Electrical Audio
Steve Albini highlights the nuances of recording a violin with Susan Voelz at Electrical Audio studio, focusing on microphone selection for capturing a natural sound. He explains the importance of a smooth high-frequency response and compares two microphones: the Lomo 1918, a tube condenser, and the STC 4038, a ribbon mic. The Lomo offers detailed precision, while the STC 4038 provides a softer, smoother tone. Albini also demonstrates isolation techniques, such as using a lavalier microphone attached to the violin. This setup can help achieve good isolation in ensemble settings, emphasizing the balance between capturing natural tone and managing instrument bleed.
EngineEars
In this segment, Teezio details his mastering process for Victoria Monét's "On My Mama". He focuses on cutting out unwanted frequencies to enhance clarity without boosting unnecessarily. Teezio applies multiband processing to manage low-end dynamics and uses a final limiter for volume control, ensuring the mix retains its intended vibe and energy. This meticulous approach highlights the importance of surgical EQ and controlled dynamics in achieving a polished, professional sound.
SonicScoop
Tony Maserati discusses the choice between analog and digital equipment, emphasizing his preference for a hybrid approach that combines both. He highlights the unique qualities of analog gear, specifically mentioning the Chandler RS.124, which he believes adds a special character to vocals that he hasn't replicated with plugins yet. Maserati underscores the importance of using what works best for your workflow and sound goals. He values the distinctiveness of certain analog tools but remains open to digital advancements, suggesting that the right gear enhances creativity and results.
SonicScoop
In this bit, Matt Lange explores creative ways to add movement and complexity to a pad using Soundtoys plugins. He begins with two Filter Freaks in series; the first is a two-pole low-pass filter with step-sequenced modulation, creating rhythmic motion. The second combines a low-pass and high-pass filter, forming a custom band-pass effect that adds unique tonal characteristics. Lange further enhances the stereo field with PanMan, crafting intricate panning patterns for dynamic movement. Finally, EchoBoy adds a warbly delay effect, enriching the sound with a touch of vintage character. Together, these tools transform a simple pad into a lively, rhythmic element, demonstrating the power of modulation and effects in electronic music production.
SonicScoop
In this segment, Joel Hamilton demonstrates using a hybrid approach with digital and analog processing on a nylon string guitar. He employs a UAD Fairchild 660 plugin for subtle tonal enhancement, followed by the Chandler Zener hardware for added character. The Fairchild plugin is used minimally, primarily for tone and slight gain adjustment due to the lower recorded volume of the instrument. This bit offers insight into Hamilton's creative mixing process, efficiently combining digital and analog tools to enhance the sound without overwhelming it.
Electrical Audio
In this segment, Steve Albini and banjo player Taylor Hales explore the unique timbre of a banjo. The video offers insights into the differences between resonator and open-back banjos, detailing how these affect sound projection and tonal quality. The use of dampening techniques is also highlighted to manage the instrument's natural resonance and volume, ensuring a cleaner recording.
Electrical Audio
Steve Albini shares practical microphone placement strategies, such as positioning a lavalier mic near the bridge for clarity and trying internal mic placements for additional low end. Although a microphone placed inside the banjo was found unsatisfactory for sound, a ribbon mic alongside the lavalier provided a fuller sound. This segment showcases innovative techniques for capturing the distinct timbre of a banjo and learning to record acoustic stringed instruments with precision and depth.
NPR Music
Josh Rogosin from NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series demonstrates the classic Glyn Johns drum mic setup, a technique famously used to record drummers like Keith Moon and John Bonham. This method involves placing two microphones, each 30 to 40 inches from the center of the snare drum at a 90 degree angle and ensuring they are equidistant to avoid phase cancellation. This precise placement allows the sound waves from the snare to reach both microphones simultaneously, preventing a hollow sound and maintaining the integrity of the drum recording. Rogosin highlights the effectiveness of this setup, even with limited equipment, making it a valuable technique for achieving a full, balanced drum sound with just two microphones.
