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,…
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…
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…
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…
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!…
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…
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…
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…
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…
How to Design and Use Supersaw Synth
The “supersaw” originated in the ’90s and had a surge of popularity in the early 2000s, featured heavily in genres like trance, future bass, and progressive house. The now-iconic sound is a staple of EDM production. What Is Supersaw? Supersaw…
AKG Perception 120 Condenser Mic Review: Comparing Price and Performance
AKG needs no introduction. The company makes some of the most-used microphones of all time, including the workhorse 414 condenser and the seven thousand dollar C12 tube mic. The AKG P120 is in a different category altogether, at an unbelievable…
reFuse Mulligan Review
reFuse Software, best known for plugins like Bucketverb and Lowender, recently released a utility app for Pro Tools. Called Mulligan, this standalone piece of software provides users a simple functional advantage over standard keyboard and mouse navigation. In this Mulligan…
SSL Native X-EQ 2 Review (Still the Best?)
In the vast world of software EQ, is there still a place for hardware titans Solid State Logic? Let’s decide in this SSL Native X-EQ 2 review. SSL Native X-EQ 2 Review SSL calls the Native X-EQ 2 a mastering…
The 5 Best LEWITT Microphones for Your Studio
Founded by Roman Perschon in 2009, the Vienna-headquartered LEWITT Microphones is one of the fastest-growing companies in the market, on track to become the industry’s not-so-best-kept secret. The design philosophy and manufacturing techniques behind all their products challenge the legacy companies…
FM Synthesis: The Classic Synthesizer Sound
Lots of classic keyboards like the Yamaha DX7 use FM synthesis to generate sounds. If it seems daunting at first, that’s because FM synthesis really is more complex than other types of synthesis. FM is much more theory-driven, so trying…
sE Electronics RF SPACE Review: The Best Reflection Filter Acoustic Dampener?
sE Electronics set the standard for, and popularized, reflection filters after the debut of their Reflexion Filter (RF) PRO back in 2006. Eight years later they debuted the RF SPACE, marking a substantial design improvement over the already successful original.…
Roland JD-Xi Review: A Crossover Synth Offering the Best of Both Worlds
For decades, Roland has been a frontrunner in synthesizers, sequencers, effects, amplifiers, and everything sound-making. It’s no surprise that the JD-Xi packs a hefty amount of tech into a small package. In this Roland JD-Xi review, we’ll take a look…
PMC Wafer Review: The Best In-Wall “Stealth” Speakers?
PMC Speakers are changing the reputation of in-wall hi-fi units through their groundbreaking work with the Wafer1 and Wafer2. Designed for the home theater or audiophile system, the Wafer lineup delivers exceptional sound quality with a completely unobtrusive footprint. Can…
Digital Audio Tools: Linear Phase EQ
Anytime you change the frequency content of a sound source with an equalizer, a tiny amount of phase ‘smear’ occurs. This is a normal result of latency being added to the signal whenever you alter the amplitude of specific frequency…
Samson SR850 Review: Best Budget Closed Back Headphones?
In this Samson SR850 review, we’ll determine whether it’s possible to get pro studio sound from sub-$50 headphones. Samson SR850 Review At the time of writing, the SR850s are on sale for $35. That makes them among the least expensive —…
10 Music Blogs to Submit To | Marketing Tips
The hardest thing an artist can do these days is have their music played. That’s partly because the democratization of the music industry has made the market overwhelmingly saturated. However, there are still ways to get yourself out there in…
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21 Best FREE VST in 2023 [with Links!]
Steinberg developed Virtual Studio Technology in 1996 to bring synthesizers and effects into digital audio workstations. It’s a plugin format that numerous major DAWs host, like Ableton, Logic, FL Studio, Digital Performer, and Reaper, amongst others. VST instruments are a…
Korg Opsix Review: The Ultimate FM Synthesizer?
Korg graced the synthesizer space with two new releases in 2020. One, the Wavestate, made its full debut at Winter NAMM that year, while the Opsix was yet an unmarked prototype. Despite the many ups and downs of a now…
Understanding Music Modes and Their Role in the Studio
There are seven total music modes including the major and natural minor scales. Why learn them at all? Songwriters and producers can always benefit from music theory; when you know the rules, or at least the basics, it can help…
Audio Test Kitchen Review: Test Up to 300 Mics for FREE!
Audio Test Kitchen is an incredible free resource for recording enthusiasts. One of the biggest challenges engineers face is becoming knowledgable about mics. And there’s really no way to do that without trying them on practically every instrument over the…