1134 / ARTICLES

Articles.

One library for recording, listening, mixing and the voice. Start with a practical guide, explore a technique, or follow a question deeper into sound.

READ / TRY / LISTEN

New in the room

Original articles with linked references from audio engineers, manufacturers and technical manuals.

Close view of a studio condenser microphone

RECORDING · 4 MIN READ

Move the microphone. Hear the difference.

A repeatable way to choose a vocal position before reaching for EQ.

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Keys and controls of a Fender Rhodes electric piano

LISTENING · 4 MIN READ

Use a reference without losing your direction

Turn a favourite record into a specific listening question, then make one useful decision.

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MIXING · 4 MIN READ

Let the vocal move with the song

Use a few intentional level moves to keep a performance present without flattening its expression.

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LISTENING · 4 MIN READ

Check the listening position before the mix

A small repeatable check can separate a mix decision from a change in where you are listening.

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Sound & mixing

Strings and resonant structure inside a piano

EQUALIZATION · 2 MIN READ

EQ starts with a question

Shape the balance of a sound by deciding what needs to change.

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Hammers and action inside an upright piano

COMPRESSION · 2 MIN READ

Understand the envelope

Use dynamics to shape the movement of a performance.

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REVERB · 2 MIN READ

Build a sense of distance

Balance the direct sound and its reflections.

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MIXING · 2 MIN READ

Start with a static balance

Find the relationships before adding processing.

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THE SCIENCE OF SOUND · 2 MIN READ

Phase and the mono check

Understand what happens when related signals combine.

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SOUND DESIGN · 2 MIN READ

Create movement with modulation

Turn a static tone into a changing musical gesture.

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Voice & performance

Singing, phrasing and the preparation behind a vocal take.

Airflow from the lungs supports vocal-fold vibration; the vocal tract shapes the sound; lips and tongue articulate words.

VOICE · 3 MIN READ

How your voice works

Air, vibration and shape. A clear starting point for the voice behind the microphone.

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Keyboard from C3 to C5 showing a wide total melodic range and a smaller blue area where most notes of an example melody lie.

VOICE · 3 MIN READ

Range is not the whole story

Find a place for the song, not a label for yourself. Understand range, tessitura and a useful key.

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A four-beat rhythm grid with syllable attacks on selected sixteenth-note positions and a visible pause before the final word.

VOICE · 3 MIN READ

Make the phrase move

Rhythm, diction and space for rap, melodic verses and sung hooks.

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VOICE · 3 MIN READ

Before the first take

A calm, repeatable session for a voice with something to say.

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Guides & reference

Recording routines, listening practice and a path through your next session.

GETTING STARTED · GUIDE

Start with a sound.

Five sessions to move from a rough idea to a mix you understand.

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RECORDING · GUIDE

Before the first take.

A practical recording checklist, from input to saved session.

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LISTENING · GUIDE

Listen with a question.

Four listening exercises using the tools already in your DAW.

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MIXING · GUIDE

Before you call it finished.

Review the balance, details and exported file.

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REFERENCE · GUIDE

A few useful words.

Plain definitions for the language of recording and mixing.

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