Record Production
Renowned recording engineer Owain Fleetwood Jenkins shares his approach to capturing a great piano sound using a C. Bechstein Model C grand piano. He employs a HUM Audio RS-2 stereo ribbon microphone in a Blumlein configuration to achieve a natural, classical tone that captures the room's ambiance beautifully. For a more contemporary and punchy sound, Jenkins uses a pair of close AKG C-414s positioned over the hammers, adhering to the 3:1 rule to ensure phase coherence. This setup provides a distinct punch to the notes, helping them cut through the mix effectively. Jenkins emphasizes the importance of microphone placement and room acoustics in achieving the desired tonal characteristics, whether aiming for a natural or brighter sound. His techniques demonstrate how different microphone combinations can be tailored to suit various musical genres and recording contexts.
Universal Audio
Producer and engineer Jacquire King shares essential tips for recording string ensembles, emphasizing simplicity in recording setups. He highlights the importance of allowing string players to balance themselves and focuses on strategic microphone placement. King recommends using darker mics on cellos and brighter ones on violins, with a focus on the instrument's body above the bridge. A stereo pair for the ensemble captures ambient color and room balance. He advises on headphone monitoring, suggesting panning to one side to minimize leakage, since a lot of times the players have one ear out of the headphones. Encourages recording multiple passes to enhance texture and lushness, using the ensemble and close mics creatively. Lastly, King stresses collaboration with musicians, acknowledging their feedback to ensure a supportive and co-creative environment. Engage these tips to elevate your string recording sessions with clarity and depth.
Thomas Juth
Thomas Juth explores the idea of enhancing drum bleed using parallel compression and transient shaping tools, challenging the common practice of gating bleed on toms. He highlights the use of the Waves TG12345 compressor in a parallel setup to add character and excitement, emphasizing how this can bring life back into drum recordings. Juth also suggests using tools like the SPL Transient Designer to shape attack and sustain, enhancing the acoustic environment. This approach isn't limited to drums—it can apply to any live-recorded session where bleed contributes to the song's unique feel. Juth references early Beatles recordings, where bleed was an integral part of the sound, showing how it added energy and cohesion to the mix. While this technique can be powerful, it's important to remember that there are situations where reducing bleed is necessary. Different genres may favor different approaches, so consider the context and don't default to a single method.
Noam Wallenberg
Noam Wallenberg uses the Waves DBX 160 compressor to fix floppy kick drums, giving them a punchier, tighter sound. This straightforward compressor is super easy to use, with fixed attack and release times that emphasize the kick's attack and reduce its length by clamping down after the transient. This creates a shorter, more defined impact. By comparing it to other compressors like the LA2A, which can lengthen kicks, Wallenberg highlights the DBX 160's unique ability to tighten and add punch to the kick drum.
Electrical Audio
In this segment from "Electrical Audio How-To: Microphone Techniques for Speaker Cabinets," Steve Albini explores the use of a ribbon microphone, specifically the STC 4038, for capturing guitar amp sounds. He explains how the figure-eight pattern allows for significant flexibility by capturing direct sound with the front lobe and ambient room sound with the rear lobe. By adjusting the mic's distance, you can tailor the sound character, emphasizing either a more intimate bass response or a more spacious ambient presence. Albini highlights the microphone's proximity effect, which enhances bass when placed close, giving a small amp a larger sound. This technique demonstrates how careful microphone placement can dramatically alter the sonic quality of a recording.
Agartha Podcast
Ryan Schwabe discusses his straightforward approach to gain staging in mixing sessions by ensuring sufficient headroom before automation. He prefers working with stems and initially lowers the clip gain to achieve about 5-6 dB of headroom on the master fader, keeping faders at unity for flexibility in gain manipulations throughout the mix. Schwabe uses his Gold Clip plugin on the mix bus to maintain optimal gain staging, employing a personal preset of +4/-4 dB to monitor and adjust levels effectively. This setup helps maintain clarity and headroom, allowing for precise control and dynamic flexibility during mixing.
Audiopunks
Chris Coady shares his unconventional technique of applying spring reverb to the bass in verses, creating a special atmosphere that subtly enhances the song's vibe without muddying the low end. This contrast between the verbby verses and tighter choruses adds dynamic interest. For this effect, Coady uses Telefunken Echo Mixer plugin by Audiopunks and highlights its unique distortion and reverb capabilities, reminiscent of germanium transistor warmth, using it as a tone-shaping tool to add depth and character.
