Mix & Master Blog
Insights, Tutorials, Reviews, oh my!
How Do I Make it in the Music Business.
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...
The Ultimate Auto-Tune Tutorial
The Ultimate Auto-Tune Tutorial Welcome to my guide on how to utilize Auto-Tune. As someone deeply experienced in the field of mixing and mastering I have honed my skills in using Auto Tunes settings and techniques. Through this tutorial, you'll gain an understanding...
Gain Staging in Presonus Studio One
Introduction If you’re mixing in Studio One and your tracks are sounding too harsh, distorted, or just not sitting right—there’s a good chance your gain staging is off. I’m not here to throw a bunch of technical jargon at you about dBFS vs. VU or the science behind...
Mix and Master My Song 2017 Studio Tour
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...
How to Setup a Template in Studio One
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...
Why I sold my Slate Raven MTI2 and bought a Softube Console 1
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,...
Difference Between Mixing and Mastering Music
Understanding the Difference Between Mixing and Mastering Music Mixing vs Mastering at a Glance Feature Mixing Mastering Purpose Blend and balance multitrack recordings Final polish and prep for distribution Input Type Individual tracks (vocals, drums, etc.) A single...
Basic Vocal Reverb Effects
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...
Using the Studio One Splitter Feature with Parallel Compression
Unlocking Punch and Precision with the Studio One Splitter In the world of modern mixing, workflow and tone go hand in hand. And if you’re a Studio One user who hasn’t tapped into the full potential of the Studio One Splitter tool, you’re missing out on one of...
Proper Recording Techniques for Recording a Rap Song
There’s something uniquely frustrating about getting a vocal to sit just right in a mix. You’ve nailed the performance, the mic chain is solid, but somehow it still sounds like it’s floating on top of the track—or worse, buried beneath it. We’ve all been there. Over...
Why I Switched from Pro Tools to Presonus Studio One 4
I've been a daily Pro Tools user for about 15 years. I got my first engineering gigs because I learned how to use Pro Tools with the ancient audio media three cards. Unfortunately, over the past 3-4 years, I have seen feature improvements in other programs like Logic...
How to use Multiband Compression on Vocals
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!...
4 Mixing Tips that have Nothing to do with Mixing
Great mixes don’t just come from compressors and EQ curves—they come from perspective. Before you touch a single plugin, there’s a mindset you need to step into. One that focuses on intention, honesty, and emotional connection. Because at the end of the day, mixing...
3 things to do before Sending your Songs to get mixed
Introduction: So Your Songs Are Ready for the World You’ve written the lyrics, recorded the parts, and lived with the demo long enough to know it’s finally ready. Whether your song is headed for Spotify, Apple Music, the radio, or just the aux cord at your next...
Top 3 EQ Plugins of 2016 (Updated for 2018!)
We live in a time that there are so many plugins to choose from. It’s somewhat overwhelming. However, even with the huge list of plugins I have ( I can’t help myself from buying them) I usually come back to the same 2 or 3. Some I use for surgical purposes and others...
Top 10 Mixing and Mastering Blogs
We’re lucky to live in a time when top-tier music production knowledge is just a click away. When I was getting started, the only way to truly learn how to mix and master was by going to school, interning at a studio (which, in my opinion, is still the best way), or...
How To Take Reverb Off Audio Files
Introduction: Why You Might Need to Remove Reverb in the First Place Reverb can be a beautiful thing. When used intentionally, it adds space, dimension, and a sense of realism to a recording. But when it’s baked into a file—whether from a poorly treated room,...
The Path to Signing a Record Deal
I've had the pleasure of working with quite a few artists who were independent but went on to sign a major label deal. I thought it might be interesting to go over how a few of them went from a indie artist to a signed act. I think what you'll find is there is no...
Using Different Kinds of Reverbs in a Mix
Reverb is a fascinating subject. Yet so many of us seem to not understand when and how to use it. For the most part I use 3 different kinds of reverbs. Plate,s Halls,and Rooms. They each have their own purpose and work well for different instruments. So lets go over...
3 Ways to make your Home Studio Sound Professional
3 Ways to Make Your Home Studio Sound Professional (That Don’t Involve Buying New Gear) Many people believe that buying expensive gear and plugins will give them the tools to create the album of their dreams. We see advertisements everywhere promising that the...
How to Record Vocals at Home
It is so easy to record vocals at home these days. All you really need is a mic, a computer and your ready to go. The only problem is you don't have a engineer that can set the mic and levels up properly. Many projects that are sent to me are recorded poorly. The most...
Soundtoys Tutorial
I gotta say I love Soundtoys plugins. I use them every day when I'm mixing and mastering. The Decapitator is amazing for adding everything from a little weight to full-on distortion. The Echoboy is a complete legend and is heard on countless hit records...
How To Make A Chorus Sound Bigger
One of the questions I get asked the most by clients is how to make a chorus sound bigger. Many people believe there's a special effect that will suddenly make their chorus sound huge and epic! Unfortunately that is not the case. While reverb, delay and other effects...
How To Make Virtual Synths Sound Warmer
Virtual synths are great. You get tons of sounds, amazing amounts of flexibility, and you can carry them all around in a laptop. Gone are the days of shlepping around stacks of keyboards and spending hours syncing them up with MIDI. Unfortunately the only complaint is...
5 Things Artists Should Know About Record Deals
After years of producing, mixing, and mastering for tons of indie artists in Boston, I got the great chance to work on an album that would turn out to be the first indie album to go #1 on iTunes. Sammy Adams's album blew up overnight! Next thing I knew we were on a...
The difference between mono and stereo tracks
What Is a Mono Track? When we talk about a mono track, we’re talking about a single audio channel — just one stream of audio that gets sent equally to both the left and right speakers. No fancy stereo spread, no panning tricks — just a centered, focused sound....
How to make songs the same volume
When presenting your music you want to make sure it sounds the best it can. One of the main concerns is to make sure that the volume is the same. I highly recommended you get this done by a professional mastering engineer, but if you can't afford it or don't have the...
Setting up a Tempo Based Reverb
Understanding the Role of Reverb in a Mix Reverb does more than just make things sound “big.” It shapes the emotional landscape of a track. Whether you’re working on a stripped-back acoustic ballad or a tightly produced trap record, reverb can either glue the...
How to Prepare Your Songs for Mastering
Understanding the Basics of Song Mastering What is Song Mastering? Mastering, in my experience working with both major label and independent artists, is often the final polish that takes a song from “great” to “ready for release.” It's the last stage in the...
The Best way to Record Vocals at Home
Start with the Room, Not the Mic If there’s one thing I’ve learned after mixing thousands of vocals—many of them recorded at home—it’s that the room will make or break your vocal sound. And unfortunately, this is also the part most people ignore. We all love...
