Mixing

How To EQ Guitars

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When it comes to creating powerful rock mixes, one of the most important instruments is the guitar.

Guitars provide the fullness, energy, and body that is needed to make your tracks really soar.

But when you’re not getting the sound you want, it can be impossible to know which frequencies you should boost or cut in order to get things sounding just right.

  • If you boost too much of the wrong frequencies, then your mix will sound too muddy.
  • If you cut the wrong ones, your mix could end up sounding thin or harsh.

So how do you know which frequencies to target?

And what are the best places to boost or cut in order to create big, thick guitar sounds?

In this video, I’m going to show you how to EQ your guitars for a better mix.

The truth is EQ can make or break any mix. Without using it properly, your tracks will lack clarity, polish, and punch.

It’s critical that you learn how to use it effectively.

Of course, learning how to do that on your own is easier said than done. 

It can be hard to know where to start. Especially since there are so many different ways to use EQ and each instrument has its own unique set of frequencies that you need to adjust.

Want to know how to EQ better so that you can create pro-sounding mixes?

Then I highly recommend that you check out my EQ Primer Course.

I recently updated this course with 2 hours of additional video walkthroughs designed to show you precisely what to listen for and what frequencies to boost and cut. That’s on top of all of the existing course videos that will give you the clarity and confidence to use EQ with ease.

So if you’re ready to make your mixes sound clear, polished, and professional…

Join the EQ Primer Course

Mike

6 Types Of Reverb: What They Sound Like And When To Use Them

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One of the easiest ways to make your tracks sound (arguably) more “professional” is to apply reverb to them.

Instantly, reverb makes your tracks sound bigger, fuller, and more polished.
 
But there’s a downside: It can also make your tracks sound extremely muddy and distracting. There is a very fine line with how to use it effectively inside of a mix.

One of the biggest mistakes I see people making with it is choosing the wrong type of reverb.

There are plenty of reverb types out there and it’s important that you understand the differences between all of them so that you find the best fit for your particular song and instruments.

In this article, we’re going to talk about six different types of reverb, how you can use them in your own mixes, and how to differentiate what they each sound like.

The six types of reverb that we’re going to be talking about are:

  1. Room
  2. Hall
  3. Chamber
  4. Plate
  5. Spring
  6. Nonlinear reverb.

Let’s talk about the characteristics of each of these…

ROOM REVERB:

Room reverb is really simple. It can be defined as a space with walls. That’s really all it is.

The types of room reverb that you can choose from are virtually endless. There are countless options that simulate all sorts of different spaces, shapes, and sizes, ranging from bedrooms, hallways, garages, warehouses, churches, you name it…. Basically, any room that has walls can qualify as room reverb.

It’s very common to see engineers using room reverbs that simulate famous recording studio rooms. This is because those spaces are typically well-tuned and sound really nice and full. They also allow you to make recordings that were made in a small basement or bedroom studio sound like they were created in a much larger facility.

But sometimes pristine quality isn’t always the sound you need. In that case, if you’re looking to add some extra character to your tracks, you might want to pick a room reverb that simulates something smaller and/or unique. For example, rooms such as bedrooms, bathrooms, tiled rooms, and concrete rooms can add a lot of personality to your tracks.

Because every room is so different, all room reverbs are going to sound different. It’s the unique imperfections and reflections of a room that give it its own creative character.

The size of the room can drastically impact the sound you hear.

When using a room reverb that simulates a larger-sized room, you’re going to hear more of the reverb tail and decay. Because of this, you’ll also likely hear a bit more of the character of the room.

On the flip side, if you’re using a small room reverbs with shorter decay times, it can add intimacy to your performances by making your audience feel like they are listening in a small, tight room.

This is why room reverb is so handy… You can virtually place your performers and audience in a very specific location simply by choosing a reverb.

As for which instruments to use room reverb on, it is very commonly used on instruments such as drums, guitar, and vocals.

It’s perfect for when you want to create a big, ambient sound for your drums. Personally, that’s my favorite use for it.


HALL REVERB

With room reverb, we talked about how it could pretty much be any room that has walls: big or small. But hall reverbs are focused specifically on much larger spaces.  They replicate the sound of very fine-tuned concert halls.

Because of that, they have a very lush quality in their sound.  They are very thick and dense and don’t contain reflections or ringy tones. Instead, the sound is very smooth.

In addition, because concert halls are very spacious, the sound has to travel quite far to get from the stage back of the room. This causes a very long decay time in the reverb’s sound. So when loading hall reverbs inside of your DAW, it is very common to see presets that have long decay times of 2 seconds or more.

Halls are great for thickening up a sound. When you want your vocals or strings to soar, they are a great go-to reverb choice. They can really thicken up a sound and give it lots of depth.

Just be careful with these. If your reverbs have long decay times but the tempo of your song is fast, your mix can become very muddy quickly because the tail of the reverb will start to build up and overlap with your instruments. Ideally, you want to choose reverb times that fit within the tempo of your song so that the tail ends before your next notes.

 

CHAMBER REVERB

Chamber reverbs are very similar to room reverbs, but with more character to them.

Back in the day, many studios didn’t have a lot of reverb processors and/or the budget to afford them. So instead, they got scrappy. They would place a speaker inside of a reflective room and they would feed signal from their board into that speaker. They would then record that signal using a microphone placed in the room and feed that back to the console.

They were literally recording the natural ambiance of that room and using that as their reverb.

Depending on the type of room, the way the walls were angled, or the material that the walls were made of, you’d get a very different sound.

