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…
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…
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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…
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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…
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…
AAC vs MP3 Files: What’s the Difference?
AAC and MP3 are popular lossy file formats which compress digital audio by removing “unimportant” bits of information. The result is a smaller file at the expense of sound quality. We’ll take a look at AAC vs MP3 files and…
How to Do Reverse Reverb in 3 Easy Steps
Reverse reverb, sometimes called reverse echo or reverse regeneration, simply takes the reverb tail of any instrument and reverses it. Creating it is a matter of printing the wet signal of a reversed audio track. Reverse reverb is typically accompanied…
Is Waves Vocal Rider the Solution to Levels?
Vocal levels are one of the most important things to get right. Even with all the compressors in the world, nothing compares to putting in the work and riding the fader — automating the levels in each part of the…
How to Add Drum Kits to FL Studio: Tutorial
Image-Line started off as a video game company in 1992. Eventually, one of the lead developers was drawn into music production applications. In 1998, FruityLoops debuted as a MIDI-only step sequencer inspired by early Propellerhead software. Four years later, FruityLoops became…
Peavey Vypyr X2 Review: An All-in-One Combo for Bass & Guitar Alike
Peavey is an innovator in the modeling space. Their first Vypyr amp came out in 2008, and contained many industry-firsts, including built-in USB, emulated effects, and analogy/digital hybrid modeling. We’re looking at the Peavey Viper X2 in this review —…
Recording Drums with One Microphone: Techniques
Believe it or not, you can totally get away with recording drums with one microphone! Even though we’re accustomed to close miking each piece of the kit in order to get the biggest, punchiest sound we can, that isn’t always…
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…
Choosing the Best Pickup for Classical Guitar
In order to amplify your nylon-string acoustic guitar for live performance, you’ll probably want to invest in the best pickup for classical guitar. It’s theoretically possible to just mike the instrument on stage, but you run the risk of bleed…
MXR Duke of Tone Review: The Last Overdrive Pedal You’ll Ever Need?
The MXR Duke of Tone is a fun one to review, as it’s a highly versatile and affordable addition to a pedalboard in need of some grit. As part of Analog Man’s elusive King of Tone lineage, the MXR Duke…
Primacoustic VoxGuard Review: An Affordable Nearfield Absorber Mic Shield
Acoustic treatment is one of the first steps in achieving quality sound. Primacoustic is a trusted name for solutions to everyday problems associated with poor room acoustics. In this review, we’re looking at the Primacoustic VoxGuard: an affordable means of…
Haas Effect: What It Is and How It’s Used
The Haas effect is a psychoacoustic phenomenon discovered by Dr. Helmut Haas in 1949. Also known as the “precedence effect,” the law states that when one sound is followed by another with a delay time of approximately 40 ms or…
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…
Expressive E Osmose Review: A Powerhouse of Futuristic Synth Sounds
The Osmose synthesizer by Expressive E is one of the most innovative instruments we’ve seen in recent review. It makes full use of all the latest tech to deliver a synth that’s uniquely expressive, playable, and unlike any other. The…
Eventide H90 Review: A Modern Take on Classic Harmonizer Sounds
For over 50 years, producers and engineers have relied on Eventide for both bread-and-butter and cutting-edge experimental effects. The Eventide H90 is a multi-effects pedal capable of producing everything from “always on” effects like overdrive to completely unconventional sounds. In…
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…
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…
Quilter Mach 3 Review: Powerful Tube Tones from a Compact Combo
Many guitarists will love the Quilter Aviator Mach 3 after even a cursory review of its features, its portability, and its quality of sound. This flexible solid-state combo dishes out a wide array of tones in a compact, lightweight package,…
The 5 Best Tube Preamp Options to Add Some Warmth to Your Sound
One of the best investments we can make as engineers, producers, and home recorders is in a premium microphone signal path. Purchasing a high-quality mic preamp, such as a tube preamp, is a huge way to elevate your recording quality…
