“I wish I could play the piano. That way it would be so much easier to produce music!” A statement like that is what is called a limiting belief. It’s like saying, “When I win the lottery, I’ll be happy.” Granted it might not be as extreme but it’s definitely going to stop you from… [Read More] How to produce music without a keyboard
Production
How to use parallel distortion on drums
Parallel distortion is one of the best creative effects you can use to add weight to a mix without killing the balance and gain stage. It can be difficult to give every element in a mix the appropriate space and time to shine. Adding subtle distortion effects can often help them cut through the mix… [Read More] How to use parallel distortion on drums
A simple, yet overlooked drum production secret
Like everybody else, I can get a song stuck in my head every now and then. But I also tend to get obsessed with songs for a number of reasons. Whether it be the the story behind the song, the songwriting process, or some part of the production… I get hooked. One of the songs… [Read More] A simple, yet overlooked drum production secret
Why minimalism will help your production skills
I remember when Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’ was released. I wasn’t all that sure what had happened. It was very different, confusing and I wasn’t sure if it was me or Kanye that had lost their minds! Myself and another engineer listened to a few of the tracks together in the studio and I remember saying:… [Read More] Why minimalism will help your production skills
How to mix a loose recording
I have a confession to make… I’m one of those people who used to try and get the music I was working on sounding absolutely perfect and pristine. Now, looking back and even thinking about that statement is laughable because I feel I’ve so much left to learn on my musical journey. While there’s nothing… [Read More] How to mix a loose recording
How to create effective mixing transitions
So you’ve got a great mix on your hands… You know the song is well written, it’s been recorded well and now you’ve balanced everything really nicely with intelligent use of your faders, EQ, compression and effects. But something’s still not quite right. You know exactly what you want your chorus to sound like, but… [Read More] How to create effective mixing transitions