How-To Guides 5
Let it Bleed
It’s become a standard practice of modern recording to try and isolate each vocal and instrumental track as much as possible. For instance, making sure there is only snare coming through the snare mic, or isolating the vocals from the guitar during a simultaneous guitar-and-vocals track, etc. The idea behind this, which makes a lot […]
Fun With Flangers
Loved by many — and mildly perplexing to perhaps the same number of players, — the patiently enduring flanger effect has been found on recordings since the mid-20th century, and at the feet of guitarists since the ’70s. Even though the effect can yield mild, nuanced results, the exaggerated “jet plane” sound is typically what […]
Why Choose a Line Array Speaker System?
If you’re in the market for a new PA system, you may have noticed the emerging category of consumer line array speakers from brands like JBL, Altec Lansing, and QSC. What makes these speakers ideal (or not) for a given venue or live performance situation? Let’s take a look. Sound Dispersion Line array systems have […]
Art Cruz Talks Crush Drums, Lamb of God and Santana
Art Cruz has been tearing it up behind the kit with acts like Prong and Winds of Plague for years. Recently, he has taken over for legendary drummer Chris Adler in Lamb of God, as well as for Mark Morton’s solo project. zZounds spoke with Art Cruz about drumming with legendary bands, the gear he […]
Are Two Guitar Amps Better Than One?
Setting up a rig with two amps really inspired my playing, because nothing else can really capture that sound. While the sound increase isn’t as big as you’d expect, the tone can be transformative. It’s also simple to do, so don’t be afraid to pick up the necessary ingredients to start your path onto new […]
Understanding Speaker Sensitivity
When choosing a passive loudspeaker, one of the most important specifications to look for is sensitivity — a measure of the volume output you can expect from the speaker, relative to its input power. Speaker sensitivity reflects the speaker’s ability to efficiently convert power into sound. Why Does Speaker Sensitivity Matter? Sensitivity matters because a […]
A Beginner’s Guide to Tape Music (1944-1970)
From scholarly and avant-garde beginnings to ambient soundscapes of the 21st Century, there is something for virtually every listener and performer to be found in tape music. What we’re discussing here is not just a performance recorded to tape, but compositions, experiments, and live sets using tape as an instrument. The Beginning It would be […]
Cymbal Anatomy Part 6: Alloys
At the cynosure of your cymbal’s tone, the widely discussed, and wildly differentiating: alloy. The alloy is the blend of metals that makes up your cymbal and shapes its sound possibly more than any other factor. Generally speaking, most cymbals are made from any variety of copper-based alloys. I’m just going to go through some […]
Road-Friendly Recording
Build Your Tour Studio As much as you’d like it to be, sometimes a recording studio isn’t always conventional. When you’re on the road for weeks on end and still need to keep track of your ideas, a recording studio can often be a hotel room, green room, laundromat, or the bench seat of a […]
