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Today’s blog is specific to Pro Tools. A part of today’s blog is referring back to something I stated in my last blog (Nov. 21, 2025). When we create a new session, it is either blank or we use a template session (which is what I do). So – we create a brand new (blank) … Continue reading “Understanding the need for a Master Fader in our Digital Audio Workstations”

When I work with new or inexperienced audio engineers and producers, there is a basic mistake that I see over and over. When we use plugins, we traditionally put them on the track we want to affect. If I want to add EQ or compression to a vocal track, I would simply add the EQ … Continue reading “Using Reverb (Best Practice)”

Blending processed and unprocessed sound is a classic and effective technique that can provide drastic improvements – and it can be done in every DAW! What is it? The difference between processing a sound and parallel processing is simple. Both start out with an original, unaltered sound and signal path. In a processed sound, there … Continue reading “Parallel Processing”

Learning what different frequencies sound like and the effect they have on the sound of different instruments is an invaluable skill. These are the names we use to classify the bands – the frequencies are approximate, so use your ears! > 20 – 60 Hz – Sub-Bass: Gives boom, depth, and richness – too much … Continue reading “EQ – Different Frequency Bands [20 Hz – 20 kHz]”

Avid Pro Tools Dyn3 7-band EQ (free plugin) Understanding the overall structure of the EQ landscape is important to properly EQ individual tracks and to get them to fit nicely in the full mix. There are certain EQs out today that show the frequency band inside the EQ GUI. These can be quite helpful. Many … Continue reading “EQ – General Use (Tips/Tricks) (Part 3)”

Today I am going to talk about the Q parameter on the bands of an EQ. We will be going a little deeper than we normally do, but that’s the nature of the Q factor. The Q setting is going to affect the bandwidth of an EQ band. This means how much or how little … Continue reading “What is the ‘Q’ setting on an EQ?”

Throughout my blog series on EQs I am going to refer to the free EQ plugin that comes with Pro Tools, the Digirack EQ III 7-band. First,...

In the next series of blog posts, I’m going to go through EQ, or equalization. I will talk about why we use it, and when and how to use...

To wrap things up regarding compressors, I will offer 3 Dos and Don’ts as my final word for now. These are things to always keep in mind...

As you get better with compressors, you will start playing with other knobs and features. One of these is the knee. The knee refers to...

A compressor has a lot of knobs and settings. They can be confusing at first. In this blog I am going to talk about one of those knobs –...

Today I’m going to go a little deeper into how compressors work. But first, I want you to do an experiment. This experiment will allow...

Yes, more organization! 🙂 I think I have always been somewhat organized. But I have learned to be very organized since starting my...

After learning the basics about compressors (see Compressors 101 earlier blog entry), then you can use this general guide of the type of...

Using a click track during recording is, of course, imperative. We can’t do our work if we can’t play to the beat! Luckily for us Pro...

It is hard to learn how to record and mix music today. With so much information available on the web, sometimes it is hard to know if the...

Today I’m going to go a little deeper into how compressors work. But first, I want you to do an experiment. This experiment will allow you to SEE what a compressor does. When I did this, things started to become a lot clearer for me. We have to listen differently when it comes to compressors. … Continue reading “Compressors 103 – Going deeper”

Yes, more organization! 🙂 I think I have always been somewhat organized. But I have learned to be very organized since starting my studio. Things can get very unorganized, confusing and messy very quickly. If you want to save yourself some headaches down the road, grab 20-30 mins to take some time when you’re not … Continue reading “Organize, Organize, Organize! (Sessions, Folders, Files)”

Using a click track during recording is, of course, imperative. We can’t do our work if we can’t play to the beat! Luckily for us Pro Tools makes it easy to set up a click track! Just simply go to Track on the menu bar, scroll all the way to the bottom and choose Create … Continue reading “Creating a Click Track (in Pro Tools)”

It is hard to learn how to record and mix music today. With so much information available on the web, sometimes it is hard to know if the information is true or not – whether it can be trusted or not. Here are six myths that are not true! Ask anyone who really knows his … Continue reading “6 Recording Myths – Busted!”