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Antares Auto-Tune Access Review
Antares new Auto-Tune Access plugin is a stripped down version of there flagship Auto-Tune Pro Plugin. It may be small, but it can still pack a big punch. I think singers and songwriters who are looking for quick access to the Auto-Tune sound...
How to Mix Hip-Hop Ad-libs
Having your ad-libs stand out from your main rap vocal is a necessary step to making your song sound unique and different. I use a few different techniques to achieve this. One is filtering the ad libs, so you have no low end. Another is to add more...
Pro Tools AudioSuite Editing in Studio One
As a former Pro Tools user for over 10 years, Audio Suite is one of it's most reliable features. It was one of the features I missed most when I switched to Presonus Studio One. The ability to select multiple tracks and process them all at once was a huge...
The Best Tape Stop Plugin for Studio One 4
One of the features I've missed most since switching from Pro Tools to PreSonus Studio One is the tape stop. I have seen some videos on ways you can achieve this but all of them seemed a bit "clunky" to me. However, I recently found this plugin form...
Better Mixes Series: Vocal Delays Part 2 of 4
In part two of this four-part series, we will talk about basic vocal settings. This includes 8th. quarter and half note delays. As well as feedback, and setting your filters correctly. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJAxwDh6_FU&t=115s Kick Your...
Better Mixes Series: Vocal Delays Part 1 of 4
I am a huge fan of Digital Delay and in particular vocal delays! This is the first part of a new series I will be doing called Better Mixes Series. In each series, we will go over all the ins and outs of a specific topic. I figured since delays...
3 Tips for Recording Better Vocals with Cam Meekins
I have been working with Cam Meekins for quite some time now. He's much more than a client, I consider him a brother. He has done really well for himself and I'm super proud of his progress. He came by the studio the other day to work on some...
Acustica Audio’s El Rey Review
Acustica Audio's El Rey Compressor is an emulation of a famous compressor from the 1950s. My guess would be that it's an RCA compressor. Not only is it a recreation of an RCA compressor, but it's a recreation of superstar producer Greg Wells compressor. To...
Acustica Audio Taupe Review
There are a million and one tape plugins nowadays. All of them have their unique abilities and characteristics. In today's video, I show off the lastest, Acustica Audio Taupe. This plugin has over 40 samples of different analog tape machines. Including iconic ones...
Overloud TAPEDESK Review
Overloud's TAPEDESK is a unique plugin in a sea of tape plugins. The idea of the Overloud TAPEDESK is to be much more than just another tape emulation. It recreates the full path from recording console to tape back to the master output of the console. Thus giving you...
Acustica Audio Viridian Review
Acustica Audio's new Viridian Module is amazing! It is an analog emulation of a few different units. The Mic Pre's emulate the sought after V72 Pre's as well as the Pre's of the EQ and Compressor sections. The EQ Emulates a Helios 69PK EQ, a Helios 69TR EQ...
Travis Scott Reverb Effect
The heavy reverb effect you hear on a lot of Travis Scott records has gone viral. You now hear it all the time, and it is such a cool effect to use. It can help fill in space on records that need more energy. I tend to use the Valhalla Vintage...
Overloud Echoson Review
Overloud is an audio plugin company based in Italy, best known for making emulations of sought-after analog hardware. They are somewhat new to the audio world, but their plugins sound fantastic. When I saw that they released the Echoson I was super excited. The Echson...
Acustica Audio Coral Tutorial
Acustica Audio Coral plugin is an all in one mastering channel. It includes a stereo and M/S Equalizer as well as a compressor with a plethora of options. The Equalizer is based on a classic Baxandall configuration, a design which is highly prized for its clarity. ...
How to Use External Hardware with PreSonus Studio One 4 Pipeline XT
I love using External Hardware with PreSonus Studio One 4. The Pipeline plugin makes it super easy. In studio one 4 they released Pipeline XT which improves upon the already great plugin. New features include: Automatic latency compensation: instead of...
