Room EQ Wizard (REW) is free room acoustics software for measuring and analyzing room and loudspeaker responses. The analysis helps you optimize your studio by finding the best spot for the speakers and listening position. Shooting the room gives you…
The Best Cheap DIY Vocal Booth Options
The key to getting better sounding vocal takes at home is a DIY vocal booth. Believe it or not, it doesn't have to be terribly fancy, and it especially doesn't have to cost a lot of money. If your vocal…
What Is Lo-Fi Music and How Do You Produce It?
Lo-fi music has exploded in popularity over the last several years, its cornerstone being a mellow, “rainy day” kind of sound and feel. The genre has a massive following on platforms like Spotify and YouTube, so you’ve almost certainly come…
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…
What Is a DSP and What Does It Do for Music?
DSP is a concept that gets thrown around a lot in audio, so it’s important to understand just how integral it is to the modern music production process. What Is a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) Firstly, DSP can stand for…
Ableton vs Pro Tools | Choosing a DAW
In the current age of music production, we have virtually endless tools at our disposal. It’s overwhelming when you’re just starting out because you want to set foot on the so-called ‘correct’ path. In regards to DAWs, everybody has an…
“Tell Mama”: How an escape to Fame studios Reignited Etta James
Written by Caitlin Vaughn Carlos In 1967, Etta James’s career was in a slump, as the legendary singer faced personal struggles. Looking for a hit and an escape for his struggling singer, away from the temptations of the city, Leonard…
What Is a DI Box for Guitar and What Does It Do?
Ever wondered what a DI box is and why you’d need to use one? Look no further as we discuss all things DI for guitar! What Is a DI Box? The purpose of a DI is to convert an unbalanced,…
The 9 Best ASMR Microphones for Any Budget
ASMR is one of the most popular, if not slightly unusual, entertainment trends of the last several years. ASMR creators attempt to trigger the listener’s “autonomous sensory meridian response”—a tingling sensation that begins at the scalp and moves down through…
Getting Creative With Drums
Let us ask you this, do you actually have access to a drum studio? Or even more….a drummer? Many of us do not! Drum emulation can be a fantastic solution to this, but for most of us it stops there:…
Creating Space in Your Mixes
One of the hallmarks of a great mix is separation between every instrument. Most mix elements have wide frequency spectrums—even a kick drum can extend well into the high mids and above. When so much information exists in every instrument,…
Kaotica Eyeball Review: Is It Worth It?
The Kaotica Eyeball is a microphone isolation ball with an integrated pop filter. It’s a big foam sphere you slide over the microphone capsule to protect it from reflections. The Eyeball intends to keep untreated room sound out of your…
J Clark’s Impressive PMC Immersive Studio
J Clark is an engineer, mixer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, CA. J’s studio is a sight to behold! Built in collaboration with PMC Loudspeakers, Dolby Laboratories, and Sony Home Entertainment, J’s studio is built to handle anything…
Choosing the Sample Rate for Your Project
Sample rate is one of the first things you’ll be asked to choose when you open a new session in your DAW. Alongside bit depth, it can have an impact on the fidelity of your audio recordings. What is sample rate? Digital…
Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor
The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor is nothing short of a modern classic. The thing is a monster, equally recognized by its imposing looks and its premium sound. For engineers who need unrivaled dynamic control, the Shadow Hills gets the job…
Is Aria Mastering the Best Automated Service?
Online mastering services have taken the industry by storm over the past several years. These automated systems promise professional mastering, delivered instantly—all for a very reasonable price. This is attractive and convenient to artists looking for fast, affordable turnaround. Aria…
What Does a Pop Filter Do? Recording Vocals
(Alisa Apps Featured in Photo) A pop filter is a simple mesh shield we place in front of a microphone. Typically made of nylon or metal, they clamp to a mic stand with an adjustable gooseneck. For most close-miked vocal…
Mixing Modern Rock with Marc Daniel Nelson
There are countless videos out there where pro engineers teach you cool new mixing tricks. While it’s great to have techniques in your arsenal, these educational tidbits rarely give you the whole picture. WHEN and WHY should you use them? What…
Bias FX 2 Review by Positive Grid: The Best Virtual Guitar Rig?
