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Posts tagged "Secrets"

Howard: Q&A about gear and inspiration

Howard is a Brooklyn band that plays an atmospheric brand of melodic post-rock (although the band on their Facebook page refers to it as "Folktronica"), where gentle textural experiments, synths, samples, varying percussive elements and electric guitars blend effortlessly, guided by the mellow tenor of singer songwriter/producer Howard Feibusch. The band has been active since 2009 in various forms, and lately came to the indie rock audience's attention through single "Money Can't Buy" (streaming), which early in 2015 gathered more than 2 million plays on Spotify in a matter of weeks. We asked Howard Feibusch a few questions hoping to steal some of his secrets.... Click on the title for more

Howard: Q&A about gear and inspiration

Production Tips: Recording the banjo

The banjo - this bizarre mutation of a guitar and a snare drum - can be a difficult instrument to record. The main challenge is to find a balance between the very attacky but thumpy sound audible near the center of the head, and the rest of the instrument’s sonic components, which - because of its complex harmonic structure - range from mid lows fundamentals to the top end side of the frequency spectrum.... Click on the title for more

Production Tips: Recording the banjo

Recording Drums: Tips and Tricks

We asked 3 top NYC producers to share their opinions about performing and recording drums in the studio - you can find their precious advice here.... Click on the title for more

Recording Drums: Tips and Tricks

Slide Guitar Tone Secrets: Pick the Right Material

When playing slide guitar, different materials used on your strings will create slightly different tones. If you are after a smooth slide with long, clean sustain, you should try a cut-off bottleneck, which was Ry Cooder’s choice. If you are aiming at something less atmospheric and with more “bite,” go for the classic metal slide. A non-round surface like a blade can bring out a more “grating” sound by slightly scraping the thicker strings, while plastic round containers will create a more dull sound. Bone slides tame the bright overtones for a moodier tone. Heavy brass slides work better on the acoustic guitar’s “harder” strings, while the softer strings of the electric will require a gentler action and lighter slide. Assuming that you know that when playing in this style you don’t have to press the strings down to touch the neck, bear also in mind that damping the strings behind the slide with the free fingers on your left hand will give you a cleaner tone without too many ringing notes.... Click on the title for more

Slide Guitar Tone Secrets: Pick the Right Material

Secrets of Mixing: Reverb on slower songs

The sparse arrangements that fit slower songs provide mixing engineers the opportunity to create a perception of space through the use of reverb effects. Reverb, in a mix, allows “placement” of each instrument in a sonic space. But a “realistic” use of reverb is quite tricky to get right. Realistic reverb – counter-intuitively – is not really supposed to be heard (at least consciously), and since our ears enjoy hearing things we are aware of, it’s a common mistake to push it too high in the mix. Here are a few tricks you may find useful when using this effect: 1. Avoid reverbs with too many editable settings, the parameters you really need are just time (i.e. how long the reverb lasts), pre-delay (how long it will take before the reverb starts after the sound) and some kind of control on the EQ (hi and low pass filters). 2. Use different reverbs for different sources: shorter ones for percussive sounds, and longer ones with some pre-delay for vocal sounds – main vocals may even benefit from some slap back delay. 3. Always tame the high end of the reverb/delay you use for vocals using the low pass filter, so that […]... Click on the title for more

Secrets of Mixing: Reverb on slower songs