There was a knock in the walls and it was driving me crazy. Every 15 seconds… *bang* I went outside, maybe it was some construction. No luck. Just the sound of birds and the faint traffic noise coming from Broadway. Back in the studio, I listened intently and it seemed like it was coming from...
If you’ve ever asked yourself: “How do I overcome embarrassing demo-quality records?” Or… “How do I get to that professional level where I can start attracting high-quality clients?” Then you’re already on your way there. The first step toward growing as a musician, engineer, or producer is awareness. Awareness of your skill level. Awareness of...
If your vocal sounds plastered on, like the music is in the background and the vocal sits on top, then this week’s video is for you. You may not be thinking about this frequency area when you’re trying to make your vocals sit with the rest of the instrument, and that’s why your mix sounds...
Lately, I’ve been struggling. I’ve been so concerned about what people think of me that it’s getting in the way of making music. Let me explain. I write and produce songs from home. I also run a blog that helps part-time musicians start their careers. My concern is that people will think that because I...
Mid/Side EQ can feel confusing, but it’s a powerful tool for tightening your low-end, creating focused definition and separation between your tracks, and width in your mix. We have talked about general EQ techniques a lot on the blog, but mid/side EQ is a little more advanced. Here are some suggestions on how you can...
I’ve got a gift for you today! If you want to get powerful and punchy drums, you have to have a snare sound that cuts through the mix. And if your drums sound like shitty home recordings, that’s never going to happen. Luckily for you, Jordan Valeriote of Hardcore Music Studio is giving away his...
If you haven’t watched Cobra Kai yet, you’re missing out on a fun guilty pleasure. On one end, you have Sensei Lawrence, who pushes students hard in less than ideal ways, teaching offense and “no mercy.” On the other end, you have LaRusso, the original Karate Kid, who leads with balance, humility, and honor. It’s...
You gotta stop adding this frequency range to your mixes if you want to avoid muddy mixes. There’s no better way to cause muddiness than overload your mix with the low-mids. I know you want weight in your mixes but if you instinctually add low-mids your mix will suffer for it because the low-mids will immediately...
Serial and parallel processing are two powerful mixing techniques that can be used to help craft clear, detailed mixes. But they can be tricky to master if you’re not sure how they work. And it can be especially hard to know when to use which technique. In this blog, we’ll explain the difference between serial...
“Imagine” by John Lennon came out on this day, 49 years ago. Do you think he could’ve known where he was heading when he formed the Quarrymen in 1956? Do you think he could’ve imagined the impact his voice would’ve had on millions of people and generations of musicians when he was playing school dances...