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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 that promise that this new plugin has the best "circuit to circuit emulation" of a 60-year-old piece of gear and...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The Pultec Eq is a legendary passive eq that's been used for decades on countless hit records . It was built in 1951 by Ollie Summerland and Gene Shank. The EQP-1A was there flagship unit and was hand built; which is why they still stand up to the test of time....
When I first started working in studios the difference between mono and stereo was much clearer. Part of the reason was track count, sometimes you only had 24 to 48 tracks for all your music and vocals. So if a kick drum was only one channel you wanted to make sure...
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...
One thing you have plenty of options with is reverb. There are Halls, Plates, Springs, Chambers, Rooms, Ambiance and everything in between. It's hard to know where to begin. I like to start with a few different kinds of reverb and then narrow it down to the one's I...
The two biggest issues that come up when clients send vocal files they recorded at home are distortion and room noise. Hard surfaces create reverb reflections that bounce all over the room and back into the mic. This makes a real unpleasant "reverby room" sound that...
Ozone 5 is a great tool for mastering. I don't use every feature on it, but I do use a few. In the video below I go over the one's I use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_5gri99kP0
If you make beats with drum loops, you might be familiar with the limitations you have when it comes to mixing. If the kick or snare is to loud your stuck with it. However, there are a few things you can do to separate the sounds by frequency to make level...
The two most important things about a mix are volume and panning. That is what about 40% of your mix is all about. This is where you get your levels, and give every instrument it's own space. It's easy to get lost with all the new gear that promises "this plugin will...
I was mixing a song for one of my clients, and thought it would be cool to use the same kind of delayed reverb effect Drake did on Marvin's room. It didn't really work out for the song but I thought it would make for a great tutorial, so check it out....
Getting your kick to stand out in a mix can be a tricky subject, but when done properly it can really help out a mix. There are multiple ways you can setup your parallel compression. You can create a send and a return, or duplicate the track. The real trick is to...
How to Master Automation in Pro Tools: A Professional's Guide Hello there! I'm Matty, a seasoned mixing and mastering engineer. Today, I'm excited to dive deep into a topic that's close to my heart and crucial in the world of digital audio production: How to Use...
So you got your song all mixed and you can't wait to put it out, but the only problem is you have one swear word( or many) and radio won't play it. Luckily there are many ways you can edit swear words to make the song still sound natural. The best time to do it is...
Never used virtual instruments in pro tools? I made a quick video on how to setup, and use virtual instruments. I also go over how to convert them to audio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMvNCi9Zspo
This week I go over how I set up a Pro Tools session before I start a new mix or song. Being organized is huge when it comes to mixing and mastering, so make sure to check this out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iuai2_Fun3Q
Leaving off where the last post ended on EQ and Compression, I wanted to talk about effects I use for Hip-Hop Vocals. Hip-Hop Vocals are usually pretty dry but in the video I show you how you can use slap delay, harmonizer and light reverb to make them stick out in...
When using reverb in Pro Tools or any DAW, there are three main ways you can set it up. You can use as a aux send and return, apply the reverb directly on the track, or process the reverb into the audio file. There are advantages and disadvantages to each one, let's...
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.