Parallel compression is a powerful tool when it comes to putting the finishing touches on a track or helping an instrument or vocal cut through the mix just a little bit more. In this video, I'll show you how to set up a parallel compression scenario and teach you exactly how it works. This...
One of the first things you should do in a mix is balance the volume levels and set the panning. But how do we know where to pan each track? Should we pan all of them or only some of them?
In this video, I'll teach you the though process behind why we pan tracks and how to do it in a way that...
In the process of learning new skills, sometimes we develop incorrect habits, because we don't fully understand the end goal or how to get there. In this video, I'll show you a common EQ mistake that I've seen may beginners make (including myself), and we'll talk about how we can avoid it in...
Mixing audio is fun. It really is. But man, when things go wrong, it can be such a headache. Thankfully, there are some steps we can take to make the troubleshooting process much easier, and in this video, I'm gonna let you in on my best troubleshooting secret. Hope this helps your audio...
With the hundreds of plugin options on the market, it’s difficult to know which ones we actually need to make a good mix. And to make matters worse, when we’re struggling to get our mix sounding the way we want it to, the tendency is to add more and more plugins to fix it.
So how do...
Let's be honest. The amount of audio gear on the market for home studios is straight up overwhelming. Options are great, but sometimes too many of them make it hard to know exactly what you need for your specific situation. Let me fix that for you...
In this video, I'll tell you exactly what...
We've all heard that proper gain structure is important, but how important can it really be? Does gain affect sound quality? Can we even hear the difference?
In this video, I'll explain why proper gain structure determines the quality of your audio, and if you're interested in a deeper dive...
Vocals are often some of the most dynamic inputs in a mix. A vocalist may sing very softly in the first verse and then suddenly start belting out the chorus. In order for a vocal to blend well with the other inputs over the course of a whole song, some form of dynamic control is needed. This is...
The vocal is arguably the most important track in any song, so it’s important to make sure it can be heard clearly and consistently. EQ is a powerful tool when it comes to removing noise from the track, balancing the tone, and helping the vocal play nice with all the other inputs. In...
We’ve all seen that terrifying red light that comes on when something in our mixing session gets too loud, and to an audio tech, it’s one of the most annoying things we deal with. But to understand how to stop audio from clipping, you have to understand what clipping is in the...
In this video, I go back to the basics and discuss the third phase of audio production: mastering. Hope this is insightful!
- Schuyler
Most people have very little understanding what goes into the process of producing music, so in this video, I go back to the basics and discuss the second phase of audio production: mixing. Hope this is insightful!
- Schuyler
Sometimes, audio techs have a habit of "setting and forgetting" their mix. They might get all the levels set at the beginning of the event, but by the end, they've sorta tuned out and let things go, thinking that as long as nothing goes horribly wrong, they did fine. In this video, I explain why...
It's a terrible feeling when you work really hard on making a great mix, upload it to your streaming site, and then realize it's way quieter than every other track on the site. Fortunately, there's a tool, called a limiter, that can really help you. In this video, I'll teach you how to use a...
In this video, I'll teach you how sends and returns work and how to use them in your mix. Hope this helps!
- Schuyler
Let's be honest, we all have a tendency to throw around terms that we only half understand... When it comes to audio, the term "frequency" is probably said more than it's understood. In this video, I'll give you a very basic understanding of how sound works and how that understanding can impact...
The difference between mono and stereo is a basic concept in audio, but sometimes it can get a little confusing. In this video, I'll teach you the difference between the two and talk about the different applications of each. Hope this helps!
- Schuyler
The difference between pre and post fader can be confusing, but it's an important concept to understand. In this video, I'll teach you what each of these settings do and their application. Hope this helps!
- Schuyler
One of the differences between working on analog vs digital consoles is the lack of channel meters. For the longest time, I couldn't figure out how to set the gain structure accurately without seeing the signal level. However, I recently discovered the trick, and now I will share it with you. :)...
I often see beginner mixing engineers try to use the gain knob to adjust the volume level when things get too loud or they need to boost a specific channel. In this video, I want to explain why this isn't a good habit to get into. Especially in mixing, it's important to use each tool for its...
It was a long time after I started mixing audio that I really learned what the difference between a group, an aux, and a matrix was. They all process and route audio, but in different ways, so it's easy to get them confused and not know which one to use for which application. In this video, I'll...
Using groups and sends in your mixing project can save you time, conserve computer processing resources, and make your mix more cohesive. In this video, I'll explain what groups and sends are and how to use them to enhance your mixing process. Hope this is helpful!
- Schuyler
Musicians often struggle to hear themselves and get a good balance out of their in-ear monitor mix. In this video, whether you're a musician yourself or an audio engineer trying to help the musicians on stage, I'll teach you how to build a great monitor mix from scratch in 4 simple steps. Hope...
If you're professional audio engineer or musician that spends a lot of time doing your job, chances are pretty high you'll eventually want to buy a pair of in-ear monitors. However, because there are so many options out there, it's hard to know which product will be the best for your specific...
