Mix & Master Blog

Insights, Tutorials, Reviews, oh my!

Universal Audio C-Suite C-Vox Review

1. Introduction to Room Noise Challenges in Recording In the ever-evolving landscape of audio production, one constant challenge remains: managing room noise in recordings. I've encountered this issue across various recording environments, from makeshift home studios...

Baby Audio Smooth Operator Vs Soothe2

Soothe2 vs Smooth Operator: My Take as a Mixing Engineer As a mixing engineer, I'm always looking for new tools to help me achieve better results for my clients. Recently, I decided to compare two popular plugins - Soothe2 by Oeksound and Smooth Operator by Baby...

Fabfilter Timeless Review

Fabfilter Timeless Review

Fabfilter makes some of my most used plugins. The Pro-Q3 is my number 1 go-to on every mix. In today's video, I review FabFilter's Timeless 3. Timeless 3 is a delay plugin that includes filtering, distortion, modulation and so much more! It's fastly becoming one of my...

Fabfilter Timeless Review

What is Analog Warmth? Introduction to Harmonic Distortion

In today's video, we are going to answer the age-old question. What is Analog Warmth? I'm sure you guys have heard it a million times. This product gives analog warmth and depth. Makes the music sound fuller and thicker. blah blah blah. I myself am guilty of using the...

Leapwing Al Schmitt Plugin Review

Leapwing Al Schmitt Plugin Review

Introduction to the Leapwing Al Schmitt Signature Plugin The Al Schmitt Signature Plugin by Leapwing Audio aims to capture the sound and mixing sensibilities of legendary recording engineer and producer Al Schmitt. With over 20 Grammy awards and credits on albums by...

Fabfilter Timeless Review

3 Easy Vocal Mixing Tips

When mixing vocals, there are three main things you need to focus on: clarity, volume, and emotion. If you can get those three things right, your vocals will sound great! In this blog post, we'll discuss each factor in detail and show three ways you can improve your...

Fabfilter Timeless Review

Why I use Two Mix Buses in My Session Template

I tend to switch plugins up on my mix-bus quite a bit. There are a couple of reasons for doing this. New plugins are always coming out and I like to try out new things to see if it makes my process better. I mix a lot of different styles of music. On any given day I...

McDSP APB16 Review

McDSP APB16 Review

McDSP APB 16 Review: Analog Flavor With Digital Control The McDSP APB 16 is a powerful analog emulation plugin that brings high-quality analog compression and saturation to your digital productions. With versatile sound-shaping capabilities, intuitive controls, and...

How to Send and Export a Logic Session Pro X

If you need to send a Logic session or export stems to send to another engineer or producer, there are a few steps to take that will make the process seamless. In this video, we will go over how to prep a session for export or prep a session to export stems. Enjoy!...

Fabfilter Timeless Review

5 Things You Need To Build A Home Studio

Introduction: In today's music industry, having a personal space where you can create, experiment, and produce music is not just a luxury; it's a necessity. A home studio offers unparalleled convenience and control, allowing artists and engineers to work at their own...

Bettermaker EQ232D Plugin Review

Bettermaker EQ232D Plugin Review

The new Bettermaker EQ232D Plugin from Plugin Alliance is a remake of Bettermakers first hardware EQ. It has three sections. A LPF, two parametric EQ's as well as a full Pultec style EQ section. I am a fan of Bettermaker's hardware and own both the Mastering EQ as...

Fabfilter Timeless Review

Presonus Studio One 5 Review

Today I had the opportunity to check out the new PreSonus Studio One 5. The release comes with a host of new features, including the Show Page for live performance and Score View for written music via notion. Being a mixer, the features don't excite me, but don't...

Mixing Vocals And A Two Track Beat With Waves Plugins

This will be the first video of a series where I will mix vocals and a two-track beat using a specific plugin company.  The first video will be Mixing Vocals And A Two-Track Beat With Waves Plugins. The goal of doing this is to show that you can get a great sounding...

Mastering with Plugin Alliance Plugins

This is the first video of a series I will be doing Mastering the same song using different plugin brands. In this video, we will be Mastering with Plugin Alliance Plugins. Soon to come will be videos featuring Waves, Universal Audio, Acustica Slate and more. So make...

Vocalign Project vs Pro in Studio One

Vocalign Project vs Pro in Studio One

I've been using Vocalign for as long as it has been available. I always like to brag that I was one of the first engineers in Boston using it. People were blown away with what it could do.  Is your vocal double off? No problem we can fix it in about 10 seconds! There...

3 of the Best Mastering Limiter Plugins Of 2019

3 of the Best Mastering Limiter Plugins Of 2019

I have quite a few mastering limiter plugins I use when mastering. (Being the plugin junkie I am) However, I find myself returning to the same three over and over again. The three limiters I prefer are the Fab Filter L2, the DMG Audio Limitless, and the relative...

