Recording & Mixing

Vocoders are not just for vocals. In this episode, Eddie Bazil talks about the various vocoder plug-in options and demonstrates six creative techniques.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:30 - A Short History Of The Vocoder02:15 - How Vocoders Work03:28 - Example 1: Processing Drum Beats and Pads 07:31 - Example 2: Adding Texture To Drums And Bass 10:41 - Example 3: Creating Rhythmic Bass Textures 13:30 - Example 4: Creating The Borg 16:00 - Example 5: Modulating Sounds Using A Beat 21:20 - Example 6: Adding Delay To Create Motion Eddie Bazil BiogEddie Bazil launched his music industry career at the age of 17 as a synth programmer for a range of Electro / New Wave bands including Art of Noise, Spandau Ballet, Pet Shop Boys, Bobin, Paul Dee, DJ Krush, DJ Shadow, Jets Orchestra. By his 20s he was working as a sound designer for Akai, Roland Emu/Ensoniq, eventually signing on exclusively with the latter. Later, due to a growing demand for software instruments and libraries, Eddie started to develop libraries for various software manufacturers, including Native Instruments, Kiesel, Sound Effects Library, Arturia and Propellerheads. A meeting with Phil Allen, a Capital Radio DJ, resulted in the company Samplecraze, which Eddie has spent 20 years developing as an educational resource. At this time he trained in music production and soon gained a number of prominent contracts working with some notable artistes such as Busta Rhymes, Greensleeves, 9 Bar, SFP, Sleeveless, Chris Campbell and Gam Productions. He contracted to Island Records and Chrysalis as a producer and remixer,  plus was commissioned to write the score for Macbeth that ran at 2 Way Mirror at Alexander Palace for the Cambridge Shakespeare Company. His ongoing development of Samplecraze has led to him offering educational workshops and classes, releasing four books via PC Publishing and becoming a contributor and forum moderator for Sound On Sound. Recently he has established The Audio Production Hub for online education and been invited by the Recording Academy to become a Grammy judge.https://eddiebazil.co.uk/https://samplecraze.com/https://theaudioproductionhub.pivotshare.com/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Paul White and Hugh Robjohns discuss the evolution of recording from the perspective of their own experiences, starting with analogue tape and ending with computer-based digital systems.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:25 - Early Memories Of Recording02:47 - Simul-sync03:40 - First Multitrack Experience07:03 - Noise Reduction10:12 - Favourite and Worst Tape Moments12:07 - Digital Recording14:15 - Early Computer Recording16:47 - Digital Storage18:06 - The Early DAWs19:16 - Modern DAWs20:15 - Data Backups and Cloud StoragePaul White BiogPaul White initially trained in electronics at The Royal Radar Establishment in Malvern then went on to work with Malvern Instruments, a company specialising in laser analysis equipment, before moving into technical writing. He joined the Sound On Sound team in 1991 where he became Editor In Chief, a position he held for many years before recently becoming Executive Editor. Paul has written more than 20 recording and music technology textbooks, the latest being The Producer’s Manual.Having established his own multitrack home studio in the 1980s he’s worked with many notable names including Bert Jansch and Gordon Giltrap. He’s played in various bands over the years and currently collaborates with Malvern musician Mark Soden, under the name of Cydonia Collective. Paul still performs live claiming that as he has suffered for his music he doesn’t see why everyone else shouldn’t too!http://www.cydoniacollective.co.uk/Hugh Robjohns BiogHugh Robjohns has been Sound On Sound´s Technical Editor since 1997. Prior to that he worked in a variety of (mostly) sound-related roles in BBC Television, ending up as a Sound Operations Lecturer at the BBC´s technical training centre. He continues to provide audio consultancy and bespoke broadcast audio training services all over the world, lectures at professional and public conventions, and occasionally records and masters acoustic and classical music too!Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Paul White looks back over the history of the echo effect, from tape loops through to plug-ins, and how modern echo effects can be used as sound design tools.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:15 - Early Echo Effects Using Tape Loops05:05 - The Introduction Of Solid State Technology06:43 - High-Quality Results With Digital Delays10:04 - Vintage Emulations And Sound Design Using Plug-insPaul White BiogPaul White initially trained in electronics at The Royal Radar Establishment in Malvern then went on to work with Malvern Instruments, a company specialising in laser analysis equipment, before moving into technical writing. He joined the Sound On Sound team in 1991 where he became Editor In Chief, a position he held for many years before recently becoming Executive Editor. Paul has written more than 20 recording and music technology textbooks, the latest being The Producer’s Manual.Having established his own multitrack home studio in the 1980s he’s worked with many notable names including Bert Jansch and Gordon Giltrap. He’s played in various bands over the years and currently collaborates with Malvern musician Mark Soden, under the name of Cydonia Collective. Paul still performs live claiming that as he has suffered for his music he doesn’t see why everyone else shouldn’t too!http://www.cydoniacollective.co.uk/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

