To quote mixing and recording guru, David Pensado: “if you can make it exciting at a low level, it’ll sound exciting at any level”. It’s all too easy to crank the volume up and produce and monitor at loud volumes. It’s fun, and it grants us an instant level of excitement. But does it help us achieve better mixdowns? Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding ‘no’. Mixing at really loud volumes comes with a .
Tag Archives: Dynamic range compression
Many musicians have a fair idea of what compression is, but not all of them know how to master it. To really get a good grasp of how to properly use compression, you’ll first need to get the basics covered. This article explains the compressor’s main functions, dials and parameters so you can get your head around this vital processing tool. What is a compressor? Essentially, compression reduces the dynamic range of whatever sound .
Distortion’s been around so long that even its originations are unclear. Ask a variety of engineers and you’re bound to get a bunch of different responses as to who the first musician to popularise distortion was. History aside, distortion comes in a wide variety of different forms, each with their own unique characteristics. In this article, we explore some of the more common types of distortion and how they work. Tape saturation Back in .