Studio.com
H.E.R. explores the process of crafting catchy melodies by emphasizing repetition and variation, using her vocals as the primary tool. She suggests repeating a phrase to uncover its potential, helping to determine if it could become a verse or chorus. This technique aims to create melodies that are memorable and easy to sing along with, appealing to audiences who enjoy simplicity over complex vocal runs. H.E.R. advises using voice memos to capture ideas when inspiration strikes.
Universal Audio
Vance Powell shares his expertise on using two microphones to capture guitar, focusing on phase alignment and tonal variation. By positioning the mics near the speaker's edge, he achieves a pseudo-stereo effect that enhances the guitar's presence in the mix. Powell explains how each microphone's unique tonal characteristics can be leveraged for subtle tone shaping without EQ, allowing for flexibility in the mix. He also highlights the creative use of phase flipping to achieve a wide stereo image, cautioning that this technique may cause cancellation in mono. Throughout the discussion, Powell emphasizes the importance of not being overly concerned with perfect phase alignment, as slight variations can add character to the recording. His approach encourages experimentation and embracing the natural sound of live recordings.
Agartha Podcast
Ryan Schwabe discusses how loudness targets in mixing and mastering vary based on genre and production style. He generally aims for an average program loudness of -9 dB, adjusting for the genre's vibe—rock may be louder, while Afrobeat often focuses on transients and may sit lower than American music. Schwabe shares his insights on whether to master within the mix session or as a separate process. While he sometimes integrates mastering with mixing, especially with certain artists, he prefers separate sessions to streamline the process and avoid the loop of continuous adjustments. For singles, integrating both might work, but for albums, he advises against mastering your own mixes due to potential inefficiencies.
Studio.com
Ryan Tedder discusses how varying the start of melodies in different song sections can prevent monotony and keep listeners engaged. By strategically altering where a melody begins relative to the downbeat—before, on, or after the one beat—you can maintain interest even if listeners aren't consciously aware of the variation. In this demonstration, Tedder examines the starting points of melodies in the verse, pre-chorus, and chorus to ensure they differ, thereby enhancing the song's dynamic and preventing it from feeling repetitive. This technique is part of his broader approach to crafting compelling melodies.
Produce Like A Pro
Darrell Thorp shares a technique using the Sennheiser MD 441-U as a "poke mic" to enhance the punch and character of drums. This method emphasizes the kick and snare's attack, often times even without heavy EQ, making it a great addition to the other drum mics. By incorporating this mic, Thorp achieves a tight, cutting drum sound that adds depth and clarity, seamlessly fitting into the mix.
Universal Audio
Jacquire King uses a Green Bullet harmonica mic, known for its limited frequency range and lo-fi character, to capture unique low-frequency color in his drum recordings. Positioned in front of the kick drum, this mic adds depth and character, complementing the clarity of close mics. King strategically plays with panning, using the mic's distinctive sound to balance the tonal colors within the mix. This approach allows for a coherent, multi-dimensional drum sound, enhancing flexibility and creativity during mixing.
Electrical Audio
In this segment, Steve Albini and cellist Alison Chesley explore techniques for recording acoustic cello at Electrical Audio studio. Albini emphasizes using a high-quality microphone, like the Josephson c617, for a natural sound with wide frequency response, achieving a balance of detail and low tones. Albini discusses the benefits of positioning mics where the instrument naturally projects well, avoiding overly complex setups. A lavalier mic, like the Crown GLM 100, can be attached for close, detailed capture, particularly helpful in noisy environments or ensemble settings. By prioritizing natural sound over extensive EQ, they demonstrate capturing the true essence of Chesley’s cello. This approach ensures clarity and faithful reproduction of the instrument’s unique character, which remains crucial whether recorded acoustically or in amplified settings.
EngineEars
Join Grammy Award-winning engineer Teezio as he breaks down his mix for Victoria Monét's "On My Mama," starting with the drum section. He begins by addressing the kick drum with subtle EQ cuts to remove unnecessary frequencies and applies transparent compression using iZotope Neutron for minimal dynamic reduction. Teezio layers the clap and rim shot, utilizing EQ to tame resonant frequencies and enhance clarity. He highlights the importance of removing unwanted frequencies to achieve a cleaner, more focused mix. Throughout the drum mix, Teezio maintains the groove's energy with selective EQ and compression, adding a doubler for width on certain elements. He emphasizes the value of surgical frequency removal and transparent processing to preserve the original demo's vibe, making this a fascinating insight into professional mixing techniques.
