Tutorials

I’ve spent the last decade mastering records every day. That means long hours of listening, plenty of late nights, and more than a few mornings where the world felt half a dB dimmer than it should. I used to treat that feeling as part of the job. It isn’t. The job is listening – and...

I get sent hundreds of tracks a year to mix, and in some of the songs people have shortchanged the vocal recordings in a variety of ways. I won't even mention a song's tempo and key choice, as those should be determined before one starts tracking a singer. Here's a list...

The dB decibel is ubiquitous in the field of audio technology, recording, broadcast, etc. However, a need for a better notation has arisen to avoid confusion on the dB usage for certain measurements. This article explains this new and preferred dB notation with selected examples.

A Brief...

From guitars to drums to cabinets, many of the instruments we record are made of wood. As an organic, porous substance, wood tries to equalize to the surrounding air in terms of temperature and humidity. Having a stable humidity level can help to avoid damage to expensive gear as well...

I was reading a review in another recording magazine in which the writer opened up complaining about a device's external wall wart power supply. He went on and on about how irritating wall warts are and how he was miffed that anyone would even use them. My take was the reviewer was...

Die cast hoops

Die cast hoops give a drum more body, not "crack." I totally think of triple-flanged hoops as giving a drum more crack without the substantial body that a die cast hoop adds.

Nylon washers

Instead of replacing the metal washers between the tension rod and hoop...

Most engineers would probably agree that recording a drum kit is one of the most challenging studio tasks. The popularity of sampled drums and drum replacement software is a testament to the facts that: 1. Recording live drums may be a dying art, and 2. It can be a pain in the arse....

Over the course of making a recording we enter into a lot of agreements, often quite informally, and many without even a clear oral agreement. Examples from my own career include things like, "If this record goes anywhere, we're totally going to cut you in on it." Or...

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for first-time recordists is tracking overhead drums. When I get a song to mix I usually solo these tracks first, and it's always a relief to hear simple, clear sounds that conjure up an aural image of one person playing one instrument — but this...

In April of 2007 I began work on a solo project entitled In Memory of The Labyrinth System. To be released on John Zorn's label, Tzadik, in April 2008, the CD was to be comprised entirely of my solo clarinet music that would then be processed by me on my computer. Like many readers...

Feeling weary, in and out of the studio? Limiting stressors and establishing healthy habits can keep your body in tune and help you beat fatigue.

If you're reading this, odds are you're not part of the 8-5-workday world. Quite likely, you put in at least the occasional 12- or...

Anyone using a DAW for audio probably has a plug-in that features a "key input" section. Unfortunately, very few people bother to find out what this option does or how it can make your recordings better. This needs to change. The two most common devices that use a "key...