If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a hundred times - don’t record too hot in a digital recording set up. The reason for this being, that by doing so, you’re limiting your headroom.
Parallel compression is a well known and often used method for creating a great sounding mix. It can be used before or during mastering, on instrument groups, and even on individual instruments.
EQ matching plugins read, analyze and match the frequency response of your audio, with that of another audio source.
Sometimes a mix, 808, kick, synth or bass guitar needs some help. More times than not, the issue lies in the lack of harmonics in the instrument or mix.
Although some functions are the same from plugin to plugin (i.e. ratios on compressors, or bands on equalizers), some are completely tied to just one plugin’s design.
If you’ve used these compressors, or intend to do so in the future, read along to know some strange but incredibly important facts about how they function.
Understanding distortion can be a difficult task. Especially when multiple types are available, and can go under a few different names.
A WAV. file or an AIFF. file are the best file formats for mastering. Both offer an uncompressed, and full spectrum recording, worthy of further processing and eventual distribution
What lo-fi is today may have been the hi-fi of 30 years ago. With that in mind, it is always best to think of lo-fi, as that which either no longer fits into the notion of high-fidelity, or that which emulates the sound of past technologies.
Turns out your instrumentation can sound too full for it’s own good. The moment your song becomes too big for your lead vocal, it may be time to pay more attention to how your vocal is cutting through your mix.
So you have an instrument of vocal that needs compression. This is a situation you’re most likely familiar with. The only difference is that this time, you don’t want to change the sound of your signal, you only want to attenuate the peaks.
Sampling and pitch shifting often go hand in hand. Altering a sample’s pitch to give it a unique characteristic is great in theory.
How loud a mix should be is definitely a debated topic. Searching for the answer leads to multiple answers, each using different tools for measurement.
When a track begins to clip, what do we typically pull down? If you guessed the channel fader, then you’re correct. This is the go-to fix for a lot of engineers.
The lead vocal is more often than not the topic of discussion in mixing. One frequently ignored topic is the BGV or background vocal.
