Recording & Mixing

In this show Paul White guides you through seven reverb treatments, from simple to complex, and demonstrates how combining reverb with other commonly available plug-ins can produce creative textures and ambience in your music.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:00 - Tip 1: Using Ambience Simulations01:46 - Tip 2: Using A Plate Reverb04:06 - Tip 3: Combining Reverb and Delay 05:10 - Tip 4: Adding Texture06:43 - Tip 5: Shimmer Reverb 08:31 - Tip 6: Pitch Quantized Reverb 09:53 - Tip 7: Using Reverb To Create Rhythm 10:48 - Combining All Of The TipsPaul 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

Mat Gendreau, a talented music producer and educator from Canada, shares his expertise in mixing drums. He discusses advanced techniques like gating for clarity, adding weight and brightness to snare drums, and creatively using reverb. Gendreau emphasizes the importance of ducking overheads to streamline mixes and controlling large reverb with gates. He also explores enhancing presence using distortion and a top-end boost, ensuring your drum tracks stand out in any production. Tune in for insights from a seasoned pro!

Mat Gendreau, a talented Canadian music producer and educator, shares his expertise on parallel processing techniques to elevate music mixes. He discusses how to add a professional polish to vocals and enhance brightness with EQ boosts and compression. Gendreau dives into the power of using distortion and hi-pass filters for bass, and highlights the effectiveness of New York compression. With practical insights, he encourages creativity in mixing for a more energetic and polished sound.

Mat Gendreau, a talented Canadian producer and the founder of Rowan University's Music Industry program, shares his expertise on reverb processing. He emphasizes treating reverb as its own track to enhance mix clarity. Gendreau discusses key techniques like EQing reverb for vocal clarity and using a de-esser to prevent muddiness. He dives into advanced methods such as gate usage and automation, revealing how to time effects perfectly. Listeners gain valuable insights on managing reverb to elevate their music without overwhelming the mix.

Mike Senior's Expert Tracking & Mixing TipsMany project-studio users seem to go to enormous lengths to reduce spill, but this frequently proves counterproductive, undermining the final mix. In this episode, Mike Senior demonstrates several ways spill can actually improve the sound of your productions, as well as making the mixdown stage quicker and easier.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:22 - Tonal Enhancement05:58 - Blend Enhancement08:29 - Salvaging Mix Problems Using Spill10:37 - Top Tips For Mixing With SpillCreditsThis month's episode features audio examples from the following productions:* Marcus Boeltz, Christian Bolz & Tobias Knecht (band-tracking session)You can read about this one-room recording session in the following Sound On Sound 'Session Notes' columns:https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/session-notes-multi-purpose-recordingshttps://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/session-notes-editing-full-band-recordings* Spektakulatius: 'Forever Young' & 'Is You Is Or Is You Ain't'Download the full raw multitracks for 'Is You Is Or Is You Ain't' from https://cambridge-mt.com/ms/mtk/#SpektakulatiusRead about the recording, mixing, and mastering of all these songs in the following Sound On Sound 'Session Notes' & 'Mix Rescue' columns:https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/session-notes-spektakulatiushttps://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/mix-rescue-spektakulatiushttps://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/mix-rescue-spektakulatius-0* Jesper Buhl Trio: 'What Is This Thing Called Love'Download the full raw multitracks from https://cambridge-mt.com/ms/mtk/#JesperBuhlTrioRead about my mix of this project in the following Sound On Sound 'Mix Rescue' column:https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/mix-rescue-jazz-trio* Trafficker: 'My Father Never Loved Me'Download the full raw multitracks from https://cambridge-mt.com/ms/mtk/#TraffickerRead about my mix of this project in the following Sound On Sound 'Mix Rescue' column:https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/mix-rescue-trafficker* Brushes Held Like Hammers (band-tracking session)You can read about this one-room recording session in the following Sound On Sound 'Session Notes' column:https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/session-notes-reducing-spill* How To Kill A Conversation: 'Mute'Download the full raw multitracks from https://cambridge-mt.com/ms/mtk/#HowToKillAConversationMike Senior BiogMike Senior is a professional audio engineer, regular SOS contributor, and author of the best-selling books Mixing Secrets For The Small Studio & Recording Secrets For The Small Studio. He runs the Cambridge-MT educational resources site (including the web's largest free multitrack download library) and hosts two monthly independent podcasts, Project Studio Tea Break and the Cambridge-MT Patrons Podcast.Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Mike Senior's Expert Tracking & Mixing TipsDistortion can be a surprisingly useful mix effect, if you know what you're doing. Mike Senior reveals several common applications, and explains how to get the best results in practice.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:49 - Distortion for tonal change01:27 - Bringing sounds up front03:30 - Combatting upper-spectrum masking06:07 - Distorting rock lead vocals09:56 - Distorting bass13:16 - Practical implementation tipsCreditsThis month's episode features audio examples from the following productions:* Alex Giddens: 'Get Blown'Read about my mix of this project in Sound On Sound's October 2009 'Mix Rescue' column at https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/mix-rescue-alex-giddens* Flags: '54'Download the full raw multitracks from https://cambridge-mt.com/ms/mtk/#FlagsRead about my mix of this project in Sound On Sound's March 2011 'Mix Rescue' column at https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/mix-rescue-flags* Zeno: 'Signs'Download the full raw multitracks from https://cambridge-mt.com/ms/mtk/#ZenoRead about my mix of this project in Sound On Sound's March 2010 'Mix Rescue' column at https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/mix-rescue-zeno* Actions: 'Devil's Words'Download the full raw multitracks from https://cambridge-mt.com/ms/mtk/#ActionsFor lots more mixing tips and audio examples relating to this project, listen to the February 2018 Cambridge-MT Patrons Podcast for free at https://www.patreon.com/posts/17201141Mike Senior BiogMike Senior is a professional audio engineer, regular SOS contributor, and author of the best-selling books Mixing Secrets For The Small Studio & Recording Secrets For The Small Studio. He runs the Cambridge-MT educational resources site (including the web's largest free multitrack download library) and hosts two monthly independent podcasts, Project Studio Tea Break and the Cambridge-MT Patrons Podcast.Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Explore the art of troubleshooting acoustic guitar recordings! Discover Mike Senior's expert tips for tackling pesky subsonics and undesirable resonances. Learn how to manage pick and fret noise, ensuring your guitar shines effortlessly. Delve into the world of percussive components and find out how to create the perfect balance in your mix. With practical techniques like EQ adjustments and multiband compression, get ready to elevate your acoustic tracks!