Typically, chamber reverbs have a very lush, ambient tone. And they’re really great for adding some extra texture to your tracks.

The reason why they have a lot of character to them has to do with the speakers and rooms used to create them. Many of the world’s most famous reverb chambers had very reflective surfaces, odd dimensions, and uneven walls that contributed to their unique sound.

As for which instruments to use chamber reverb on, typically, you’ll hear it used on instruments such as vocals, strings, guitars, and drums. But by no means are these your only option.

With the extra character that chamber reverbs add to your tracks, they are very versatile and can help you create a really cool ambiance with your music.



PLATE REVERB

Plate reverb is unlike all of the other ones that we’ve talked about so far. Instead of focusing on recreating an ambient space, plate reverb is a form of artificial ambiance.

Plate reverbs are created by suspending a sheet of metal inside of a frame. On one end of the sheet, you’d have a transducer/speaker that would send a signal through the sheet, and then on the other end, there is a contact microphone that captures the signal.

Depending on the length of the sheet and the type of metal used, you can actually create quite a variety of sounds out of it.

Typically plate reverbs have a dense, warm sound to them.

You’ll commonly hear them use on drums and vocals because this dense sound can add quite a bit of extra sustain and fullness to the instruments.

Now, obviously, we’re in the digital realm, so we’re not actually hooking up these large sheets in our studios, but all of our plugins do a great job of mimicking these physical reverb units that are created to get us this artificial tone.

 

SPRING REVERB

Up next, let’s talk about spring reverb. Spring reverb is another form of artificial ambiance, and it’s very similar to a plate reverb, but instead of using a plate, it uses springs.

It works in a similar fashion where you would have a transducer on one end sending a signal through the metal spring, and then on the other side, you have a contact microphone capturing the sound.

What’s great about spring reverbs is that they can be made really small and portable. Because of this, you’ll commonly find spring reverbs inside of guitar amplifiers since they can easily be fit inside of the structure, without adding a ton of extra weight.

In terms of sound quality, spring reverbs tend to be very bright, reflective, and they have a lot of character to them. The best way that I can describe them is that they have a very “boingy” sound. It’s pretty much what you would expect out of a spring.

In terms of common uses for spring reverb, you’ll very often hear them on guitars and on vocals. When you think of surf rock, it’s the sound of spring reverb that gives it its unique character.

 

NON-LINEAR REVERB

Last but not least, let’s talk about nonlinear reverbs.

When listening to the rest of the reverb types we’ve covered, you will hear a gradual, natural decline in the volume of the reverb tail; but with nonlinear reverbs, they have a very unnatural ambience to them. Their reverb tail doesn’t decay like most natural sounds.

The most common type of non-linear reverb that you’ll hear is known as a gated reverb. It is simply a normal reverb that is followed by a gate. Once the signal passes below a certain threshold, the gate kicks in and basically silences the rest of the tail. So it has this very short, rapid decay, but with a very intense dense sound at the beginning of it.

This is a great option for adding sustain to your instruments, especially with drums.

When it comes to drums, typically, the close mic sound is often pretty short. But when you add a little bit of nonlinear reverb to it, you can really stretch out the sound of the drum and add some cool sustain to it.

If you ever want to remember what a non-linear reverb sounds like, think about songs like “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins or pretty much any song from the ’80s with electronic drums. The non-linear reverb was a defining sound of the 80’s drum tone.

When used loudly in a mix, it can sound very intense and robotic; but when tucked in slightly, it does a great job of beefing up your tracks. Just don’t get too carried away with it.

 

CONCLUSION

So there you have it… the six main types of reverb.

I hope that by now, you have a better sense of what the different types of reverbs sound like and where you might want to use them.

Remember, reverb can make your tracks sound polished and pro, but if you chose the wrong reverb type, it can instantly make your tracks feel muddy or detached from one another.

By treating the different reverb types as unique tools on their own, you can add a lot of character to your songs and create a sense of atmosphere and space with your tracks.

____________

Looking to create more polish inside of your mixes?

Download The Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: A free guide on how to use EQ and compression across a variety of instruments so that you can create great mixes quickly.

how to mix vocals, mixing vocals, singer, microphone

Mixing Vocals: EQ & Compression Settings For A Pro Sound

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Mixing vocals is one of the most critical skills you need to get right as an audio engineer. When it comes to your music, the vocals are THE most important element of the mix. They singlehandedly are the easiest way for your audience to create an emotional connection to the song. For that reason, they need to be clear, sit on top of the mix, and convey the energy and emotion of the lyrical content.

The songs that stand the test of time are the ones that people can relate to – whether the lyrics are about a breakup, childhood experiences, partying, etc. Whatever story the lyrics tell, if they are buried in the mix, the listener will struggle to find a connection. But if you manage to get the lyrics to be heard loud and clear, they will be the part of the song that people will memorize and sing along to.

In this article, I’m going to share the techniques and settings you need to pay attention to when mixing vocals.

how to mix vocals, mixing vocals, singer, microphone

Before we start, there are a couple of quick things you must know…

Great Vocal Mixes Start With Great Recordings

This should come as no surprise to you but if you have poor quality recordings, no amount of EQ or compression can salvage your vocals. A great mix always starts with great recordings. This means choosing a good microphone, using proper mic technique, and gainstaging your levels correctly.

