Archives for April 2019

3 Biggest DAW Mistakes Home Studio Owners Are Making

April 30, 2019 by Elaine Sy Leave a Comment

All of us use software to record a mix. There are a couple of mistakes that a lot of people make with their DAW or recording and mixing software. These mistakes are not platform specific, it’s more on how we use these tools.

The first mistake is not gainstaging tracks for their “sweet spot”. It’s all about getting the right level or gain at every stage of the recording and mixing process. The second mistake is sending too much signal to your mix buss. It’s the final stereo track where all your tracks are dump to.

Reasons People Say "It's Too Loud" – It's All About Frequencies – inSync

April 29, 2019 by Elaine Sy Leave a Comment

A couple of scientists in the 1930s named Harvey Fletcher and Wilden Munson mapped out their ideas in a series of graphs that summarize their research on equal loudness as it pertains to frequency distribution.

Another physical principle to be aware of is the concept of masking. Masking reveals our natural tendency to turn up sounds that we are having a hard time hearing as we mix. Simply put, one loud source tends to make it harder to hear other sources. This effect has the most impact going from low to high, and it is easiest to observe in the octave immediately above the lower sound.

5 Tips to Save on Recording Costs for Your Band – Audio Issues

April 29, 2019 by Jake Weston Leave a Comment

If one is not careful how he uses his time in the studio, he might end up spending thousands of dollars on recording. This blog presents tips on how one can make a record or EP without having to spend thousands of dollars. The first tip is to program the drums. You should go for programmed drums with software like EZ Drummer or Superior Drummer rather than spending much time in the studio preparing live drums. This is particularly good for rock and heavy metal genres of music. These softwares contain many drum samples one can choose from. The next tip is to record your guitars at home, save the DI files and take them to the studio to be reamped. This is what a mixing engineer can help you do. By so doing, you can save a lot of money on guitars. Also, record your vocals at home. This saves the amount of money and time you spend in the studio on vocal lessons. Many more tips are found in the blog.

Key Takeaways:

One can easily save on thousands of dollars and time he could have spent in the studio recording drums by using software like EZ Drummer or Superior Drummer.
Genres like rock and heavy metal require the impactful sound of a sample rather than the sound of a human drummer that is why they use programmed drums.
To save time for studio sessions in tracking guitars, it is recommended that one records guitars at home and take the files to the studio for amping.

“With studio production, studio time, mixing, mastering, and other expenses involved in the process, things can easily push your costs into the high thousands if you aren’t careful about how you use your time.”

The Wisdom Of Subtractive EQ

April 28, 2019 by Elaine Sy Leave a Comment

Your EQ allows you to boost or cut frequencies. The most strategic way to use EQ plugins in your mix is to harness subtractive EQ. In addition, the easiest way to use subtractive EQ is to use an HPF (high-pass filter) which gives instant clarity in your mix.

We always think to boost first and it’s not the best way to approach mixing. You should subtract first. Take away the frequencies that you don’t need. It will do two things. First, it will give more headroom, which will clear up space for your mix. Second, it reveals the better part of the track.

Watch more about this here: https://www.recordingrevolution.com/the-wisdom-of-subtractive-eq/

PYT Audio SMAD Reference & SPAD Acoustic Diffusors Review

April 27, 2019 by Jake Weston Leave a Comment

it’s easy for one to be caught up in the latest software and gadgets. But it is also important that one’s room sounds good otherwise he would be struggling to hear himself. In order to reduce noise and optimize the sound in a room, PYT audio, a French company, specializes in discreet, decorative acoustic panels. The authors were sent 15 SMAD acoustic reference panels and four SPAD poly-cylinder acoustic diffusers. He reckons that they give the buyer a good choice because they come in four sexy colors. The pricing for the SPAD panels depend on the bundle one is buying and on the volume. The sizes also determine the pricing for the panels. The simplicity of the panels is that they can be easily attached to the wall, even to any surface. So, one need not be afraid to experiment with different positioning in the room. And if one is doing recording out of the studio, some of the panels can be installed in the car. When the authors tested the panels, they found that despite their size, the panels still has control over some of the lower frequencies.

Key Takeaways:

One can get caught up with the latest equipment and gadgets, especially in sound but one needs the room to sound well at the same time.
PYT Audio which is a French company specializes in producing discreet, decorative acoustic panels that is used in the home to reduce noise and optimize sound.
The authors were recently sent a series of SMAD and SPAD acoustic diffusors for them to try this out for quality. They state that they came in four colors.

“One of the unique selling points for PYT’s panels is the ease with which they can be attached to the wall, due to their minimal weight and size, and each tile comes with sticky velcro tabs that can be used to attach the panel to any surface.”