In this episode, Eddie Bazil offers tips for creating a signature sound using sound design techniques and offers a range of suggestions on how drums can be processed to add more depth and texture.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:19 - The Role Of A Producer02:20 - Example 1: Adding Clarity And Bite To Drums04:10 - Example 2: Thickening A Drum Beat06:50 - Example 3: Creating Texture 09:58 - Example 4: Adding A Strong Attack To A Kick Drum 12:45 - Example 5: Adding Life To Acoustic Beats 16:22 - Example 6: Adding Ambience21:09 - Example 7: Altering the Kick Within A BeatEddie Bazil BiogEddie Bazil launched his music industry career at the age of 17 as a synth programmer for a range of Electro / New Wave bands including Art of Noise, Spandau Ballet, Pet Shop Boys, Bobin, Paul Dee, DJ Krush, DJ Shadow, Jets Orchestra. By his 20s he was working as a sound designer for Akai, Roland Emu/Ensoniq, eventually signing on exclusively with the latter. Later, due to a growing demand for software instruments and libraries, Eddie started to develop libraries for various software manufacturers, including Native Instruments, Kiesel, Sound Effects Library, Arturia and Propellerheads. A meeting with Phil Allen, a Capital Radio DJ, resulted in the company Samplecraze, which Eddie has spent 20 years developing as an educational resource. At this time he trained in music production and soon gained a number of prominent contracts working with some notable artistes such as Busta Rhymes, Greensleeves, 9 Bar, SFP, Sleeveless, Chris Campbell and Gam Productions. He contracted to Island Records and Chrysalis as a producer and remixer,  plus was commissioned to write the score for Macbeth that ran at 2 Way Mirror at Alexander Palace for the Cambridge Shakespeare Company. His ongoing development of Samplecraze has led to him offering educational workshops and classes, releasing four books via PC Publishing and becoming a contributor and forum moderator for Sound On Sound. Recently he has established The Audio Production Hub for online education and been invited by the Recording Academy to become a Grammy judge.https://eddiebazil.co.uk/https://samplecraze.com/https://theaudioproductionhub.pivotshare.com/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

In this episode, Eddie Bazil discusses using Transient Shapers in place of EQ and provides six practical examples of the ways that each of the various tracks in your mix can benefit.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:25 - What Are Transient Shapers?01:50 - Example 1: Adding Clarity And Punch 03:19 - Example 2: Highlighting Attack Transients 05:20 - Example 3: Adding Grit And Thickness 06:58 - Example 4: Shaping Attack And Sustain 08:58 - Example 5: Sustaining Short Notes 11:46 - Example 6: Transient Shapers In Sound Design Eddie Bazil BiogEddie Bazil launched his music industry career at the age of 17 as a synth programmer for a range of Electro / New Wave bands including Art of Noise, Spandau Ballet, Pet Shop Boys, Bobin, Paul Dee, DJ Krush, DJ Shadow, Jets Orchestra. By his 20s he was working as a sound designer for Akai, Roland Emu/Ensoniq, eventually signing on exclusively with the latter. Later, due to a growing demand for software instruments and libraries, Eddie started to develop libraries for various software manufacturers, including Native Instruments, Kiesel, Sound Effects Library, Arturia and Propellerheads. A meeting with Phil Allen, a Capital Radio DJ, resulted in the company Samplecraze, which Eddie has spent 20 years developing as an educational resource. At this time he trained in music production and soon gained a number of prominent contracts working with some notable artistes such as Busta Rhymes, Greensleeves, 9 Bar, SFP, Sleeveless, Chris Campbell and Gam Productions. He contracted to Island Records and Chrysalis as a producer and remixer,  plus was commissioned to write the score for Macbeth that ran at 2 Way Mirror at Alexander Palace for the Cambridge Shakespeare Company. His ongoing development of Samplecraze has led to him offering educational workshops and classes, releasing four books via PC Publishing and becoming a contributor and forum moderator for Sound On Sound. Recently he has established The Audio Production Hub for online education and been invited by the Recording Academy to become a Grammy judge.https://eddiebazil.co.uk/https://samplecraze.com/https://theaudioproductionhub.pivotshare.com/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Paul White explains the basic concepts behind FX chain order and gives examples of how these guidelines can be broken in order to achieve new and unique audio outcomes.