The music we hear blasting through our speakers on a Sunday morning or through the privacy of our headphones has to go through a long journey until it reaches us. People often forget that mixing and mastering is an important part of this journey and how much work and time goes into songs, and albums …
Anyone who has lived near a drummer can tell you…drums are loud. When a drummer is practicing, everyone knows it. And drums are not exactly a low-maintenance instrument to travel with either. So why do we put up with it? Because when it comes down to it, the drum set is probably the most important …
How To Mix Hi-Hats (Everything You Need To Know) Read More »
Anyone who has ever been in a band knows that, for better or worse, the vocals are the star the music. Of course, there are bona fide rock star guitarists, bassists, and drummers but there’s a reason that John Fogerty has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the rest of Creedence doesn’t. …
It had been coming for a while, but when Kanye West released an album titled 808s and Heartbreaks it was official: The 808 is a legend. This assertion requires a little bit of unpacking- and translation. “808” is shorthand for the Roland TR-808 drum machine, an early electronic instrument. This unit was only manufactured from …
At the risk of sounding trite, the point of music is to make sounds that make people happy. I don’t think a more basic definition of music is possible- beyond that, all bets are off. Regardless of the way you’re making music, and how you’re trying to sound good, we can agree on one thing: …
The world of music is an unpredictable mix of primitive and cutting-edge technology. Some of the most beloved gear to this day was invented in the 1950s-1960s, including the Shure SM57 (1953), Fender Stratocaster (1954), Neumann U87 (1967), and countless other examples. Yet, since the advent of the digital age, technology has raced forward to …
The kick drum is the heartbeat. It is felt as much as it’s heard. It connects the cerebral ideas in the music to visceral, carnal feelings. The kick drum is the basis of modern dance music. From disco to EDM and beyond, the classic “four-on-the-floor” pattern is enough to get the crowd moving before any …
Slap delay (also known as “Slapback”) is a very simple, but extremely efficient audio effect to add depth to your vocals. Even though this effect has been around since the 50s and is mostly associated with Elvis, blues, and rockabilly sounds, it can add fullness and depth to vocals in just about any genre. But …
How To Mix Slapback Delay For Vocals For A Full Sound Read More »
In today’s music scene, bass guitars and synths rule the bass frequencies. Once ubiquitous, upright basses are now relegated to dusty corners of relevance. Classical orchestras and symphonies; traditional jazz bands; rockabilly and psychobilly bands. The double bass is therefore an instrument of passion, tradition, and pride. Of course, these behemoths are no longer common …
Let’s assume your pianist is a seasoned pro, or you’re a programming wizard. Our piano keys and chords primarily sit on the 5th and 6th octave, but can decrease to the 2nd and 3rd much bass-ier octaves, and/or go as high as the 7th octave. I know we’re talking about equalizing vocals with piano, but …