5 Vocal Reverb Tips That Will Level Up Your Mixes!
Let’s get down to it..a dry vocal sounds pretty weird! Even what we’d consider “dry” overall mixes have at least a little bit of dimension, probably from the room where things are recorded, with a little extra help from hardware…
RC-20 Retro Color Review
RC-20 Retro Color by XLN Audio is a popular creative effects plugin. With its multiple parameters, you can quickly add character and vintage vibe to any sound source in your mix. RC-20 Retro Color Overview The idea behind Retro Color…
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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…
Lauten Audio Clarion FC-357 Review: Your New Go-To FET Condenser
The Lauten Audio Clarion FC-357 FET condenser is an inspiring mic upon review, pairing the best of vintage class with modern hi-fi. Lauten’s microphones always impress, thanks to a combination of premium sonics, innovative design, and affordability relative to other…
The 10 Best Acoustic Guitar Strings (2024 Guide)
Acoustic guitar strings are an often undervalued piece of the equation for people who are new to the instrument. Strings can make a huge deal of difference in overall comfort and playability, and most players prefer to swap them out…
PreSonus vs Focusrite Audio Interfaces 2023
An audio interface is one of the first things you’ll buy for your home studio. Typically two inputs are enough for the majority of home recordings, and there are tons of affordable entry-level interfaces. In terms of PreSonus vs Focusrite,…
Do I Really Need an Audio Interface for Streaming?
Streaming is bigger than ever. Twitch, the web’s top platform for a variety of live content, is massive. And it isn’t just about video games anymore; for some time now, popular streaming content includes people hanging out and talking to…
Elektron Heat MK2 Review: Nail Your Stereo Analog Sound
Digital recording, with all of its advantages and convenience, is a little too clean for most ears. When we plug a microphone straight into an audio interface with sparkling clear preamps, we’re not getting any of the mythical analog “mojo.” So…
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The Best 5-Watt Tube Amps for Any Budget [2023 Guide]
A 5-watt tube amp is the best way to achieve natural tube saturation at a reasonable volume; add some pedals, and you’ve got yourself a nice outfit! The Beauty of a 5-Watt Amp (& Why You Need One) High-wattage tube…
Neumann TLM 102 vs Neumann TLM 103: Comparison
Neumann is synonymous with exceptional recording quality. Founded by Georg Neumann in Berlin, Germany in 1928, the company has been making the world’s preeminent microphones for decades. It all started with the CMV 3, or the ‘Neumann Bottle,’ which was…
The 10 Best Cheap Microphones for Any Budget in 2023
Mics are some of the most diverse pieces of gear we can own as recording engineers and producers. Some are super versatile and sound great on lots of different sources, and others are a bit more purpose-built. As you look…
How to EQ Acoustic Guitar in a Mix
The most important factor when it’s time to EQ acoustic guitar is context. You’ll have to determine its prominence against other instruments and make EQ moves based on that. Acoustic guitar can be the most important rhythm instrument, or it…
Alesis V49 Review: A Highly Capable (& Affordable) MIDI Controller
Every home studio needs a decent MIDI controller to take advantage of the incredibly wide-ranging world of virtual instruments. With a controller alone, you could feasibly play and program a complete arrangement — we’re talking every instrument — on only…
Sad Chord Progressions: How to Create an Emotional Sound
Sad chord progressions carry a lot of emotional content and provide the backbone to compositions across genres. While it’s normal to want to create something fresh whenever a songwriter picks up their instrument, knowing common chord progressions is a huge…
What Is Impedance in Audio? How to Avoid Empty Sounding Recordings
Like many technical terms in audio and electronics, impedance gets bandied about regularly. If you’ve ever read the specs on pro audio equipment, particularly headphones and speakers, but also mixers, preamps, and more, then you’ve certainly encountered the word. Just…
LR Baggs Anthem Pickup Review (Why We Love These Pickups)
This review covers the LR Baggs Anthem pickup and microphone system for acoustic guitar — a natural sounding alternative to many of the other options out there. What Makes for Good Sound in an Acoustic Guitar Mic? Being an acoustic…
Behringer X32 Rack Review: Is This Digital Mixer Worth the Price?
The Behringer X32 is a well known digital mixer available in different formats. Today’s review looks at the Behringer X32 rack: a fader-less version of the popular board designed for convenient storage and portability, whether it’s a permanent installation or…
Yamaha N12 Review: Powerful Digital Sound You Can Rely On
The Yamaha N12 isn’t new to review, but it’s a cool piece of kit that performed well in its prime and still holds up today. The digital mixer and audio interface provided seamless Cubase integration and hands-on control for an…
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9 Best Stereo Imaging Plugins Available [FREE & PAID]
Stereo imaging is a pivotal part of any mix. It mostly has to do with with the spatial locations of each sound source, both side-to-side and front-to-back. A well-mixed stereo image means listeners can easily identify where sounds are coming…
JZ Vintage 67 Review: High-End Performance in a Vintage Style Mic
JZ Microphones was founded in Latvia in 2007 by Mr. Juris Zarins. He’d spent the better part of two decades researching and developing successful microphones with companies like Blue before striking out on his own as JZ Microphones. Today we…