SonicScoop
In this masterclass, Dennis Jones, also known as ROC.am, shares his approach to mixing a piano as the main instrument in a jazz fusion/R&B track. He discusses using EQ to manage the piano's organic resonances, removing harsh frequencies while reintroducing desirable elements for balance. ROC.am highlights the use of the Vitalizer plugin to enhance clarity and stereo spread, explaining how its combination of EQ, compression, saturation, and expansion can revitalize the piano sound. He also demonstrates the Waves MV2 plugin, emphasizing its ability to bring out detail and control dynamics in live instrumentation, particularly effective for classical elements.
Audiopunks
Chris Coady demonstrates layering vintage synths to add depth and texture to Rachel Bobbitt's indie rock track. He uses the Korg Poly-61, ARP Solus, Sequential Circuits Prelude, and E-mu Emulator to create an ethereal soundscape. Coady tracks the Korg Poly-61 both dry and with an EMT 245 reverb, giving it a lush, expansive feel. The ARP Solus, run through a Boss delay pedal, adds a distinctive mono synth line, while the Sequential Circuits Prelude and E-mu Emulator contribute rich, high string textures, especially in the bridge. These elements, combined with plate reverb and other effects, create a dynamic and immersive listening experience, showcasing how vintage synths can enhance an indie rock production.
Agartha Podcast
Ryan Schwabe discusses his approach of using separate music and vocal buses in mixing to enable more aggressive processing on the music without affecting the vocals. By doing so, he can apply saturation or distortion to the music while maintaining the vocal's clarity and presence. He outlines a technique where both buses send to a heavily compressed tape channel, subtly blending and adding cohesion to the mix. This setup helps manage dynamics and maintain separation, ensuring that aggressive processing on the music doesn’t inadvertently impact the vocal track.
Kevin Atwater and Philip Weinrobe delve into the mix of "Lonely Gift," focusing on the creative use of panning and subtle textures to enhance the song's emotional message. A standout element is Kevin's whispered "come on," panned hard left, creating an intimate and personal touch that feels like a whisper in the listener's ear. This detail symbolizes an invitation to move on from an unreachable relationship. The song's end, marked by a shift in instrumentation, reflects a sense of resignation and acceptance, providing a vehicle for emotional transition. This thoughtful mix decision underscores the song's narrative journey.
Agartha Podcast
In this segment, Ryan Schwabe discusses the keys to achieving a loud mix, emphasizing the importance of spectral balance and arrangement. He explains how a limiter can help identify if there's too much low-end or high-end in the mix by reacting to the loudest frequencies, typically between 80-100 Hz. A well-arranged song, with instruments not overlapping heavily in the same frequency range, is crucial. This ensures the limiter doesn't have to work too hard, preventing a muffled and dark sound. Schwabe stresses that achieving clarity in the low frequencies relative to the rest of the mix is essential for loudness. By focusing on arrangement and maintaining a balanced EQ, you can create a mix that is not only loud but also clear and dynamic. This insight sets the foundation for mixing with intention and understanding limiter behavior.
SonicScoop
In this masterclass, renowned mixer Richard Furch explores advanced reverb techniques using presets like Buckram Plate and Auto Park on the Relab 480L plugin to create bright, forward vocals. Furch demonstrates how combining different reverb types, such as the brightness of a plate with the longer tail of Auto Park, enhances the singer-songwriter vibe of the mix. A key takeaway is his method of setting reverb returns at a default level, allowing for efficient gain staging and faster mix decisions, ensuring a consistent and reasonable reverb presence without guesswork. This approach streamlines the mixing process by making reverb levels predictable and reliable, facilitating a more intuitive workflow.
Studio.com
Ryan Tedder emphasizes the importance of cultivating musical instincts through extensive listening and songwriting. He believes that immersing yourself in various styles and paying close attention to different artists helps develop a natural intuition for crafting vocal melodies. Tedder's approach is rooted in experience, where writing frequently and engaging with diverse music builds the "muscle memory" needed to instinctively know which melodic shapes fit different chord progressions and genres. By immersing himself in the unique styles and performances of artists like Bieber or Shawn Mendes, Tedder tailors his melodies to reflect their distinct musical tendencies. This approach underscores the value of deeply understanding an artist's style to create songs that authentically resonate with them.