Effects: All You Need To Know... And A Little Bit More Technique : Effects / Processing Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, there's always something to learn about adding colour to your mix. Paul White The world of audio effects is one that can be confusing even for experienced engineers. Especially in modern computer-based recording systems, there's a bewildering array of options, and to add to the confusion, some effects are widely referred to by more than one name. In this article, I'll take you through the most common effects, explaining how they work and where you might want to use them in your music. Let's begin by getting clear on what we mean by 'effect': an effect is a device that treats the audio in some way, then adds it back to a dry or untreated version of the sound. If a device has a Mix control on it that goes from 100 percent wet (effect only) to 100 percent dry (clean only), then you can be pretty sure it is an effect. Echo & Delay Reverb Modulated Delays Flanging is the strongest of the standard modulation effects.
Mysteries Of Metering Technique : Theory + Technical All mechanical meters are VU meters, all bargraph meters read peak levels -- and both types will give the same reading if you feed in a test tone. Reasonable enough assumptions, but wrong on all counts, as PAUL WHITE explains. The really wonderful thing about standards is that there are so many of them, and nowhere is this more evident than when you look at metering. This article examines the complicated issue of metering standards, but those unfamiliar with the general terminology of metering (eg. dBu, dbv, and the conventions of 'plus 4' and 'minus 10' operation) are advised to check out my article from SOS February 1994, 'dBs Explained', which should clarify many of the terms used here. Tape machines have meters, mixers have meters and signal processors have meters, but what do they actually tell you? The first type of meter built specifically for audio use was the VU meter, VU standing for Volume Units.
Big Bad Bass - A Tutorial on Low Frequencies Sub-bass occupies the frequency range from 20 - 100 Hz. It is not so much heard, but felt. Sub-bass is responsible for creating a low-end presence that gives a bassline its power. Special attention should be paid to this layer as low frequencies take up a lot of headroom in a song. Tip: To accurately gauge sub-bass, your studio monitor set-up should have a sub-woofer. Step 1: Create your sub-bass sound The source of your bass can be a synth patch or a sample. Synthesize: Many synthesizers (software and outboard) come with dedicated sub-bass patches, however, it's easy to create your own. Sample: Alternatively you can use a sub-bass audio sample, loaded into a sampler. Step 2: EQ / lowpass To ensure that the sub-bass does not interfere with any other elements, use a shelving EQ or a low-pass filter (being careful NOT to use any resonance) to remove any frequencies higher than 100 Hz. Step 3: Limit Bass should be as loud as possible and have very little dynamic range.
Music SoftwareTraining and Ableton Blog Attack Of The 8 Bar Loop So there you are, staring at your computer screen. 12 tracks of brilliance, or at least 15 seconds of it. You sit there listening to the loop on repeat over and over again, trying to convince yourself that you are being creative, instead of just stuck. We have all been there. One day, your gravestone will read: “He almost put a lot of great art into this world” If there is any challenge that computer musicians have that I hear about repeatedly, It’s the 8 bar loop syndrome. Making loops is easy, finishing songs is hard The first step is admitting you have a problem. The problem is that you haven’t defined your goal before you sit down to write. It doesn’t happen like that. Stop focusing on fun I know that is the last thing a music producer wants to hear but if you are going to finish songs, you are going to have to start by accepting that some unpleasant work is involved. What all this mental mumbo jumbo? Some practical tips 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
The SOS Guide To Mix Compression Technique : Effects / Processing Compressing the stereo bus can give your music coherence, smoothness and, above all, punch — but there are plenty of pitfalls for the unwary. We lead you through the minefield that is mix compression. Will Haas Mix-bus compression can be a confusing topic for inexperienced mixers and engineers. After all, some great mixers swear by using mix-bus compression, while others prefer to keep the mix bus pure. To set the record straight, there is a huge sonic difference between mixing into a stereo compressor from the outset versus slapping a stereo compressor on the mix bus just before you print a mix. The point is that the same set of fader settings will actually produce a different mix balance depending on whether you apply compression, and how much. Used appropriately, mix-bus compression can be another tool for adjusting the overall balance of your mix, giving you 'glue' to help meld sounds together and make the overall mix balance sound more cohesive.
tonespace 2.0 what is tonespace? it's a different, more intuitive music keyboard, combined with a chorder It supports over 50 different grids, 14 scales, 18 keys, 30+ chord types and 25 chord voicings it can function as a VST or Audio Unit plugin, processing incoming MIDI events and/or generating outgoing MIDI you don't need to use MIDI though: there is also a standalone executable which contains its own little synth for a fast start what can you do with it? audition and play chords while you move the mouse around in a grid-like space, or while using a traditional keyboard learn how musical scales and keys work, and how chords relate to these, using the simple octave-based spaces discover how chords map onto surprisingly simple geometric shapes in the more advanced spaces use chord-generation algorithms to fit chords to scales and keys automatically trigger chords from monophonic midi input and record the played chords using midi output what does it cost? demos & tutorials
Lyric Writing Exercises: a 5-Day Workshop Guest post by Maria Rainier If you’re anything like most songwriters, you’re all too familiar with that frustrating sensation of being stuck in a rut. You know it’s important to write something – anything – every day, but there are times when that just seems impossible. Maybe you don’t have enough energy, you might be too critical of your first attempts, or you could be missing out on the muse. Whatever the reason, you can still get your daily writing done in a productive way if you introduce new exercises into your routine. Day 1: Research Mix & Match The first step is to give yourself something interesting to work with. Day 2: Collaborative Brainstorming Contact a friend by chat or email. Day 3: Titles & Nuggets Using what you’ve written from the previous two exercises (or relying on your notebook), construct some potential song titles. Day 4: Songwriting Surgery Now, pick a popular song that appeals to you and completely rewrite the lyrics. Day 5: Open Season Related Articles
- Tracking : Resources and Information Look here for articles on applied recording techniques and mic placement. It all starts here! Acoustic Guitar Tracking the acoustic guitar is a huge subject, because so much contributes to the final sound—player, instrument, room acoustics, mic choice and placement, effects, and more. Electric Guitar The electric guitar is the central sound of rock music, and has influenced everything from blues and country to electronica. Bass Recording the bass can be as straightforward as a simple DI to the console or as complex as multiple mics on an acoustic bass fiddle or giant amp stack. Other Guitars The archtop, the dobro, the parlor guitar, the pedal steel—scary to the newcomer, each with its own challenges. Drums & Percussion Miking drums is an art form. Vocals The human voice is the most recognizable sound to the human brain. Horns & Woodwinds Whether you're recording jazz, jump blues, R&B, or whatever, a clear and present woodwind track or a slamming horn section can make your arrangement fly.