To help you get set up to record properly, check out this article on the 7 essential pieces of equipment needed for home recording

If your recordings are full of distortion, you’ll never be able to get rid of it in the mix. So when possible, always try to record your vocals as clean as you can at the source. Don’t try to fix it in the mix.

Always Mix In Context – Avoid Solo Mode

When mixing vocals, avoid using the solo button. It can be tempting to want to isolate your vocal tracks so that you can hear the finer details of the voice, but mixing is all about making the individual elements work together. Because of this, it’s critical to make make sure that as you add EQ, compression, and effects, you are listening to how these moves affect the rest of the tracks.

A simple low-end boost on the vocals could sound great in solo, but in the context of everything else, it could make the rest of the tracks sound muddy. For this reason, it’s always best to mix vocals in context with everything else.

mixer fader, solo, solo button

Clean Up Your Vocals

Before getting into the heavy lifting of mixing vocals, it’s always best to set yourself up for success. This means taking care of some of the problem areas of the vocal recordings so that you can when you add EQ and compression, you aren’t going to exaggerate these issues further. This will ensure that the process of mixing goes much smoother.


1. Remove Noises, Clicks, and Pops

Before adding processing, make sure that your vocal tracks are free of any unwanted/background noises. Delete any blank space between vocal lines to ensure that no background sounds are heard (eg. paper rustling, headphone bleed, fan noise, etc)

Also, listen for clicks and pops that can be caused by edits that are missing proper fades. To fix these, simply make sure that all regions have fade-ins and outs and that any overlapping regions have proper crossfades.

Lastly, listen for breaths and mouth noises. Sometimes these are desired and can add some extra character to the performance; other times, these can be distracting and pull listeners out of the moment. When these sounds are distracting, simply remove them and add the appropriate fades so that everything still sounds natural.

2. Remove Plosives

Plosives are caused when big bursts of air hit a microphone’s diaphragm. These usually occur when a singer sings a word that starts with P or B. They sort of sound like someone bumped into the microphone when recording. In the context of a mix, they can be very distracting.

To remove them, simply use clip gain to bring them down when they occur. Another solution is to automate a high-pass filter to momentarily roll off some of the low-end so that they don’t sound as prominent.

To see this in action, watch this video:

3. Use a De-Esser to Remove Sibilance

Occasionally in a vocal recording, you will hear sibilance – excessively pronounced “s”, “z”, “t”, or “sh” sounds that can cause loud hissing noises to stand out in a mix. Typically, these occur in the range of 4-7kHz. The easiest way to get rid of them is to use a de-esser tool.

De-essers work like compressors, except that they’re frequency-dependent. To use them, you simply need to define the frequency range where the sibilant sounds exist and when those frequencies pass the threshold, the de-esser will start to compress that range briefly in order to suppress the harsh sounds.

The biggest reason to use de-essers (rather than EQ) is that with equalizers, they cause a static change to the entire track; however, de-essers only reduce those frequencies when the problem occurs.

By removing these sibilant sounds before adding any other processing, it prevents them from affecting how the other processors in the chain will react to the incoming audio. For example, this means that later on, you can boost the top-end of the voice with EQ, but without over-exaggerating the “s” sounds. It will also ensure that any compressors that follow in the chain, won’t overreact due to extremely sibilant sounds.

The Waves DeEsser is a fantastic tool for easily removing sibilance from vocals
The Waves DeEsser is a fantastic tool for easily removing sibilance from vocals

Now that you’ve cleaned up your tracks, it’s time to start the heavy-lifting of vocal mixing and give them additional polish and clarity by using EQ.

How To EQ Vocals

When it comes to vocal EQ, there is no “one-size fits all” approach. Each vocal is different and requires its own unique settings to fit best inside of your mix.

Sure, there are plugin presets that are labeled things such as “lead vocal” or “background vocal” but I’m here to tell you that presets will simply not work for your specific songs.  The reason for this is that presets have been created using very specific material. So unless you are working on the same song with the same singer, in the same room, using the same mic, preamp, compressors, etc., these presets will not give you the ideal settings to make your vocal sound perfect in your mix.

So what should you do instead?

In order to EQ vocals, you first need to get clear on what to listen for. There are six key frequency ranges that you need to pay attention to. Based on what you hear in these ranges, you can make decisions on when to boost and when to cut.


1. Low End (100Hz and below)

Typically, with vocals, there is nothing in the range of 100hz and below that contributes to the clarity and/or tone of the voice. If anything, in the range, you will hear some unwanted low-end noise that should be removed using a high-pass filter.

Vocal mics can be very sensitive and often they pick up all sorts of unnecessary low-end rumble that can interfere with the clarity of the mix. These noises might be caused by the sound of traffic outside or an air-conditioning unit nearby. Regardless of what’s causing the rumble, it is unnecessary for getting your vocals to sound good.

By applying a high pass filter set at 80 or 100Hz, you can clean up the low-end of your vocal and reduce muddiness in your mix. This will also create some more clarity for instruments such as kick and bass, which will primarily occupy this frequency range.

 

2. Low Mids (100Hz – 400Hz)

When mixing, if your vocals sound thin, you will want to pay attention to this frequency range. Adding a boost of these frequencies can make your vocals sound thicker and fuller; however, you need to be careful not to overdo it.

The low-mids are often the most problematic frequencies in a mix. This is where a lot of muddiness can occur. If you find that you are lacking clarity or that your mix as a whole sounds very muffled and unclear, it can usually be cleared up by applying an eq cut in this range. Just make sure you don’t cut too much or else your vocals will start to sound thin and weak.


