Audio cables and power conditioners are often considered mere accessories rather than critical components of a recording studio. As a result, some studio owners prefer to invest in tools they believe …
Hear Me Out
Interview: Anna Frick on Mastering
Anna Frick is one of my favorite mastering engineers. She knows the technical side of mastering and audio restoration as well as anyone but her intuition and respect for the artistry of music truly …
Embrace The Space
Many artists who record at home or in other non-studio environments put serious thought into the mics they use (if they have more than one option) when tracking ideas and less thought into how …
First Listen: Retro 500 Pre
I recently traded in a high-end mic preamp in my collection for a Retro Instruments 500 Pre. Considering the company's irrefutable reputation for quality and the relatively accessible price of the 500 …
Review: Moog Mother-32
Mother-32 is a monophonic, analog synthesizer featuring a step-sequencer and a patch-bay for alternate routing configurations. This unique semi-modular platform is stirring up the synthesizer world …
Evaluation vs Validation
I’m often approached by independent recording artists who want me to listen to their work. Initially, I’m always happy to oblige because half of my business is based on listening to mixes and offering …
Getting a Professional Sound at Home
In my work as a remote production consultant, I receive mixes to evaluate. I ask each client about where they are stuck and where they want to go in terms of production sound. One of the most common …
Review: Focal Shape 50
If you are serious about audio production, you have quite likely heard of, heard or used Focal studio monitors. The French company is legendary for producing matchless hi-fi loudspeakers, studio …
Perspective On First Releases
I find that most recording artists working on a first release are pretty indecisive about the production sound they want. They may start out with a reference song or album but when it comes down to …
Introduction
Please allow me to introduce myself so that you may have some sense of where I’m coming from when I start spouting off about studio gear, production practices and the state of the music industry. My …
