How-To Guides 1
Vintage Vibrato Systems
What do a Fender Stratocaster, a Fender Jazzmaster, and a Gretsch 5420T have in common? If you said “each one has a vibrato system,” you’re correct. And, if you added an asterisk to your answer because each of their vibrato systems are different, then go ahead and give yourself a gold star. These different vibrato systems […]
The Spongy Sounds of the IK Multimedia UNO Synth
Why do you need an analog mono synth? Surely any sound that you can make with an affordable, tabletop analog model like the IK Multimedia UNO can be recreated digitally, right? Wrong. Serious synth players know that analog has its own inimitable vibe and sound. As interest in analog synthesizers remains high, it can be hard […]
Electro-Harmonix Triangle Big Muff Demo
Electro-Harmonix has surprised us once again with the resurrection of a classic iteration of their most beloved pedal. Based on the original from 1969, the Triangle Big Muff Pi is a one-way ticket to high-gain heaven, with tons of extra volume on tap and a powerful tone control. From rippling velcro-esque sounds, to super-compressed, over-the-top […]
How to Fatten Up Those Guitars
So, you’ve managed to record the perfect guitar take, but now you’re playing back the mix and and there’s something just a tad off. Maybe the guitars don’t seem quite big enough, or maybe they just aren’t as punchy as what you were looking for. Well, fear not my friends! I’m here to give you […]
Cymbal Anatomy Part 2: Lathing
The grooves that make the sound move: lathing. Lathing is the rarely mentioned cymbal spec you may not know about, but you’ve certainly seen. These record-like grooves allow the cymbal to resonate and send the resonant frequencies out into the world. Lathing is the process of removing surface material from the cymbal, while it is […]
Creating a Scene with a DMX Controller
In our previous post we talked a little about DMX controllers and DMX-capable lighting fixtures. Now we can get creative and create a couple of scenes! Just like before, the ADJ Operator 384 and the Chauvet DJ SlimPar 56 LED light will be referenced. Now, what is a scene? A scene is kind of like […]
Beefing Up Your Drum Mix
Great recordings are defined by their drum sound. Think about your favorite album — can you picture that snare timbre in your head? Arctic Monkeys’ AM is a perfect example of a drum sound that truly defined an album. Tchad Blake took a high-energy group of performers and matched the mix to their personalities. I’ll admit […]
What to Consider When Buying a New Drum Kit
Trying to navigate the vast scope of drum companies, kit sizes and materials, it can get confusing and hard to make a choice for your first kit. Finding the perfect shell kit to base your entire drum sound on is incredibly important and there are many variables to keep in mind. From considering your drumming […]
iZotope RX 7: A First Look
First released in 2007, iZotope’s RX software has become an increasingly popular option for audio repair work in music and post-production. One big reason for RX’s popularity is the regularity of major updates, which tend to include improvements as well as useful new capabilities. RX 7 is no exception to this rule. Packed with analyzing, […]
