gear giveaway

Author Archive

Mixing Electro Tracks: Ducking

Purely electronic music (dance in particular) is quite a different beast to mix compared to its electric and acoustic cousins. The lack of uneven “human factors” in the instrumental tracks makes the use of regular compression less crucial, while effects like filters, delays and... whatever’s weird, garner the front stage,…Click on the title for more

Mixing Electro Tracks: Ducking

Secrets of Mixing: A/Bing

The easiest and quickest way to learn anything is by watching the pros in action. As far as mixing is concerned, we might not be able to be present in the studio with the best mixing engineers while they work, but we all have access to... their final mixes! During…Click on the title for more

Secrets of Mixing: A/Bing

Sonic Youth’s Pedal and Equipment Archive

Sonic Youth is a band that like no other brought innovation to the sound of indie rock – particularly in the guitar tones and playing style departments. But unlike many contemporary Lo-Fi, noise rock bands, Thurston Moore and co. always devoted a lot of resources to researching the sonic possibilities…Click on the title for more

Sonic Youth’s Pedal and Equipment Archive

Production ideas – replacing snare reverb with gated stereo samples

Many contemporary bands thrive on the creation of new sounds and textures. Here’s a cool idea that’s also CPU friendly – since it implies using samples instead of computer-power-hungry reverb plug-ins. With the help of a simple noise gate, a stereo enhancer plug-in, and a virtual sampler (like Drumagog or any of the…Click on the title for more

Production ideas – replacing snare reverb with gated stereo samples

Why do mixes sound different on different sound systems or even rooms?

Click on the picture to go to the article it was taken from(SAE Institute).A big component of the art of mixing is balancing audio frequencies, and to properly do that the engineer should be able to hear the budding mix in a completely neutral way (what audio nerds call “flat…Click on the title for more

Why do mixes sound different on different sound systems or even rooms?

Transient Shapers for An Explosive Drum Sound

While all elements in a recording conjure up to create a great sounding track, drums are a particularly important instrument for non lo-fi, punchy rock music, which requires particularly explosive kicks, snares and toms. Great drummers playing great drums in great sounding rooms, and vintage compressors like the UREI 1176…Click on the title for more

Transient Shapers for An Explosive Drum Sound

Recording Tips: Acoustic Guitar as a Resonant Microphone

To make the music production process more creative and interesting, it's always good to try and record your tracks in ways that are not entirely ordinary. One way to add a new, intriguing layer to any loud instruments (like amped electric guitars or drums or even horns) is to use…Click on the title for more

Recording Tips: Acoustic Guitar as a Resonant Microphone

DIY recording tips: Micing The Snare

No other drum sound conveys as much character to a rock song as the snare (although the kick is a close second). Recording a snare drum is not hard, but getting the right sound is a challenge that might take longer than expected. Here are some tips that can help…Click on the title for more

DIY recording tips: Micing The Snare

Backwords and the Recording Process

Backwords' Gear: CAD Equitek E-100 " I was never a mic expert, but these 90's CADS are fairly cheap, sound clean and a little vintage, and have done the trick on so many Backwords recordings. " Our friends at The Deli NYC are big fans Backwords' chilled and poli-instrumental approach to…Click on the title for more

Backwords and the Recording Process

Foxygen and the Recording Process

Foxygen's Gear: Drum Lamps " We like old stuff, guitars, rollerblades, stuff like that. I drum on groovy old lamps sometimes. " A bit of advice: If you've just listened to the first track off Foxygen's debut LP 'Take The Kids Off Broadway' and are a bit puzzled, don't worry! That's just…Click on the title for more

Foxygen and the Recording Process

Conveyor and the Recording Process

Brooklyn’s Conveyor presents an intriguing blend of styles and influences on their sonic palette. Combining the percussion of afropop with moody electronics and rhythmic patterned vocal placement, their sound is bouncy and creative. Many of the songs are the result of a collaborative writing process, giving the defined sections an…Click on the title for more

Conveyor and the Recording Process

People Get Ready and the Recording Process

People Get Ready's Gear: Casio SK-1 " The songs from the EP were originally guitar based - then I distilled those ideas into the keyboards. " People Get Ready is a perfect example of what can happen when vastly different personalities come together and become something greater than their sum. James…Click on the title for more

People Get Ready and the Recording Process