Music Production Listening Skills: Timbre, Frequency, and Bass Drums
Do some audio frequency ear training and you’ll find it easier to mix percussion, choose the perfect drum kits for your tracks, and adjust their EQ in the mix.
How many octaves are there from 20Hz-20kHz?
The human hearing range is generally taken as being 20 Hertz to 20kHz, and so musicians might wonder: How many octaves is that? The answer: 10. Sound frequency doubles with each octave, so if we start from the lowest audible C note, “C0”, that’s at...
Open Your Ears to 60×60
In the Open Your Ears series we cover a wide range of music: from opera to electronica, from Björk to Tuvan throat singing. (seriously, if you haven’t heard about throat singing, you’re missing out!) But if you want to have your mind blown away minute-by-minute...
Fix The Mix: Don’t let a muddy sound ruin your tracks
A muddy sound can absolutely ruin a mix. But with the right kind of audio ear training and some tips and tricks, you can take your mix from average to awesome.
Why Music Producers Need To Learn To Play By Ear (Mark Spacey)
A different perspective on playing by ear this week: music production. We welcome guest expert Mark Spacey of music production site dancemidisamples.com! When you produce music for a living, you always have to keep the grand design in mind. The big picture is made up...Sound FX Secrets, Free Whisper Sound Effects & DIY FX
Want to learn how to make free sound effects using the tools in your home studio? Look no further! Find out here and train your ears for sound effects.
Listen to Les, Part 3: Audio Effects
In this, the concluding part of our series on the genius Les Paul, we are going to be looking at his contribution to the world of effects. For a modern guitarist, effects pedals are an integral part of their sound. There are a dizzying array of boxes available to feed...
Bass Tone Podcast 6: Bass FX, Part 2
In episode 6 of the Bass Tone podcast, Bass FX Part 2, Nick Long explores some more unusual effects you can add to your bass tone. You’ll learn:
• What modulation effects are and how they work
• The Chorus and Flanger effects and how they impact your tone
• The sound of Wah-Wah effects, and why they combine well with distortion effects
• Pitch-shifter effects (including octaver effects)
Listen to Les, Part 2: A Recording Revolution
Last time we talked about Les Paul’s role as the father of the electric guitar. Nobody can question the significance of his innovations there, but that was far from the limit of his contribution to modern music. Next up we’ll be learning about the part he...
Bass Tone: Bass Effects, Part 2
Learn all about audio effects for bass guitar, including modulation, octave, pitch shift, wah-wah, chorus and flanger/phaser. How to hear them and why to learn.
Bass Tone Podcast 5: Bass FX, Part 1
In episode 5 of the Bass Tone podcast, Bass FX Part 1, Nick Long covers the most frequently used audio effects for the bass guitar. You’ll learn all about:
• Equalization (EQ), the cornerstone of a good effects chain
• Compression and Limiting to even out playing dynamics
• Multiband Compression
• Distortion, Overdrive and Fuzz Effects
