We can spend so much time when we are mixing trying to get the perfect reverb or delay and concentrating so much on the small things that we do not remember what really makes a mix. It is easy to over use plugins and get caught up in automation and effects. A good mix starts with a killer static mix. You should try to get the best mix possible using nothing but volumes and panning. If you can get a mix to sound good using nothing but panning and volume you’re off to a good start. Next you should add EQ to the equation and act like it is the only tool you have. This will force you to work hard for your mix and give you a foundation to build from.READ MORE
This is what everyone of us is striving for, and can be really hard to find. So how do you get the gig? There are some great words of wisdom that you can arm yourself with to make yourself better than the rest. The first great piece of advice is simply to be better than the rest. You can do this by; showcasing your skills that set you apart, be more available than anyone else, or have more real world experience than anyone else. These can all be hard things to accomplish but they will make a huge difference in how employers view you. You should also do your research. The more you know about your the company or person you want to work for the more you will be able to relate to them. The recording industry is about relationships, so the more you are able to network the better your chances of finding a job. READ MORE
Loops are a great way to create depth and layers in a mix but how can you make them even better? There are a lot of different ways you can take stock loops and make them your own. One way to spice up loops is to cut them up, this way you can rearrange and remix the loop to match your song. Using the grid and shuffle mode in Pro Tools makes it easy to rearrange the beats and make your own rhythm. Another great trick is to use Lofi, Compression, or Distortion effects to make the loops hit harder and sound dirtier. Pro Tools has many different stock plugins that can be used to get the job done. A great way to add diversity and contrast is to mash loops together. In Pro Tools you can easily cut and slice up multiple loops and combine them together to make your own interesting creations.
This is an amazing video that demonstrates the patterns created when you play a frequency through a flat plate. They use rice to spread across the plate to create the patterns and a speaker below the plate to play the frequency.
The graphic displays on EQ plugins can be very tempting to rely on but don’t let them cloud your judgement, use your ears. I know we have all do it, let our eyes do the mixing, but don’t let a pretty user interface trick you. Next time you notice yourself relying on your eyes to mix, try using EQ’s that don’t have a graphic display or a fancy UI. Practicing listening while you are mixing will only improve your abilities as an audio engineer. Don’t let your eyes deceive you – really listen and let your ears do the mixing. READ MORE
Digital Audio has revolutionized the recording industry and has become the norm of modern day recording. So what is Digital Audio? By definition digital audio is a mathematical representation of an analog sound signal using binary code. As you can imagine there is a lot of complicated mathematics and science involved with digital audio, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn the basics and understand digital audio without all the math. So hopefully this article will help you understand how analog sound waves are turned into ones and zeros in digital audio.READ MORE
Waves has been one of biggest producers of high quality audio plugins and has now joined forces with DiGiCo, the largest producer of live consoles, and Soundtracs to create their first audio interfaces and real time processors. They have released an entire line of high quality audio interfacing, processing, and networking products for the studio to the stage. The DiGiGrid interfaces uses the Waves SoundGrid to connect and rout to your DAW. The SoundGrid DSP also allows you to use extremely low latency Waves audio plugins while recording and monitoring. It uses Cat5 or Cat6 connections you are able to connect multiple I/O’s together to create your own configurations. The Waves DiGiGrid is the future of audio interfaces, external DSP processing, and networking in the studio.READ MORE
I don’t need to tell you how expensive microphones are or how much recording studios cost. So how do you afford becoming an audio engineer? This can be a fun rewarding experience and starting out as an Audio Engineer on a budget can give you the opportunities to learn some very valuable life skills. One of the best pieces of advice is to make do with what you have. If all you have is a laptop there are still a lot of ways you can be working as an audio engineer. Don’t think that you have to have top of the line gear and microphones to be a great engineer. There are countless ways for you to save money when you are getting started without sacrificing quality.READ MORE
One of the basics of understanding Audio Engineering is Dynamics. Dynamics are directly related to the volume of an audio signal. There are a few different kinds of Dynamic Processors that you should know. First is a Compressor. What a Compressor does is it makes loud sounds quieter and quiet sounds louder compressing the dynamic range. Second is a Limiter. This does exactly what it sounds like; it doesn’t let the audio signal get louder than a certain volume. Third is an Expander. This is just the exact opposite of a compressor, making loud sounds louder and quiet sounds quieter. Fourth is a Gate. A gate turns down or silences audio signals that are too quiet or unwanted, and only allows for signals that exceed the volume threshold set by the gate.READ MORE
Justin Niebank is one of the most talented Audio Engineers in Nashville. He has work with artist such as; Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, LeAnn Rimes, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, and Neil Diamond. Here is a great interview with him on Pensado’s Place.
