Legends of Tone: Andy Summers
The Police have had a long, storied, and downright tumultuous career in the history of rock, and oh what a story it’s been! At one point, they were considered the biggest rock band in the world, regularly selling out the largest capacity venues worldwide with no signs of quitting. Four of the band’s 5 albums […]
The Trials and Tribulations of DIY Sound Treatment
My band and I have been rehearsing in the same building since 2014. It’s one of those “warehouse-turned-band-practice-space-compound” type of deals that you come across in big cities like Chicago — except it never turned fully “practice space.” In its original form, our building was a cold storage facility in the Stockyards industrial district of […]
Walrus Audio Drops Emissary Parallel Boost
Something new seems to always be popping up out of Oklahoma City when it comes to tone and them Walrus Audio boys are back at it again, this time with the Emissary Parallel Boost. Named after the network of veins in your circulatory system that, in layman’s terms, connect the outside of your head to […]
Side-chain Compression
Sometimes mixes can feel a little cluttered, especially when the song features a dense instrumentation. As audio engineers, we have to find creative ways to manage the density of the projects that we are working on. The side chain input on a compressor can be a useful tool for managing this musical density. Typically, a […]
EHX Announces Oceans 11 Reverb
Electro-Harmonix just announced a new reverb pedal called Oceans 11. With 11 unique modes, it’s aimed at satisfying any player’s ambient needs, going from Clooney-smooth spring and plate sounds to more Pitt-esque dramatic shimmer and polyphonic reverb types. Much like its cousin the Canyon Delay, Oceans 11 lets users dig deep into the parameters of […]
Double-Tracking Electric Guitars
Ever since digital recording surpassed analog as the norm, musicians have been exploiting the format to its fullest capabilities, not only to streamline workflows, but to also create new and interesting sounds. The ability to copy and paste regions in your DAW has really helped producers and mixers push creative boundaries in the last few […]
True Peak Limiting
At first glance, limiting seems like a straightforward concept. Audio that peaks at -0.1 dB is audio that peaks at -0.1 dB, right? Well, unfortunately for people who are mastering their own tracks, it’s not quite that simple. But with a little knowledge of true peaks vs. sample peaks, and of how to set your […]
Photo Gallery: Moogfest 2018
The zZounds crew is in Durham, NC for Moogfest 2018 — the annual music, art, and technology festival honoring the legacy of synthesizer pioneer Dr. Bob Moog. There’s so much to see and hear at this four-day festival — with electrifying live performances, hands-on workshops, the Modular Marketplace, and much more, it’s a synth geek’s […]
Behind the Design: Fender PureSonic Earbuds
Fender made a big splash two years ago with the introduction of their professional line of in-ear monitors. Ideal for singers, drummers and other on-stage musicians, they were praised for their clear output and ergonomic fit. Now, Fender has set their sights on the casual music fan with PureSonic. A new line of earphones, PureSonic […]
