Studio Solutions 59
Parallel Compression
Controlling dynamics during the final mixdown can sometimes feel like a compromise, especially on instruments with wide dynamic ranges. Drums, bass, and vocals often produce loud signal peaks that can cause issues when trying to compress the signal. Sure, you can try to put a limiter on the offending track, but that has the possibility […]
What’s a “Class A” Amplifier?
“Class A” refers to a specific amplifier output design. Without diving too deep into electrical engineering, suffice it to say that Class A is the simplest, most basic circuit topology for an amplifier, and the easiest to design with less inherent distortion. Theoretically, you might say it’s a “perfect,” linear amplifier circuit: the output is […]
Ribbon Microphones 101
Attention, home studio musicians: If you’ve already invested in a large-diaphragm condenser mic or two, perhaps it’s time to add a ribbon microphone to your bag of studio tricks! Here’s a beginner’s guide to ribbon microphones and how you can use them to get that smooth, “vintage-style” sound you’re going for. Ribbon Microphones, Yesterday and […]
How to Upgrade SampleTank 2.x to SampleTank 3
SampleTank 3, the long-awaited update to IK Multimedia’s well-established sample-based software instrument, was released in fall 2014 with much fanfare. IK’s version 3.5 update — free for ST3 owners — arrived in spring 2015, enticing even more new users with 11 new sound libraries plus reliability improvements. It’s easy to see why SampleTank 3 is […]
“Secret” Pro Tools Keyboard Shortcuts
With the recent release of Avid Pro Tools 12 and Pro Tools First, a crop of new users are picking up this industry-standard DAW software. As any longtime PT user can tell you, Pro Tools has a seemingly endless list of keyboard shortcuts to help you find your way around the software quickly. Some are […]
