In The Studio: A Drum Recording Checklist
With a strong foundation, you can build almost anything on it that you or your clients can imagine Read More
Study Hall posts in Recording
In The Studio: Control Room Techniques To Foster Great Vocals
During a session, I remember when an artist was on mic, out in the studio ready to start vocal overdubs, and the producer asked: “How do we look in here, from out there?” Interesting, because he knew the appearance of… Read More
Digital Audio Basics: Sample Rate And Bit Depth
Although discussions of digital audio conversion have filled several books, a fundamental understanding of two terms is particularly important to correctly using your computer-based recording system: sample rate and bit depth. The conversion process is complex, and there are multiple… Read More
In The Studio: Recording The Rolling Stones “Brown Sugar” Sessions
If you’ve seen the Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter movie, you might recall Jimmy Johnson’s brief speaking role. He was the one coaching Keith Richards on the proper Alabama pronunciation of “Y’all come back, y’hear.” For three nights in December of… Read More
In The Studio: Sound Layering
Simple techniques to help your mix translate properly to other monitors once you take your song out of the studio. Read More
Effectively Using Parallel Compression In Mastering
This chapter will teach you about a powerful way of using a single-band compressor – parallel compression. Outlined are some of the downsides to using standard single-band compression and how parallel compression can overcome these. The chapter begins with what… Read More
In The Studio: The Mystery Of Compression
The compressor is a wonderful tool when used properly, however, often the basics of compression are misunderstood, leaving audio that would have been better left untouched. A compressor is a threshold effect that will squeeze dynamic range. If a sound… Read More
Recording Techniques: The Effects Of Microphone Placement On Banjo Tone
Some time ago I decided I wanted to find out how the location of a microphone near a banjo affects the tone quality you hear. To make these tests scientific as well as subjective, I measured the spectrum of the… Read More
Understanding And Applying Audio Data Compression—MP3s, AACs & More
Love it or hate it, data compression (not to be confused with audio signal compression, which is a different issue) schemes like MP3, FLAC, AAC, and other relatives have fundamentally changed music as we know it. The battle between fidelity… Read More
In The Studio: Defining Characteristics Of Great Vs Amateur Mixes
What to avoid as well as what must be in a mix to make it special Read More
A Straightforward Discussion Of Microphone Variable Polar Patterns
Variable polar patterns can actually be good for several things. Read More
In The Studio: Six Tips For Great Electric Guitars Without Amps
Making it work with direct guitar recording Read More