Recording & Mixing - The Home Recording Studio

05Dec 2024 by Jon

FREE Plugin: Vocal Menace

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Recording, Recording & Mixing, Sound Effects, Techniques

When it comes to music production, achieving the perfect vocal sound can often feel like chasing a moving target. We stack EQs, compressors, saturators, and other plugins, tweaking endlessly in pursuit of "that" sound. Enter Vocal Menace by Chris Liepe—a game-changing, all-in-one vocal processing plugin that simplifies the process without compromising on quality. And the best part? It’s completely FREE! So read on to find out more about this FREE Plugin: Vocal Menace. What is Vocal Menace? Created by Chris Liepe, a seasoned musician and vocal coach, Vocal Menace is designed to help producers and vocalists quickly dial in an expressive, high-impact vocal tone. Whether you’re working on lead vocals, harmonies, or even spoken-word content, this plugin provides an intuitive interface and powerful controls to take your vocal tracks to…

27Nov 2024 by Jon

Lofi Sample Pack Black Friday Deals

Blog, Composing, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Recording, Recording & Mixing, Sampling, Sound Design, Sound Effects

Black Friday is the perfect opportunity to expand your sample library with premium lofi sounds at unbeatable prices. We've scoured the best deals from top producers like Tangerine Sounds, Lofi Sounds, Tamuz Samples, Cymatics, and Loopmasters to help you find the ultimate Lofi Sample Pack Black Friday Deals. 1. Tangerine Sounds Deal Highlights: Up to 50% off selected lofi packs, including exclusive drum loops and one-shots perfect for warm, nostalgic beats. Notable Offer: Lofi Essentials – a comprehensive pack blending ambient sounds with crisp lofi percussion, now FREE! Explore their deals here. 2. Lofi Sounds Deal Highlights: Lofi Sounds is offering discounts up to 70% on their Everything Bundle which includes over 1,500 handcrafted sounds in one bundle! Bundle Deal: 3-4 packs = -40%; 5+ packs = -50%. Get multiple packs for…

04Jul 2024 by Jon

Behringer Spring Reverb 636

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Recording, Recording & Mixing, Sound Effects

The Behringer Spring Reverb 636/646 is a hardware analogue reverb unit inspired by the iconic Grampian Type 636 reverb, famously used by reggae dub legend Lee "Scratch" Perry. In this post, we dive into its features, performance, and why it stands out in the world of reverb units. Watch Our In-Depth Review Experience the Spring Reverb in action! Watch my video review where I put this reverb unit to the test in a home recording studio environment. You'll hear its impact on various instruments including drums, vocals, guitar, synth, and melodica, especially in a dub reggae context. https://youtu.be/jXRWTWqieao?si=SJbSslb8VHdZYyZ0 636 or 646: What's the Difference? Originally branded as the 636, Behringer since rebranded this unit as the 646. The name change likely stems from the unit's strong resemblance to the original…

09May 2024 by Jon

Free Funk Bass

Home Recording Blogs, Recording, Sampling, Sound Design, Techniques, Virtual Instruments

Want a FREE Funk Bass Virtual Instrument? Check out my latest video where I create a Funk Bass patch using the Behringer Poly D analogue synth. Download the FREE virtual instrument which works in both Decent Sampler and Logic Sampler / EXS24 Experience the warmth and character of an analogue synth bass and add some funk to your music productions. The Behringer Poly D is a modern recreation of the famous Moog Model D which retains that all-analogue character of the original synth. In my video I explain the settings I used to create this patch using the Poly D. Download my FREE Funk Bass virtual instrument and you'll be able to use the patch within your DAW. Just enter you email address below and I'll send you the download…

