In our recent survey How Do You Control Your DAW? we asked the community about your preferences when it comes to how you interact with your production software of choice. The results are in and largely confirm our assumptions but it’s interesting to see just how much variety there is when it comes to DAW control.
Russ Hughes thinks we need to have a discussion about the impact of AI for audio professionals, but it needs to go beyond the common trope of “All AI is bad!” To something far deeper and more human.
As a follow-up on Mike’s Understanding Loudness, which is now free, in this article, we are going to cover loudness for music streaming services, including loudness normalisation, album normalisation and how to prepare music tracks for music streaming services, with three free tutorials.
Following on from our hugely popular article into home recording 40 years ago, we rewind back again. In this article we take a trip down memory lane to look at one machine that changed recording for many of us in the 1990s.
We have been made aware of some changes to Avid Hardware Support contracts, effective from the 1st April 2024. We have the details.
In this article and video, Paul Maunder explores Nugen Audio’s Paragon - a convolution reverb plugin with a unique synthesis method which allows for dynamic adjustment of impulse responses as well as a host of advanced features for audio professionals.
What are the most common pitfalls facing self producing artists? What can be done to avoid them? And if you are that mix engineer taking on a self produced project, what can you do when faced with some of these most common pitfalls?
Known for their legendary studio hardware, some of SSL’s best known creations might live outside the box, but the announcement of MODULE8 promises to bolster the company’s expanding line of virtual devices with a brand new multi effects audio plugin. We put it to the Experts to get their verdict.
Over in the pop world, the song’s intro is usually a taste of things to come, but some songs have other ideas. Here we round up some of our favourite tunes whose opening statements are anything but a prelude to the creation that follows…
Waves’ new Stream ecosystem marks the audio plugin giant’s arrival to the collaborative working arena. Following a period in early access beta, now anyone can plug into mixes from anywhere in the world. We have the details…
In this article Julian looks at three ways the audio production world has changed since his and Russ’s formative years. Change over time can lead us to places which would have astonished us comparatively few years before but we now take for granted. Here are three examples of things we discussed which would have blown our minds when we started an audio production in the late 80s and early 90s.
Just over three weeks after releasing macOS Sonoma 14.4 on March 7th 2024, Apple has released macOS 14.4.1, an update that Apple says fixes three of the main issues that plagued the macOS 14.4 release. We have the details…
In this article James Richmond shares his favourites from his plugin folder when he is producing music rather than wearing his post production hat. As well as some usual suspects there are a couple of interesting ones we don’t often discuss. Check it out.
Spend some time listening to tracks recorded in the 70s and 80s, even further back, and they often exhibit a quality that belies the limitations of the equipment. It leaves one asking; “Has recording quality really improved in the last 50 years?”
With two well-regarded intelligent fixers already under their belt, oeksound have now turned their attention to something different with distinctly artistic leanings. Here we put Bloom to the Experts for them to deliver their verdicts...
We decided to put some 20 year old plugins you get free with Pro Tools up against the latest premium versions. The results were shocking… really!
This week’s free plugin is Trash Lite from iZotope, a cut down, free version of iZotope’s full-fat Trash distortion/saturation plugin with over 60 distortion types covering everything from subtle harmonic warmth to unhinged destruction.
Whether you’re an old hand, or new to all things mixing, the control surface is a great way to get hold of your virtual mixer and audio plugins. With an ever expanding range of options, here we round up our favourite compact solutions to get hands-on with.
In part four of a free six-part tutorial series, Mike Thornton shares some tips and tricks for mixing to the loudness standards, explains the importance of ‘loudness planning’ before ending with some specific tips and tricks for mixing short form content like adverts and promos. Mike goes on to look at the changes needed to mix content for Netflix.
With ever greater engineer awareness around the virtues of keeping things quieter, many could be forgiven for thinking that the race to the top is no longer a problem. Here, UK mastering engineer, and founder of Production Advice, Ian Shepherd, highlights why the industry might not quite be out of the red just yet.
The Crossfeed control addresses a common issue in surround reverb by ensuring that the characteristics of the reverb change realistically as the sound moves around the virtual room. Paul Maunder takes a look at one of the very few reverb plugins on the market that offers this control…
The days of big studios and illuminated ‘Recording In Progress’ signs may have largely gone, but Russ Hughes argues we need the sign more than ever!
Pro Tools 2024.3 introduced MIDI AAX plugins to Pro Tools. This long-requested feature opens up lots of real time MIDI experimentation previously out of reach of Pro Tools users. In this video Julian demonstrates the one which screams fun most loudly - Modalics’ EON Arp!
As sounds go, apart from the voice, the snare drum is one of those things that can help tell you whether you’re listening to Sinatra or James Brown. Its recorded presence has changed enormously through different eras. Here we take a look at the sounds behind the music.
Since Apple released macOS Sonoma v14.4 on March 7th 2024, not everyone who updated their macOS to this latest version has had a smooth transition. In this article we look at the issues that have caused some people problems.
