Archive for 'Gear'

I am proud to be part of the Pro Tools Generation. And when I say Pro Tools, I don’t mean just Avid’s Pro Tools software, but any recording/mixing software. I am part of a generation of mixers and producers who have grown up with and have learned on a DAW rather than an analog console. And today I must address why this is an important distinction to make.

DAWs Are Here To Stay

Like it or not, I think we can just about all agree that DAWs are here to stay as part of our recording and mixing workflow. They cost less than consoles and outboard gear, they don’t break down as easily, they are more portable, and they have instant recall on all aspects of the session. With computers getting more powerful every year and 24 bit converters sounding as amazing as they do now, we can expect to be working in DAWs for a very long time.

That however, is not my point. What we must address is that there is a real difference between a once analog guy who now mixes in Pro Tools or at least has Pro Tools as part of his modern workflow, and a young digital only mixer (like myself) who has always only mixed in Pro Tools and the like. We are two very different animals. Read More →

If you’re like me, you are constantly challenged when it comes to recording great sounding acoustic drums. And for good reason. With so many elements to the kit, it is consistently the hardest instrument to capture with punch, power, and realism. But did you know that recording a mono drum overhead will help you get better sounding drums, faster?

No Phase Issues With Overheads

The biggest problem with stereo miking drum overheads is dealing phase issues. More specifically when your sound source is hitting two microphones at slightly different times you get tracks that are out of phase and create some cancellation of the sound source, resulting in thin weak recordings. Of course this can be avoided with careful placement and measurement. A great way to start is the recorderman method or the Glyn Johns technique.

But what’s even easier is to simply throw up one overhead mic to capture the entire kit, rather than two. You have absolutely no phase issues because you aren’t trying to capture an instrument with two mics, but with one. I know it sounds obvious, but this is a no brainer when you want punchy, clear, and artifact free drum overheads.
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There’s a big debate looming in the recording world and it revolves around analog summing. People say that mixing “in the box” will never sound as good as using analog summing.

So what is summing, and why is analog supposedly better? Great questions. Today I want to briefly explain the issues at hand and help you to realize that you shouldn’t care.

What Is “Wrong” With Digital Summing?

The concept of summing is a simple one really. When you record and mix many tracks together (whether on a console or in your computer) you eventually have to mix them all down through a single stereo track (your master fader) so you can print (or render) a final stereo file. This process of funneling all your tracks together is called summing. Just like in math, when you add things together you get the sum of those parts.

This originally all took place in the analog domain, inside a mixing console. When digital recording and mixing was becoming a reality, people complained of the sound of the summing that was happening inside the computer. The argument goes that when you take tracks that are digital in nature and sum them together digitally, you get an inferior final mix. It is said that digital summing sounds cold, harsh, and broken.
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Tell me something about that fancy new plugin or microphone you want to buy: how well do you know your current gear? If you’re like many people, you probably have only used your current gear for one or two projects and you already want to buy something else. You’re looking for that elusive magic bullet. Instead you should be learning your gear.

Owning Does Not Equal Knowing

Here’s something to consider. Just because you own a certain piece of gear (hardware or software) doesn’t mean you really know it. Just because a certain mic preamp or plugin has been sitting in your studio for two years does not mean it has been put through its paces. And if you don’t really use your gear enough, how can you ever know what it truly is capable of?

You can’t, that’s the issue. Just simply buying a set of studio monitors doesn’t mean you will know how they sound in your room instantly. Or how they will affect your mixes after an afternoon. It takes time to learn gear, which means you really aren’t in a position to give an opinion on something unless you’ve used it enough.
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Looking to make the jump from headphones to real deal studio monitors? You really can’t go wrong with the affordable Rokit series from KRK Systems. These guys make speakers for the pros and there’s a reason. Flat, accurate, and reliable sound in your studio.

Speakers Are All They Do

What I love about KRK is that building studio monitors (and more recently, headphones) is all they do. They do one thing and do it well. Today I review their super accessible Rokit 5 RPG2 model. This 5 inch speaker is a perfect studio monitor for the typical home/project studio user and I give it a big thumbs up.