3. Mids (400Hz – 900Hz)

When mixing vocals, if you find that the singer has a “boxy” sound, the problem will usually lie in the range of 400Hz – 900Hz.

Boxiness can be the result of many factors. Sometimes it is just the natural sound of the singer’s voice, and other times, it can be caused by poor mic technique or using a microphone that doesn’t compliment the tone of the singer.

By boosting an EQ band with a medium to small Q setting, you can sweep around this frequency range until you find the offending sound. Once found, simply reduce it until it is no longer a problem.


4. Upper Mids (900Hz – 2kHz)

As you get into the upper mid-range frequencies of vocals, this is where you start to hear more clarity and intelligibility of the singer’s voice. This is also where you’ll usually hear more of the unique character of the singer’s tone.

Using a slight EQ boost in this area can help the vocals stand out a little more in the mix, but without sounding too harsh or present.

It’s also important to note that depending on the singer’s voice (and sometimes the quality of microphone used), you may find that some vocals have a nasal sound to them. If you hear lo-fi, radio-like tones in your singer’s voice, you can reduce them by using a slight cut with a narrow Q around the 1-2.5KHz range. Usually, a cut of 1-3dB should do the trick to clean it up.


5. Presence Range (2kHz – 8kHz)

To further add presence to your vocals, you will want to make sure that it has a clear top-end. By boosting around 5-8KHz, it will help bring the vocal more forward in the mix.

It’s also important to note that this frequency range is where the bite of your guitars and attack of drums will be heard as well. In some cases, you will need to make slight EQ cuts on these instruments in order to create space for the vocals to sit. Other times, it’s just a matter of giving each instrument dominate its own space within this region.


6. High End/Air (9kHz & Up)

Finally, using a high shelf boost on anything above 9kHz can add some extra shimmer to the vocal.

By boosting EQ on your vocals in this range, you can highlight the breathiness and airy qualities of a voice. This can work exceptionally well in softer ballads since it makes the vocals feel more intimate.

Just be mindful when boosting in this range that it can cause sibilance to start to poke out in the mix. If you start to notice harsh “s” sounds, you can use a de-esser to soften them.


Vocal Compression Settings

Now that you know how to EQ vocals to achieve clarity and presence, let’s talk about using compression on them.

This is where the real magic of mixing vocals happens. Compression is the key to getting a vocal to sit on top of the mix. Not only are compressors useful for smoothing out the dynamics in a singer’s performance, but they can also be used to infuse extra character and attitude to a voice in order to highlight it better in the mix.

Depending on the compression settings you use, you can really shape the tone so that the vocals sound softer or more aggressive.

Let’s talk about what settings to use when compressing vocals.


Attack Time

The attack time of a compressor can have a major impact on the sound of a vocal.

If you have a singer who really emphasizes the consonants of words, you can adjust the attack time to tame them and make the words sound smoother. To do this, simply use a faster attack setting. This means that the compressor will react quicker to any words that pass the threshold, thus causing them to not be as transient.

On the other hand, if you have a singer who sings very smoothly and does not have much energy in their performance, using a slower attack time can help to add more aggression and punch to their vocals. By using a slower attack time, it allows the initial attack of words to pass the threshold level before getting compressed. Once the compressor engages, this makes for a more percussive sound and can help emphasize the consonants.


Release Time

When setting the release time of your compressor, you want to make sure that you set it quick enough so that it returns to the point of zero gain reduction between words.

If you set your release time too slow, the compressor can clamp down on certain words and sound unnatural.

Your goal is to set the release speed slow enough that the vocal sounds smooth but fast enough that you aren’t compressing all the time.

 

Threshold

The threshold is the level at which the compressor is going to start to compress. As more signal passes the threshold, the harder the compressor will work (in other words, more gain reduction). When the signal is below the threshold, it will be unaffected by the compressor settings.

When it comes to vocal compression, the amount of gain reduction you want is largely dependant on how dynamic your vocals are to begin with. Sometimes, you will just want to tame the really loud peaks to make the dynamic range a little smaller (this could mean only having 3-5dB of gain reduction). Other times, you might want to compress quite heavily (10-15dB of reduction) in order to really control the level and make it very consistent.

The more aggressive you are with gain reduction, the more attitude and character you will start to bring out in the performance.


Ratio

The ratio control tells the compressor how much it is going to reduce the signal that passes the threshold. The larger the ratio, the harder the compressor is going to work. Common ratios for compressing vocals are 2:1, 4:1, 6:1. Which one you choose will depend on how dynamic the vocal performance is and how heavily you want to control it. Use your ears to determine what sounds natural and best in the context of the mix.

The diagram demonstrates how an incoming audio signal is affected by the various controls of a compressor.
The diagram demonstrates how an incoming audio signal is affected by the various controls of a compressor.

Serial Compression

Using one compressor is often all you need in order to get great results when mixing vocals. That being said, I am also a big fan of using serial compression. Serial compression is when you use multiple compressors on the same source. The idea is that you set one compressor so that it sets the tone for the next one. This is very useful with vocals that are extremely dynamic in volume since you can set the compressors so that they don’t need to work as hard (resulting in a cleaner sound).

Typically, the way you would set this up is to first use a fast compressor to focus on taming the loudest peaks of the performance. In terms of settings, use a high ratio (20:1) with a quick attack and quick release. The threshold should be set so that it only reacts to the loudest notes and compresses about 2-5dB

This would then be followed by another compressor that would handle the general compression duties. But since the peaks have been reduced going into this compressor, it doesn’t need to be as aggressive with gain reduction. In terms of ratio, attack, and release settings, use the guidelines listed above to determine which settings to use.

