Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield – Celebrating 50 Years Of Innovation
4 Reasons to Buy a Power Conditioner for Your Home Studio
Surge protectors are a necessity for expensive electronics. They keep our valuable (and sometimes fragile) equipment safe in the event of an electrical surge. Most of the time a cheap power strip offers basic surge protection, but a power conditioner…
The 5 Best Drum Shield Options for Your Home Studio in 2023
It goes without saying that acoustic drums are a loud instrument. There’s little we can do to offset that volume, and asking a player to soften their touch isn’t practical. One thing live sound engineers can do is install a…
Apollo Twin X vs MkII: What’s the Difference?
Universal Audio is one of the most famous names in all of recording. Founded by Bill Putnam in 1958, the company has been at the forefront of technological advances for more than 60 years. If you’re thinking about adding a…
Fishman Fluence Modern Review: Humbuckers Worth the Hype?
It isn’t often that a truly revolutionary new innovation shakes up the world of guitar — especially in the realm of pickups. Between the invention of single coils in the ’30s, to humbucker in the ’50s, and active pickups in…
What Is Audio Clipping and Why Is It Important?
We’ve all heard the dreaded term “audio clipping.” It often shows itself as an admonishing red light in our DAW, on our audio interface, or on our speakers. The result of which is, almost always, scrambling for knobs or faders…
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…
Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue Review: A Modern Classic Reinvented
We all know that Fender is one of most recognized and enduring brands in the history of electric guitar. Leo Fender’s innovations helped shape the landscape of music, providing musicians tools to reach new heights. The company’s greatest outputs are…
The Best Violin Microphones to Add Some Live Strings to Your Mix
The best violin microphone for stage or studio does a solid job of capturing the detail and nuance of the instrument. Violin can be incredibly intimate, so you’ll want to try and retain that delicateness with a microphone that captures…
Korg Drumlogue Review: Analog Meets Digital
Korg’s Drumlogue bridges the gap between fully analog and fully digital drum machines and synthesizers, offering up a hybrid instrument that makes the best of both sound-generating technologies. Overall, the Korg Drumlogue is a vast and feature-rich drum programming device…
The 6 Best Neumann Mics for Vocals in 2023 (Live & Studio Sound)
Neumann has been synonymous with exceptional sound quality throughout the history of recorded music. Many, if not all, of these microphones are likely familiar to some degree both in part to Neumann’s longstanding reputation and the universality of many of…
Yamaha MG10XU Review: A Versatile Compact Mixer We Love
Every decent studio, live sound, or broadcast system begins with the right hardware. In many instances, the mixer is the brain of the entire operation, collecting, amplifying, tone-shaping, volume balancing, and outputting various audio signals. The Yamaha MG series of…
Secrets to Mixing Rap Vocals
It’s easy to underestimate the trickiness of mixing rap vocals. Some engineers will write the genre off thinking that it’s just a 2-track and a vocal, so it must be simple. But the intricacy lies in having leads, stacks of…
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 a Preamp & Why Is It So Important?
People who are brand new to recording should ask the fundamental question, “What is a preamp?” They’re an indispensable, utilitarian part of the recording chain, though preamps can be colorful creative tools as well. If you’ve ever wondered what a…
3 Steps To Add FUNK Back To Your Bass | Marc Daniel Nelson
The Best Patch Cables for Your Guitar Pedalboard in 2023
When you’re trying to build out a neat and functional pedalboard, it’s the details that truly matter. Cables are definitely the least interesting part of the board, but choosing the right ones can make connecting everything — in an orderly…
The Audio Mixer: Key Features & Functions
At the most basic level, an audio mixer combines multiple signals and routes them to a common output for recording or amplification through a sound reinforcement system. “Signals” are those sounds captured by microphones or received from electric instruments. Also…
7 Studio Cable Management Ideas That Will Quickly Organize Your Space
Studio cable management gets out of hand. There seem to be a million cables plugged in everywhere for even small home studios — there’s just no way around it. Fortunately, you can invest a little bit of money to better…
Finding the Best Pop Filter for Recording Vocals
If you’ve recorded vocals and wondered why you heard loud bursts of air when the singer hits certain consonants, then you already understand the use of a pop filter. While it isn’t the most earth-shattering piece of studio equipment we…
How to Sidechain in Ableton (Beginner’s Guide)
Sidechain compression in Ableton is a useful mixing technique that allows you to do things like separate the bass from the kick. For Ableton users working in EDM/hip-hop/pop, where there’s lots of competing low-end information, sidechain compression is indispensable! What…
MXR DC Brick Power Supply Review: Does It Deserve a Spot on Your Board?
