Notes, memes & know-how
Production tips, gear talk, and the occasional meme award from the Audio Hertz crew.
What the f*ck is dither?
I’m sure there are plenty of incredibly talented engineers that produce exceptional sounding music that doesn't know the first thing about dither. Dither isn’t going to make or break you, and even the most technical engineers will tell you that when working in 24-bit fixed point, the majority of people aren’t going to hear a difference.
Read more →20 quick and easy tips that will improve your productions (part 2)
Try automating the master fader 1 or 2 decibels in the chorus to add excitement. Decide what takes you like and make comps right away. Don't leave important decisions for later!
Read more →5 of the rarest and most unique synths ever made
The following five rare and unique synthesizers weren't very popular, but their scarcity and uniqueness make them even more valuable today. Being a newly self-declared synth geek, I’m enjoying the process of learning a new instrument. It’s nice to know there is even more money to spend on audio gear than I had previously thought.
Read more →20 quick and easy tips that will improve your productions
I recently started a new series called "Quick tips" on the Audio Hertz Instagram account and decided it would be a good idea to compile them all together and put them up as a single post. Here are my first 20 quick and easy tips that are guaranteed to improve your productions.
Read more →What the f*ck is audio clipping?
I’ve been interested in learning more about audio clipping for quite some time, but it wasn’t until recently that I was able to get my hands on a dedicated clipper plugin. I remember years ago hearing about mastering engineers clipping their converters for an extra 1-2 dB of gain. That made complete sense, but I’d never found a reason that this would be applicable in any of my productions.
Read more →Why you need to stop arguing about audio gear online
I love talking about audio and music. I love having discussions with other people that enjoy the same things that I do. This is why I found myself frequenting not only forums, message boards, and Facebook groups but also live events and other places where people who enjoy recording audio and making music gather.
Read more →Cultivating new habits and why you shouldn’t wait for motivation
I’m just as likely to be reading this type of article as I am to be writing it. I’ve struggled with getting rid of bad habits my entire life. I wish I could tell you I’m the hardest working engineer in the biz, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. I’m always looking for ways to work harder and smarter.
Read more →6 audio effects you’re not using enough
If I could only have one effect or plugin, it would be a good saturator. You can use saturation to do just about everything from compressing to distorting to just adding color or harmonics to enhance the overall tone.
Read more →How to mix faster with the pink noise mixing trick
You’ve probably used your favorite commercially produced song to check mixes and reference overall levels, but have you ever tried using pink noise? With this trick, you’ll use pink noise as a reference to check your tracks and make sure the overall balances are relatively even.
Read more →What the f*ck is Linear Phase EQ?
A minimum phase EQ is just another name for your standard, everyday equalizer. Your Neve 1073, API 550, your Pultec EQP-1A. All of these equalizers experience phase shifts due to the latency created by changing the amplitude of specific frequency bands. This latency or delay of the frequencies causes what's known as a phase smear.
Read more →5 more mixing mistakes that I used to make… and how to avoid them
Kick drum? Compress it! Guitar amp? Distort it! Vocals? Reverb it! Ok, the majority of the time, I will compress the kick drum, distort a guitar, or put reverb on a vocal, but I need to be sure I have a good reason for doing so. In the past, I’ve found myself jumping to an EQ or a compressor without first deciding the problem I was trying to solve.
Read more →How to calibrate your studio monitors
Monitoring is arguably the most important part of mixing. Without being able to hear the music properly, you won't be able to mix it. Your monitors, room treatment, and your positioning are all critical factors in ensuring you’re able to deliver mixes that translate to different speakers.
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