29Dec 2023 by Jon

Rubber Bridge Acoustic Guitar – Free VST

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Recording, Techniques

Rubber bridge guitars have become a widespread phenomenon in the music scene, with their impact extending far beyond just altering the sound of a guitar. It's surprising that simply replacing a guitar's bridge can influence pop production and songwriting. Notable fans of the rubber bridge sound include artists like Taylor Swift, Aaron Dessner, Phoebe Bridgers and Olivia Rodrigo. My desire to make this unique guitar sound accessible to everyone, led to the idea of sampling a rubber bridge guitar. However, the project faced two challenges: my lack of experience, both in sampling acoustic guitars and in modifying guitars. Nevertheless, I decided to explore this uncharted territory! Finding a Guitar The first step was finding a suitable guitar for the experiment. Opting for an old Archtop parlour guitar seemed like the…

27Sep 2023 by Jon

5 Best electric piano VST’s for producing lo-fi hip-hop

Blog, Composing, Home Recording Blogs, Recording, Recording & Mixing, Sound Effects, Techniques

Bedroom Music Studio Computer Music Equipment Lo-fi hip-hop is a genre of music that is characterized by its warm, mellow sound and its use of vintage and lo-fidelity samples. Electric pianos are a popular instrument in lo-fi hip-hop, as they can provide a rich and atmospheric sound that is perfect for the genre. In this post I'll discuss the 5 best electric piano VST's for Lo-fi Hip-Hop. Watch my latest video to hear 5 of the best VSTs for Lo-fi Hip-Hop. https://youtu.be/24xqw9ybE4g?si=VblGikEsBAH4qOnR If you are looking for the best electric piano virtual instruments for producing lo-fi hip-hop, here are a few of my recommendations: 1. Lounge Lizard.Lounge Lizard is a great sounding electric piano with both tine-based and reed-based presets. The tine-based are mainly Rhodes pianos and the reed-based are…

05Aug 2023 by Jon

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…

03Jul 2023 by Jon

Budget vs Pro Mics on Piano

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Microphones, Recording, Uncategorized

Can budget microphones really compete with high-end microphones when recording piano? In this piano microphone test, I compare two omnidirectional condenser microphones at very different price points to see how they perform on a real acoustic piano in a real-world recording environment. The test took place in a pretty special location — the John Lennon Suite at the Hard Day’s Night Hotel in Liverpool, complete with a beautiful white baby grand piano. This was a great opportunity to put a pair of microphones to the test and let you hear the results for yourself. 👉 Watch the full piano microphone test video here:https://youtu.be/UiaxBd_O4ME https://youtu.be/UiaxBd_O4ME The Piano Microphone Setup For this test, I used two pairs of omnidirectional microphones, both well suited to capturing the full frequency range and natural resonance…

05May 2023 by Jon

Introducing Imagine Piano

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Recording, Sound Design

Imagine Piano was recorded at the iconic Hard Days Night Hotel in Liverpool, England. The setting is rich with musical history and atmosphere. With two carefully sampled velocity layers and authentic key release samples, this instrument captures the full nuance and personality of a very special piano. To ensure incredible depth and realism, the piano was recorded using six different microphones, organized into three groups: Two pairs of omnidirectional microphones One XY stereo pair of cardioid microphones Each microphone group has its own distinct character, and users can blend them freely to sculpt their perfect piano sound. Whether you want something soft and natural or bright and detailed, Imagine Piano offers the flexibility to create a sound that fits your track perfectly. All samples were recorded with the sustain pedal…

01Apr 2023 by Jon

Open-Back vs Closed-Back Headphones: Which Are Best for Mixing and Recording?

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Recording, Recording & Mixing

When it comes to audio mixing and recording, choosing the right headphones can make a huge difference to how accurately you hear your music. One of the most common questions home producers ask is: Should I use open-back or closed-back headphones? In this guide, we’ll break down the key differences between open-back and closed-back headphones, their pros and cons, and when you should use each type in a home recording studio. What’s the Difference Between Open-Back and Closed-Back Headphones? The difference comes down to how the ear cups are designed: Open-back headphones have perforated or vented ear cups that allow air and sound to pass through. Closed-back headphones have sealed ear cups that isolate sound inside the headphones. That design choice affects soundstage, isolation, comfort, and how suitable they are…

Category: Recording & Mixing