Discover the fascinating world of Haas delays and how they can transform your audio mixing. Mike Senior shares insights on using these short delays to create stereo width and blend, while avoiding common pitfalls. Learn the nuances of connecting panned double tracks and enhancing perception without disruptive echoes. This engaging discussion is packed with expert tips for both novice and seasoned audio engineers!

Mike Senior's Expert Tracking & Mixing TipsCardioid mics are tremendously popular amongst recording musicians, but can also work against you. In this episode, Mike Senior explains some of the reasons why, and illustrates how omni and figure-eight patterns can often give more useful results.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:39 - Proximity-effect bass boost04:44 - Spotlighting  05:48 - Low-end response at a distance06:40 - Off-axis tonal coloration09:06 - Insufficient spill rejection10:56 - Plosives and handling noise12:33 - The hand-held LDC trick14:11 - SummaryIf you'd like to listen more critically to the audio examples, you can download a high-resolution 24-bit/44.1kHz WAV of this whole episode from the podcast support page for this show https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/why-not-use-cardioid-mics-mike-senior-podcastCreditsThis month's episode features recordings from David Tyo's 'Long Way Home'. You can check out more of David's great music here:https://davidtyo.bandcamp.com/If you'd like to try mixing 'Long Way Home' for yourself, you can download the full raw multitracks here:https://cambridge-mt.com/ms/mtk/#DavidTyoTo read more about the low-spill figure-eight guitar-recording method, check out Neil Rogers's January 2014 'Session Notes' column:https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/session-notes-thomas-rumbold-redsFor more general advice about microphone polar patterns, try this March 2007 article by Paul White:https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/using-microphone-polar-patterns-effectivelyMike Senior BiogMike Senior is a professional audio engineer, regular SOS contributor, and author of the best-selling books Mixing Secrets For The Small Studio & Recording Secrets For The Small Studio. He runs the Cambridge-MT educational resources site (including the web's largest free multitrack download library) and hosts two monthly independent podcasts, Project Studio Tea Break and the Cambridge-MT Patrons Podcast.Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts

Mike Senior's Expert Tracking & Mixing TipsDepending on how it's set up, compression can do radically different things to the sound of a snare drum. In this episode, Mike Senior explores three ways in which a compressor can help bring your snare tracks to life.Chapters00:00 - Introduction00:38 - Inconsistent snare hits05:24 - Sustaining snare hits08:16 - Enhancing attack12:30 - SummaryIf you'd like to listen more critically to the audio examples, you can download a high-resolution 24-bit/44.1kHz WAV of this whole episode from the podcast support page for this show https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/three-ways-compress-snare-mike-senior-podcastCreditsThis month's episode features recordings from The Purple Hat Mob's 'Access Denied' and Dunning Kruger's 'Japan Song'. If you'd like to try mixing these projects for yourself, you can download the full raw multitracks for them here:http://cambridge-mt.com/ms/mtk/#PurpleHatMobhttp://cambridge-mt.com/ms/mtk/#DunningKrugerThese projects were also featured in Sound On Sound in the February 2020 'Mix Rescue' column, and in the October 2012 and February 2013 'Session Notes' columns, which can be found in the magazine's article archives here:https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/mix-rescue-overcoming-roomhttps://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/session-notes-0https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/session-notes-writing-recording-cello-overdubsFor more general advice about compressing all kinds of drums, check out this Sound On Sound cover feature from February 2017 called 'Drum Compression: Fashion The Sound You Want':https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/compression-fashion-drum-sound-you-wantMike Senior BiogMike Senior is a professional audio engineer, regular SOS contributor, and author of the best-selling books Mixing Secrets For The Small Studio & Recording Secrets For The Small Studio. He runs the Cambridge-MT educational resources site (including the web's largest free multitrack download library) and hosts two monthly independent podcasts, Project Studio Tea Break and the Cambridge-MT Patrons Podcast.Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts