Recording Tips and Techniques

How to Mix at the "Right" Volume Level – inSync

May 12, 2019 by Elaine Sy Leave a Comment

The K-system by mastering engineer Bob Katz is used in the film industry to put the focus on the dynamic range, instead of the loudness. K-System helps produce more consistent mixes and masters.

A lot of music is made in home studios, so people sometimes aren’t aware of the established practices these “big studios” implement. The K-System helps promote good mixing/mastering/monitoring practices. It is a great tool for a better and more consistent mix. Since no matter how carefully you mix or master a song, every listener will hear it differently.

Read more about this here: https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/mix-right-volume-level/

IK's Sampletank 4 With Over 200GB New Content Is Now Available

May 1, 2019 by Elaine Sy Leave a Comment

IK Multimedia’s SampleTank 4 is the next generation of IK’s legendary sound and groove workstation that offers professional-quality sounds, an intuitive interface, and powerful editing and effects for musicians and producers. It was re-designed from the ground up to be every musician’s “go to” music creation workstation.  

The library and sound engine are complemented by innovative dynamic groove “players”, 13 new effects (for a total of 70), a powerful new Mix window, a unique Live mode and powerful integration with IK’s iRig Keys I/O line.   A new cutting-edge sound engine offers efficient hard-disk streaming and advanced sound design/editing possibilities.  

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.

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/

How Should I Connect My Preamp to My Interface?

April 23, 2019 by Elaine Sy Leave a Comment

How to connect an external preamp to an audio interface? While this may seem simple enough, a lot of home studio owners are doing this wrong. You need to know the proper way to connect these things since it might adversely affect the quality of your recordings.

What is the purpose of a preamp? Preamps, microphones produce a very low-level signal. Without a microphone preamp, the signal remains unusable. A microphone preamp amplifies the signal from mic level to line level. Most interfaces also include a number of line inputs. These accept line level signals.