AKG Headphones for Any Budget [2022 Guide]
So you’re looking for a new pair of headphones…you’ve come to the right place. Shopping around can be overwhelming with how many companies are making top-notch stuff. If you’ve narrowed your search to AKG headphones, this list should help you…