Pedals need power. For those that still run on 9-volt batteries, or at least provide the option, nothing could be more of a hassle for a gigging guitarist or bassist than maintaining fresh batteries for every performance. The simple solution…
Exploring the Musical Genius of Rob Moose: An Interview
What is a Synthesizer? A Comprehensive Guide
Synthesizers have never been more popular than they are now. They currently play a dominant role in the production of the world’s most in-demand music. Synthesizers are the sound of pop, hip-hop, EDM, and more. But you certainly wouldn’t be…
Turning Drum Samples In To Breakbeat Fills
Behringer BC1200 Professional 7-Piece Drum Microphone Set Review
Behringer’s BC1200 professional 7-piece drum microphone set has to be one of the greatest values we’ve ever reviewed, providing engineers a means of close-miking an entire drum kit for less than the cost of a single microphone. The set is…
Peter Gabriel: Artists Who Changed Music
Arcade 2.0 by Output Review: Better Than Splice?
Subscriptions have taken over. For a monthly fee, you can access DAWs, plugin bundles, sample libraries, and other music production tools. In this Arcade by Output review, we’ll see how the ever-growing virtual instrument/sample library stacks up against the most…
5 Powerful Tips For Mixing Hip-hop Vocals
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…
Near Field Monitors vs Far Field: What’s the Difference?
Much of the detailed work on a mix or master takes place on near field monitors. Far field monitors are an additional reference, and they’re also great for impressing clients and keeping a packed room engaged. For the majority of…
ORTF Mic Technique | Stereo Recording
ORTF is a common stereo mic technique. Stereo recording uses two microphones to capture a single sound source; each mic then gets panned to either side of the stereo field. Over the years, engineers have developed tried and true methods…
What is a Compressor Ratio?
Compression isn’t the easiest thing to understand at first. Wrapping your head around the controls and how they impact the sound is confusing—but you definitely aren’t alone. If you’re struggling to figure out just how to set your compressor ratio,…
How to Mix Background Vocals
We tend to mix background vocals differently than leads. Depending on the arrangement, they’re usually underneath the lead for support so they don’t steal the show. In some cases, background vocals will actually overtake the leads, such as in a…
Yamaha APX600 Review: Is This Thinbody Acoustic Worth the Price?
Rarely does a guitar come along that boasts as many features for the price as this one in today’s review. The Yamaha APX600 is an acoustic guitar designed with electric players in mind, and upon review, is one of the…
The Trooper – Iron Maiden: Songs That Changed Music
Line 6 Catalyst Review: A Versatile Line of Affordable Amps
Line 6 has always been at the forefront of amp and effects modeling. The early Line 6 PODs were, for many, an introduction to amp simulation, allowing guitarists to write and record at home without blowing down the house with…
JZ Microphones Announces New Mic: The BT202. Read More Here
Factory Tour: Making Speakers From Start To Finish with Bowers & Wilkins
Akai Professional MPC One Review
Akai Professional’s long-running MPC series is one of the most recognized sampling workstations ever made. Originally named MIDI Production Center (now Music Production Center), Akai introduced the first model, the MPC60, in 1988. Roger Linn, who developed the popular LM-1…
Recording Huge Drums with 4 Mics: The Glyn Johns Method
The famed Glyn Johns Method get its name from the man himself — an exceptional producer/engineer who’s worked with legendary artists like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, the Beatles (Get Back sessions), The Who, Eagles, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, the Band, Eric…
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9 Best Mellotron Plugins / 2023 [Free & Paid]
When the original Mellotron debuted in 1963, it was a groundbreaking new instrument. The range of sounds you could get from a keyboard were limited in the days before digital synthesizers, but the Mellotron introduced impressive new technology. Today, we’re…
The 7 Best Mics for Guitar Amps to Get Killer Tone
Every guitarist is on a personal quest for the greatest tone ever. That’s half the fun of playing guitar! But just when you’ve found the right pickups, pedals, the perfect string gauge, the ideal plectrum material and thickness, and of…
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The Best Modeling Amps to Elevate Your Guitar Sounds [2024 Guide]
Modeling amps are one of the easiest ways to inject a ton of tonal variety into your everyday playing. There’s something about the convenience of digital emulations that make these amps so fun to play, whether it’s just practicing on…
7 Best Reamp Boxes in 2023
Reamping takes place in two stages during both the recording and mixing phases. A reamp box is a specially designed device that allows you to send a clean guitar signal from your DAW to an amplifier, letting you tweak tones…
The 10 Best Flanger Pedals to Add Some Sweep to Your Sound
Guitarists have a lot of options when it comes to effects pedals. After the basics like overdrive, distortion, and reverb/delay, comes modulation. Flanger pedals are a type of modulation effect that leave a pretty profound mark on your tone. If…
Budget vs Expensive Microphones: A Chat With With Rob Mayzes & Adam Steel at NAMM 2023
Let’s talk about Thrash Metal
Ableton Hotkeys: 15 Shortcuts to Improve Workflow
Keyboard shortcuts are non-negotiable if you want to master your DAW. The better you know your software, the faster you can implement creative ideas. Any time wasted trying to figure out how to do something is a hindrance to creativity and staying…
Should I Be Using Sidechain Compression?
Sidechain compression is a common “advanced” mixing technique. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Should I use sidechain compression here?,” the answer is “Give it a shot!” It uses are somewhat particular, but sidechaining generally creates more separation, more rhythm, or more…