Bias FX 2 by Positive Grid transforms your computer into a virtual rig. Premium amp models, effects, and even guitar emulations make it one of the most comprehensive amp sims out there. We’ll have a closer look at all Positive…
Neural DSP Archetype Plini Review
The Neural DSP Archetype Plini is a state-of-the-art amp sim and effects plugin. Built to Plini‘s exacting specs, the plugin covers the wide range of tones the modern prog guitarist is known for. Following the breakthrough of Neural’s Fortin Nameless…
![10 Best Home Studio Mics in 2022 [Any Budget]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/10-Best-Home-Studio-Mics-in-2022-Any-Budget-908x606.jpg)
10 Best Home Studio Mics in 2022 [Any Budget]
What differentiates a “home studio” mic from a “pro studio” mic is generally the budget of whoever’s purchasing it. Aside from that, the best mics are the best mics! We usually recommend starting out with the highest quality microphone you…
Who is Plini? “The Future of Exceptional Guitar Playing”
Plini Roessler-Holgate is an Australian, Sydney-based guitar player, who’s been releasing instrumental progressive rock/metal under his own name since 2013. He’s a key figure of the current instrumental prog scene, alongside other pivotal artists like Intervals, Polyphia, Jakub Zytecki, David…
The 9 Best Acoustic Guitar Pickups for Any Playing Style in 2022
Acoustic guitars benefit from pickups when you need to amplify the signal in live settings. Having a microphone on stage fixes the player to one spot, and the sound might suffer from bleed or being off-axis should the guitarist move…
How to Record Bass Guitar at Home
Believe it or not, bass is one of the easier instruments to record at home. There are at least several different approaches, most of which are light on fancy equipment and low on volume levels. Win-win! If you want to…
The 9 Best Rhodes VSTs [Free & Paid]
The Rhodes electric piano was an incredibly popular instrument throughout the ’60s and ’70s. Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek was one of the first prominent musicians to start playing the Rhodes, picking up one of the earliest models in 1965. Its…
Bass Compression: The Foundation of Any Mix
Bass compression is easily one of the most important parts of a mix. Bass gives music that energy which is often felt more than heard. Low-end energy is critical because it has the power to produce a defined groove and an intelligible…
The Complete Plugin Pack – Eventide’s Anthology XII Bundle Review
We cannot get enough of the quality of plugins that Eventide have put out over the years. In March, they announced their Anthology XII bundle that boasts over 30 plugins! Today, we're checking the bundle out along with our good…
How to Record Drums at Home in 5 Easy Steps
Usually the biggest challenge recording at home is the drum kit. There are so many straightforward ways to capture other instruments that sound great—but there isn’t much flexibility with acoustic drums. First you need the space, which is a challenge…
Vocaloid 5 Review: Virtual Singers in Your DAW
Vocaloid is a very unique type of voice synthesizer software. Initially not meant to be a full commercial product, research on its technology began in 2000. Yamaha then got involved during the development process, and the first version of Vocaloid came out in…
The 10 Best Small Tube Amp Options for Home Use in 2022
Being a guitar player sets you on a path of tone chasing — there’s no way around it! There are so many ways to tweak the sound of our instrument, from the guitar itself, to pickups, pedals, strings, plectrums, and…
Mono vs Stereo: Which Is Best for Mixing?
The difference between mono vs stereo sound is simply the number of channels used for recording and playback. If you’re new to mixing, you may or may not be familiar with the concept of checking your mix in mono. It…
What is Audio Bit Depth?
Bit depth in digital audio is one of the settings that affects the recording’s overall resolution. In technical terms, it’s the actual number of bits (binary digits) in each sample. What is bit depth? Bit depth and sample rate work…
FAQ Friday With Guitar Max
On this mavellous Friday, we're joined by the one and only Guitar MAXalso known as Max Carlisle. Today, he's brought in a rather special guitar, the PDJ Woodford Classic that is new on our radar but sounds absolutely incredible. As…
Gain Staging for Modern Recording
A gain stage is any point in the audio signal path where we can adjust the overall level of a track. For instance, this could be with a fader or with the output controls of plugins like compressors and EQs.…
Humbucker vs Single Coil Pickups: What’s the Difference?