One really cool feature about serial compression is that the choice of compressors you use can make a big impact on the character of the voice. Using FET style compressors (such as an 1176) can add some extra grit and saturation to a voice.  On the other hand, using a VCA or optical style compressor (such as an LA2A) can offer some transparent results. Feel free to experiment to find the combination that works best for you.

The 1176 and LA2A compressors are a fantastic combination for serial compression in a vocal mix.
The 1176 and LA2A compressors are a fantastic combination for serial compression in a vocal mix.

Parallel Compression

Another common technique for compressing vocals is to use parallel compression. This allows you to preserve the natural, dynamic sound of a vocal and blend it with an extremely compressed version.

To do this, duplicate your vocal track(or send it to a parallel bus) and on the bus/duplicate channel, add a compressor that uses extreme settings and heavily compresses the signal. It’s not uncommon to compress about 15dB on this channel. Because of the extreme amount of gain reduction, you should start to hear some extra saturation and character in the voice.

From here, blend the parallel channel along with the main vocal track to taste.

Using Automation On Vocals

The final component of any pro vocal mix is ensuring that the volume of every single word is heard.

Even though EQ and compression do a great job of cleaning up a track and smoothing out its dynamic range, often these tools alone are not enough. This is where volume (and more specifically, automation) comes in handy.

By riding the fader as you listen back to the performance, you can bring up the volume of any words or lines that get lost in the mix. This will guarantee that the vocal sits on top of the mix and that the listener never struggles to make out the lyrics.

Automation allows you to easily bring up the volume of each word so that it can be clearly heard.
Automation allows you to easily bring up the volume of each word so that it can be clearly heard.

Conclusion

Vocal mixing doesn’t need to be so challenging. By now if you’ve followed along with this article, you should have a much greater grasp of how to analyze your tracks so that you can easily identify the necessary eq and compression settings to use for vocals.

Remember, the goal is to make sure that your audience can clearly understand what is being sung throughout the track. By following the steps listed above, you can ensure that your audience will be singing along for days.

Looking for a Vocal Mixing Cheat Sheet?

Download The Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: A free guide on how to use EQ and compression across a variety of instruments so that you can create great mixes quickly.

how to use drum samples, mixing drums, drum kit

How To Use Drum Samples In Your Mixes

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You’ve likely heard it said many times before but…
 
If you want to achieve modern, pro-sounding mixes, you need to use drum samples.
 
The reason has nothing to do with whether you have a weak drummer, poor sounding room, or bad microphone positioning (although samples CAN help fix all three of those things).
 
Even the biggest and best engineers in the world still use samples. And it’s certainly not because they aren’t doing a good job during the tracking stage.
 
So why use them?
 
Samples allow you to add consistency, power, impact, and weight to your tracks.
 
They allow you to achieve a pro sound faster and without the need for spending hours trying to manipulate your source tones and fighting common issues such as bleed.
 
Some musicians have an irrational fear that using samples will result in lifeless, sterile, robotic tracks that sound unnatural; however, when added to a mix properly, this is the furthest thing from the truth.
 
In fact, if you listen to the top 100 songs on the radio now, I’ll guarantee you that 99% of them have samples blended into the mix and you’d likely never know.
 
So how do you use samples correctly and make them sound natural? Inside this video, I’ll show you how.

In this video, I’ll show you how to easily add samples to your mixes in a variety of ways (using free and paid options).
 
I’ll also show you how you can preserve the natural dynamics of your drummer’s performance so you don’t end up with tracks that don’t sound fake and robotic.
 
Mike
 
PS. Looking for samples to use in your mixes? Check out the MasterYourMix Drum sample collections

Home Recording Studio Equipment: 7 Essentials To Get Started

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Building a home recording studio can be an amazing experience. There’s nothing like having the ability to record your song ideas whenever you’re feeling creative. On the surface it might seem like a daunting task; however, the truth is that getting started with home recording doesn’t need to be so difficult or costly. When looking for home recording studio equipment there are 7 essentials that you need to get up and running. Inside of this article, I’ll outline exactly what you need and how to start without breaking the bank.

1. Computer

This may seem obvious to many, but long gone are the days of recording your songs to analog tape. Sure, analog studios do still exist; but these days, the majority of home recording studios are using computers.

Digital recording allows for a lot of flexibility in terms of inputs, outputs, and processing. Plus, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper!

That being said, the question becomes: “does it matter if you have a mac or pc?”

If you’re just getting started, it doesn’t matter. There are plenty of software options available for both.

macbook pro

2. Interface

An audio interface is a device that allows you to get the sound of your microphones and instruments into your computer and into the software – where you’re going to record it.

So how do you go about picking the right interface for you?

