You do not need a lecture every time you reach for an EQ on the bass. You need to know where to grab. Where the mud is, where the punch lives, and which frequency makes the bass disappear on a phone. This is the quick-reference cheat sheet. The table below maps every important bass frequency … Read more
Your bass sounds great soloed, then the kick comes in, and the bottom of the mix turns to soup. You boost the lows to feel it on big speakers, and now it booms on some notes and disappears on others. You cut the mud, and the bass goes thin and weak. Meanwhile on a phone … Read more
You have EQ’d the vocal, compressed it, de-essed it, and it still sits flat in the track. Technically clean, but lifeless. It needs something the other tools cannot give it: weight, character, and the kind of harmonic richness that makes a voice sound finished instead of sterile. That something is saturation. It adds harmonics the … Read more
If you’re working in an analog environment where you’ve got pre-amps, console, and other outboard gear you wouldn’t have to worry about saturation.This is because saturation happens naturally as the audio passes through these different pieces of gear. You don’t even have to think about it. But when mixing in the box you sort of have … Read more
There’s a lot of confusion about dynamic equalization (EQ). Dynamic EQ is a great way to enhance the clarity, punch, and intelligibility of a vocal track.This post is the first in a series where I will be exploring different ways to use dynamic EQ on vocals.The equalization of vocals is one of the most important … Read more
Every aspiring audio engineer needs to build a bookshelf. Just like how a story without pictures is a sad one, the same can be said about audio engineering. What you need to get started is not just the software but also the techniques and inspiration from others who have done it before you. Even if … Read more
Are you ready to elevate your mixing game and achieve that professional sound?Look no further.Welcome to a comprehensive guide on mix bus compression.We’ll unravel the secrets behind dialing in the right settings every time, ensuring your mixes are cohesive, punchy, and full of life.Say goodbye to guesswork and hello to the clarity and impact your mixes … Read more
Your mix is balanced and clean, but it still sounds like a folder of separate tracks instead of one finished record. You know a bus compressor is the tool that fixes this. The problem is that every forum thread, every YouTube video, and every plugin sale points you at a different one, and they range … Read more
You are mid-mix, the vocal will not sit right, and you do not want a 3,000-word lecture. You want the number. Which frequency is the mud, where the harshness hides, what to boost for air. Fast. That is what this is. A vocal EQ cheat sheet you can scan in seconds and keep open next … Read more
You solo the vocal, and it sounds great. Then you drop it into the mix, and it vanishes. Boxy in the verse, harsh on the loud notes, somehow muddy and thin at the same time. So you start boosting and cutting at random, and 30 minutes later the vocal sounds worse than when you started. … Read more