Production Advice

Yes, you read that right.

This post will tell you how to get your music really loud. Regardless of the fact that I’ve been interviewed on Radio 4 arguing passionately against the Loudness Wars, even though I’ve always said that the best way to get your song to stand out on the radio is to avoid pushing the level too hard, and despite having written 19 posts on my mastering blog about how bad Metallica’s “Death Magnetic” sounds because it’s unnecessarily loud…

Today I’ll tell you how to make your music loud.

Why ? As a response to this article on MusicRader.com

How to make your music loud

(Subtitled – “Win the loudness war with our step-by-step and audio guide”)

Now immediately I should say – I love MusicRadar. It’s a great site – I highly recommend it. Masses of news, posts, discussion and information for anyone interested in music and music technology. They were one of the first places to pick up and post about how bad Death Magnetic sounded, and link back to my blog. As a result, Wired magazine and the Guardian found the story and started writing about it, and the rest, as they say, is history. The bad press generated by Death Magnetic has done a fantastic job of raising awareness about this issue, and I for one am very happy about that.

So, MusicRadar rocks.

But that post is useless.

Sorry, but there it is. My reasons for saying so though, may not be what you’re expecting.

Read the rest of this entry »

This is a question I get asked a lot. But before I answer, the disclaimer:

Personally, I’m not happy mixing on headphones.

Of course I use them all the time, for an alternative perspective my monitors, and for listening in very fine detail for clicks, distortion etc. But for real judgements, speakers are the way to go. Headphones just don’t give me the visceral, physical feedback I want.

(So, don’t read this post, blow a couple of hundred quid on a pair of headphones, spend 6 months trying to mix on them and then come back blaming me for bad advice !)

Read the rest of this entry »

This post was inspired by a great question asked by @joegilder over at Home Studio Corner – I started typing my reply in the comments there and liked it so much I thought I’d make a blog post out of it !

Anyway, here’s my suggestion for “My Top Mixing Tip”:

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve written before about the importance of using reverb to get a great mix.

But with so many different makes and varieties of reverb around, especially plugins, the question is – which one do you use ?

Well for what it’s worth, TC Electronic make my favourite reverbs – particularly the ones included with their flagship System 6000 unit, which I’m lucky enough to use at work. But the truth is, a 6000 is a little pricey for most people’s home studio, including mine !

So, how does a free plugin sound instead ?

Read the rest of this entry »

Tracking

Tracking is essentially the process of recording songs. The name comes from the fact that each instrument is recorded individually and given it’s own “track” in the mix, so that the balance and sound of each can be  controlled later. Originally, “track” referred to a thin width of analogue tape, today it usually means a file on a hard drive. Performances can be “live”, with all the musicans playing at once; one instrument at a time; or a mixture of the two.

Read the rest of this entry »