Effects can take a mix to a whole new level. Using them can be as simple as a one or two-dial analog control or as complex as an expensive multi-faceted digital plugin. Today, I’m covering the tips I’ve found helpful over the years that look past the implementation and focus on the general ... Read More
Judge not lest ye be ready to hear the result. Whether it's microphone placement or mix choices, there've been times where I thought, "that guy doesn't know what he's doing." But then I heard the result. The last newsletter covered low passing drums. There are a number of other non-traditional ... Read More
Before I found compression, my life was empty and void. Now that I have it, I feel so alive and...ok, so compression isn't THAT amazing but if you've got it, you should learn how and when to use it. What is compression? Audio compression is the process of reducing the dynamic range of a sound. ... Read More
Mixing a new singer is a challenge because you don't know how they're supposed to sound. I was going through this the other week. It wasn't until I revisited what I thought was right that I found out it was all wrong. Elizabeth's a great singer and it's a pleasure to mix her vocal - but I ... Read More
Mixing is a chaotic process, at least it looks like it. Watch an audio engineer and they’re jumping all around the mixer. Yet, when you do this, your mix doesn’t come out nearly as good. What gives? The truth is it’s because of one simple fact; they know why they are reaching for a specific ... Read More
You asked, they answered. Audio production topics include sound booth placement, the pros and cons of digital microphones, line array versus point source speakers, and how best to silence a channel (SILENCE, I MUTE YOU). If you've got a question for Chris and Brian, drop them an email via the link ... Read More
Reverberation and delay are two methods of signal processing that are often incorrectly equated. The confusion comes from the fact that they are so closely related. Reverberation is multiple blended sound images created from reflection. A few common reverb effects are Reverb ... Read More
A sound tech posed the question "what you think of guitarists putting reverb and delay on, rather than us doing the processing?" I don't have a problem when a guitarist uses reverb or delay for a particular service or song as long as it sounds good. That being said, there are ... Read More
