Studio & Recording

Plug-ins are loved and detested at the same time. Analogue-based sound engineers find them clinical and unnatural, while for in-the-box* producers, plug-ins offer access to eye-wateringly expensive studio hardware without actually having to fork out thousands of pounds, making them infinitely useful. Guest-blogger Daan van Dreumel is here to tell you which plug-ins are a must-have for pro-grade music production, how they work and to which bit of legendary kit they owe their name and fame.

Voice-overs can very literally say a lot. All going well, the speech is in full service of the story, but what if the voice you hear is distracting from the message? Guestblogger, Myra Grünning explains what can go wrong and what you can do about it. Myra is a qualified speech therapist and speech coach and also works as a voice-over artist herself.

Your band is ready to record that long-awaited album and finally step into the recording studio. Whether you’re recording at home or in a professional studio, the question is: what can you expect and what should you look out for? If you’re the lead vocalist, how can you ensure that you and your band deliver the best possible performance and come away with great recordings?

“Are you a walking microphone encyclopaedia and a cold-blooded problem solver? Do you know how to turn the most vague of ideas into something that sounds great? Then we’re looking for you!” This is easily what any job post for a studio engineer, sound engineer or audio engineer could read like. Want to know more about what’s involved in the mysterious craft of studio engineering? Want to know what the difference really is between a studio engineer and a producer? Read on!

Want to get into pro-level recording? Then don’t get too hung up on picking out the right microphone, but pay attention to every step in the process.

Maybe you’ve already had a look through our range of studio monitors and noticed that, while a lot of models look virtually identical, there can be a pretty big difference in price. The question is: is it actually worth saving up for a more expensive set of monitors? Especially when there are models that seem to have the same list of specifications but come at a cheaper price. Here, we separate the trees from the woods.

As music producers, we’re always striving to optimise our workflow to maximise our creativity and efficiency. In the world of DAWs, Ableton Live stands out as a powerhouse for music creation and performance. With its intuitive interface and robust features, it offers endless possibilities for crafting musical masterpieces. However, mastering the intricacies of Ableton Live’s workflow can take time. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of ten essential tips and tricks to supercharge your productivity in Ableton Live.

While recording percussion instruments isn’t exactly rocket science, there are a few small pitfalls you need to be aware of if you want to end up with perfectly mixed sound instead of an ear-splitting racket. Read on to learn some tips and tricks!

In the world of music production, it’s essential to work efficiently and come up with innovative ideas in the studio. Guest blogger Mike Rosa learned some hacks, tips, and tricks over time that have helped him save time and avoid unnecessary stress.

With the release of the Yamaha Reface synthesizers, the Japan-based music-gear-makers bring back a stone-cold slice of music history. Here, we chart the origin-stories of these superheroes among synths.

Hans Zimmer is one of the most well-known film composers of our time. The Lion King, Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean are just three films that thank their extremely recognisable soundtracks to Zimmer who, believe it or not, actually tends to keep the core of his compositions very basic. In this article, I’ll show you how you can easily recognise Hans Zimmer’s style and apply it to your own productions or film score.

Re-amping is a studio recording technique that’s been picking up more and more speed. Compared to recording electric guitars, guitar amps, drums and other instruments the traditional way, re-amping offers a number of benefits which I’ll tell you all about by using guitarists, who re-amp the most out of all musicians, to illustrate the idea.