Overheads can be the difference between a great drum recording, or one that’s so-so. The best overhead drum mics will glue the whole kit together in a brilliant way and do more than just capture the sound of the cymbals.…
Aaron Marshall of Intervals Redefines Instrumental Guitar Music
Intervals is the brainchild of guitarist/composer Aaron Marshall. Since the project’s inception in 2011, Marshall has explored sounds within the instrumental progressive scene. His latest full-length, Circadian, is a complete realization of Marshall’s unique voice on the guitar and his personal take…
UA Console Application Explained
The UA Console application is the key to Apollo interfaces’ Realtime UAD Processing capabilities. It lets you insert and control UAD plugins, as well as route and monitor audio. UA Console: Recording Through Plugins Perhaps the main feature of UA’s…
What Is Saturation (And How Do I Use it)?
Saturation is an engineer favorite. It’s one of those tools that, used effectively, can take an instrument or mix to the next level. If you’re asking yourself “what is saturation?”, they you’ve come to the right place! What Is Saturation…
McDSP FutzBox Review: The Ultimate All-in-One Distortion Designer
Messing up audio signals can be a lot more fun than making them sound pretty. Not only is it a good time, but it’s often a stylistic necessity, especially in the realm of post-production. The FutzBox by McDSP is a…
5 Piano EQ Tips to Improve Your Mix & Achieve Awesome Tone
Piano is a beautiful instrument, but when you put anything under a microscope, you’re bound to find some flaws. Such is the case with piano EQ. Never a one-size-fits-all technique, learning how to squeeze a piano in a mix is…
ART P16 Patchbay Review: The Ultimate 16-Channel XLR Patchbay
Applied Research and Technology (ART) are well known producers of affordable recording equipment, including everything from power conditioners to microphones and outboard gear. In this review, we’ll be considering the ART P16 patchbay and how it can simplify connections in…
The 8 Best AKG Headphones for Any Budget [2023 Guide]
So you’re looking for a new pair of headphones…you’ve come to the right place. Shopping around can be overwhelming with how many companies are making top-notch stuff. If you’ve narrowed your search to AKG headphones, this list should help you…
The Different Kinds of Microphones and Their Applications
The more you get into the recording craft, the more you’ll start to recognize different kinds of microphones. There’s a huge world of mics out there, but knowing the major types will help you decide what to use. When you’re…
Pro Tools Shortcuts for Faster Session Navigation
Keyboard shortcuts are the quickest way around your DAW. They let you do in one keystroke what would normally take extra time sifting through menus. If you hope to become a proficient engineer, then key commands are indispensable! Here are…
EP vs LP: What’s the Difference & When Would You Release One?
Many artists want to better understand the difference between an EP vs LP, especially in terms of what it means for releasing their own music. There’s the simple distinction that one is shorter than the other, namely due what was…
Ableton 11: Updates, New Features, & More
Ableton is already one of the industry’s top DAWs for music production. It’s unique features and workflow set it apart as the top pick for EDM/pop/hip-hop production. 2021 marks the debut of Ableton 11, full of impressive updates, brand new…
Flux BitterSweet v3 | Free Transient Designer Plugin
The first transient designer came out in the late ’90s. It was a whole new concept that left lots of people wondering whether it was a compressor, or a noise gate, or something else entirely. The real answer is the…
Best Home Studio Monitors for 2023
If you’re shopping for a pair of studio monitors to fit your home studio, you’ve come to the right place. Flat, neutral monitoring is one of the keys to getting the best mix you can—and it all starts with the…
Vocal Compression for Beginners
Learning to mix an up-front, in-your-face vocal takes practice. Understandably the most important aspect of a song across numerous genres, a great sounding, competitive vocal has the power to stand out from the pack. But how do we even get…
Inspired Acoustics Inspirata Reverb Review
Inspired Acoustics isn’t necessarily one of the better known plugin developers out there. The reason being, they’re responsible for an impressive collection of virtual pipe organs which is a pretty niche offering. No matter, the level of detail the Inspired Acoustics…
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The 6 Best Guitar Loop Pedals for Any Budget [2023 Guide]
Many guitarists don’t considerate it, but a guitar loop pedal is one of the best upgrades for your board. From a creative standpoint, loop pedals can completely change the way you write and practice music. What Is a Loop Pedal?…
The 5 Best Studio Desks for Home Mixing [2023 Guide]
The studio desk is the centerpiece of your creative space. It should have everything you need at arm’s length to keep the inspiration flowing! Not only that, but it should be comfortable, fit your space, and keep your workflow neat…
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Splice Sounds Review: Is the Subscription Worth It [2023 Guide]
One of the most important assets for any music producer is access to high-quality, royalty-free samples. Splice offers millions of one-shots, drum loops, instrumental loops, and sound effects. Over the years, it’s developed into a complete online community for producers…
McDSP APB-8 vs. APB-16: Which One Is Better for Me?
