Notes, memes & know-how
Production tips, gear talk, and the occasional meme award from the Audio Hertz crew.
Is your career where you thought it would be? Neither is mine.
I turned 28 a few months ago, and if, at age 18, you had told me my audio career would be where it is at this point in my life, I’d have been extremely disappointed. I’d imagined I’d have at least ten gold records by now, and I’d have been to the Grammy's at least three times. Well… that didn't happen.
Read more →What’s more important microphones or preamps?
What do you buy first, a good mic or a good preamp? If you’re a new engineer looking to start building your studio, this is a question you’ve likely struggled with. If you’re a more experienced engineer and you haven’t asked this question yourself, you’ve probably heard it asked on one of the many audio message boards, forums, or Facebook groups.
Read more →8 things that will help your mixing that have nothing to do with mixing
An organized space reduces stress and helps you to focus entirely on the task at hand.... making good records. Clean up your desk, throw out that old McDonald's cup and Doritos wrapper, and pick up that gross pair of underwear. You’ll be amazed at how clearly you can think when you have a clean work area.
Read more →The “your mixes sound bad in the car” phenomenon
We've all had this problem: we finished a mix that we spent 20 hours fine tuning & tweaking, made every .5 dB adjustment that needs to be made replaced every snare hit with seven different perfectly tuned snare samples that we got from Steven Slate, we have five parallel compressors on the mix bus that's adding just the right amount of glue. Then, we finally bring it in our car so we can make sure it still sounds rocking and… It sounds like shit! What the hell happened?
Read more →The story of the man behind the RCA 44 and 77 ribbon microphones
Harry F. Olson is most likely an unfamiliar name, but I’m sure you’ve heard of one of the 100 plus inventions Olson has patented. His patents include the cardioid microphone, sound absorbers, and the first programmable music synthesizer. He was directly responsible for the RCA 44 and RCA 77 ribbon microphones.
Read more →8 personality traits of a great audio engineer
This job can be challenging. It can make you want to curl up and cry yourself to sleep, but it can also lead to some of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences you'll ever have. Regardless of which one of those things you're currently going through, having these eight personality traits will make your job easier and are traits every great engineer has.
Read more →5 things they don’t teach you in audio school
I used to be negative toward anyone or anything that I saw as competitive. The truth is I was just insecure about my skills and talents, and I felt putting other people down would make me better or at least feel better. Well, it turns out that didn't work at all, and a better approach would have been to be friendly and kind to everyone.
Read more →[Even more] Things I wish I learned sooner about audio engineering
If you are always the biggest fish in the pond, you’ll never be able to take in the knowledge of someone else who is better and knows more than you. Many of the jobs I've gotten are directly related to other engineers either recommending me or needing help with something.
Read more →How two guys in New Jersey created the most desirable equalizer: Pultec EQP-1A
Pultec is the holy grail when it comes to equalizers. But, the reason why Pultec is so great can seem elusive if you asked someone why their answer would be solely their opinion. You could attribute their success to the transformers, the tubes, the Q curves, or being a byproduct of the times, the place, or the people. But really, it was all those things that created the perfect storm for genius.
Read more →5 mixing mistakes that I used to make… and how to avoid them
Having your sessions prepared for mixing will not only allow you to mix faster and more efficiently, but you’ll also free up your mind to make more important decisions. Edits should have crossfades, vocals should all be comped, backup vocals and multi mic’d instruments should be grouped or bussed appropriately, etc.
Read more →The best designed and most enjoyable effects unit ever: Eventide H3000 UltraHarmonizer
When one of the most influential and well regarded electronic musicians praises your effects unit as the best, it should hold some weight. Not only did Brian Eno love his Eventide H3000, but he loved it so much that he actually took the time to write to Eventide to congratulate them on designing it.
Read more →Why your voice sounds different when you hear it recorded
Did you know that using earplugs isn’t always enough to protect your hearing? You don’t only hear sound through your auditory canal. Vibrations are also picked up by your bones and sent to your inner ear through what’s called bone conduction.
Read more →