05Aug 2023 by Jon
Universal Audio PolyMAX Synth: Get It for Free

Universal Audio PolyMAX Synth: Get It for Free

Blog, Composing, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing
Universal Audio are one of the leading developers of audio plugins and hardware. Their plugins are known for their high quality and authentic sound. Recently, Universal Audio have released some of their plug ins and instruments as native plug ins, including the PolyMAX Synth. So these will work with any audio interface and any DAW. In this blog post, we will take a look at UAD PolyMAX and show you how you can get it for free. What is Universal Audio PolyMAX Synth? PolyMAX is a vintage-inspired synth with fat analog tones from the golden age of poly-synthesis. PolyMAX is a subtractive synthesiser with two oscillators, a state-variable filter, and two envelopes. It also features a variety of modulation options, including FM, SYNC, and LFO. PolyMAX is inspired by classic…
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03Jul 2023 by Jon
Piano Microphone Test

Piano Microphone Test

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Microphones, Recording, Uncategorized
In my latest video I test out 2 different omnidirectional microphones. Can budget microphones really compete against more expensive mics when it comes to recording piano? Read on to find out in this piano microphone test. Earlier this year I visited the Hard Day's Night Hotel, a Beatles themed Hotel in Liverpool, England. I was lucky enough to stay in the John Lennon suite which boasts a beautiful white baby grand piano. So I thought, why not take advantage of that? Let's do a piano microphone test!  The two microphones I compared are both Omnidirectional. Firstly, I used a pair of Sennheiser MKH 8020’s. Secondly I tried the budget EM272, Clippy Microphones which you can find at Mic Booster.Com Watch the video to see the results. https://youtu.be/UiaxBd_O4ME So what did…
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01Apr 2023 by Jon
Open-back versus Closed-back Headphones

Open-back versus Closed-back Headphones

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Recording, Recording & Mixing
When it comes to audio mixing, there are two main types of headphones to choose from: open-back and closed-back. Both types of headphones have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to choose the right type for your needs. Open-back Headphones Open-back headphones have a more natural soundstage than closed-back headphones. This is because the sound waves are not trapped inside the headphone cups, but can instead travel freely through the air. This gives you a more accurate representation of how your mix will sound in the real world. Open-back headphones are also more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. This is because they allow your ears to breathe, and they don't create as much pressure on your head. However, open-back headphones have one major disadvantage: they…
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04Feb 2023 by Jon
Lofi Guitar Effect Tutorial

Lofi Guitar Effect Tutorial

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Recording, Techniques
How to create Lofi Guitar Effects In this video, I explain how to create a Lofi Guitar effect by using my Boss GT1000 Core. You can also download the patch to use if you own the Boss GT1000. Watch the video to find out more: https://youtu.be/s0WPXnXadEQ https://youtu.be/s0WPXnXadEQ How to create Lofi Guitar Effects In the video, I show you how I created my Lofi guitar patch using a combination of different effects. The most crucial effect that I use is the Echoplex Tape Delay. This gives you access to the Wow & Flutter controls that help to make that 'wobbly' lofi guitar effect. If you don't have a Boss GT1000 you can still create lofi guitar effects using whatever hardware or software you access to. Here are some examples of…
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09Oct 2022 by Jon
Record Audio For Screencasts – with separate audio feeds

Record Audio For Screencasts – with separate audio feeds

Home Recording Blogs, Microphones, Mixing, Podcast, Recording, Recording & Mixing, Techniques, Uncategorized
In this post, I will demonstrate how I record audio for screencasts and video tutorials. I'll show you a FREE application that allows you to record audio for screencasts with separate audio feeds for my microphone and system sound. Why do I need separate audio feeds? Most screen recording applications will record a mix of microphone and system audio. This means you don't have any control over the individual levels once the screencast has been recorded. In my videos, I like to demonstrate audio techniques by playing audio and talking at the same time. If I record my system audio too loud people won't be able to hear my voice and there is no way to fix this afterwards. How to record separate audio feeds In this video, I walk…
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14Sep 2022 by Jon
HOW TO PRODUCE HIGH-ENERGY HIP-HOP

HOW TO PRODUCE HIGH-ENERGY HIP-HOP

Blog, Composing, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Stock Music, Techniques
In this video, I show you how to produce high-energy hip-hop. Watch as I break down one of my high-energy Hip-Hop tracks, showing you the sounds and techniques I use to produce this popular genre. https://youtu.be/cin_4NJPx1c When producing this type of track it's important to have the right references in mind. Consequently, this will help you meet the brief and stay within the genre. Here are some of the characteristics of High-Energy Hip-Hop:- Very much influenced by 90's Hip-HopLargely sample-basedVintage feelSoul and Funk samplesTempo between 90 and 100 BpmUse of spoken word samplesscratchingRepetition, contrasted with variation in samples and structure If you need inspiration check out artists such as DJ Shadow, Public Enemy, Fat Boy Slim, and De La Soul. More specifically, you can find inspiration from Audiojungle Author, Coffee…
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24Apr 2022 by Jon
Recording the sound of nature: Stereo microphone shootout

Recording the sound of nature: Stereo microphone shootout

Blog, Field Recording, Home Recording Blogs, Microphones, Recording, Sound Effects, Techniques
Stereo Recording Shootout In this stereo recording shootout I test two different stereo recording techniques. One, a mid-side (M/S) stereo setup costing over $2000. The other, a pair of inexpensive stereo omni-directional mics. Can these $100 microphones compete against the higher priced alternatives? So, join me for this stereo recording shootout as I record the sound of nature. The Location I recently visited the Welsh countryside and took the opportunity to record the sounds of nature. Understandably, it's difficult to make good recordings near cities or towns. For example, traffic, and other noise can easily ruin recordings. So, while I had the chance I compared two stereo recording techniques. Read on to find out how I made the recordings. Listen to the results In the video below I explain the…
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18Apr 2022 by Jon
The Ultimate Lo-Fi Plugins?

The Ultimate Lo-Fi Plugins?

Blog, Composing, Home Recording Blogs, Recording & Mixing, Techniques
Are these the ultimate Lo-Fi plugins? Introduction In this post I take a look at Vulf Compressor and Tupe by Goodhertz and ask the question: are these the ultimate lo-fi plugins? Whether you make lo-fi hip hop, chill-wave or vaporware there are a growing number of lo-fi tools. Tape emulations, vinyl emulation and vintage compression, for instance. Some of my personal favourites include:- Waves J37 & Lo-fi SpaceChow DSP Chow TapeArturia Tape Mello-fiCaelum Audio Flux Mini and Tape Cassette,Klevgrand DAW CassetteYum Audio Lo-fi Pitch Dropout I've had good results with these tools (many of them are free) but I have often wondered if there are better options. Read on to find out more, including a secret 50% discount! Goodhertz? I have heard good things about Goodhertz plugins for quite some…
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22Jan 2022 by Jon
Why you should be using reference tracks

Why you should be using reference tracks

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Recording & Mixing, Techniques, Uncategorized
In this post, I’m going to talk about reference tracks – why they are important, how to use them and where to find them. When we mix our own music there is a danger of never having an end goal in sight.  You might have an idea of what you want your music to sound like but sometimes we lose perspective. Our ears are very good at fooling us especially if we have listened to our own mix for a long period of time.  If we don’t remind our ears exactly what we are trying to achieve we may just keep chasing our tails round and round. So, read on to find out more about how you can use reference tracks to up your mixing game. https://youtu.be/8Iyk9jmgRm8 Watch the video…
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