The ability to split and merge different sources of audio using the Spider Audio unit is useful indeed, but it’s the Spider CV unit that really allows users to explore new ideas and ways of manipulating sound. Let’s take a look at using this device to totally change the sound of our instrument devices.

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In the last installment of Effective Drum Mixing we went through the rough levels of each instrument, checking the phase of the snare and general panning. Therefore, the faders are mostly where we want them, the snare is punching through without phase problems and every drum is panned in the stereo field.

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Tucked away in the Reason device list is the Spider Audio Merger & Splitter, a small utility device that is infinitely useful to any Reason user. But it often lies dormant even when it could be useful, because very few users of the software actually know what the Spider Audio device does. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to use this simple but powerful device.

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Reason’s Mixer is one of the most important devices in the software, but most home musicians don’t pay much attention to it. It’s simple enough to get your head around the basics of leveling devices with a bit of experimentation, but in this tutorial we’re going to go further into the breadth of features this essential and under-appreciated device offers.

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Get five mixing engineers in a room and they will probably give
you five different tips on mixing your drums. Some want it au natural,
making it breathe and sound live. Others want it pumped in your
face with crushed compression kicking you to the ground. And many
like the happy middle, applying compression when needed but still
retaining the natural feel of the drum kit. No matter what your
preference is, there are certain guidelines that are good to follow
when starting to mix your drums.

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For many audio writers, the basics of production sometimes seem so trivial that they’re overlooked as topics for sites like Audiotuts+. A piece on setting up send/return effects has been a request of readers for a while now, and today I’ll teach you how to create — and use — this handy method of routing audio through effects processors.

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Jim Pavett is a Grammy-nominated engineer working out of his
studio in Arizona. His studio, Allusion Studios, has been around for a
long time and is one of the most prominent recording studios in
southern Arizona. He’s worked with diverse artists such as Marty
Friedman of Megadeath, Alicia Keys, and Beyond Words. His method and
attitude towards digital recordings is what makes his recording
crystal clear and pristine. Not only stuck to the studio as he has
done multiple on location recordings, the more prominent location
being the Great Wall of China. I had the opportunity of interviewing
him on a variety of subjects concerning audio recording, mixing and
the modern state of the studio business.

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Some vocalist pronounce their S’s more than others. For us recording enthusiasts, this can pose a problem. S sounds have more energy and can be annoying to listen to because they tend to pop out at you, out of context to the rest of the vocal. We want our vocal to sound smooth and clear, and not jump out at you every time the vocalist has a word that starts with an S.

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As the new Props application Record offers a great buss compressor and full mastering suite I thought it would be useful to show a typical mastering set up and the workflow involved when mastering and delivering a new project.

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Recording backing vocals in stereo has been a tried and tested technique for years. Some of the greatest singers have done it – Michael Jackson, Marti Pellow (Wet Wet Wet), Mick Hucknell (Simply Red), Seal, Madonna, Christina Aguilera – and they’ve done it well. But how do you get that layered, wall-of-sound backing vocals without clouding the lead? How do you choose how many and which ones to do? Read on…

I chose to record an acoustic version of Liberian Girl by Michael Jackson.

Listen to the whole thing, here:

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