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:21 - Basic Rules Of FX Chains 01:11 - FX Chain For Guitarists03:03 - Phase And Distortion04:19 - Compression And EQ05:22 - Compression And Overdrive06:59 - Reverbs And Delays08:31 - Reverb And Distortion09:30 - Parallel Configuration In Your DAW10:37 - Where To Add Vocal Compression11:23 - SummaryPaul White BiogPaul White initially trained in electronics at The Royal Radar Establishment in Malvern then went on to work with Malvern Instruments, a company specialising in laser analysis equipment, before moving into technical writing. He joined the Sound On Sound team in 1991 where he became Editor In Chief, a position he held for many years before recently becoming Executive Editor. Paul has written more than 20 recording and music technology textbooks, the latest being The Producer’s Manual.Having established his own multitrack home studio in the 1980s he’s worked with many notable names including Bert Jansch and Gordon Giltrap. He’s played in various bands over the years and currently collaborates with Malvern musician Mark Soden, under the name of Cydonia Collective. Paul still performs live claiming that as he has suffered for his music he doesn’t see why everyone else shouldn’t too!http://www.cydoniacollective.co.uk/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Auto-Tune may be a common plug-in for fixing vocal pitch, but in this episode Paul White explains the basics and demonstrates 7 tips to help you create a variety of alternative textured soundscapes.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:46 - Tip 1: Natural Sounding Auto-Tune03:07 - Tip 2: Robotic Style Auto-Tune04:27 - Tip 3: Adding Auto-Tune To Sends05:12 - Tip 4: Controlling Auto-Tune With MIDI06:17 - Tip 5: Creating Musical Soundscapes08:55 - Tip 6: Using Auto-Tune For Double Tracking09:47 - Tip 7: Using Auto-Tune On Pitch Bends10:47 - Demo Showcasing Various Auto-Tune TechniquesPaul White BiogPaul White initially trained in electronics at The Royal Radar Establishment in Malvern then went on to work with Malvern Instruments, a company specialising in laser analysis equipment, before moving into technical writing. He joined the Sound On Sound team in 1991 where he became Editor In Chief, a position he held for many years before recently becoming Executive Editor. Paul has written more than 20 recording and music technology textbooks, the latest being The Producer’s Manual.Having established his own multitrack home studio in the 1980s he’s worked with many notable names including Bert Jansch and Gordon Giltrap. He’s played in various bands over the years and currently collaborates with Malvern musician Mark Soden, under the name of Cydonia Collective. Paul still performs live claiming that as he has suffered for his music he doesn’t see why everyone else shouldn’t too!Credit: Vocals by Alice Rose Wild.http://www.cydoniacollective.co.uk/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Eddie Bazil takes us through some of the different uses for Dynamic EQ, including enhancing drums and vocals and separating elements within a mix.Chapters00:00 - Introduction 00:26 - What Is Dynamic EQ?01:45 - Example 1: Sidechaining 03:29 - Example 2: Processing Drums 05:33 - Example 3: Corrective EQ 08:03 - Example 4: Creating Motion 11:09 - Example 5: EQing Multiple Vocals 14:24 - Example 6: Separating Elements Within A Mix Audio CreditsExamples 3 and 4:Many thanks to David Plummer and Becky Bremner for use of their content in this podcast.https://www.smokinggoats.co.ukExample 5:Many thanks to Chris Timson and Anne Gregson for use of their content in the podcast.www.eaglealley.co.ukExample 6: Many thanks to artist Anna Kaona.Track: Every time, recorded by Simone Fedi at Studio Volta Recordings.Eddie Bazil BiogEddie Bazil launched his music industry career at the age of 17 as a synth programmer for a range of Electro / New Wave bands including Art of Noise, Spandau Ballet, Pet Shop Boys, Bobin, Paul Dee, DJ Krush, DJ Shadow, Jets Orchestra. By his 20s he was working as a sound designer for Akai, Roland Emu/Ensoniq, eventually signing on exclusively with the latter. Later, due to a growing demand for software instruments and libraries, Eddie started to develop libraries for various software manufacturers, including Native Instruments, Kiesel, Sound Effects Library, Arturia and Propellerheads. A meeting with Phil Allen, a Capital Radio DJ, resulted in the company Samplecraze, which Eddie has spent 20 years developing as an educational resource. At this time he trained in music production and soon gained a number of prominent contracts working with some notable artistes such as Busta Rhymes, Greensleeves, 9 Bar, SFP, Sleeveless, Chris Campbell and Gam Productions. He contracted to Island Records and Chrysalis as a producer and remixer,  plus was commissioned to write the score for Macbeth that ran at 2 Way Mirror at Alexander Palace for the Cambridge Shakespeare Company. His ongoing development of Samplecraze has led to him offering educational workshops and classes, releasing four books via PC Publishing and becoming a contributor and forum moderator for Sound On Sound. Recently he has established The Audio Production Hub for online education and been invited by the Recording Academy to become a Grammy judge.https://eddiebazil.co.uk/https://samplecraze.com/https://theaudioproductionhub.pivotshare.com/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

