Use VST Or AU Plug-ins In Pro Tools Pro Tools only supports Avid’s own plug-in format. But what if there is a plug-in that you would like to use, that isn’t available in the AAX format. Is there any way of being able to use an AU or VST plug-in […]
Announcement: For the past three years I have been writing a book entitled Record, Mix & Master – In The Box. The book covers everything – setting up a home studio, understanding room acoustics, how sound works, different types of speakers, mixing in mono, compression, eq, effects, dither, word-clock, jitter, […]
When to Use Dynamic EQ In a Mix One of the biggest challenges when mixing with EQ is sculpting audio signals that vary in frequency content over time. A cut to tame harsh vocal frequencies works for one phrase, then comprises intelligibility the next. Rolling off lows on a drum […]
7 Tips for Using Subtractive EQ Subtractive EQ—the process of eking out unwanted frequencies from an audio source—is a powerful tool in the engineer’s arsenal. With just a few moves, we can make sounds appear less nasal, less harsh, less muddy, and more clear. It’s such a powerful tool, as […]
20 seriously juicy FL Studio power tips Make your studio sessions more fruitful with these indispensable pearls of wisdom FL Studio has a strong and vocal fanbase – one that propelled it to another victory in our vote to find the best DAW in the world last year. The software […]
Steinberg Cubase Power Tips With Sound Designer Robert Dudzic If you’ve watched a movie or a TV show in the past 15 years, you’ve heard the sound design work of Robert Dudzic many times over. His brooding textures and clangorous stingers have lent mood and excitement to trailers, Hollywood blockbusters […]
7 Quick Music Production Tips for Logic Pro X 1. Tap Tempo There’s a tap tempo option in Logic Pro X. It’s not set up as default, but it’s easy to configure. Go to key commands (K) and search for tap tempo. You’ll see the option. Now it’s time to […]
7 Home Recording Studio Myths From debates about analog versus digital, one DAW versus another, and the impact of the loudness wars, producers have a particular fascination with myth. The same applies to home studios. Ask anything related to bedroom production online and you will get a flurry of conflicting […]
Understanding Spectrograms Audio Repair & Restoration Tips The key to successful audio restoration lies in your ability to correctly analyze the situation—much like a doctor recognizing symptoms that point to a certain illness. Constantly honing the ear to distinguish the noises and audio events that need to be corrected can […]
Drum Production Tips for EDM Minimal Kick Drum EDM producers are on a continual quest to create powerful, impactful sounding drums. Many producers — from Pendulum to Noisia to Skrillex to BT to Morgan Page and many more — have developed their own signature sounds largely based on the way […]
The Basics of Granular Synthesis Standard synthesis methods (subtractive, FM, etc.) mostly require the user to manipulate oscillating waves, a technique that has been used for decades. These methods are familiar and easy to work with, making them the main focus for synthesists and sound designers. Because it doesn’t exclusively […]
Mixing While Producing Music – Good or Bad Idea? With the same DAWs and plug-ins used in both music production and mixing, it is becoming harder to determine just where one process ends and the other begins. “Mixing as you go” is one of the more influential changes to workflow […]
How AI is solving one of music’s most expensive problems The last step in audio production is being taken over by machines Making music is one of the most human things we do, but in recent years, AI has stepped in to lend a helping hand. Algorithms have been infiltrating […]
Vocal Production and the Evolution of a Pop Song ft. Prince Charles Alexander – Taking a track from a demo to a finished song is no small undertaking. In music production, and especially vocal production, songs can change hands many times, with multiple producers, songwriters, engineers, and performers all making […]
The Basics of Surround Sound Part 1 Learn the basics of recording and mixing with surround sound audio, including how to easily setup and calibrate your system. Learn How to Harness the Power of Immersive Audio Not too long ago, the field of immersive audio was referred by the home […]
10 Tips for Editing Interview-Based Podcasts As traditional radio reporting is shifting more and more to podcasts, we’ve seen a proliferation of startup companies and broadcast organization spreading into the field. With them has come a growing opportunity for new work: suddenly, the niche job of organizing audio for podcasts […]
Genre in Mastering with 15 Professional Mastering Engineers Part 1 In this three-part blog series about the role of genre in mastering, we’re exploring the question, “How much does genre determine what happens in mastering?” In Part 1, we start by looking at deliverables and level in general. Read Part […]
Making a Custom Sampler Instrument Sampling is one of the most important aspects of modern music production. It is the basis of the sampler, one of the most common types of software instruments. Many software emulations of real instruments, like string, horn, and woodwind plug-ins, are possible through sampling and […]