Is this an audio production myth? The sound comes out of the speakers so if the sound isn’t as good as you’d like, it’s natural to think that changing them will fix things. But Julian suggests that there is more to it than that…
Krotos plugins are known for both their ease of use and the performative approach they take to creating sounds. In this video, Paul Maunder demonstrates using some of them in a short section from an action sequence.
In audio production, songwriting or music composition, creativity is the lifeblood of the industry. Yet, despite its importance, creativity remains an elusive concept. The most enlightening, and entertaining breakdown of creativity has to be a lecture by John Cleese which methodically explains the conditions necessary for successful creative work.
In this video interview, Ian Sampson, the mastermind behind the Hush Pro noise reduction plugin, talks to Paul Maunder about the process of machine learning when developing the plugin and what the future holds for Hush Pro
Knowing when or when not to reach for the compressor is just as important as knowing how to dial in the best settings. Here in our guide we explore some of the common pitfalls engineers must navigate to get the best out of their gear.
Zynaptiq, developers of a number of cutting edge creative tools as well as utilities for cleanup and more have announced the forthcoming release of MORPH 3 and MORPH 3 PRO, which will be available from mid April 2024. With dates and pricing for this major release, we have the details.
In the latest update to the Pro Tools Inner Circle Loyalty rewards scheme Pro Tools Subscribers and Perpetual licence holders with active upgrade plans can get the Nembrini bst100 v2 Super Overdrive Guitar Amplifier plugin worth $137.
We have been made aware of some changes to Avid Hardware Support contracts, effective from the 1st April 2024. We have the details.
VocAlign ARA is coming to Pro Tools. See it early in this webinar preview. Join Synchro Arts product expert Marcus Huyskens demonstrating how ARA will function in a future VocAlign and Pro Tools update.
Waves’ new Stream ecosystem marks the audio plugin giant’s arrival to the collaborative working arena. Following a period in early access beta, now anyone can plug into mixes from anywhere in the world. We have the details…
Just over three weeks after releasing macOS Sonoma 14.4 on March 7th 2024, Apple has released macOS 14.4.1, an update that Apple says fixes three of the main issues that plagued the macOS 14.4 release. We have the details…
Ginger Audio, developers of audio solutions for mixing, mastering, recording and streaming, have announced the release of Authentic Audio - a real-time high quality audio streaming plugin with an array of collaboration features. We have the details…
Soundly has received its biggest update to date with a revamped design and an array of new features including a spectrogram view, new audio toolbox, built-in EQ and much more. We have the details…
ADAM Audio have announced the relaunch of its Authorised Listening Centre programme. This revamp includes the addition of 120 new brick and mortar stores worldwide, providing customers with an unparalleled opportunity to experience and test a wide range of ADAM Audio studio monitors, including the new A Series.
Following their announcement at NAMM in January, Oeksound has released Bloom - an adaptive tone shaper plugin. We have the details...
Softube has announced a new addition to its popular Amp Room guitar and bass platform with the release of Amp Room ENGL Savage Mark II Suite. We have the details…
With the release of Sonoma 14.4 there are reports of incompatibilities. As ever our advice is that you should be careful about updating your OS and definitely shouldn’t do it on your studio machine mid-project.
Waves has kicked off their big March sale with plugins starting from just $9.99 and top sellers at just $29.99! What’s more you can get free plugins with purchases!
Bogren Digital have launched their Spring sale with up to 40% off all plugins, drum samples, impulse responses and other tools!
Amazing sounding vocals should not take hours of frustration whilst endlessly tweaking the many compressor settings, leaving you disheartened with the results. That’s where Sonnox Voca comes in…
Want to make your drums sound like they were recorded in a beautiful spring meadow? Nugen Audio’s Paragon and Paragon ST’s bespoke library of Impulse Responses includes outdoor sounds made from real spaces, and there’s 25% off until April 17.
Waves has kicked off their big March sale with plugins starting from just $9.99 and top sellers at just $29.99! What’s more you can get free plugins with purchases!
Krotos are celebrating the arrival of Spring with up to 80% off across the store! Don’t miss huge deals on sound design bundles and plugins including Reformer Pro, Dehumaniser, Concept 2, Ignitor, and more! There’s even a saving on the Krotos Studio annual plan.
Our friends at SoundFlow are offering Production Expert readers 15% off their first year of SoundFlow Cloud Pro for a limited time!
Toontrack have launched their March offers with added value deals on EZdrummer 3, EZbass and EZkeys PLUS 25% off the fantastic Superior Drummer 3!
Klevgrand, makers of creative audio plugins and instruments that dare to be different recently announced the release of their OneShot drum sampler and percussive workstation and for a limited time there’s an introductory 33% off!
Focusrite, a leading audio interface manufacturer, announces a limited-time offer on their FAST plugin range. These plugins utilise AI to adjust settings based on the audio and instruments used, aiming to simplify achieving quality sound results. Users can access detailed controls for precise adjustments.
Save a huge 50% off VIRTUOSO - a binaural audio renderer that uses binaural technology for virtualising stereo or immersive loudspeaker setups and listening rooms for headphone monitoring.