Choosing The Right Mic With Audio Test Kitchen

Choosing The Right Mic With Audio Test Kitchen

Exploring the Revolutionary World of Microphones with Audio Test Kitchen Today, I want to introduce you to a groundbreaking web application that has captivated my interest - Audio Test Kitchen. A few years back, my buddy Alex, who I've known for quite some time,...

Mixing Rap Vocals with Waves Plugins

Mixing Rap Vocals with Waves Plugins

Waves plugins have been around for as long as I've been engineering. They are used in every major studio and home studio around the world. Since they are the most used audio plugin, I make a video showing you how to mix rap vocals using only waves plugins! P.S. I just...

Best Free Mixing Plugins

Best Free Mixing Plugins

The 5 Best Free Mixing Plugins for Home Studio Producers Introduction As a mixing and mastering engineer, I know that mixing tracks to sound professional requires high-quality plugins. However, stock DAW plugins can only take you so far, and third-party options often...

Do You Need Analog Hardware For Mixing?

Do You Need Analog Hardware For Mixing?

Do You Need Analog Hardware For Mixing? As an mixing and mastering engineer, I've had my fair share of experiences with both analog and digital gear. The ongoing debate about whether analog hardware is a necessity for mixing has been a topic of discussion in the audio...

Dangerous Music Bax EQ Hardware Vs Sofware

Dangerous Music Bax EQ Hardware Vs Sofware

Dangerous Music Bax EQ Hardware vs Plugin Alliance & Acustica Audio Software: In-Depth Review Introduction In this review, we'll be taking an in-depth look at the iconic Dangerous Music Bax EQ and how its hardware version compares sonically to the software...

Antares Autotune EFX+ Review

Antares Autotune EFX+ Review

Today we have something super special. It’s the Antares Auto-tune effect plus. It’s a regular auto-tune plugin that you can tune your vocals with, but the real special part about this plugin has to do with the effects. It has a vocoder, doubler, filters,...

Top 5  Waves Plugins

Top 5 Waves Plugins

I've been using Waves plugins for over 17 years. They are some of the most widely used plugins in the business. Today I show off my top 5 favorite waves plugins. [thrive_leads id='7879']

My Hybrid Mixing Setup

My Hybrid Mixing Setup

Exploring Hybrid Mixing: The Best of Both Worlds In the ever-evolving world of music production, the debate between analog and digital mixing continues to be a hot topic. Today, I'm excited to delve into the realm of hybrid mixing, a method that I believe offers the...

Studio One 4.5 Review

Studio One 4.5 Review

Today we're going to review studio one 4.5. As an audio engineer and mixer, there've been features in studio one that I've missed since switching over from pro tools. In this update, they've seemed to give all the features we missed and made them better, which is...

3 Compressors You’ll Actually Use: Arturia Compressors

3 Compressors You’ll Actually Use: Arturia Compressors

I've had the opportunity to work with a plethora of tools in my 20 years of mixing and mastering music. In this comprehensive blog post, we'll delve into Arturia's "3 Compressors You'll Actually Use" bundle, a collection that has garnered significant attention in the...

Best Vocal Frequencies To EQ

Mixing Vocals: My Go-To Frequency Spots for a Perfect Mix Hey everyone, Matty Here. I'm thrilled to share with you some of the Best Vocal Frequencies To EQ that I always turn to when mixing vocals. If you're into mixing, you know how crucial it is to get those vocals...

Pro Tools 2019.5 Review

Many of you know my feelings when it comes to Pro Tools. However, it is still a piece of software I have to use every week. Does the new 2019.5 update make it any better? Find out in today's Pro Tools 2019.5 Review! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL43-szEzq4  ...

Top 4 Vocal Plugins Of 2019

Today I show you the 4 plugins I've been using the most to mix vocals in 2019 You can find the plugins here: Waves CLA HUB Kush Audio Clariphonic Slate Digital Gate Fab Filter Pro-Q3  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYtBuJVunHw

Analog vs Digital Summing

It's one of the biggest battles on any pro audio website. Some swear by it, and some say they hear no difference. Whatever side of the fence you're on one thing is for sure. Everyone has an opinion on analog summing. In today's video, we listen to some music examples...

Mixing and Mastering Engineer Matty Harris

Hello, I'm Matty Harris, and I've been professionally mixing and mastering music for over 20 years.

Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of working with many major labels and contributing to numerous #1 records. Some of the artists I've worked with include Kelly Clarkson, Travis Barker, and Sammy Adams.

My extensive experience in the industry has equipped me with the skills and knowledge to help musicians elevate their sound to a professional level. Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting out, I can provide you with the techniques and insights you need to overcome any challenges in your mixing and mastering journey.