A gain stage is any point in the audio signal path where we can adjust the overall level of a track. For instance, this could be with a fader or with the output controls of plugins like compressors and EQs.…
Home Studio on a Budget: Getting Started for Less than $1000
It’s 2019: You can make records in your home studio and spend less than $1000 getting set up! Today’s recording tech has given everybody the opportunity to create high-quality music in their bedroom, even with just the bare essentials. We’ll…
The Best Mobile Music Production Apps in 2022
Musicians’ creativity doesn’t come to a halt when they’re on the road. In a perfect world, we’d all have access to the comfort of our home studios 24/7, efficiently churning out music as often as we’d like. But whether you’re…
Mixing vs. Mastering: What Is the Difference?
Mixing and mastering are the two essential processes in polishing and finalizing a recorded song. If you’re making music that you plan to sell, or use to promote yourself (i.e., not a demo), you’ll want to invest some time into…
The Audio Mixer: Key Features & Functions
At the most basic level, an audio mixer combines multiple signals and routes them to a common output for recording or amplification through a sound reinforcement system. “Signals” are those sounds captured by microphones or received from electric instruments. Also…
Do you gain stage tracks before mixing? | FAQ Friday
Today’s featured question is: “Do you gain stage tracks before mixing?" What a great question! Yes! Quite often! Not on stuff that I’ve recorded because I record it at a level that makes sense through my equipment, but definitely when…
Mixing Metal Drums with David Gnozzi
In today's video we have the opportunity to take a sneak peek at our good friend David Gnozzi's marvellous course "Recording, Mixing, and Mastering Metal." In this excerpt David teaches us all about his techniques for mixing metal drums! David…
What kind of equipment do you need to be a mobile recording studio? | FAQ Friday
Hello everyone! We're back with another FAQ Friday! Today's featured question is: What kind of equipment would I need to be a mobile recording studio? The equipment you will need to set up a mobile recording studio will be pretty…
The Best Vocal Mics for Under $500
For most of us putting together a home or project studio, cost dictates the gear we choose. In a perfect world we’d all have a locker full of $3000+ vocal mics, but that’s wildly impractical for the average bedroom engineer’s…
Does tinnitus affect your mixes? | FAQ Friday
Today's featured question is: Does tinnitus affect your mixes? For those of you who don't know what tinnitus is, it is the sensation of hearing ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, whistling, or other sounds, caused by prolonged exposure to loud sounds.…
What acoustic guitars would you recommend for a pop/rock mix? | FAQ Friday
Happy FAQ Friday everyone! We have some great questions in today's video! Before we get to those though, we have an exciting new plugin to share with you: The Pulsar Smasher! This plugin is a straightforward extreme compressor modeled after…
How Audio Test Kitchen Changed Comparing Mics Forever!
In today's video, we had the opportunity to sit down with Alex Oana, co-founder of Audio Test Kitchen again! The last time we sat down with Alex, he told us all about how Audio Test Kitchen works, and went through…
This $129 Interface Sets Gain On Its Own?! | Audient EVO 4 Demo
We've talked quite a bit about Audient's brand new EVO 4 over the past few days, and now we are going to be putting it to the test. Today, we will be recording singer/songwriter Katie Ferrara using the EVO 4!…
What should you upgrade first: Mic or Preamp? | FAQ Friday
It's Friday, which means we are back with a marvellous FAQ Friday! Before we jump into some questions, though, we have another exciting giveaway for you! Audient is back and is allowing us to give away 3 more of their…
Inside the Song: “Song 2” by Blur with Graham Coxon
Blur is an English rock band formed in 1988, consisting of vocalist Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James, and drummer Dave Rowntree. The band was central to the 1990s Britpop movement. They achieved mass popularity in the UK,…
Working with Ace Frehley on Origins, Vol. 1: Untold Stories
A little while ago, I had the incredible opportunity to play guitar for Ace Frehley on his album "Origins, Vol. 1". Ace Frehley is a musician that I have looked up to for many years, so this was an amazing…
How do you deal with self-doubt when recording and mixing? | FAQ Friday
This week's FAQ Friday is coming to you from Clay Blair's studio, Boulevard Recording! There have been some incredible records made here! We have actually been here this week filming a Beatles recording course, which I am very excited about,…
Jellyfish’s ‘Spilt Milk’: Inside the Album with Roger Joseph Manning Jr.
