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A strong song story gives the listener somewhere to stand. It may begin in a cramped flat in Melbourne, beside a closed-up servo in regional Queensland, or on…
A bare room can make a good recording sound thin, boxy or strangely distant. Hard surfaces such as plasterboard, glass, timber floors and kitchen benches…
A reference track is a familiar, professionally produced recording used as a reliable comparison while you mix. It gives your ears a target for tonal balance,…
Emotion in harmony rarely comes from complexity alone. A progression can use just four or five chords and still feel nostalgic, unsettled, hopeful or…
A mix can contain excellent sounds and still feel muddy, small or strangely quiet. Often, the problem is not that an individual track is poorly recorded. Two…
A polished vocal recording does not require a purpose-built studio. Many singers and producers work in bedrooms, spare rooms, apartments, and suburban houses…
Sidechain compression is one of the most recognisable techniques in modern electronic music. A kick lands, the bass briefly steps aside, and the whole track…
A memorable hook is rarely an accident. It is a compact musical idea with a clear shape, a recognisable emotional tone and enough repetition to become familiar…
A custom drum rack gives you control over the part of production that often determines a track’s identity before the melody or vocal arrives. Instead of…
A synth part can sound impressive in isolation yet become thin, harsh or strangely crowded once drums, bass and vocals arrive. The fix is rarely adding more…