Apart from the amp, pickups have one of the biggest impacts on tone. It’s common to swap them out until you find just the right set that complements your playing style. To better understand humbucker vs single coil sound, we’ll…
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…
![Who Makes the Best Guitar Stands? [Top 10 for All Budgets]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Who-Makes-the-Best-Guitar-Stands-Top-10-for-All-Budgets-908x606.jpg)
Who Makes the Best Guitar Stands? [Top 10 for All Budgets]
You may be wondering, “who makes the best guitar stands?” Below are 10 of our top favorites to keep your guitars safe and secure! Keeping Your Space Organized and Functional Is Key We talk about workflow and efficiency in the…
Tyrell N6 Review: The Best Free Synth?
The Tyrell N6 is a free software synthesizer designed by u-he founder Urs Heckmann. A “compact, sporty synth,” Nexus 6 boasts a huge array of classic analogue sounds in a streamlined, intuitive interface. How the Tyrell N6 Was Born Tyrell…
AKG C214 Review | Condensers Under $500
The C214 is a fixed-cardioid large-diaphragm condenser microphone. It shares many of the same qualities that have made the C414 a studio staple for decades. In this AKG C214 review, we’ll highlight its specs, compare it to popular competition, and…
Artists Who Changed Music: Les Paul
In the beginning of 1957, the Ampex Corporation delivered the world’s very first 8-track tape recorder to guitarist Les Paul’s home in Mahwah, New Jersey. Comedian W.C. Fields called it ‘The Octopus,’ because it made Les Paul sound like, well,…
Avid Pro Tools First | Free DAW Overview
Avid Pro Tools is the industry standard. It’s the platform for virtually every studio because it excels at tracking, editing, mixing, and production. Pro Tools First provides an introduction to the gold standard DAW without committing to a pricey monthly…
EP36_MIXING SCORE FOR THE MOST SUCCESSFUL UKRAINE FILM
In this special episode of MakeMineMusic, Marc Daniel Nelson goes through a special scene from the highest grossing film in Ukraine cinema history. Join Marc as he breaks down the score from Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s final film before he became president…
Shure SM7B Review | Makers of Legendary Mics
Shure microphones are ubiquitous. Think of any of the most dependable, affordable, and awesome sounding mics, and Shure is definitely on that list. Consider the SM57, for example, which continues to be one of the most widely used microphones of…
Touring The NEW Atmos Room With Aaron Mattes At Fab Factory
Today, we're heading back to the legendary Fab Factory Studios in LA where we meet Grammy Nominated and RIAA Platinum certified mixing engineer, Aaron Mattes (NLE Choppa, 50 Cent, Young Thug, Big Sean, Gucci Mane, Lil Baby, Polo G) at…
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…
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…
Mixing With Emotion With Matt Weiss
This is not only my favourite, but the most important mixing course we’ve ever released: Mixing with Emotion with Grammy-Nominee Matt Weiss Inside, Matt Weiss (Akon, Chris Brown, Nicky Minaj) teaches you how to create mixes that enable your listeners…
The Rise Of Velvet Revolver – The Dave Kushner Interview
Dave Kushner has had a long and varied career in music, having not only been a part of Velvet Revolver (one of rock’s most premiere super groups), but also having worked in film composition for shows such as “Sons of…
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Review: The Headphones Studio Professionals Swear By
In this Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro review, we’ll take a look at one the industry’s enduring pairs of iconic headphones. The Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Headphones Are a Studio Workhorse Beyerdysweenamic has a been a manufacturer of professional audio equipment…
Positive Grid Spark Amp Review | Is It Worth It?
Feature-packed practice amps are all the rage. Though not a new concept, these portable desktop devices—or, ‘coffee table-top,’ ‘sofa-top,’ you name it—started to incorporate tech beyond what we’ve seen in standard practice amps of yesteryear (like in the long-running Line…