Archive for January, 2008
Polishing Weird Backwards Musical Phrases
January 31, 2008 UncategorizedThis post focuses on a unique way to produce backwards phrases with any instrument. I used to have a bit of a fascination with backwards sounds when I got my first computer sound card. I would record my voice and play it backwards or record an instrument and play it backwards. At one point I [...]
Read More »Digital Sync: Masters, Slaves, Oh My.
January 30, 2008 UncategorizedThis post focuses on digital sync between PCM digital audio devices. Digital has been marketed and is generally understood to be bit-for-bit perfect, resilient to noise, and able to be copied infinitely without any reduction of quality. This is true… to a point. Digital audio is essentially data, reinterpreted as audible information. But, underneath all [...]
Read More »Creating a Porfolio Disc
January 29, 2008 UncategorizedThis post focuses on how to create a professional looking and sounding portfolio disc that won’t make more enemies than friends. A good portfolio will open up a lot of doors for you as a producer or engineer. What makes a great portfolio? Well, it obviously should sound good. That depends on the quality of [...]
Read More »Convolution: Untangling the Qualities of Sound
January 28, 2008 UncategorizedThis post focuses on convolution as it applies to audio – the capturing and reapplication of the qualities of sound. A few years ago some new-fangled audio processing engines started to leak out of the lab and into the market involving a process called convolution. The name convolution comes from the type of math involved, [...]
Read More »How to Record a Snare Drum
January 27, 2008 UncategorizedThis post focuses on tracking the snare drum, both on its own and as part of a kit. I’m going to do a series on recording various instruments, from drums to woodwinds, and I’ve decided to do the snare first. Drums are a tricky bunch of instruments. They’re loud, bleed like hell, and generally don’t [...]
Read More »Billing and Delivery: Avoid Getting Screwed
January 26, 2008 UncategorizedThis post focuses a few quick tips for billing your clients and managing the delivery of the product of your service. I’ve done some work for really professional clients and some work for very unprofessional clients. One things I’ve learned is that solid billing and delivery standards make a world of difference.
Read More »Bouncing Sequences to Audio
January 25, 2008 UncategorizedThis post focuses on the process of recording your MIDI sequenced tracks to audio tracks. Bouncing is the process of recording one or more tracks of audio to one or more other tracks of audio. I think the term comes from the days when tape channels were limited and multiple tracks of audio had to [...]
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Piezo: Pickups, Drum Triggers…
January 24, 2008 UncategorizedThis post focuses on the use of piezo sensors and pickups in pro audio applications. Most people don’t think of piezo technology very often. Basically, piezoelectric sensors involve using mechanical vibrations against the sensor to create a signal. It’s a unique way to generate sound and signal, meaning that it can be used in applications [...]
Read More »Balanced vs. Unbalanced: Prepared for Rejection
January 23, 2008 UncategorizedThis post focuses on the differences between balanced and unbalanced connections. When I first started engineering my high school band, I didn’t know what the difference between balanced and unbalanced connections was. I used guitar cables to link up all of 1/4″ gear and routinely used impedance transformers to convert between XLR to 1/4″ unbalanced. [...]
Read More »Free Open Source Audio Software
January 22, 2008 UncategorizedThis post focuses on the availability of free, open source software for audio production. Free Open Source Software (or FOSS for short) has been with us for a good while now, the most popular example of it being the high profile alternative web browser Firefox, sponsored by the Mozilla corporation. Open Source software means that [...]
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