McDSP’s APB-8 and APB-16 are truly unprecedented pieces of outboard equipment offering the sonic richness of analog with the unparalleled convenience of digital control. These one-of-a-kind processors may very well usher in a new era of hybrid analog-digital technology for…
SurferEQ by Sound Radix | Adaptive Pitch-Tracking EQ
SurferEQ 2 by Sound Radix is a genuinely innovative equalizer plugin. It’s been around for a while now, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less impressive today than it was at release. Sound Radix incorporated real-time pitch-tracking technology to completely…
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The Best Reverb Pedal Options for Your Rig [2023 Guide]
Building a killer guitar rig is one of the funnest aspects of playing the instrument. And little is more satisfying than adding space, dimension, and even deep ambience to your tone with an awesome reverb pedal. Stompboxes aren’t just for…
Audio Signal Flow: The Ins and Outs
Understanding signal flow is one of the most fundamental skills an engineer can have. Knowing your stuff can help you save a ton of headache troubleshooting when you could be recording and mixing! What is signal flow? Very simply, signal…
SE2200T Review: An Affordable & Capable Studio Condenser Mic
It isn’t often that we cover discontinued products, but occasionally exceptions should be made. The secondhand market for coveted music gear is alive and well, so with that in mind, let’s review the SE2200T by sE Electronics. Can a Cheap…
6 Best Practice Amps in 2023
Every guitarist could use a great practice amp, whether they’re a beginner or have been playing for years. The ideal choice should first and foremost provide great tone and flexibility, perhaps come with some onboard effects, and be small and…
Rossum SP-1200 Drum Machine Reissue Review
The Rossum SP-1200 is a modern reissue of the game-changing E-mu drum machine from the ’80s that revolutionized hip hop and electronic production. The Rossum SP-1200 Drum Machine Reissue Is an Updated Take on a Legendary Machine E-mu Systems released…
8 Best Orchestral VST For Any Budget (2023)
You might be surprised how often software instruments make it into final productions. Plenty of TV shows and small-budget films infrequently use live orchestras for their scores anymore, simply because the cost and time demand is too great. The same…
Audio-Technica AT2020 Review: Big Sound, Small Price Tag
Audio-Technica is very popular in the project studio. Its superb line of affordable 20 series microphones includes large and small diaphragm condensers, handheld dynamics, and even an X/Y stereo microphone. Amongst them, the priciest offering weighs in at just $250.…
FabFilter vs. iZotope Plugins for Music Production
When it comes to mixing and mastering, we have access to hundreds of amazing plugins from many companies. We collect our favorites from a variety of developers since there’s no be-all-end-all plugin maker. However, an interesting debate we’ve occasionally seen…
Overdrive vs Distortion: What’s The Difference?
Two of the most common effects guitarists use are overdrive and distortion. No matter how long you’ve been playing, though, it can’t hurt to have a better understanding of overdrive vs distortion, how they’re similar, and how they’re different. And…
What Is RMS and How Does It Differ from True Peak?
What is RMS? What’s true peak? What the heck is LUFS? All of these are totally reasonable questions in the weird world of audio! There are lots of different ways we measure loudness, and it can be tough to pin…
Akai MPK Mini Mk3 MIDI Controller Review
The Akai MPK Mini Mk3 is one of the most popular choices for a quality, travel-size MIDI controller. There’s an abundance of options available in the 25-key category, but Akai remains a standout. Akai Continues to Build on Its Legacy…
What Is a True Peak Limiter?