There are five main criteria that I recommend you consider before buying an interface:

  1. How many instruments do you need to record at the same time? This will determine how many inputs you need on the interface.
  2. How many outputs do you need? For the majority of home-studio owners, two outputs is usually enough (to connect your left and right speakers). If you plan on using any sort of outboard gear for mixing (which isn’t very necessary with the quality of today’s audio plugins), you may want additional outputs.
  3. What are the inputs on your computer? Most audio interfaces come as either Thunderbolt, USB, or Firewire. Choose whichever will work with your system.
  4. How powerful is your computer? As you start to use more plugins within your mix sessions, you’re going to start to use up more of your computer’s resources. Some audio interfaces allow you to offset some of the plugin processing by processing it within the interface. If you have an older/slower system, you can purchase an interface that will help free up some of your computer’s resources.
  5. Do you need a special interface to run the plugins that you want to use? The majority of audio plugins don’t require a special device in order to use them. Instead, they rely on your computer’s power to handle the processing. That being said, there are some premium plugins that DO require specific interfaces in order to use them. A great example of this would be with Universal Audio plugins. In order to use these, they require you to have specific interfaces or satellite cards which handle the processing power outside of your computer. For the majority of new studio owners, these premium plugins will not be necessary to get started; however, it is something to consider for the future.

Most sub-$1000 interfaces are pretty similar in quality. It’s only as you spend more money that you will get a higher quality interface with premium features. That being said, for the majority of home studio musicians, the different will be negligible.

Often the improvements you’ll find in a higher quality (and more expensive) interface have to do with preamps, digital-to-audio conversion, and connectivity to outboard gear.

Some relatively inexpensive interfaces that I’d recommend are the Focusrite Scarlett, Presonus Audiobox, or the Universal Audio Apollo Twin.

focusrite scarlett 2i2, audio interface, home recording studio equipment, how to start a recording studio
Focusrite Scarlett
presonus audiobox, audio interface, home recording studio equipment, how to start a recording studio
Presonus AudioBox
universal audio apollo twin, audio interface, home recording studio equipment, how to start a recording studio
Universal Audio Apollo Twin

3. Software/DAW

So you have your computer and audio interface, but now what do you record into? This is where software comes in. When it comes to recording software, we refer to these programs as Digital Audio Workstations (DAW for short). These programs allow you to record audio into them, edit the audio, mix the files together, compose music, and so much more.

There are many different DAWs you can choose from. Some of the most popular include:

  • Pro Tools
  • Cubase
  • Sonar
  • Logic
  • Presonus Studio One
  • Ableton
  • Garageband
  • Reaper

Which DAW is the best to use?

Well, that’s a personal preference thing…On the surface they all allow you do perform the same basic functions. Where they differ is in things like visual layout, advanced editing functions, maximum track counts, stock plugin options, and a few other areas.

For the average home-studio musician who is just trying to quickly record ideas into their computer, programs like Garageband and Studio One are very intuitive and will definitely cover all of the basic necessities.

For more advanced mixing engineers, DAWs such as Pro Tools, Logic, and Cubase will offer more flexibility and editing features.

At the end of the day, there is no “best” DAW. It all comes down to your personal preference and the amount of advanced features you require for your workflow.

My advice is to choose one program and stick with it. The more you dive into learning the features of the software, the faster you will become with it. Many programs offer keyboard shortcuts (which allow you to perform certain tasks using a single key press on your keyboard). Once you learn and memorize these key commands, you will start to see massive improvements in the speed of your workflow within your DAW.

pro tools, digital audio workstation, software, DAW, audio software, mixing software, how to mix
garageband, digital audio workstation, software, DAW, audio software, mixing software, how to mix
studio one, digital audio workstation, software, DAW, audio software, mixing software, how to mix
logic pro, digital audio workstation, software, DAW, audio software, mixing software, how to mix

4. Speakers/Headphones

In order to hear the music you’re creating, you need to use speakers or headphones. Since you’re creating music for others to enjoy, it is important that you monitor your songs using studio-quality speakers or headphones. The reason for this is because studio-grade equipment has been designed for critical listening. As a result, it typically plays back audio with a flat frequency response.

On the other hand, consumer-grade speakers are usually built to sound more pleasing to the ear. Because of this, they usually have a hyped low or high frequency response. This may sound great for listening to music; however, when you are trying to make critical mixing decisions (with the intention of your audience listening to the song on a variety of different speakers), this “hyped” sound can be misleading and cause you to make mix moves that might not actually need to be done. For example, if you were listening to a song on headphones with lots of low end, you might think that you have too much low end in your mix – causing you to remove it from your song. Although this may now sound better on your headphones, it may make your song sound really thin on other headphones that don’t normally have the extra bass boost.

Which studio monitors are the best to buy?

It really depends on your budget. Some things to keep in mind as you buy speakers is that you’ll want to find speakers that have the widest frequency spectrum. Generally, speakers that have a smaller woofer in them (6″ or smaller) will typically have less low frequency response. Whereas, bigger speakers (eg. 8″ and bigger) will allow you to hear more of the lower frequencies.

My advice to you is to visit your local music store and bring some music that you’re very familiar with. Listen to those songs on a variety of speakers and pay attention to how each of the different models sound. Pick your favorite that fits your budget and that sounds the most natural.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the KRK Rokit 8 and Yamaha HS8 speakers.

krk, rokit 8, speaker, studio monitor, recording studio equipment, home studio
yamaha hs8, speaker, studio monitor, recording studio equipment, home studio

5. Microphones

Whether you’re recording vocals, drums, guitar amps, or the majority of live instruments, you will need at least one microphone.

There are tons of microphone options available, ranging in price from $100 to $6000+. Is a $6000 mic always going to sound better? Nope. In fact, there are many classic, workhorse mics that can be found for under $300 (eg. Shure SM57, SM7B, Rode NT5).

There are many factors that can determine what sounds best:

  • Some microphones have a little more brightness to them
  • Some are a little warmer sounding.
  • Some are better at picking up transient material (eg. drums)

Ultimately, you want to find something that compliments the instrument you’re recording and the desired sound you’re after. For example, if you have a singer who has a very nasally voice or if they tend to pronounce “s” sounds pretty hard, you’d want to find a mic that doesn’t accentuate those unpleasant sounds.

