Sound Effects - The Home Recording Studio

17Oct 2023 by Jon

Can analogue synthesisers make drum sounds?

Blog, Composing, Home Recording Blogs, Sound Design, Sound Effects, Techniques

When it comes to making music, digital tools are popular for their convenience, but there's something special about analogue synthesisers. My journey with the Arturia Mini Brute, my first analogue synthesiser, has been a rediscovery of its unique charm and creative potential. But the question is: Can analogue synthesisers make drum sounds? Read on to find out more and claim for FREE Drum Samples. My First Analogue Synthesiser Purchased around five or six years ago, the Mini Brute stands in stark contrast to its modern counterparts. There are no LCD screens or presets as most of us are used to. It boasts a single main oscillator, a sub oscillator, and an LFO. It has a mixer for the different oscillator types, a filter envelope, and an amp envelope. The main…

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…

24Apr 2022 by Jon

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…

10Feb 2021 by Jon

Using AudioMovers for high-quality audio streaming

Audio Streaming, Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Sound Design, Sound Effects, Techniques

Introduction Recently I had to deliver my first online teaching session. The subject was sound design and I wanted the students to hear the audio at the same quality I was hearing in my home studio. For this I needed high-quality audio streaming. I knew what I wanted to achieve with the live stream, but I wasn’t exactly clear how to do it. My goal was to share my screen, while demonstrating Adobe Audition, through the Zoom conferencing App. I needed to route audio from my microphone and also route audio from Adobe Audition and possibly from other apps or my web browser. I also wanted to keep the audio quality as high as possible. So, this blog post is all about how I achieved High-Quality Audio Streaming alongside Zoom.…

31Dec 2020 by Jon

How to use Audio Watermarks

Blog, Pro Tools, Recording & Mixing, Sound Design, Sound Effects

For this post I’m going to look at Audio Watermarks and how to add them to your audio files. What is an Audio Watermark?Why do I need one?How do I create my own audio watermarks?How do I add audio watermarks to my tracks?Is there an easier way?Is there a way to automate this task?Audio Watermarking ApplicationsConclusion What is an Audio Watermark? An Audio Watermark is a short piece of audio which is repeated over the top of a piece of music (or other audio recording) to signify that it is a preview. It also serves as copy protection so that other people cannot illegally copy the audio. Not to be confused with digital watermarks, which are usually undetectable, audio watermarks are meant to be heard and noticeable. Why do I…

04Dec 2020 by Jon

10 Of The Best Home Recording Studio Blogs

Blog, Field Recording, Home Recording Blogs, Podcast, Pro Tools, Recording & Mixing, Sound Design, Sound Effects

Do you want to learn more about home recording but are unsure where to start? The Home Recording Studio blog is here to help but there are many sources of information out there. I’ve been thinking about websites, blogs and podcasts that I find useful for my own continuous learning and development. Through years of research, I’ve built up a selection of websites that I trust to give me top quality information. So here are some of the best online resources that I use on a regular basis:- Sound on SoundProduction Expert / Pro Tools ExpertWorking Class AudioWeathervane MusicCreative Field RecordingTonebenders Mindful Audio (George Vlad)Pro Sound Effects BlogProduce like a pro (Warren Huart)The Six Figure Home Studio Sound on Sound Sound on Sound is a long-standing monthly publication and it…