Roger Joseph Manning Jr. is an American power pop and electronic rock musician, singer, and songwriter with a prolific career in the industry. Roger’s musical career began as early as 1989, when he started arranging string, brass, wind, and vocal…
The Pros of Earning a Sound Engineering Degree
There are a lot of perspectives and opinions on whether going to college for audio engineering is worth it. One of the biggest arguments against working on a sound engineering degree is that it’s really no substitute for real-world experience…
The Best Way To Learn How To Mix | FAQ Friday
Today I’m really thrilled to have Jon Connolly here with us for FAQ Friday! Jon is the closest thing to a ProTools expert that I have ever met in my life, he's an Avid Master instructor and Berkley lecturer! -…
How Much Should You Charge To Mix A Song? | FAQ Friday
We’re back with another episode of FAQ Friday! We have a lot of great questions today! Some about mixing and some related to business, which is always a nice balance! Let's get right into today's featured question: “You suggest getting…
Do You Need an Audio Engineering Degree?
Let’s dive straight in. Do you need an audio engineering degree to become an engineer? No. Traditionally, great engineers have learned by doing—starting as an intern in a studio and being mentored by peers to develop their skills. The professional…
How much time should you spend on each part of the creative process? | FAQ Friday
We’re back with another episode of FAQ Friday! As always we received tons of marvellous questions this week! Before we get into the questions for this week, I wanted to take a minute to thank Stealth Sonics for my very…
Recording a Full Band with a $99 Mic (Blue Ember)
a Rafflecopter giveaway We recently did a video on the iZotope Spire, which is a lovely device that singers and songwriters can use to record without using a DAW. We had the artist Laura Padaratz here who is Brazilian singer…
Recording a Song with the iZotope Spire (Giveaway)
a Rafflecopter giveaway Today we’re going to do a little demo of the iZOTOPE Spire! This is aimed specifically at people who want to record quickly and easily and don't have a huge knowledge of recording, so what we have…
Recording Rock Guitars With Bradley Cook
Today’s video is an excerpt from our newest course called “Recording & Mixing Punk Rock with Bradley Cook” In this excerpt we take a look at some of Bradley's recording techniques when it comes to recording rock guitars. Get Recording…
Foo Fighters “Everlong”: Inside the Song
I recently had a chance to sit down with my good friend Bradley Cook and all I have to say is that it was a rather exciting chat! If you don't know who Bradley Cook is, he is an engineer…
Home Studio Ideas: Essential Equipment & Considerations
For aspiring musicians, engineers, and producers, the home studio space is a prerequisite. It’s where you’ll spend countless hours writing songs, recording, mixing, and tinkering! Today, the home recording set-up doesn’t have to cost a fortune—there are many affordable ways…
Scott Baxendale: Acoustic Conversion Process
It's always Christmas when you get a box from Mr. Scott Baxendale! - I’m so excited! I’ve had my Silvertone for ages, but it was destroyed by Delta Airlines so I used their Delta Tape for the patch - haha. I…
Bradley Cook: Recording Engineer (Foo Fighters, QOTSA)
Bradley Cook is an engineer who's worked with countless amazing artists, including Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Counting Crows, Isaac Hayes, Ben Harper, Fishbone, and Everclear. He calls Barefoot Recording a home away from home, having worked there…
Hi! My name is Gordon McNeil! (Musician, Producer, Mixer, Label Owner)
Hi! I’m Gordon McNeil! In 2014, I was touring with the world’s leading Queen Tribute band “One Night Of Queen” fronted by Gary Mullen (winner of TV show Stars In Their Eyes) It was touring pretty much for a full…
Analog Delay vs Digital Delay | FAQ Friday
We have a lot of very wonderful questions this week beginning with, “When would you go for an analog delay vs a digital delay?” Basically, a digital delay is an incredibly, if not a completely accurate facsimile of the sound…
Using Drum Samples In A Mix | FAQ Friday
We have a lot of very very wonderful questions this week beginning with, “If you're using a kick sample, to avoid actually placing the sample manually for every kick hit, is there a program or method you use so that…
Should you use a USB Mic? | FAQ Friday
FAQ Friday is our weekly roundup of YOUR questions! If you have any questions you’d like to ask, simply leave them in the comments below (or on YouTube), and I’ll do my best to answer them! Here’s a marvellous question!…
The biggest factor that influences acoustic guitar sound | FAQ Friday
FAQ Friday is our weekly roundup of YOUR questions! If you have any questions you’d like to ask, simply leave them in the comments below (or on YouTube), and I’ll do my best to answer them! Here’s a big question!…
What Is Audio Clipping and Why Is It Important?
