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Delay & Echo: A Guide to Using Time-Based Audio Effects
Everyone loves delay. One of the first effects pedals a guitarist goes after is a delay. The first thing a kid does on his family trip to the Grand Canyon is scream "Hello?" and wait for the response to come bounding back. Delays and echoes are not only pleasurable but they're a great way to introduce complexity and a sense of fullness to a keyboard […]
Guitar Strings Guide - All You Need to Know... (And More!)
Every player has said to themselves, “These strings are still ok, ill just keep on picking them…” Next thing you know, your intonation is shot and you break a string while wiping off the accumulation of six months of rust and dead skin cells. "It’s economical and a time saver," I kept telling myself, “I saved a few bucks and got more life out of […]
Miking Your Acoustic Guitar Like a Pro
Acoustic guitar has a variety of voicings, from the instrument itself as well as how it’s played. It can be full-range, evocative, and expressive. Driving rhythms can also explode with surprising power. The softest whispers of delicate strings can frame quiet, emotional vocals. The voice your guitar gives depends on so many factors and each of these impacts how best to capture the particular sound […]
Types of Electric Guitars - Body Styles & Shapes
When I was a kid, I had a natural attraction to organized sounds. Music has always been a part of my life, whether my family was singing together at holiday gatherings or my friends where writing their favorite band names on their Trapper Keepers. Music is so pervasive in our day-to-day lives. It's always present, whether through the radio, in commercials, movies and TV, and […]
Types of Acoustic Guitars - Body Shapes & Sizes
It’s definitely important to buy an instrument that you like the look of, but upon closer inspection, you'll find that the shape of the body effects the tonal properties of the guitar more than you may have previously realized. Let’s take a look at some of the varieties of acoustic guitar bodies, and why a player may choose an instrument based on its sound as […]
Subtractive EQ vs Additive EQ in Mixing
Since you're reading this you're likely familiar with the issue, but for the sake of those fortunate enough to not have dealt with it, let's explain the typical conversation surrounding this topic. It always boils down to some variation of: Cut instead of boost. Attenuate instead of amplify. Never add when you can subtract. People have very strong convictions about this and half of the […]
Mixing with EQ: 23 EQ Tips to Sculpt the Perfect Sounding Song
But all of these knobs and settings are staring back and grinning, daring you to even try to understand what they do. Have no fear. With these 23 EQ tips, you'll have a broad overview of what the knobs do and what must be done for your music to rival the professional mixes. It's nowhere near as scary as it seems on the surface. The […]
Musical Modes Explained
It's easy to run into modes and think, "What the heck is going on? Why does all of this need to be so convoluted and complicated?" It does seem that way at first until you work with modes enough to spot the pattern. Then not only does it click into place but you can even work your way through it in your head! The pattern […]
Bass Programming Tips for MIDI & Synths
Bass programming is my second favorite part of making beats right after the drums. Laying down the initial, fundamental groove of the song helps the rest of the process move along without any problems. And that needs to be the order of operations: Bass then drums or drums then bass. The problem is most of us are going to have a real hard time dealing […]
The Circle of Fifths Explained
Typical discussion about the Circle of Fifths is largely for beginners and intermediate music theorists, and the tricky part is there's no way to avoid using other technical jargon that a beginner may not know when explaining it. We're going to keep it as simple as possible with explanations of any new terms. So get ready for a wild ride made easy as we work […]
10 MIDI Programming & Sequencing Tips
There's nothing better than MIDI for getting ideas out of your head quickly and accurately. The faster you can do this without the distractions of tinkering with hardware and software, the better. Staying in the left-brain mode can be the difference between a #1 hit and a dud. When it's time to pump out a beat and the ideas are rolling, the last thing you […]
Open Back vs Closed Back Headphones
There's so much more to the story when it comes to choosing a set of headphones. If you score even a higher tier of consumer level headphones then that's about all you'll need. They'll have a 1/8th inch headphone jack and probably a 1/4 inch adaptor. You can plug them into your smart phone or MP3 player and you're rocking and rolling. But what about […]
Condenser vs Dynamic Mics: 10 Myths Busted!
Some of these issues are flat out mythology and categorically false, while others are true in some applications and false in other scenarios. No wonder there's a lot of contradiction to be found on message boards and websites. Couple that with people pretending to be more knowledgeable than they are and others simply parroting bad advice and you can quickly see how the confusion continues […]
What is a Headphone Amplifier? Do I Need One?
Even once a person discovers headphone amps, they usually first encounter the snake oil audiophile type that are meant to misinform and syphon money out of your pocket, attempting to charge as much as $20,000 and more for some gear that can get the job done for $200 and even less at times. So what's the truth? The reality is completely different than some people […]
7 Studio Must-Haves for Comfort & Productivity
As you continually visit the same room day in and day out and start accumulating years of your life spent in it, you begin to get hyper-sensitive. Little things can become giant distractions. Minor annoyances can cause you to flip out out of frustration. The big things can make you throw your hands up and be ready to quit forever. There are moments when you […]
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