Norbert is a sound designer and engineer based in Curitiba, Brazil. Get in touch with him on Insta (@norbertweiher) or check out his work on norbertweiher.com.
Have you ever spent hours trying to create a unique synth patch? No matter how long you tweaked the controls – you didn’t get to the sound you wanted? I was in the same boat… Until a simple routine skyrocketed my learning curve of synthesizer programming! The best thing: This routine works even if you’re...
Have you ever mixed a song and whatever you did, you weren’t happy with the drums? Not just slightly unhappy… There was something wrong that you couldn’t sort out with EQ and compression. Maybe the kick drum didn’t cut it. Or the snare was just not heavy enough. Instead of tweaking the mix for hours...
If you produce your own songs, you probably do most of the work in your home studio. All you need is a computer, a 2-channel interface, a microphone, and headphones and you’re ready to lay down any instrument. Almost any that is… live drums are the big exception. Drums can annoy your neighbors pretty fast...
Do you remember the first time you put reverb on a track? It was magic, wasn’t it? All that space made your song sound so big! But when enthusiasm wore off, you realized your mix lost all definition. With a grudge, you reduced the amount of reverb. Definition restored. But all that space… gone forever....
One very powerful technique to increase the impact of your drums is to combine live drums and loops. Teaming up the organic performance of a drummer with the sonic possibilities of a loop opens the door to endless possibilities. But it’s not all peaches and cream. Many a producer has slapped a loop on top...
Have you ever ditched a take because there was a problem with the audio? Noisy guitar amps? Headphone mix bleed? Barking dogs? Until a couple of years ago, re-recording would be your solution of choice. Audio repair used to be something reserved for forensic audio (a seriously cool topic) or film sound professionals. But things...
Compression is one of the most applied techniques in music production. Used correctly, it can greatly enhance your track. But used in the wrong way, compressors can cause a lot of damage to your mix. In this post, I’ll share 6 compression mistakes that you must avoid at all costs while mixing. 1) Compressing without...
Songs like ‘All My Life’ from the Foo Fighters or ‘Uprising’ from Muse have one thing in common: An in your face vocal sound. How about getting those kick-ass vocals into your next production? Are you up for the ride? Then buckle up… because Kansas is going bye-bye! 1) Record a spot-on performance Mediocre performances...
A great song needs a great vocal Vocal doubles are among the secret ingredients used by producers from Sir George Martin to Roy Thomas Baker, from Butch Vig to Rick Rubin. In this post, I’ll show you how to master this super important production technique. Are you ready to make your vocals sing like Freddy,...
If you want to make it in modern music production, tuning vocals is a skill you must master. Instrumentals aside, vocals are the most important part of any song. Through lyrics and melody, they connect directly with the heart of your audience. If your song is supposed to deliver a lasting impression, the vocals need...