Mixing - The Home Recording Studio

04Jul 2024 by Jon

Behringer Spring Reverb 636

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Recording, Recording & Mixing, Sound Effects

The Behringer Spring Reverb 636/646 is a hardware analogue reverb unit inspired by the iconic Grampian Type 636 reverb, famously used by reggae dub legend Lee "Scratch" Perry. In this post, we dive into its features, performance, and why it stands out in the world of reverb units. Watch Our In-Depth Review Experience the Spring Reverb in action! Watch my video review where I put this reverb unit to the test in a home recording studio environment. You'll hear its impact on various instruments including drums, vocals, guitar, synth, and melodica, especially in a dub reggae context. https://youtu.be/jXRWTWqieao?si=SJbSslb8VHdZYyZ0 636 or 646: What's the Difference? Originally branded as the 636, Behringer since rebranded this unit as the 646. The name change likely stems from the unit's strong resemblance to the original…

05Aug 2023 by Jon

Universal Audio PolyMAX Synth: Get It for Free

Blog, Composing, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing

Universal Audio are one of the leading developers of audio plugins and hardware. Their plugins are known for their high quality and authentic sound. Recently, Universal Audio have released some of their plug ins and instruments as native plug ins, including the PolyMAX Synth. So these will work with any audio interface and any DAW. In this blog post, we will take a look at UAD PolyMAX and show you how you can get it for free. What is Universal Audio PolyMAX Synth? PolyMAX is a vintage-inspired synth with fat analog tones from the golden age of poly-synthesis. PolyMAX is a subtractive synthesiser with two oscillators, a state-variable filter, and two envelopes. It also features a variety of modulation options, including FM, SYNC, and LFO. PolyMAX is inspired by classic…

01Apr 2023 by Jon

Open-back versus Closed-back Headphones

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Recording, Recording & Mixing

When it comes to audio mixing, there are two main types of headphones to choose from: open-back and closed-back. Both types of headphones have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to choose the right type for your needs. Open-back Headphones Open-back headphones have a more natural soundstage than closed-back headphones. This is because the sound waves are not trapped inside the headphone cups, but can instead travel freely through the air. This gives you a more accurate representation of how your mix will sound in the real world. Open-back headphones are also more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. This is because they allow your ears to breathe, and they don't create as much pressure on your head. However, open-back headphones have one major disadvantage: they…

09Oct 2022 by Jon

Record Audio For Screencasts – with separate audio feeds

Home Recording Blogs, Microphones, Mixing, Podcast, Recording, Recording & Mixing, Techniques, Uncategorized

In this post, I will demonstrate how I record audio for screencasts and video tutorials. I'll show you a FREE application that allows you to record audio for screencasts with separate audio feeds for my microphone and system sound. Why do I need separate audio feeds? Most screen recording applications will record a mix of microphone and system audio. This means you don't have any control over the individual levels once the screencast has been recorded. In my videos, I like to demonstrate audio techniques by playing audio and talking at the same time. If I record my system audio too loud people won't be able to hear my voice and there is no way to fix this afterwards. How to record separate audio feeds In this video, I walk…

14Sep 2022 by Jon

HOW TO PRODUCE HIGH-ENERGY HIP-HOP

Blog, Composing, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Stock Music, Techniques

In this video, I show you how to produce high-energy hip-hop. Watch as I break down one of my high-energy Hip-Hop tracks, showing you the sounds and techniques I use to produce this popular genre. https://youtu.be/cin_4NJPx1c When producing this type of track it's important to have the right references in mind. Consequently, this will help you meet the brief and stay within the genre. Here are some of the characteristics of High-Energy Hip-Hop:- Very much influenced by 90's Hip-HopLargely sample-basedVintage feelSoul and Funk samplesTempo between 90 and 100 BpmUse of spoken word samplesscratchingRepetition, contrasted with variation in samples and structure If you need inspiration check out artists such as DJ Shadow, Public Enemy, Fat Boy Slim, and De La Soul. More specifically, you can find inspiration from Audiojungle Author, Coffee…

22Jan 2022 by Jon

Why you should be using reference tracks

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Recording & Mixing, Techniques, Uncategorized

In this post, I’m going to talk about reference tracks – why they are important, how to use them and where to find them. When we mix our own music there is a danger of never having an end goal in sight. You might have an idea of what you want your music to sound like but sometimes we lose perspective. Our ears are very good at fooling us especially if we have listened to our own mix for a long period of time. If we don’t remind our ears exactly what we are trying to achieve we may just keep chasing our tails round and round. So, read on to find out more about how you can use reference tracks to up your mixing game. https://youtu.be/8Iyk9jmgRm8 Watch the video…

29Aug 2021 by Jon

How to fit acoustic foam tiles

Acoustic Treatment, Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Recording, Recording & Mixing

If you've ever thought about improving the sound in your home studio you may have considered using acoustic foam. In this post, we explore how to fit acoustic foam tiles. For many home studio owners sticking foam panels to the wall is a worry. If you are renting a space then you might not want to damage the walls. Likewise, if you decide to move rooms or change your studio layout then you may want to move the panels at a later date. Let's take a look at some of the options in this video. https://youtu.be/AP4tNcLTv8s The benefits of using acoustic foam tiles are:- Medium to high frequency sounds are more controlledImproves recording of acoustic instruments and vocalsImproves mixing when monitoring on speakersLooks great on the walls! Depending on your…