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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 —…
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…
5 Best Overhead Drum Mics for Detail & Clarity
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…