Studio & Recording

Record a little rhythm guitar, vocals and a few piano chords, then back everything up with a drum beat and some other instruments on your computer – that’s all you want to do. While you don’t have to be a producer or recording engineer to do any of it, it can take a little time to figure out exactly what you need to make a bit of music on your computer.

It sounds like the most anti-creative thing you could do: copying and pasting and analysing, rather than playing in a sandpit of sounds and seeing what happens. But the truth is that a more measured and ‘anti-creative’ approach can actually help you get unstuck. You know all too well that around three-quarters of those amazing sparks of inspiration you have end up in that little folder marked ‘Ideas’. Here, Guestblogger Hens Zimmerman reveals how using arrangement templates can really help free those locked up ideas and bring them kicking and screaming into the world.

In his previous guest-blog, radio DJ Sander de Heer explained how you can get into podcasting. If you’ve come up with a plan in the meantime, then you’re ready for the next step: getting more people to listen to your podcast. Sander points out a number of important things you need to pay attention to.

Want to start a podcast but don’t think you have the right voice for it? Don’t worry, the trick is actually not to engage in deejay-speak, talk very loud or constantly spout esoteric lingo. Using your normal voice and speaking as if you’re talking to a friend is always the best approach. Guest-blogger and radio DJ Sander de Heer is here to talk shop again.

Mixing any audio puts both sides of your brain to work, with the technical side of things calling on the left brain and the creative stuff calling on the right brain. When you’re having to constantly switch between the two, it can slow things down. So, when inspiration strikes, and you can already hear what you want the track to sound like and you’re itching to get started, it can be a bit of a buzzkill to have to make sends and seek out plugins before you can actually get stuck in.

Looking for a way to get that pure, modern pop sound on your vocals? Guestblogger and home studio coach, Ben van Essen shares three tips to help you gain radio-ready sound.

While you can’t actually ‘see’ a voice-over, it’s the element that conveys the message. Some voice-overs are so well expressed, that you not only hear what’s being said, but see images, feel things, smell things and even taste things. But how can a voice artist pull this off? A little empathy and some acting talent can go a long way, of course, but it’s just as important to know what you’re doing and really know the material you’re working with so that, when you speak, you’re speaking consciously. In this article, Myra Grünning explains how to make your voice-overs more expressive. Myra is a qualified speech therapist and speech coach and also works as a voice-over artist herself.

Pretty much everyone and their brother has a podcast nowadays. If you’ve been thinking about getting in on the action too, there are a few things you should know. Guest-blogger and experienced radio presenter Sander de Heer is here to share some of his wisdom and help keep you from calling it quits after your second episode.

Plug-ins are loved and detested at the same time. Analogue-based sound engineers find them clinical and unnatural, while for in-the-box* producers, plug-ins offer access to eye-wateringly expensive studio hardware without actually having to fork out thousands of pounds, making them infinitely useful. Guest-blogger Daan van Dreumel is here to tell you which plug-ins are a must-have for pro-grade music production, how they work and to which bit of legendary kit they owe their name and fame.

Voice-overs can very literally say a lot. All going well, the speech is in full service of the story, but what if the voice you hear is distracting from the message? Guestblogger, Myra Grünning explains what can go wrong and what you can do about it. Myra is a qualified speech therapist and speech coach and also works as a voice-over artist herself.

Your band is ready to record that long-awaited album and finally step into the recording studio. Whether you’re recording at home or in a professional studio, the question is: what can you expect and what should you look out for? If you’re the lead vocalist, how can you ensure that you and your band deliver the best possible performance and come away with great recordings?

“Are you a walking microphone encyclopaedia and a cold-blooded problem solver? Do you know how to turn the most vague of ideas into something that sounds great? Then we’re looking for you!” This is easily what any job post for a studio engineer, sound engineer or audio engineer could read like. Want to know more about what’s involved in the mysterious craft of studio engineering? Want to know what the difference really is between a studio engineer and a producer? Read on!