True peak levels differ from the volume we read in our DAW. In digital audio, we understand the absolute ceiling to be 0dBFS (decibels relative to full scale), and any signal above that can cause clipping. We can push a…
Gifts for Music Producers | Practical Ideas
We’re out of the holiday season for now, but that doesn’t meant the next one isn’t right around the corner. These gifts for music producers are sure to satisfy the hard-to-buy-for creators in your life. Useful Gifts for Music Producers…
Scale Degrees: What Are They and Why Do They Matter in the Studio
Engineers and producers can always benefit from understanding the basics of music theory. Knowing enough of the “language of music” to get by is helpful for communicating effectively with session musicians, for example. Having the ear is most important, but…
The 5 Best Shotgun Microphones for Your Home Studio
The shotgun mic is a film/TV industry staple for capturing extremely directional audio with little ambient noise. We’ll cover a few of the top shotgun microphones around if you’re looking to pick one up for your personal collection. What Is…
What Is a DSP and What Does It Do for Music?
DSP is a concept that gets thrown around a lot in audio, so it’s important to understand just how integral it is to the modern music production process. What Is a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) Firstly, DSP can stand for…
Fletcher-Munson Curve Explained: Using Equal-Loudness Contour to Mix
Human hearing is a weird and wonderful thing. The branch of psychophysics concerned with sound perception is psychoacoustics, and it explains a lot about why we hear the way we do. As mix engineers we need to become familiar with…
Ableton Push 2 Review: An All-in-One MIDI Controller
Ableton launched the Push controller in collaboration with AKAI back in 2013. Designed to function inside Ableton Live software, it was an innovative device meant to be treated like an instrument rather than an average MIDI controller. The company soon…
Plugin Boutique Scaler 2 Review
Scaler 2 is one of many compositional aids and chord generating plugins currently available. It makes sense; software helps with everything else related to recording music—why not give us a push at the actual songwriting stage? We’ll see how Plugin…
Overloud Voice Review: The Ultimate One-Stop Vocal Production Plugin?
Ever wondered how the world’s top engineers craft award-winning vocals? Everyone has their own approach and techniques, but many of the same kinds of effects go into vocal chains on each and every mix, across genres and from mixer to…
Strymon Iridium Review | Portable Tone On the Go
Strymon has been making top-quality pedals in California since 2009. Many guitarists know them by their acclaimed reverb and delay units—the Big Sky and Time Line, respectively—which effectively raised the bar for time-based effect pedals. Last year, Strymon entered the…
Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor
The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor is nothing short of a modern classic. The thing is a monster, equally recognized by its imposing looks and its premium sound. For engineers who need unrivaled dynamic control, the Shadow Hills gets the job…
McDSP APB 16 Review: The Ultimate Analog Processing Box?
A few years ago, the McDSP APB was one of the most hyped new products to debut at the NAMM show. A few years later and not much has changed, as founder Colin McDowell and his team at McDSP created…
Celemony Melodyne 5 Review
For over 20 years, Melodyne has been the not-so-secret weapon behind pristine vocal and instrumental performances. Celemony’s founder, Peter Neubäcker, started developing the Melodyne concept in 1997. Three years later he began the company, and in 2001, industry-changing software was…
How To Get Your Music On Spotify in 2023
Understanding how to get your music on Spotify is essential knowledge in 2023, when streaming dominates music sales. As of 2020, streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and others accounted for over 80% of the total revenue generated by…
ASCAP vs. BMI vs. SESAC: All About PROs
If you’re a performing artist you know the value of royalties. Regardless of the size of the check, they show up every quarter like clockwork. But they don’t just appear out of nowhere; those royalty payments are the work of…
The Best DJ Headphones in 2023 (Our Top Picks for Any Budget)
The best DJ headphones aren’t the same as the best studio headphones. We’ll discover what sets them apart and how to pick the right set for you! Why Having a Quality Pair of Headphones for DJing Is a Must Nearly…
Spotify Playlist Placement | Have Your Music Heard
Digital streaming is the #1 way people consume music. Streams equated to almost 85% of US album sales in 2019, which means pushing physical copies is a thing of the past for most artists. Beyond just uploading to the platform,…
Acoustic Loop1 Looper Pedal Review: Easy to Use and Made to Play
A good looper pedal serves a variety of purposes for guitar players. They can be excellent practice and writing tools, letting you improvise over chord progressions or explore song arrangements without having to set up to record. Some solo musicians…