Keeping your ears happy and healthy? November 21, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Acoustics, Chit Chat, Project Studio , add a commentHow loud can you listen to music?
Working in an industry where it’s your job to listen to music all day, knowing the safe limits of our hearing system is really important. You only get one set of ears, they need to last! (more…)
Studio Etiquette 101: Being a good studio musician November 21, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Chit Chat, Project Studio , add a commentWhether you are a seasoned Nashville professional, or tracking your first album with your band, you are a studio musician.
Being a prepared and efficient musician can save money, increase happiness (for everyone!), and help the album prosper musically. Being an unprepared and inefficient musician can cost money, decrease happiness (for everyone!), and put a negative vibe on the album. (more…)
Using Automation in DAWs – Part 1 November 20, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Digital Audio Workstations, Project Studio, Studio Setup , 3commentsAutomation is arguably one of the most advantageous features in Digital Audio Workstations (whether it be Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Cubase, etc…)
Complete control over ANY parameter of of any channel, plug-in, effect, aux (etc) is an incredible tool. Many of us who started after the days of 2″ machines through big boards (myself included) don’t really have a grasp of what it was like before the days of full automation.
Here are some suggestions on structuring your workflow around automation as well as some commonly used techniques. (more…)
On a Budget: Working a Project from Beginning to End November 20, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Mixing, Project Studio, Projects , add a commentEvery project has a budget, whether its a 0$ home studio EP up to a $500,000 major label release. Especially for us towards the lower end of that example, we need to make the most of the budget at every turn. Figuring out where to allocate funds is a tricky task. Is it better to spend money on tracking, mixing, mastering, a producer??? (more…)
Studio Etiquette 101: The Talkback Mic November 20, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Digital home recording studios, Project Studio , 3commentsOther than astronaut training facilities, I can think of very few working situations where the participants are separated by a soundproof wall and communicate through the pressing of a little button. The recording industry is used to odd areas like the tracking room, where artists sometimes have to yell near the drum overheads to be heard by the engineer…
While the button is physically small, the person who gets to press this tiny non-latching button wields great power. This person has the power to single-handedly shape the mood of the project. There are definitely some things you should and should NOT do while in this lofty position… (more…)
Everything about File Compression: Audio Examples November 19, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Chit Chat, File Compression, Project Studio , 2commentsNow that I’ve told you all about compression formats, let’s do some listening. (more…)
Everything about File Compression: Take 5 November 19, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Chit Chat, File Compression, Project Studio , add a commentFLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCC
aka FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec)
Keyword there being: Lossless! No data is removed from the audio. Let’s dive in… (more…)
Everything about File Compression: Take 4 November 18, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Chit Chat, File Compression, Project Studio , 1 comment so farOgg Vorbis?
Definitely wins the award for the weirdest name among digital audio compression formats. However, Ogg Vorbis is arguably one of the best sounding and easiest to access of the bunch (it’s open source, aka FREE) (more…)
Everything about File Compression: Take 3 November 18, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Chit Chat, File Compression, Project Studio , 1 comment so farAAC
…which, although commonly referred to as “Apple Audio Codec”, this actually stands for Advanced Audio Coding. (more…)
Variable Bit Rate Explained (a side note) November 17, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Chit Chat, File Compression, Project Studio , add a commentSo, what is variable bit rate (or VBR)?
This is a tangent from the compression articles. I thought I should explain VBR. (more…)
Everything about File Compression: Take 2 November 17, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Chit Chat, File Compression, Project Studio , 3commentsMP3
Loved by many, despised by some… regardless of where you stand, mp3 is hugely important in the proliferation of internet music. It is the original method of delivering compressed audio (mainly over the internet).
What does MP3 stand for? How does it compress? Why is it “good”? Why is it “bad”? Let’s dive in… (more…)
Everything about File Compression: Take 1 November 13, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Chit Chat, File Compression, Project Studio , 2comments(as a side note, sorry for the lack of my posts lately, grad school is getting the better of my time…)
Ah…. the internet. One of the greatest inventions of our time, not only for information technology… but also for (you guessed it) the audio industry!
The internet has allowed us to turn the music market upside-down. With CD sales on the fall and internet music on the rise, a substantial need for good-sounding compression formats has arisen. But how do these compression codecs actually do what they do? Why do some sound better than others? Why do some sound like… well… bad? We’ll explore this over the series of articles. (more…)
Battling a Large Body of Water: Part 3 August 19, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Mixing, Project Studio, Projects , 2commentsThese are apparently not going in any particular order… sorry.
I would like to explore the idea of controlling your bass and low mid frequencies in the mix. (more…)
Why YOU should have a YouSendIt account August 13, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Chit Chat, Project Studio, Troubleshooting , 3commentsI’ve been getting a lot of emails asking how to transfer songs, sessions, and OMF files between computers and/or studios. Now, I’ve talked about this before, but I’d like to hit on it again, as I believe it is such an awesome tool for people in this field.
I’ll go on the record as saying: Everyone who works in pro audio should have a YouSendIt.com account. (more…)
Battling a Large Body of Water: Part 1 August 11, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Mixing, Project Studio, Projects , add a comment::Presenting the first of many articles discussing the adventures of recording a full length CD with a band called Versus the Ocean out of Michigan::
This recording project was full of a lot of “firsts” for me (first time converting a house into a recording studio, first time working with a screamer, first time having a band live with me for the recording process… etc). The short version of the story is that the band lived in my converted-recording-basement for a week because of some last minute logistical issues in going to another (real) studio. So with my trusty Digi 003 Rack (and a HEAP of borrowed gear, thanks Damon, Ben), we got to work for the long week. Also props to Ronnie Pinnell for driving up to assist.
Given the circumstances, I thought it would be a great opportunity to share both the “do’s” and “do not’s” I learned along the way. I’ll try to cover everything from mic techniques to mixing and there and back again.