In this episode Eddie Bazil explores the various ways that delay effects can be used and applies these techniques to a finished composition.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:23 - About Delay Effects01:57 - Example 1: Using Delay As A Reverb03:38 - Example 2: Applying Depth To Drums04:39 - Example 3: Using Delay To Create Motion06:42 - Example 4: Creating Rhythmic Effects07:58 - Example 5: Creating A Shadow Effect09:21 - Example 6: Creating Texture21:08 - The Completed SequenceEddie Bazil BiogEddie Bazil launched his music industry career at the age of 17 as a synth programmer for a range of Electro / New Wave bands including Art of Noise, Spandau Ballet, Pet Shop Boys, Bobin, Paul Dee, DJ Krush, DJ Shadow, Jets Orchestra. By his 20s he was working as a sound designer for Akai, Roland Emu/Ensoniq, eventually signing on exclusively with the latter. Later, due to a growing demand for software instruments and libraries, Eddie started to develop libraries for various software manufacturers, including Native Instruments, Kiesel, Sound Effects Library, Arturia and Propellerheads. A meeting with Phil Allen, a Capital Radio DJ, resulted in the company Samplecraze, which Eddie has spent 20 years developing as an educational resource. At this time he trained in music production and soon gained a number of prominent contracts working with some notable artistes such as Busta Rhymes, Greensleeves, 9 Bar, SFP, Sleeveless, Chris Campbell and Gam Productions. He contracted to Island Records and Chrysalis as a producer and remixer,  plus was commissioned to write the score for Macbeth that ran at 2 Way Mirror at Alexander Palace for the Cambridge Shakespeare Company. His ongoing development of Samplecraze has led to him offering educational workshops and classes, releasing four books via PC Publishing and becoming a contributor and forum moderator for Sound On Sound. Recently he has established The Audio Production Hub for online education and been invited by the Recording Academy to become a Grammy judge.https://eddiebazil.co.uk/https://samplecraze.com/https://theaudioproductionhub.pivotshare.com/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Eddie Bazil of Samplecraze gives us an introduction into the creative use of Phasers, with practical examples using drums, vocals and synth pads.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:25 - How Phasers Work02:34 - Demonstrating The Stages03:53 - Using A Phaser On Vocals04:43 - Stereo Panning 05:39 - Phasing a Rhodes06:35 - Advanced Phaser Effects09:52 - Adding Delay12:09 - Adding Reverb13:45 - Using AutomationAudio CreditMany thanks to David Plummer and Becky Bremner for use of their content in this podcast.https://www.smokinggoats.co.uk/Please Note UpdateThere is an error at the following time cues where Eddie mistakenly said Kilohertz instead of Hertz when referring to the LFO frequencies.At 04:04 he says 20 Hz and then 1kHz. They should be 0.20Hz and 0.1Hz. At 05:47 he says 4.2kHz and this should be 4.2HzSorry for the errors.Eddie Bazil BiogEddie Bazil launched his music industry career at the age of 17 as a synth programmer for a range of Electro / New Wave bands including Art of Noise, Spandau Ballet, Pet Shop Boys, Bobin, Paul Dee, DJ Krush, DJ Shadow, Jets Orchestra. By his 20s he was working as a sound designer for Akai, Roland Emu/Ensoniq, eventually signing on exclusively with the latter. Later, due to a growing demand for software instruments and libraries, Eddie started to develop libraries for various software manufacturers, including Native Instruments, Kiesel, Sound Effects Library, Arturia and Propellerheads. A meeting with Phil Allen, a Capital Radio DJ, resulted in the company Samplecraze, which Eddie has spent 20 years developing as an educational resource. At this time he trained in music production and soon gained a number of prominent contracts working with some notable artistes such as Busta Rhymes, Greensleeves, 9 Bar, SFP, Sleeveless, Chris Campbell and Gam Productions. He contracted to Island Records and Chrysalis as a producer and remixer,  plus was commissioned to write the score for Macbeth that ran at 2 Way Mirror at Alexander Palace for the Cambridge Shakespeare Company. His ongoing development of Samplecraze has led to him offering educational workshops and classes, releasing four books via PC Publishing and becoming a contributor and forum moderator for Sound On Sound. Recently he has established The Audio Production Hub for online education and been invited by the Recording Academy to become a Grammy judge.https://eddiebazil.co.uk/https://samplecraze.com/https://theaudioproductionhub.pivotshare.com/Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts