If you aspire to earn income on your compositions, music publishing is one of the most important–and least understood–aspects of the music business. It’s how songwriters make the majority of their money, and how they’re able to earn royalties when…
Recording Drums at Sunset Sound Studio 3
The historic Sunset Sound is a world famous studio where some of the most iconic albums of all time have been recorded. Some of these include Prince’s Purple Rain, the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main St., the Beach Boys’ Pet…
Top Microphone Preamps On (and Off!) a Budget
Microphone preamps are the secondary devices in the signal path after the mics themselves. Generally speaking, microphone signals are well below nominal operating level. Preamps amplify these quiet signals to line level, which is the “standard” operating level of recording…
The Ins and Outs of Sound Design
Here at Produce Like a Pro, making music is our top priority! Of course, music production is only one facet of audio engineering. Lest we neglect our sound design friends in the film & television industry, it’s important to familiarize…
10 Must-Have Waves Plugins to Add to Your Arsenal
Waves plugins have been around since 1992 when the company first introduced its Q10 Paragraphic EQ. The Q10 broke new technological ground as the first audio plugin ever, with sound quality comparable to, or better than, its hardware equivalents. Over…
How to Overcome Writer’s Block: 10 Tips and Tricks Used by Pros
It’s something that every creative has experienced and will likely face again: the feeling of being totally out of ideas. Inspiration comes to a halt, and starting or finishing a project seems like an insurmountable task. Writer’s block is discouraging and…
Legendary Luthiery: Scott Baxendale & the Baxendale Conversion Process
Scott Baxendale is a renowned luthier who began building custom instruments for Mossman Guitars in 1974. By 1978 he had joined the team at Gruhn Guitars in Nashville–one of the most well-known used, vintage, and collectible instrument dealers in the…
How to Mix Music Using 5 Simple Elements
Mixing music requires both technical ability and the creativity to try things that would make a song compelling and interesting to listeners. Mix engineers firstly possess the technical knowledge of audio signal flow, DAW and/or console operation, and how to…
Free Multitracks: No-Cost Resources to Practice Mixing
It goes without saying that the only way to get better at something is to do it a lot. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an athlete or a carpenter, a musician or a painter; practicing your craft is essential to developing what…
What Is Phase Cancellation?
https://producelikeapro.com/blog/sound-synthesis-basics/Phase cancellation is an acoustic phenomenon in which two or more “out of phase” sound waves result in weakened or lost frequencies. When two identical frequencies are cycling 180° opposite each other, complete phase cancellation occurs. The Science Behind Phase…
7 Stock Pro Tools Plugins Covering All the Basics
Whether a DAW boasts an impressive selection of stock plugins can be a deciding factor when the time comes to choose. If you’ve picked Pro Tools, you’ll have access to over 60 plugins right out of the box. Luckily, stock…
Welcome to 1979: A Nashville Studio Like No Other
Welcome to 1979 is one of Nashville’s finest, most unique recording studios–not only in name! Established by husband and wife duo Chris and Yoli Mara, the studio is currently celebrating its 10th birthday in 2018. The massive 13,000 square-foot facility…
6 Ways to Avoid Writer’s Block
It’s something that every creative has experienced and will likely face again: the feeling of being totally out of ideas. Inspiration comes to a halt, and starting or finishing a project seems like an insurmountable task. Writer’s block is discouraging and…
The Best Free Audio Editors in 2018
Regardless of the type of audio you’re working with, there’s a good chance you’ll want software to help you mix, edit, or directly record the source. It doesn’t matter whether you’re producing music, podcasts, or audio to sync with video;…
6 Steps in Becoming a Better Songwriter
The path to improvement as a songwriter is an on-going, ever-evolving process. As a craft, songwriting is highly individualistic, dictated by a host of personal characteristics. The instrument(s) you play, the genre(s) you most enjoy, and your technical and creative…
How to Write a Song with 10 Helpful Holistic Hints
When it comes to writing music, there’s surely no substitute for a bit of creativity and the keen desire to make something new. Everyone has a method all their own, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t observable parallels between creative…
Best DAW 2018: Getting the Most from Your Software
We’ve covered DAWs extensively over the past several weeks, examining both the top inexpensive options as well as the best-of-the-best in digital audio production. And while we can’t in good conscience crown a single DAW king, we can further look…
Breaking Down Acoustic Treatment for Home Studios
Chances are, unless your home studio was specifically designed for recording and mixing music, it’s a less than ideal listening environment. Professional studios are carefully planned out to eliminate naturally occurring acoustic issues in a way that residential rooms are…
Is Investing in Audio School Worth It?
I decided to go to audio school after already studying an unrelated field in college. There are a multitude of reasons why it was a great personal decision for me, but it didn’t come without its downsides either. Firstly, it’s important to…
A Closer Look at the Focal Clear Professional Reference Headphones
Enter to win a pair of these below: a Rafflecopter giveaway I feel like a big kid in a candy store! I saw these headphones for the first time at Vintage King and I’ve heard from many people that these…
Andrew Wells Interview and East West Studio 3 Tour
At just 22 years old, Andrew Wells has already established himself as an incredibly skilled producer in the industry. We caught up with him at EastWest Studios in Hollywood where he had recently finished tracking Jason Mraz’s latest album. Andrew’s…
Matt (Linny) Linesch Interview and Studio Tour
Matt (Linny) Linesch is a producer, engineer, and the owner of Infinitespin Recorders in Los Angeles. The studio has a rich history, having been most recently owned by Toto drummer Simon Phillips. It was also once operated by Sheila E.,…
Acoustic Treatment with Bobby Owsinski (Frank Zappa, The Byrds)
Bobby Owsinski is an audio engineer and author, perhaps best known for writing over 20 books on recording, mixing, mastering, and acoustics–many of which have become a part of audio school curriculum. Early in his career, Bobby worked with artists…
The Best Inexpensive Recording Software in 2018
Technically when we use the term “DAW,” short for digital audio workstation, we’re referring to the various components of a studio that allow us to make digital recordings. The computer, audio interface, recording software, and other devices all make up…
Eric Valentine Interview (Queens of the Stone Age, Smash Mouth)
Produce Like a Pro recently had the pleasure of meeting with Eric Valentine at his home studio, which he aptly calls “Topangadise.” Eric joked that he’s spent the majority of his career in windowless control rooms “caves,” so the room…
Brendon Small Interview (Dethklok / Metalocalypse, Galaktikon)
Brendon Small is a musician and the co-creator of two popular animated series, Home Movies and Metalocalypse. As a guitarist/musician, Brendon melded his comedic and voiceover talent with his musical ability in Metalocalypse, creating the virtual death metal band Dethklok, for which he has…