Recording Vocals at Home
Everyone is recording vocals at home now. Even the artist I work with who are signed to Major labels are recording at home. I think it's the best way to record too. You don't have to stress out about the studio bill, and you can start recording whenever the...
iMac Pro Vs PreSonus Studio One V4
Purchasing a $5000 iMac Pro was a big commitment for me. However, my 2016 iMac was having a hard time keeping up with heavy demand I was throwing at it every day. It constantly had audio dropouts, and for me, that creates a big problem. I still master completely in...
Brainworx Masterdesk Review
I'm a sucker for all in one mixing and mastering plugins. So when the Brainworx Masterdesk came out, I was one of the first to download the trial. This plugin is an all in one Mastering chain. I think its geared towards the home studio owner who needs to polish off a...
25 Inspirational Music Quotes for Musicians
Working in the music business can bring its fair share of ups and downs. I need more than one hand to count the times I wanted to give up. However, the love of music has always won out. If your going through one of those periods or wanting to give up, here are 25...
How to Prepare your Vocals for Mixing
Mixing your song can be an overwhelming challenge. It's hard to know where to start. Should you mix the drums first or start with the vocals? What effects should you put on?? Ugh! I think it's best to try a minimalist approach. The less plugin and...
How to Pick a Online Mixing and Mastering Service
One might think I'm a bit bias writing this article seeing how I run an online mixing and mastering service. However, I started this company five years ago with the idea of helping upcoming artists, not trying to scam them. I've had clients tell me about some of the...
The 3 Best Mastering Plugins
Plugins. Plugins, Plugins.... So many to choose from these days, I can't even keep track! However, I seem to always come back to a few workhorses over and over again. The Fab Filter ProQ is an all-time favorite, as well as the UAD 1176. ( Or any 1176 plug for that...
Mixing and Mastering with Acustica Audio’s Water Tutorial
As many of you know, I am a big fan of Acustica Audio's Plugins. So, of course, I had to review the Water plugin. The Water plugin is an emulation of the German WSW (Wiener Schwachstrom Werke) equalizer and compressor. It was the Austrian branch of Siemens Audio. It's...
How To Mix Crisp Vocals
Have you heard about the vocal barbeque? We need it brighter, more air! Those vocals need to cut through!! Deep fry those vox tracks!! Nowadays in popular music, the vocals are bright, trebly, and the most in dominating part of the song. But how do we get such a...
Acustica Audio Ruby Tutorial
Acustica Audio's Ruby is an emulation of the D.W. Fearn VT-5. According to their website, the equalizer uses passive LC circuitry with class-A triode vacuum tube stages for the input and output. I found this EQ to be super musical and loved the...
Trinnov ST2 Pro Vs Sonarworks
The Trinnov ST2 Pro and Sonarworks are both room correction equalizers. The Trinnov ST2 comes as a piece of hardware whereas Sonarworks works on your host computer. They both are great products but the Trinnov costs about $5000 more than the...
3 Hits and Misses in Studio One 4
We all know that I am a super fan of Presonus Studio One. ( You can see the reason I switched from Pro Toos to Studio One Here.) So when they released Studio One 4, I was like a kid waiting for Christmas. But after it was released, I felt like the kid who didn't get...
3 Pultec EQ Tips With Acustica Audio’s Purple
The Pultec EQP-1A is quite possibly one of the most used EQ's in history and for good reason. The Pultec EQP-1A has a character and a touch of class that will leave your source material sounding super expensive and well...better than before. I use the Pultec plugin...
Top Stereo Width Plugins
Making a mono instrument stereo can help add new dimensions to any song. It can be guitars, keyboards or even percussion instruments. In mastering a common technique is to widen the side information to make the overall mix sound bigger and larger than life. Two of my...
Acustica Audio Cream Tutorial
Acustica Audio Cream is an amazing plugin. It gives the classic console sound that was made famous at studios such as Abby Road's back in the 1960's and 1970's. This is a great plugin to use for both mixing and mastering. The plugins divided into 3 sections: The...