Mix & Master Blog

I was recently at the AES convention in NYC and I got to see all the new plugins and gear that is coming out. I saw a ton of amazing stuff, but the new plugins from IK Multimedia really sparked my interest. They have some great new mastering plugins that I found super...

Most of us know Antares for their Auto-tune plugin. However, they also make a bunch of other really useful and creative plugs! One of them being the Harmony Engine. You can hear the effect on many of Travis Scott and Kanye's songs, but it's also used subtly in many...

This is the first video in a series of mixing fundamentals. We will be going over some basic concepts to help you get your mixes better. The first one is on Loading and labeling files. We are using Studio One but you can apply it to and DAW. Check it out!...

  Times have changed, and many of us are now creating music from home. We all have the opportunity to tinker with the song as we create it. For example, you can add reverb to your snare drum with a click of a button. So as the song evolves more and more "mixing"...

The next installment in our mixing fundamentals series is gain staging. Gain staging is simple. When done correctly it will give you more headroom to work with when mixing and mastering. Our session is loaded up and ready. All sounds are in there place, labeled, color...

I must say that Jaycen Joshua is one of my favorite mixing engineers. I have learned a lot from listening to his mixes as well as watching him on Pensado's Place. In his current interview on Pendsado's Place, he talked about the vocal chain he used on The Weeknd for...

As a kid, the first effects box I ever got my hands on was a Boss digital delay pedal. My friend Ryan and I, fueled by our passion for music, saved every cent we had. On a trip to NYC, we bought this pedal from Manny’s - the famous music store that has sadly been torn...

How to De-ess vocals De-essing is a simple process that takes the slithering sibilance out of your vocal takes. This process is also known as de-sibilizing. Sibilance occurs in the consonants such as; s, z, c and sh. The problem frequencies occur around 2k and go up...

How to Create Future's Vocal Effect Chain I've always been fascinated by the unique vocal styles of various artists. One artist who particularly stands out is Future, known for his distinct sound that has captivated the hip-hop world. Recently, I stumbled upon a Sound...

If you haven't noticed yet, I really like Midi Controllers. I'm constantly on the search for a way to stop using my mouse. I find turning knobs helps me to listen more and look less. I feel if we are looking at the frequency we don't listen as much. I was so impressed...

Deconstructing a Mix | Part 2: Drums & Bass This is part 2 of the 4 part series, deconstructing a mix of Sammy Adams song, "Remember". Today we are going over the Drum in Bass sections. This song has a ton of drums to go over so let's get started. The Drums were...

Deconstructing a Mix: Sammy Adams - "Remember" Part 1: Session Setup This is the first video of a four part series where I will deconstructing a mix I did for  Sammy Adams's song "Remember". I'm super excited to share this with you. I will break down the eq,...

The Role of Producers and Songwriters In today's episode of music biz Monday, we are going to talk about the role of producers and songwriters. These are the people who write the music and lyrics for the songs you hear on the radio everyday. So let's jump right in...

This week on #MusicBizMonday we will be talking about how to get artists on your beats. It's fun to sit at home and make beats all day but if you don't get artist on the actual tracks your career will go nowhere. I'm going to go over four tips which include: local...

Softube's console 1 is a hardware unit that controls plugins in your DAW. It has three different channel strips and you can use select Softube and UAD plug-ins with it. I was on a search for a way to control my plug-ins by hand. After trying three or four different...

This week on music biz Monday we are going over how to get your music heard. The two main points I'd like to touch on is content and where to put the content. I believe if you stay consistent with posting solid content the fans will slowly catch on and you will start...

I am super excited to announce the first addition of music business Mondays. This will be a weekly blog post where I will share my experiences in the music business. I'm blessed to have made a living working in the music business for over 15 years. During that time I...

I had a few request to go over my single flow I use when mixing and mastering. So I decided I would do a studio tour as well as go through my signal flow. Knock two birds with one stone if you will! So without further ado, here is the Mix and Master my Song 2017...

Template's are a great way to get your session setup so you can just open up a song and get straight to be creative. It is also a huge time saver. I have all my reverb, delays and other effects ready to go as soon as I open a new session up. I also have my other buses...

I have been looking for a way to "touch" my DAW for years. The Avid ICON was terrific, but I couldn't justify the price tag. So when the Slate Raven came out, I was intrigued, to say the least. I thought it might finally be the answer to doing multiple fader rides,...

Introduction I've encountered numerous tools and techniques that can significantly impact a track's final sound. One such indispensable tool is reverb. It's fascinating how reverb, when used skillfully, can transform a flat, lifeless track into a vibrant, emotive...

I had a client reach out about how to punch in vocals correctly. So I thought it would make for a great video to show how I got about punching in vocals. I also go over how to add doubles and ad libs to help make your song and voice stand out. Enjoy!...

Multiband Compression is a tool I use everyday when mixing and mastering. It gives me so much control over carving and manipulating the sound. I the video tutorial below, I go over some of the ways I use multiband compression when mixing vocals. Enjoy!...