Keeping cables organized. If you were to look at the back of your gear, would you see a “cable jungle”? Cables are the lifeblood of your setup - here’s some ideas for keeping them organized and optimized.


Be a better engineer. Sometimes it’s not so much the technical, but a matter of common sense, awareness and attention to detail. In addition to a good dose of professionalism, as Tim Crich explains.


Making the jump to DAW. So you’ve upgrading your PC for recording duty… So many choices, and many of them are viable. What’s the best way to find the right DAW package for your needs?


Creating DVD-A discs. "I want to burn DVD-A discs of my project. Can I buy a Dolby Digital Surround Sound encoder and burn them with Toast? How do I do it?”


Correct mic positioning. Sometimes it’s just a matter of personal taste, but sometimes there are tried and true ways of most effectively positioning your microphones. Here’s the scoop.


Understanding rights to materials. A very straightforward statement of the ins and outs of public performance rights, as well as dramatic performance rights. Staying legal, and without not ripping anyone off!


Free money! Need funding for your career or a project? Check out this lengthy listing of sources for grant funding, fellowships, residencies and more. Direct links included!


SAW versus DAW? The gang in the Nika Aldrich Rec Pit forum recently debated the merits of SAW Studio, talking about its capabilities and contrasting it to DAW tools like PT.


Get a job! So just how does one go about getting gainful employment in the recording industry? We present a series of insightful interviews from noted recording pros, starting with Leslie Ann Jones (left) of Skywalker Sound.


Get an audio job, part2 Murray Allen’s career spans more than fifty years in the music and entertainment industry. Here is part two of our series of interviews


Get an audio job, part 3. Our series on ways of going about landing a great job in pro audio continues with views from Gregg Hildebrandt, who currently works with TASCAM, training users on real application of gear, techniques and more.


MIDI: why serial interface. MIDI has always used a serial interface. While the reasons may be up for debate, it’s a fact of life. Parallel interface might seem like a better idea, but it depends of many factors.


Sage words on the basics. Whether you’re making demos or just trying to get comfortable with the basics of recording, Rec Pit’s Harvey Gerst has prepared an excellent primer with salient, useful advice, including a breakdown of the recording process.


Editing in Pro Tools. Some of the most powerful features of Pro Tools lie within its editing capabilities. Learning all of the editing techniques takes some time, but it’s time well spent. A primer on how to do it.


To normalize or not?If you’re doing mastering of a demo, should you use the “normalize” function of your software, or invest in compression plug-ins? Good question, and we’ve got a reasoned answer!


Microphone mysteries revealed. The bottom line on the differences between dynamic and condenser mics, explained in straightforward language. Cardioid and other patterns also clarified. And why are ribbon mics becoming more popular?


File formats and media. Will audio files and auxiliary data created on your DAW play on somebody else’s? Same as on yours? Audio only? Not at all?


Grounding and shielding. Ah, cabling. The age-old problem. But now that “pin 2 is hot” has been made the standard, the question of pin 1 is being addressed. A discussion of correct interconnects.


Drums without drummers. So you get your “drummer in a box” hooked up, program all your parts the way you always wanted your drummer to play them, and record your homage to John Bonham. Everything is perfect, except for one little thing… Jackson B. Jackson’s tips to making it work.

Interfacing mics & sound cards. It’s not always easy to make a mic work optimally with your computer. Here’s an in-depth tutorial on how to do it., including special notes about Macs and many helpful illustrations.


Virtual cables? How do you interconnect your gear when its software? Go to the virtual realm, naturally. Learn about the concept and the best ways to route signals in your software.


Chain, chain, chain. Michael Cooper explains ways to route signals to effects processors to get optimal sound. The "why's" of various inserts and sends, and advanced apps involving the use of mults. Plus, great illustrations!


Go native or farm DSP? Clarifies the crucial difference between the two basic approaches to DAW topologies: Native processing using the computer CPU versus separate DSP “farms” for processing parallel to the main CPU bus.


Past is prelude. A look at where the DAW industry had its origins, how it became so important - technically and creatively - and where the rollercoaster is taking us.


AES report: New DAW & software. Pro Tools 6.0 was unveiled at AES - find out what Barry Rudolph thinks about it, along with new DAW and software offerings from Steinberg, Euphonix, Sadie and others. Barry even ventured to a West Hollywood hotel in pursuit of the latest!


A Musician's Guide to Pro Tools. Everything to know about best use of the D-Verb plug-in. Aux effects discussion, using aux sends with the D-Verb, and more!


Basic system architecture. Should you opt for a standard computer-based system or go for a “solution-in-a-box?”



File formats and media. Will audio files and auxiliary data created on your DAW play on somebody else’s? Same as on yours? Audio only? Not at all? A look at file interchange formats that claim to be the “.WAV” of the future.


Video sync for audio minds. The basics of synchronizing audio to picture - Part 1. Part 2.



The union of Apple & Emagic. Ken Berger provides analysis of the recent union of Apple and Emagic, what it means immediately, and what it COULD mean for the future of the recording industry. Is there an Apple in your future?


What do we have now? Which DAW you buy (or which upgrades, plug-ins or peripheral gear to add) depends to a great extent on what you have now. Here's guidelines.


Geography/community. If you want to make a career out of digital audio production, you need to work effectively with your clients and other members of the production community.


Moving beyond 24/96? Major DAW manufacturers (with a couple notable exceptions) were present in force at AES 2001, with Mel Lambert sampling the new wares and surveying company commitments to new formats.


Panasonic's DA-7 digital mixer. David Weiss interviewed Panasonic's Carl Marinoff, about the many uses of the DA-7 and how user groups are actually listened to.


Buying smart. Which DAW is right for what you’re doing today and, more important, where you want to go tomorrow?

Plug-In Primer. Rec Pit's seva offers insider insights on how your DAW plug-ins will behave in different environments.

Arranging in the digital world. At a loss on style and instrumentation for your recordings? Here's a handy guide for developing better understanding and awareness that can in turn help you really accomplish what you're trying to achieve.

The World of PC Recording. An excellent tutuorial guide on creating, optimizing and maintaining your computer for audio recording.

Producing at home with ProTools. Info and tips for getting the most out of ProTools in a home studio. Recording and editing focus.