Interview with Engineer Jim Pavett

Jan 27th in Mixing & Mastering, Production by Björgvin Benediktsson

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.

How to Create a De-esser from Scratch in Logic (or Any DAW for That Matter)

Jan 4th in General, Logic Pro, Mixing & Mastering, Production by Björgvin Benediktsson

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.

How to Master in Propellerhead’s Record

Dec 14th in Mixing & Mastering by Mo Volans

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.

How to Record and Mix Stereo Backing Vocals – Part 1

Nov 30th in Mixing & Mastering, Production by James Arter

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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How to Use Selective Track Import in Logic Pro 9

Nov 21st in Logic Pro, Mixing & Mastering by Joel Falconer

Logic Pro 9 introduced Selective Track Import, a feature that gives you the ability to import entire tracks from your other projects — or just the audio, or just the settings on the track. It may not be the most exciting feature introduction next to the pedal board or new amp designer but it’s sure proven to be more useful. Let’s take a look.

3 Differences Between Live and Studio Mixing

Nov 18th in Mixing & Mastering by Björgvin Benediktsson

Live sound mixing varies greatly from
studio mixing. The fast paced adrenaline rush of the concert venue
versus the calmer and quieter work area of the recording studio.
Studio mixers can take their time while the live sound tech has to
think quickly and react in real time so the difference can be
significant, even though some might say they are doing the exact same
thing. Besides this, there is also a difference in their
workstations. Mixing desks in a live situation can be very different
than the one used in a big recording studio. Let’s go through some of
the main differences between both the mixing desks and their
respective users.

How to Create a Finished CD with Apple’s Waveburner

Nov 16th in Mixing & Mastering, Production by Mo Volans

Although there isn’t as much use for CD’s in the production process as there used to be, many of us still like to have our finished album or mix on a professionally presented disc.

For all you Mac users, this tutorial will show you how to use Apple’s Waveburner to get that finished project on to a CD with individual track markers and a professional polished sound. If you are a Windows user and would like to see the equivalent in an application like Wavelab please let me know in the comments section.

How to Edit All Your Takes At Once in Logic Pro 9

Nov 14th in Logic Pro, Mixing & Mastering by Joel Falconer

Let’s say you’ve just finished a day of tracking and you have a whole bunch of takes for one vocal part thanks to Logic’s comping feature. But at the last minute it’s decided that two lines should be switched around for creative reasons, or a certain word should be sung closer to the beat. It would be a waste of time and money to go back to the tracking phase, but it’s going to be hard to choose the best comp without being able to preview the changes. How do you edit them all at once so you can judge each take? Logic Pro 9 allows you to do so.