Commentary

A fanzine dedicated to the world of audio offers tips on how to review a recording. The author recommends that the person examine the recording from both a technical and an artistic standpoint. Some technical questions cover sound quality and clarity, volume, and balance. The writer recommends looking at the gauges on the digital audio workstation to ensure nothing has hit the red stage. Artistic issues include emotional appeal and whether the pieces holds the listener’s attention.

Key Takeaways:

• Two important aspects of critical listening when evaluating mixed music are technical control and artistry.
• Technical control involves checking frequencies, accounts for standard listening conditions, and other technical checks to ensure quality.
• Artistry is subjective, but common checks include whether the mix engages the listener for the length of the song, if the song climaxes as it moves on, and more.

“In order to approach the critical listening sessions seriously, here are a couple of things you might want to ask yourself while at it.”

Read more: http://en.audiofanzine.com/recording-mixing/editorial/articles/things-to-consider-during-critical-listening.html

Mixing with EQ is all about creating space for every track to sit nicely together. Graham, from the Recording Revolution has a powerful trick to help you do just that – carving out EQ holes. This one strategy, when used on only the outside instruments in your mix can give you more clarity + width in just minutes!

I have an article here at Home Brew Audio that talks about this topic as well. Check that out here: 5 Audio Recording Tips – Part 3: Cool Stuff About EQ
Key Takeaways:

• Mixing with EQ is all about creating space for every track to sit nicely together. Today I have a powerful trick to help you do just that – carving out EQ holes.
• This one strategy, when used on only the outside instruments in your mix can give you more clarity + width in just minutes!
• EQ Holes can nicely put everything together.

“Mixing with EQ is all about creating space for every track to sit nicely together. Today I have a powerful trick to help you do just that – carving out EQ holes.”

http://therecordingrevolution.com/mixing-with-eq-carving-eq-holes/

Overhead microphones are an integral part of capturing a quality drum kit sound. They provide the richness and power to the recording, whereas microphones close to the drums capture the bite or attack sounds. Using the ORTF technique, one can mimic the position of human ears giving a natural sound to the recording. This is done by positioning the microphones at a specific angle and distance from one another.

Key Takeaways:

• The role of the overheads is basically to capture the sound of the cymbals as well as the stereo image of the whole kit.
• I recommend you to place the mics behind the drummer, clearly above his or her head and tilted towards the upper rim of the first drums.
• Note that while the kick is well centered, the snare is slightly to the side.

“There are several ways to record overheads. We we’ll see the most common here. However, we had to strike a compromise during the recording sessions for this chapter”

http://en.audiofanzine.com/recording-mixing/editorial/articles/recording-drums-overheads-and-the-ortf-technique.html

There is a way to choose the best audio interface for your home studio. Audio interfaces have never sounded better, nor have they been more affordable than they are now. There is some criteria that you need to follow when you are picking the right interface for you. You can do this even with a very tight budget.

Key Takeaways:

• With so many choices these days, and the proliferation of audio myths out there it can be overwhelming.
• I give you two important things to watch out for
• No matter your budget, this video will help you find the perfect interface for you.

“There are 3 main criteria I follow when picking an interface that best fits my needs and I walk you through them in this video.”

http://therecordingrevolution.com/best-audio-interface/

To perfect an audio recording, one does not need to use the EQ (equalizer) all the time. It is best used to fix a problem or create a specific frequency for voice to prepare for radio quality. Gentle-boost, high-pass, or bypass are common techniques, and Hz (Hertz) and kHz (kilohertz) are often adjusted.

Key Takeaways:

• Every voice is different, and every song is different. That advice bears remembering, even if you’ve heard it dozens of times.
• The 3 main reasons to filter a vocal with EQ are 1) to help the voice sit better in the mix, 2) to correct a specific problem, and 3) to create a deliberate effect, like “A.M. radio voice.”
• If you’ve EQ’d a vocal track for some other reason, be sure the result is improving the mix.

“EQ can’t make your voice sound like someone else’s.”

http://www.hometracked.com/2008/02/07/vocal-eq-tips/