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?…

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…

These are the 5 most sampled drum beats in hip hop
By Dave S We hate to break it to you, but there’s no secret recipe when it comes to crafting the ultimate hit. There’s no secret chord, syncopation or melody that is certain to make people get up and dance…
How to Mix Vocals to a 2-Track Instrumental

Mixing vocals to a 2-track instrumental is something every engineer will encounter at some point. It’s especially common in hip hop/pop, where artists routinely download pre-mixed instrumentals online and bring them to a studio to record. The challenge with learning…

Matt Weiss: GRAMMY-Nominated Pop, Hip-Hop, & EDM Engineer
Matt Weiss is a GRAMMY-nominated, platinum recording and mixing engineer who's worked with artists like Akon, Swae Lee, Jeremih, Chris Brown, Sonny Digital, Nicky Minaj, Becky G, Anitta, Rick Ross, Farruko, and Ozuna. Matt grew up in Philadelphia with creative parents:…
Paul “Willie Green” Womack: Dedicated to the Art of Making Records

Paul “Willie Green” Womack is one of the top record makers in independent urban music, with credits including Wiz Khalifa, Donnie McClurkin, The Roots, Open Mike Eagle, Billy Woods, Milo, and many more. He is a graduate of Berklee College’s…

Mixing Pop w/ Ariel Chobaz – Mix Contest
I recently had the chance to sit down with my rather good friend Mr. Ariel Chobaz! Ariel has graciously agreed to be part of our remix competition and complete the mix the song himself using the same Multitracks that you…
Ariel Chobaz: Multi-Platinum Hip Hop/Pop Engineer

Ariel Chobaz is a GRAMMY-nominated, multi-platinum engineer and mixer with handfuls of Billboard #1s under his belt. He mixed a record-breaking number of singles charted by a female rap album with Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday. He and Minaj also set the record for…

Mixing Kick & Bass FAQ FRIDAY
This week was a big one and it was all about Mixing Low End… more specifically mixing Kick and Bass. We did 2 LIVE Q&A’s, mixing kick and bass in hiphop and showed you some low end mixing tricks from…
Mixing Kick & Bass in Hip Hop (Mixing Low End)
a Rafflecopter giveaway Mixing live Drums and Bass are very different from Mixing Programmed Drums and Bass and Mixing Hip Hop/EDM and R&B can present a whole new set of issues! ‘Kick’ or ‘Bass' Drums can be pure tones like…
These are the salaries of some of the top hip hop producers
By Dave S No doubt, the life of a pop star is a glamorous one, and one that makes many of us green with jealousy. There’s so many perks: world travel, adoration by fans, free stuff and of course, the…
These 5 artists are also world class producers
By Dave S If you want to make it in the industry you’re going to need to put in the hours to make yourself known. Like any job, what will earn you the most recognition is not only performing well…