We’ve all heard the dreaded term “audio clipping.” It often shows itself as an admonishing red light in our DAW, on our audio interface, or on our speakers. The result of which is, almost always, scrambling for knobs or faders…
10 Things No One Tells You About Music Production
1. Your first attempts at making music will not be that good! It’s ok! My first productions were atrocious! Knowing what I know now I wish I had created more songs and spent less time trying to perfect the ones…
When should you stop editing and start mixing? | FAQ Friday
FAQ Friday is our weekly roundup of YOUR questions! If you have any questions you’d like to ask, simply leave it in the comments below (or on YouTube), and I’ll do my best to answer it! We always get a…
Cloudlifter Mic Activator Demo & Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway Today we’re taking a look at the Cloudlifter - I’ve been wanting to try one of these for years, but haven’t had the chance. I have heard from many people that although initially the Cloudlifters were specifically…
Acoustic Guitar Miking Techniques | FAQ Friday
SEE ALSO: Decoding Mid/Side Miking Techniques
Raised in recording studios (Talking with Ryan Hewitt)
While we were in Nashville for NAMM and the Produce Like A Pro Masterclass, I had a chance to stop by the House Of Blues Studios to talk with the incredibly talented Ryan Hewitt. Ryan Hewitt is a Grammy award-winning…
Did modern music ruin feel & vibe? | FAQ Friday
FAQ Friday is our weekly episode where I answer your most frequently asked questions! How do you get your question answered? Leave thought provoking, conversation starting questions or comments on the videos! If you've been wondering about something, ask away!…
Releasing Singles vs. Albums vs. Eps | FAQ Friday
We have so much going on right now! I’ll try to sum it up as succinctly as I can! 1. We’ve just received our 100,000 Subscribers Silver Creator Award! 2. We’ve released a new course called Mixing Classic Rock For…
Headphones & Monitor Calibration | FAQ Friday
FAQ Friday’s are our weekly series where I answer YOUR questions! Leave your questions in the YouTube comments and I might answer them on the show! Before we get into today’s FAQ’s, I want to remind everyone that we’re having…
We’ve been nominated for an award! – Thank you!
On our last day in Nashville last week I got an email saying that we've been nominated for a Technical Excellent & Creativity Award for Audio Education Technology alongside some of the best in the industry. I am at a…
How to Write a Song with 10 Helpful Holistic Hints
When it comes to writing music, there’s surely no substitute for a bit of creativity and the keen desire to make something new. Everyone has a method all their own, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t observable parallels between creative…
If you could work with any artist, who would it be? | FAQ Friday
If you could work with any artist, who would it be? What a marvellous question. I’ve asked this question to friends of mine who are producers, mixers, engineers, songwriters, musicians, etc. I love when people ask who would you work…
Thank you 200K Subs Giveaway Week (Audient iD14 & ASP800 – $1148 Value)
a Rafflecopter giveaway Thank you once again for the 200,000 subscribers! It’s pretty overwhelming how amazing it is that there are so many of you here to help each other! I love all the comments & questions, I love how…
200K Subscribers Giveaway (Lewitt DTP Beat Kit Pro 7 – $1099 Value)
a Rafflecopter giveaway We hit 200,000 subscribers! In a little over 3 years this channel has grown from nothing to 200,000 of you! Everybody leaves incredible comments, questions and the community here is so supportive! I’m so impressed with everyone!…
Is Investing in Audio School Worth It?
I decided to go to audio school after already studying an unrelated field in college. There are a multitude of reasons why it was a great personal decision for me, but it didn’t come without its downsides either. Firstly, it’s important to…