Using Notation Software
Need to write out a melody line but have no idea where to put all those little black dots? With notation software, your computer does the job for you, allowing you to share your music with others in a flash.
1971 hits | 3 comments | added on 09.28.09

Gear Cheapness Pt. 3: Reel Deals
Looking for a digital diversion? A basic two-track, quarter-inch tape machine is great for making quick demos, lets you create organic sound effects like delay and echo — and costs as little as 50 bucks.
1620 hits | 1 comments | added on 08.26.09

What to Do Before You Record Your Demo
As a result of recording and producing literally thousands of demos, I've learned that it is always better to "Prepare and Prevent" than to "Repair and Repent." Here are a few steps you can take to help make your demo recording experience more successful.
5018 hits | 10 comments | added on 07.16.09

Thinking Analog
Even if you don’t own any high-price vintage gear, it’s still important to think analog — to create sounds in your studio that aren’t just like everyone else’s.
2162 hits | 5 comments | added on 06.23.09

Q&A with Recording Engineer Joe Barresi
“Cut it now, fix it later” might be okay for some practitioners, but not Joe Barresi. “You really need to get the sound right at the beginning of the recording,” says the Los Angeles-based producer/engineer, “because it's so difficult to add it later.” Following his work on Tom Petty’s 1994 solo effort Wildflowers, in 1996 Barresi was tapped to oversee Pinkerton, the sophomore release from Weezer, then followed with Fastball’s breakthrough effort All the Pain Money Can Buy before capturing Courtney Love in action on Hole’s Celebrity Skin. Since that time, Barresi — an ardent fan of traditional recording technique — has cut tracks for the likes of Bad Religion, Queens of the Stone Age and the Melvins; in 2005, Barresi engineered and mixed 10,000 Days, the platinum-selling fourth album from prog-metal artists Tool. Barresi opened his own Pasadena-based recording facility in 2008.
2851 hits | 2 comments | added on 03.09.09

Gear Cheapness Pt. 2: The Pleasures and Perils of Purchasing Online
You take a significant risk when buying low-priced, used or “as is” studio products from faceless sellers on eBay, Craigslist and the like: You never really know what you’re getting until you actually get it.
2936 hits | 2 comments | added on 01.08.09

Gear Cheapness, Pt. 1
When it comes to buying stuff for the studio, I generally gravitate towards the kind of gear that can get the job done for as little as possible (as in under $100, in many instances). Why pay more when you don‘t have to?
4717 hits | 15 comments | added on 10.02.08

Room Adjustments
When treating a room for sound, never overdo it; you’re looking to strike a balance between absorption and warmth. A space that’s completely padded down might be less voluminous, but you don’t want to suck all the life out of your room completely.
5480 hits | 6 comments | added on 07.24.08

Eliminating Vocal Phobia
There are a handful of strategies that can help alleviate the tension and tedium of vocal recording while greatly improving the sound of the finished product
11010 hits | 22 comments | added on 05.08.08

The Lowdown on Audio Uploading
Though we’ve all benefited from the boom in digital-music technology, dealing with the abnormalities of Internet audio remains an ongoing challenge. Learning to navigate the various audio-compression formats is key to uploading your music successfully — and without all the unwanted noises.
6446 hits | 8 comments | added on 03.20.08