When buying a microphone, it’s important to note that there are many different styles of microphones. Typically, the most common ones are dynamic microphones and condenser mics. The difference between different mic styles has to do with how sound passes through them (but that’s a whole other big article).

In general,

  • Condenser mics tend to be more sensitive and reveal a lot of the detail in a voice.

    • They also require phantom power (so you need to make sure you have an interface that can provide that)
    • Because of how sensitive they are, they aren’t always the best mic for recording lots of different instruments (especially loud ones like drums or guitars)
    • Some great inexpensive mics to choose from: Rode NT1, Aston Origin, Apex 460
  • Dynamic mics tend to be a little darker sounding and not as detailed.

    • They do not require phantom power
    • Tend to be more affordable
    • Can often be used to record multiple instruments
    • Recommended Dynamic mic: Shure SM7B

If your goal is to primarily record vocals, I’d recommend starting off with a condenser mic.

If your plan is to record live instruments, dynamic mics are typically the best way to go.

Looking for one mic that can do both really well? The Shure SM7B is a great choice!

shure sm57, microphone, home recording studio equipment, dynamic microphone
Shure SM57
shure sm7b, microphone, home recording studio equipment, dynamic microphone
Shure SM7B

6. Pop Filter

When recording vocals, there’s nothing worse than having a great take ruined by a loud burst of wind making its way into the mic. On words that start with “b”, “p” or “t”, it is very common for a fast burst of air from the singer’s breath to overload the microphone (these are called plosives). When this happens, it can become very distracting to listen to. The easiest way to prevent this is to use a pop filter.

pop filter, recording vocals

Pop filters are typically made of mesh or metal. They are designed to attenuate the energy of the air hitting the microphone. A secondary purpose they serve is preventing spit from hitting the mic.

They are typically very affordable and can save you from hours of retakes.

7. Acoustic Treatment

Part of capturing a clean, dry recording requires that you are in a room that isn’t full of reflective surfaces. The more reflective a room is, the greater the chances are of echoes and reverberations making their way into the recording. It is far better to record a signal as dry as possible since you can always add reverb during the mixing stage to make a sound seem livelier. That being said, if the reflections are captured in the original recording, it can be near impossible to remove them.

In addition, when you are mixing, it is always best to work in an environment that isn’t very reflective, since those reflections can get in your way of hearing things accurately.

This is where acoustic treatment comes into play.

Acoustic treatment can come in a variety of forms.  Some treatment is designed to absorb sound and some is meant to disperse it. The truth is that you don’t need a fancy looking home recording studio with an abundance of acoustic treatment. For most people starting, the most important areas to take care of are where there are reflections. This can be achieved with minimal treatment.

For a great resource on which acoustic treatment you should get and where to place it in your room, check out Episode 22 of the Master Your Mix Podcast

There are plenty of affordable options available for adding acoustic treatment to your home recording studio. Companies like Auralex or Primacoustic make pre-made kits of panels that can easily be mounted on your walls to reduce reflections.

auralex roominator, acoustic treatment, how to record music, how to build a studio
auralex roominator, acoustic treatment, how to record music, how to build a studio

Alternatively, you can make your own acoustic panels for fairly cheap.

When recording vocals, in addition to having acoustic treatment on the walls of your room, it can be very beneficial to have a reflection filter (also frequently known as a portable vocal booth) located behind the microphone. These filters improve isolation and prevent excessive reflections from getting into the microphone. Some great examples of these are the Aston Halo and the Primacoustic VoxGuard.

Aston halo, portable vocal booth, how to start a recording studio, how to record vocals
Aston Halo
primacoustic voxguard, portable vocal booth, how to start a recording studio, how to record vocals
Primacoustic VoxGuard

Conclusion

So there you have it. Those are the 7 essential pieces of home recording studio equipment that you need to get started. It’s always best to start small and only add pieces as need be. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that owning more gear or more expensive equipment will get you a better quality sound. It won’t. Quality will come from the development of your audio skills.

Once you have the essentials, put your focus on understanding how to make the most of the equipment you already have. Work on capturing cleaner recordings, mic techniques, and learning how to put all of the recorded tracks together and mix them to perfection.

Looking for more tips on how to get your mixes to sound big and polished?

Check out The Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: A free guide on how to use EQ and compression across a variety of instruments so that you can create great mixes quickly.

Top 5 Reverb Mistakes To Avoid

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One of the easiest ways to give your mixes some additional polish is to use reverb.

Reverb allows you to add depth to your tracks, make your drums sound bigger, and add fullness and sustain to your vocals.

The problem with reverb is that, although it can bring new life to your tracks, it is a tool that is very easy to overdo.

With the wrong settings, you can very easily end up with mixes that lack clarity or sound muddy and distracting.

If you’ve ever felt like your mixes sound like that, you might have been inclined to think that the solution was to fix it with EQ or compression – but the real issue could be your reverb settings.

In this video, I outline the top 3 mistakes I see people frequently making with reverb and how you can avoid them.

I’ll also walk you through how to dial in the right settings, so that instead, you can use reverb to make your tracks sound full, while maintaining clarity and polish.

Reverb is an essential part of every pro mix. By understanding how to use it properly, it will allow you to distinguish your tracks from countless amateur mixers. It’s time to start getting it right.

