Time correction on your drum tracks can be a can of worms. There are many arguments for and against editing your drums, as well as a multitude of different techniques you can use to achieve the “performance” you’re looking for. Today, I want to specifically focus on Pro Tools’ “Beat Detective” and its functionality and a few tips on improving performance.
Read MoreSnare drums. Usually, they’re an integral element of a song. It’s also one of those elements that has a reputation for not wanting to play nice with the balance of a mix. Sometimes you get a track to mix and for whatever reason (tonality, dynamics, performance, etc…) the snare just won’t sit in with the rest of the track. It feels detached. On top. It’s own weird separate entity. Straight volume, EQ, and compression are the usual suspects we turn to when trying to get a snare to blend in, but there are some other fun & creative techniques to help solve this problem as well.
Read MoreHey guys! It's Brad Simons here, and today I want to do something different. We're going to talk about a method that you can use to get new clients when you're starting out as a producer. I want to stress that this is a method to get alot of clients fast, but will evolve once you've established yourself. Furthermore, this method will highly depend on what kind of artist you're trying to work with, as I'm going to suggest you find them on Instagram. Although I see alot of genres on Instagram, maybe yours isn't. In that case, you'll have to tailor the method as such.
Read MoreHey guys! It's Brad Simons here today, and I'm gonna today's post is going to be about 5 reasons why your mixes aren't sounding as good as you want them to. There is an infinite number of reasons that your mixes aren't quite there, but the following are some of the common ones that I encounter. Check 'em out!
Read MoreHey everyone! It's Brad Smith here. Today I’ll be diving into the Klanghelm VUMT plugin, what it is, how it works, and how I use it in all three phases of the recording process. This will be broken out over two (potentially three) blog posts. Today's post will be an introduction to the plugin and I’ll talk about how I use the plugin while tracking.
Read MoreWhen I was 18 and first getting into recording, I had no idea what I was doing. Today, I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing, but I have made enough mistakes along to way to learn what NOT to do, and that has helped me more than any blog/book/seminar ever has. During the process of recording my band Forester's full length album, I did many things incorrectly that one often only sees in hindsight. Some of these may seem like rookie mistakes by seasoned recording vets but with so many elements that make up a great recording, everyone makes mistakes somewhere along the way.
Read MoreHey guys! It's Brad Simons here, and this post is all about making your kick drum sound huge. There are few things more satisfying in the studio than getting that kick sound just right. As always, I'm going to talk about how I go about it, rather than describing all possible ways that it's done. We're going to talk about the process from tracking, all the way to mixing, so we can make sure the final mix has that much-needed kick drum sound. Here we go!
Read MoreHey guys! Today we're going to break down an approach for getting awesome mixes in 6 steps. Let me be the first to say that this isn't the only way to get there, but this is a way to visualize the mix in a series of steps. It works for me!
Read MoreLet's face it, for the vast majority of music, the vocals are a make or break. A killer vocal performance with powerful lyrics can take a song from a mediocre soundscape to a top 10 hit. So how do we get that vocal just right? There's more to it than just putting a fancy mic in front of a talented singer. Let's dive into some details.
Read MoreOk, you've saved up/earned enough money to get yourself into a pro recording studio. You definitely don't want to waste any time while you're there, as you'll end up paying for it. Hard. I've seen lots of bands come into the studio and start off on the wrong foot. However, it's my job to make sure that bands know how to prepare for the studio. Here's a few ways:
Read MoreAlright, let's face it. Studio's are damn expensive and sometimes are just out of the budget. But what do you do if you want to get an idea out into the world? In comes home recording. I'll be honest, you can make some pretty incredible stuff at with todays technology. Also, it's probably a good idea for every musician to atleast have a rudimentary understanding of how recording works. It will help you when you get into the studio. So, today we're going to give you 5 home recording hacks that can help you get the most out of your home recording.
Read MoreHey all! Ok today we're talking about mixing vocals. For most styles of music, getting the vocal just right is numero uno. You gotta make this happen or the song doesn't work. But it can be a challenge to get it work with the rest of the instruments properly. So here's a few tips:
Read MoreAlright, today we're going to talk about one of my favourite topics, automation. Oh I just love this stage of the mix. This is the stage where the song starts to come alive, at least in my process. For myself, I rely a lot more heavily on automation than EQ to fit things together. This of course depends on the project, but generally speaking. So today we're just going to list a bunch of automation tips. Here we go!
Read MoreMixing is no different than any other art form, it takes years of experience and intense practice to really get great at it. And let's face it, you're going to suck at it in the beginning. So, how can we improve faster? How do we shorten the time it takes to master your craft? Deliberate practice. Here are some ways you can deliberately practice mixing and get better faster.
Read MoreAlright, if you're anything like me, you love your mixes to have a huge ambient blanket. Maybe it's because I was born in the 80's...who knows! Anyways, here's a quick little tip for making things extra wide!
Read MoreThere are many mixed opinions on this subject, but I gotta say, I'm a fan of having a compressor on my mix bus. Actually, I have two! Let's dive into some of the pros and cons of mix bus compression, and a few different ways you can use it.
Read MoreNow before I even start this one, I'm just going to say that these are starting points, and they are just personal starting points. Every drummer, drum kit, microphone setup, room, etc., requires a slightly different approach. But regardless, try these out as a place to start, and then tweak from there.
Read MoreGetting a great vocal is the cornerstone of almost every song ever written. So we need to focus on really making sure that it sounds killer and cuts through the mix. My vocal chain is always evolving, but I thought I would describe the way it is currently working. And of course, every vocalist requires a slightly different setup, but this is a go-to for me that generally gets the job done.
Read MoreMaking your own drum samples is a great way to get a punchy, natural sound in the mix. By adding in samples of the same kit you’re recording, it allows you to lower the close mics and the cymbal bleed that is captured by them, leading to a cleaner drum sound. Not all bleed is bad, but typically I don’t like a lot of over-compressed hi-hat in my snare track and gates can be tough to dial in.
Read MoreThe easiest way to describe fast and slow is to picture a sound wave in terms of a timeline. It goes up and down repeatedly. Now picture a device that is to capture that sound wave. How well does it capture the true waveform? And how quickly does it do that? How big is the lag? That is what is meant by fast and slow.
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