Many engineers will have been faced with snare drum recordings that are far from ideal. Whether it’s a self-recorded session from the artist, or a time-poor studio recording, here Luke shows some fast go-to methods to revive snare drums’ sounds, using what’s already there.
What Is Frequency-Based Panning? Try It Out With A Free Plugin
Spectral or frequency based panning is a technique which varies stereo placement with frequency content. In this article, Ufuk Onen explains what spectral panning is, the benefits and how to use it using a free plugin.
How Snare Sounds Have Changed In 50 Years Of Music Production
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.
SSL 360 Link Controller - First Look
SSL’s UC1 hardware was created to control the company’s audio plugin channels strips. Answering many users’ requests, now hands-on control awaits any third party VST3 audio plugin. We get up-close to see how 360 Link can supercharge the UC1 in more ways than one.
Practical Ways To Get To A Great Mix Faster
Engineers are being bombarded with information along the lines of “STOP DOING THIS”… Whether you’re a new engineer or just fancy a fresh perspective, here we flip that to talk about some positive techniques to get the mix most of the way there.
7 Audio Plugins I Can’t Live Without In 2024
Engineers can find themselves leaning on a small band of trusted tools that earn their keep, mix after mix. Despite an almost endless list of options out there, everybody has theirs; here Luke talks about the tools that he turns to nearly every day.
Why Use EQ When You Can Use A Mic?
Reaching for the EQ is almost muscle memory when it comes to shaping signals. That said there is a whole world of sounds out there that can be had simply by knowing how a mic will sound and what it can bring. Here we talk about using the mic as the ultimate sculptor of sound in place of EQ.
Using Sonible SmartEQ: 4 For Mix Clarity
With multiple sources all vying for attention, balancing their tonality is no mean feat. Where mix ‘masking’ is the enemy of clarity, one company’s latest EQ update sets out to automate lifting the veil. How smart is it? We check it out.
We Check Out McDSP SA-3 For Music
Although intelligent dynamic equalisers have many uses for post mixers, their soothing effects for music mixes are also good to have. Here we check out one of the latest to see how it does with complex musical dealings…
Third Party Audio Plugins - Why You’re Going To Buy Them Anyway
Most engineers know that nearly all stock audio plugins are more than up to the task in hand. That said, many of us still find ourselves duplicating folders packed full of highly capable tools, but why? We discuss…
sonible's smart:EQ 4 Updated With AI-Driven Spectral Mixing
sonible has announced the release of smart:EQ 4, introducing advancements in AI-driven spectral mixing. This version focuses on multitrack unmasking and offers features for both bottom-up and top-down mixing approaches.
My Fantasy Audio Christmas Present - SSL Duality Fuse
In this series of articles, running until Christmas, we asked the Experts team what audio product they would like to find under the tree. Luke’s first choice was a rather desirable console…
Audio Production Things We Loved In November 2023
With the end of the year fast upon us, there was still chance to check out some tasty new releases before heading out for a ski, a surf, or whatever Christmas is going to look like for you. Whatever your distraction, here are our favourites from November…
Fixing Your Mix With EQ - The Universal Audio Guide
This article from Universal Audio’s Daniel Keller contains many great tips on fixing common mix problems with EQ. With permission we just had to re-publish in full for our community.
Waves Silk Vocal - First Look
Free On Black Friday Only! - Combining a number of powerful processes for vocals into one place, Waves’ freshly announced Silk Vocal promises much firepower for artists and producing engineers. Hear its adaptive chops for yourself in our first look video.
SSL 4K E Plugin - Expert Review
For many, SSL’s 4000E is the classic analogue console personified. With dozens of software channel homages out there, SSL themselves now step into the game to bring their own creation back into the DAW. We put it to the Experts.
5 Frequency-Bending Dynamic EQs
Delivering frequency-conscious envelope-following volume modulation with greater precision than a multiband compressor, dynamic EQ is the answer to all kinds of mixing and mastering problems. Here’s five of our favourites…
5 Mighty Mastering EQs Worth Checking Out
There’s surely no more demanding or flaw-exposing a scenario for any EQ than mastering, so you can’t just sling any old plugin on the 2-bus and hope for the best. Here are five of our favourite frequency sculpting options for mix-finalising.
Why More Audio Plugins Might Not Make A Better Mix
With an endless stream of new, ‘must-have’ products, some engineers could be forgiven for thinking that more is more. Although most know that this is rarely true, where exactly does the line exist between enough or too many plugins? We discuss…
Kill Bass Overlap In Minutes With This EQ Move
Getting the low end right in the mix can be elusive. There are the tried and trusted ways that can get the engineer to subsonic nirvana, but some issues call for more than a couple of EQ scoops or fader rides. We show you how…