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Recording, Honing Your Craft

Apr 19, 2017 06:00 AM

Casey van Wensem

5 Albums Recorded in Strange Ways That Still Sound Great

Brian Wilson in the Studio in 1976. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

Most audio engineers will tell you that there’s a right way and a wrong way to record music, and if you’re going into the studio to make an album, it’s worth taking the time to do things right. Not every great album, however, was recorded using the “right” methods. In fact, some of the greatest albums of all time were recorded in ways that would seem totally wrong to most experienced audiophiles. Here are some of the best examples of albums that used the wrong techniques to get the right sounds.

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Recording, Honing Your Craft, production

Feb 20, 2017 06:00 AM

Dan Reifsnyder

4 Signs Your Producer Isn't Right for You

Image via pixabay.com

Many criteria go into choosing a producer. Style, studio equipment, and even personality all play a role. It's tempting to put on blinders and just assume any producer is perfect for your music, but that's simply not the case. Here are four warning signs that the producer you're working with might not be a good fit.

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Recording, Honing Your Craft, mixing

Jan 16, 2017 06:00 AM

Dan Reifsnyder

Here's How to Get the Best Mix Possible on a Budget

Image via Pixabay

Not everyone can afford the thousands of dollars worth of tools to make stellar home recordings. The good news is you don't need them – a skilled craftsman can get the most out of simple tools.

If you hone your skills and broaden your knowledge, you can get by with the basic stuff you probably already own (assuming you have recording software and monitors). Here are just a few tips to help you along.

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Recording, Honing Your Craft

Nov 10, 2016 06:00 AM

Rob Lanterman

5 Ways to Ensure Your Band Will Kill It in the Studio

Image via Shutterstock

Before you enter the studio to share your music with the world, keep in mind that a tight practice or live set may not be enough. There are things that come out on record that you might not notice beforehand but will throw the listener for a loop (and I mean that in a bad way).

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Songwriting, Recording, Honing Your Craft

Nov 8, 2016 06:00 AM

Casey van Wensem

When Less Is More: 3 Reasons Why Smaller Arrangements Can Make Your Tracks Sound Bigger

Image via Shutterstock

Everyone wants their studio tracks to sound “huge.” In an effort to achieve “hugeness,” many of us follow the obvious path of adding more and more things to our arrangements. If two guitars sound big, then four guitars should sound even bigger, right?

While this makes sense in principle, the results can be paradoxical; often what we achieve by adding more elements to a track isn't a bigger sound but a smaller one.

How does this work? Here are a few examples of some situations when removing elements from your tracks can lead to a fuller sound.

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