Sub bass is the stuff that’s felt more than heard. It’s an important part of a mix because it contributes to so much of the power listeners feel. In some genres sub bass a leading part of a mix, and…
ADSR: Build Better Synth Sounds Today
ADSR stands for attack, decay, sustain, and release. It’s also known as a sound’s “envelope,” which includes all 4 of these tone-shaping elements. ADSR is an important concept in music production and sound design, especially if you plan on building…
The 15 Best Analog Summing Mixers for Your Studio in 2023
A summing mixer is a very interesting, if not often overlooked or misunderstood, piece of gear. Like most pieces of hardware, summing mixers vary in mileage; some have no more than a few knobs, while others have a slew of…
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…
Headrush MX5 Review: An All-In-One Effects Powerhouse
Check out our breakdown and review of the Headrush MX5 multi-effects pedal and amp simulator to learn if this compact modeler is right for you! What Is the Headrush MX5 & What Does It Do? The Headrush MX5 is a…
Tube Amp vs Solid State: What’s the Difference?
If you’re a guitar player, there’s a good chance you’ve pondered the tube amp vs solid state amplifier debate. Most of the love gravitates toward tube amps, but there have been notable solid state players over the years as well.…
Tunebat BPM and Key Finder Review
Tunebat is a free resource catering primarily to DJs and other creatives seeking info about songs and audio files. What Is a BPM and Key Finder? A BPM/key finder like Tunebat analyzes audio files through its algorithm, and spits out…
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,…
5 Quick Automation Mixing Tricks
Automation is the secret to a truly great mix! Simple volume automation of instruments can save the heartache of trying to replicate dynamics with complex compression techniques. Automating plug ins can give them multiple purposes adding both subtle ear candy…
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,…
Logic Pro X Tutorial: Get Mixing in a Powerful DAW
Apple’s Logic Pro X is an industry-standard DAW known for its massive built-in virtual instrument and loop library, as well as its intuitive piano roll and MIDI editing capabilities. Logic’s interface overall is attractive and intuitive, and it’s priced at…
Working Audio Tools Podcast – Dragged Under
For today's episode of Working Audio Tools, Ed and Paul review each others mixes for "Chelsea" by Dragged Under provided by the Produce Like A Pro Academy. GET 30% OF DISTROKID: https://distrokid.com/?c=plap Check out Ed: https://linktr.ee/EdThorne Check out Paul: Website: https://www.paulthird.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulthird_uk/?hl=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PaulThird…
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…
Telecaster vs Stratocaster Showdown: How Do They Compare?
Fender invented two of the most famous guitars of all time and created the source code for nearly every electric guitar that would follow. These models need no introduction: we’re talking about the timeless Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster. Both have…
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…
What Is an 808 Beat & How Do You Create One?
The 808 is a defining feature of hip-hop (and its many sub-genres), pop, EDM, and modern electronic production. The original Roland drum machine took a while to catch on, but it would eventually revolutionize music. What Is an 808 Beat?…
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…
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…
Mixing Hip Hop/R&B From Start To Finish with Marc Daniel Nelson
Marc Daniel Nelson mixes the track “Ryder” by the artist Carter Thomas, describing it as a stripped-down hip-hop/pop track with various instruments such as vocals, drums, bass, guitars, synths, and background vocals. He shows his session layout with drums in…
Warren Huart’s book TELLS ALL | BMT Podcast Ep. 09
If you're a music producer or enthusiast, you've likely heard of Warren Huart. He's a long-time mix engineer and producer who has worked with top artists like Aerosmith, The Fray, and Ace Frehley. But, Warren is also known for his…
The Behringer ECM8000 Measurement Microphone Review
In this Behringer ECM8000 review, we’ll get to better understand the purpose of this measurement microphone and its importance. Behringer ECM8000 Review The Behringer ECM8000 is a specialized omnidirectional condenser microphone for measuring room equalization. It’s used in tandem with…
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…
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…
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?…
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…
“Shake Rattle and Roll” by Big Joe Turner – Songs That Changed Music
Written by Caitlin Vaughn Carlos What was the first rock ‘n roll record? Rocket 88? Rock around the Clock? Do we trace the music back to Bill Haley and Elvis Presley, or to Chuck Berry and Little Richard, or even…
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…
Roland Fantom-06 Review: Powerful Synth Sounds On the Go
This Fantom-06 review checks out one of the best bang-for-your-buck synthesizers available from Roland, in a roomy 61-key layout. The Fantom-0 Series Offers Versatile Synth Workstations for Musicians On the Go The Fantom-0 line takes much of the power of…
How to Use Arpeggiators: 5 Tips to Instantly Enhance Melody & Rhythm
An arpeggiator is a common synthesizer feature. It’s an easy way to quickly add interest and movement to a chord progression. We’ll explore what an arpeggiator is, as well as offer some tips on using them in your own music!…
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…
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…
Producing & Mixing Pop Ballads with Steve Maggiora Mars Cover + FREE Multitracks
If you're a fan of pop ballads, you'll love this behind-the-scenes look at how musician Steve Maggiora produced and mixed his cover of "Mars" by YUNGBLUD. Not only will you get to hear the final product, but you'll also learn…
Zoom H6 Review: 6-Channel Handy Recorder
When the Zoom H6 handy recorder debuted in 2013, it immediately became one of the most versatile portable recorders available. Everyone from location recorders to podcasters found the H6 to be a highly capable unit with features beyond its price…
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…
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…
What Is the Overtone Series & How Do Overtones Work?
The overtone series, also called the harmonic series, naturally occurs due to the way sound waves vibrate. Practically speaking, it helps define an instrument’s timbre. What Are Overtones in Music? A fundamental frequency is that of the primary note being…
Cordoba Iberia C5 Review: The Best Entry-Level Nylon Guitar?
In this Cordoba Iberia C5 review, we’ll have a look at what’s considered one of the best nylon-string guitars for beginners or first-timers to this style of instrument. Cordoba Is Known for High-End Acoustic Instruments Since 1997, Cordoba has been…
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…
PMC 8-2 Review: The Best Midfield Active Monitor?
The PMC 8-2 is a high-end active three-way midfield monitor for professional studios. The 8-2 speaker is the culmination of several years of research and development, fully loaded with all of the cutting-edge technology that puts PMC speakers in a…
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…
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…
MOTU 8pre-es Feature Review
Today, we have a MOTU 8pre-es review in which we check out the features of this highly capable audio interface. MOTU 8pre-es Key Features 24-in, 28-out interface for 52 simultaneous audio channels Eight mic/line/guitar inputs; 16 ADAT optical inputs (24…
Mixing Independent Artists with 10X Grammy Winner Darrell Thorp
Darrell Thorp is a name that every music enthusiast should know. With 10 Grammy Awards and 3 TEC Awards under his belt, he has established himself as one of the most talented and sought-after producers, mixers, and engineers in the…
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…
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…