Hope you found that helpful.

Mike

Looking for more tips on how to get your mixes to sound big and polished?

Check out The Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: A free guide on how to use EQ and compression across a variety of instruments so that you can create great mixes quickly.

Understanding How To Use The 1176 Compressor To Create Great Mixes

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If you’ve spent any time looking at pictures of pro studios, watching online mix tutorials, going through your plugin list, or following any plugin manufacturers, chances are very high that you’ll be familiar with the famous 1176 compressor (or some variation of it).
1176 compressor

What’s the deal with these things?
Why are there SOOOO many different plugins modeled after this compressor?
Are they really that special?
Do they sound better than other compressors?
And what the heck do people mean when they talk about “all-buttons-in mode”?

If you’ve ever asked yourself any of these questions, I’m going to get you the answers you need.

Inside of this new video, I’m going to help you make sense of this famous compressor.

I’ll show exactly why so many engineers use this as their go-to piece of equipment.

The truth is that not all compressors are created equal. The 1176 has some special mojo. You’ll learn all about it inside of this video.

Want to learn more about using compression in your mixes?
Download your FREE copy of the MasterYourMix Compression Cheat Sheet by clicking here

Gain Staging: 4 Tips You Need To Know To Make Great Mixes

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Have you ever experienced this before?

You start working on a mix, throw the faders up, add some eq and compression, you’ve got the track feeling good…

…But then you look at your master levels…

… You’re clipping the master buss.

…So you pull all of the channels down to prevent it from going in the red.

…But now everything just sounds… different.  Your compressors aren’t quite reacting to the signal the same way, the mix feels different, your mind feels like it’s playing tricks with you, and it takes you some time to adjust to the new overall level.

Does this sound like something you’ve gone through? We’ve all been there at one point.

It’s frustrating and time consuming to have to reset your mix after putting in so much time.

But what if there was a simple way to prevent this from happening before starting the mix?

There is.  And it all has to do with gain staging

I recently put together a video with 4 simple tips to help you with gain-staging so that you can get the best results out of your tracks and save you tons of time and frustrations as you work.

Check it out here….

Gain-staging doesn’t need to be a super technical, difficult process. A lot of people over-think it. If you follow these 4 tips as you work, you will eliminate a lot of back-and-forth in your workflow. They’ll also help you prevent clipping and ensure that you get the cleanest results out of your mix.

Mike

 

Looking for more tips on how to create better recordings and mixes from your home studio?

Check out The Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: A free guide on how to use EQ and compression across a variety of instruments so that you can create great mixes quickly.

Make Your Own DIY Acoustic Panels

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Recently, I moved into a new condo.

As exciting as the move was, one thing that absolutely terrified me was how my new mix room was going to sound.

For years, I had been working out of a small bedroom to do the majority of my mixing and mastering work. Since I listened to/worked on so much music in there, I knew exactly how my mixes were supposed to sound in order to make them translate properly.

With moving all my gear into a new space, I had no idea whether it was going to be a smooth transition.

When I moved into my new condo, the first thing I did was set up my speakers in my new mix room and just listened to music.

(My girlfriend deserves a Girlfriend-Of-The-Year Award because she did the majority of the unpacking while I just listened to music for hours).

My new mix room SUCKED!!!

It sounded nothing like my old one. It was very boxy sounding and with the concrete ceilings, it was SUPER reflective. I felt like I was constantly hearing 30ms delay on everything. It was driving me crazy.

I knew that I needed to take control of the room and get some acoustic panels on the walls ASAP to fix this nightmare.

As I started to look into commercial acoustic products, I quickly realized it was going to cost me a small fortune to treat my room.

Luckily, I had some experience building my own panels in the past; so I decided to take matters into my own hands.

While I was at it, I decided to document the whole process so that you too can learn how easy it is to make your own acoustic panels.

Check out this video to learn how:

Building your own panels is very easy and can save you a ton of money. Rather than spending thousands of dollars to to get my room to sound good, it only cost me about $300 Canadian to build 10 panels.

After hanging them up on my walls, the results were phenomenal. I was able to get rid of the reflections that were driving me mad, and my room sounded so much more even and controlled.

Already, I’ve been making some of my favorite mixes I’ve ever done.

If your mix room is giving you problems, I HIGHLY recommend you look into building your own acoustic panels.

Mike

 

Looking for more tips on how to get better recordings and mixes from your home studio?

Check out The Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: A free guide on how to use EQ and compression across a variety of instruments so that you can create great mixes quickly.

Mixing Bass Guitar – Getting Balanced Low End

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Getting a balanced low end while mixing bass guitar is one of the biggest challenges most engineers face.

It can be extremely difficult to get your bass  tracks to cut through your mix without overpowering everything else and making your mix sound really muddy.

EQ and compression can be your best friends for correcting this but sometimes you need to take some extra steps to get the results you need.

In this video, I’m going to show you a technique that I frequently use to really gain control of the low end so that you can get it consistent. I’ll show you how to find that sweet spot of having the bass sit right while keeping the dynamics and attitude of the mid-range.

Check it out:

Gaining control of your low end doesn’t need to be so difficult. Sometimes it just requires a little outside-of-the-box thinking.

What techniques do you frequently use when mixing bass guitar?  I’d love to know.  Make sure to leave a comment below.

Until next time,

Mike

 

Looking for more tips on how to get the low-end in your mixes sounding big and polished?

Check out The Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: A free guide on how to use EQ and compression across a variety of instruments so that you can create great mixes quickly.

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