Technics

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...

Drums are probably the most important part of a dance track. The kick needs to be slamming, and the snare and hi-hats need to be loud and tight. The good thing for producers is there are tons of sound banks out with amazing drums sounds. So that leaves only one...

Flying hooks in Pro Tools or any other DAW has never been easier. When I first started as a engineer that was not the case. I would have to record the full hook then mix it. After that I would sample it into a sampler like a MPC. The final step would be rewinding the...

Vocalign is one of my favorite plugins. I remember when I was younger I was one of the first engineers in Boston to start using it. It's magical how it can line up a lead and double vocal in the matter of a few seconds. Before Vocalign I would have to go through and...

I've been mixing hip-hop music for over 12 years now. While I use some of the same techniques, every song is different. Some rappers vocals are deep and need to be brightened up. While others have a thinner voice and can be prone to lots of high sibilance. This video...