Sometimes I’m shocked by the types of questions people ask me. I work with and teach a lot of beginner recording engineers so I’m used to simple, foundational questions. That’s not the issue.

What scares me are the types of questions that go something like this, “Should I move the microphone around to get the sound I want or should I just leave that to EQ in the mix phase?” The fact that this question is common reveals something about our generation of audio engineers: mic placement technique is becoming a lost art.

Where You Put The Mic Matters Most

Where you choose to place your microphone(s) for a given source is the most important decision you’ll make in the studio. More than which mic you use, which room you record in, or even which instruments or musicians you record, mic placement is paramount. I can say this confidently because nothing can affect and determine the final outcome of your tracks more than where the mic goes.
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Recording drums well is hard. Recording drums well at a live performance is even harder. With more bleed, less separation, and usually less time to get the sound you want, sometimes your drum tracks don’t turn out quite the way you hoped. Using something like Trigger, a drum sample replacing plugin from Steven Slate’s company Slate Digital, can go a long way to getting the punchy and polished tracks you’re after.

When you sit down to mix a song it’s wise to have a handful of “go-to” plugins in mind to help you sculpt your sound. I’m sure you own more than a handful, but do you really want to be spending precious mixing time scrolling through plugin menus and testing out effects? I know I sure don’t.

Your Weapons Of Choice

Mixing music is challenging enough as it is, so I don’t want to divert what little energy and brain power I have away from creative decisions and instead towards plugin sifting. And with many DAW owners easily clocking in upwards of 100 or more plugins on their systems, there are plenty of distractions to be had.

My advice, pick your top 5 weapons to damage to your mix. Identify those 5 or so plugins that you will use to do 90% of your mixing work. For me these are my favorite EQ, compressor, reverb, delay, and saturation plugin. With those 5 effects I can sculpt one rocking mix in no time. I’m familiar with how they sound, what they do to my audio, and even what the graphical interface looks like. No manuals or experimentation need. Simply well known tools just waiting to be used.
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I don’t like to push gear if I don’t think it’s a helpful suggestion. Heck, I don’t even believe that gear is the solution to your recording or mixing woes. But gear is what we use to capture and mix audio and some if is necessary. The trick is to navigate the sea of advertising and find the best bang for your buck.

You likely have heard of the Shure SM-57 microphone (if you don’t already own one). It’s a super affordable ($99 new), super popular dynmaic mic. Today I want to give you three great reasons why (after purchasing your $100 condensor) every home/project studio should own at least one of these mics. Two seem typical and one might surprise you.

1. Great On Guitar Amps

The most popular use for the SM57 tends to be to record guitar amps/cabinets. As a dynamic mic it can take the loud SPLs of the amp without overloading. Plus as a very midrange focused mic it really brings out some of the best characteristics of the electric guitar.

On almost any amp the 57 right up on the grill seems to do wonders. If it’s too bass heavy, back it off an inch or two. If it’s two bright, slide it over away from the center of the cone or angle it 45 degrees to the grill. It’s almost impossible to not get a great guitar tone with this mic.
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Which brand of microphone cables will help you get the best recordings? It seems like such an absurd question really. But recently I’ve received a few emails from readers asking for my opinion on this very topic and it troubles me. I mean no dis-respect to anyone who has asked this question, but the “perfect mic cable” is just a myth.

You’re Missing The Point

If you’re looking to improve your recordings you’ve come to the right place. I don’t claim to be the expert on all things recording, but this website is chock full of helpful tips, tricks, and tutorials that will take your recordings to the next level. But if you’re starting to zoom so far into the gear equation that you are debating microphone cable brands, then you are missing the point.

Have you mastered mic placement? Are you using EQ and compression as well as you can? Do you reference your tracks on multiple speakers? If you already have all of that down and there is absolutely nothing in your studio for you to improve upon then be my guest, go buy some expensive XLR cables. But for the rest of us, debating mic cable brands is a grand waste of time.
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