Gareth, Author at zZounds Music Blog: Recent Episodes
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At the zZounds Blog, we speak music. Check us out for sneak peeks at new gear, interviews with artists and brands, reviews, in-depth demos, videos, and more!
Ever notice the lively ambience of vocal, drum, and instrument tracks on ’60s Motown classics? That distinctive sound is due in large part to the unique house-turned-studio purchased by Motown founder Berry Gordy, the attic of which was converted into a reverb chamber that became one of the most characterful reverb sounds ever recorded. In […]
The post Add Excitement to Your Mixes With the UAD Hitsville Reverb Plug-In appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
It’s not easy to find a software reverb that replicates the complex-yet-musical sound of a real, physical reverb chamber. However, Universal Audio seems to have done this quite well with their Capitol Chambers reverb plug-in. Let’s get inside UAD’s Capitol Chambers and hear it in action! A Classic Verb If you’re going to emulate the […]
The post Mixing With the UAD Capitol Chambers Reverb Plug-in appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
After achieving success with their plug-in based ARC room correction mic + software package, IK Multimedia has released an interesting new implementation of ARC: the ARC Studio, a way to room-correct without having to run a plug-in in your DAW. With ARC Studio you get a measurement mic, the ARC 4 software, and a box […]
The post How and Why to Use ARC Studio appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
Designed and built by German microphone manufacturer Beyerdynamic (that’s pronounced like “buyer-dynamic”), the M 160 is a unique microphone that’s perfect for many difficult recording situations. In this article we’ll take a look at some of the features that make it so suited for harsh sources and the unique challenges of recording in a home […]
The post At Home With the Beyerdynamic M 160 appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
With better noise cancelling, longer battery life, and a new “spatializer” audio setting, Shure’s new flagship AONIC 50 Gen 2 wireless headphones improve on the original in several areas. So how do all of these new features affect the listening experience? Design and Layout The AONIC 50 Gen 2s are reasonably lightweight with a nice […]
The post Shure AONIC 50 Gen 2: Better Noise-Cancelling and More appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
Ashley McBryde & John Osborne (Brothers Osborne) stop by to discuss making “Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville.” About The Guests A four-time Grammy nominee, Ashley McBryde is a celebrated singer/songwriter and a member of the Grand Ole Opry. John Osborne and his brother T.J. form the Brothers Osborne, a rock/country group that has experienced mainstream success […]
The post Episode 213 – Ashley McBryde & John Osborne appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
Known for their popular iLoud MTM monitors, IK Multimedia is stepping into the high-end monitor market with their iLoud Precision line. At this price point, high-quality materials and cutting-edge design are to be expected, but the iLoud Precision monitors also boast a very modern set of features, including in-speaker ARC room correction, customizable EQ settings, […]
The post Get Precise with iLoud Precision Monitors appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
Add vintage character to your recordings! The Universal Audio Volt 276 interface has built-in analog compression and tube emulation circuitry to add warmth and vibe to your tracks. With its Vintage Mic Preamp mode, you can add the warm, tube-based sound of the classic Universal Audio 610 preamp to your tracks at the push of […]
The post Vintage Warmth: Universal Audio Volt 276 Video Demo appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
Kali Audio IN-5 and IN-8 coaxial studio monitors are getting great reviews, especially for their full bass response and detailed stereo imaging. In this article we’ll look at why the IN-5 is an excellent choice for most home studio mix rooms as well as for home theater use. We’ll also look at the new IN-5-C […]
The post At Home With Kali Audio IN-5 Coaxial Studio Monitors appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
A high-quality preamp gives you a lot more than clean, low-noise gain. A preamp is the window through which your recorded audio passes, and the preamp you decide to use will impart its character to everything you record with it. If you think about your mix like a building, then you can see why having […]
The post Build Your Studio Around the Focusrite ISA One appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
Dialed in for pure performance, Bose L1 Pro portable line array systems advance a PA category invented by Bose into a new era of on-the-go audio for singer-songwriters, mobile DJs, and bands. Three models offer legendary 180-degree horizontal coverage, unmatched clarity and tonal balance, plus extended bass response with a unique RaceTrack woofer design. In […]
The post Get Back to Gigging with the Bose L1 Pro32 appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
Grammy-winning engineer Chris Lord-Alge is known for crafting mixes that translate well on small speakers and FM radio. Dynamic range compression is arguably the most important tool in CLA’s sonic toolbox. And for vocal tracks, his go-to hardware compressor is his modified Blue Stripe 1176 — a one-of-a-kind customized version of Bill Putnam’s original 1968 […]
The post Black Lion Audio “Bluey” FET Compressor Demo appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
You can’t mix the low end if you can’t hear it — so why do so many home studio owners go without a subwoofer? A decent sub is a good investment for anyone who’s serious about mixing audio for music, video projects, or films. These days even portable speakers put out an impressive amount of […]
The post Kali Audio WS-12: The Sub for Live or Studio Use appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
Monophonic, polyphonic, paraphonic, what do these confusing and occasionally overlapping terms really mean? There’s no need to be scared of all the jargon — we’re here to give you the lowdown on all that noise! The components inside synthesizers that generate sound are called oscillators. Synths assign oscillators to different notes depending on what keys […]
The post Monophonic vs. Polyphonic vs. Paraphonic Synths appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
As you may know, the bass frequency area in a mix should be like an exclusive club — only authorized instruments and sounds are allowed in. The reason for this is two-fold: it gives you more headroom to work with in your mix (alleviating some of the pressure from your 2-bus compressor and limiter), and […]
The post Mix Tips: Cleaning Up the High End appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
Do you like to mix songs to sound huge, loud, and attention-grabbing, even if you have to distort and compress the hell out of them? Well I do. Dynamic range purists and audiophiles, feel free to stop reading here. You’re already using your compressors gently and sparingly, like a French chef uses seasoning. Well done. […]
The post Mix Tips: Using Slower Attack Times for Compression appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
The Volca Keys was one of the first synths released in Korg’s Volca series in 2013, and it’s also one of the most versatile. The Volca series offers a few options for monophonic sounds and drums/rhythm, but the Volca Keys is the only polyphonic, analog synth in the lineup (at the time of this writing). […]
The post Bustin’ Out the Korg Volca Keys appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
It’s a “West Coast style” modular synthesizer! It has 50 patch points! It’s… perhaps a little intimidating at first glance. The Korg volca modular is a “micro modular synthesizer.” This means that it’s made up of individual modules: the sections of a synthesizer that perform different functions, such as selecting the sound source, adjusting the […]
The post Exploring the Korg volca modular appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.
With all the great plug-ins available these days, is there really any advantage to using analog outboard processing? In this post we’ll take a listen to some sound samples that have been processed by analog filtering so you can hear for yourself. For our purposes we’ll use the Korg Volca Mix, a very affordable portable […]
The post Analog Filtering Tracks With the Korg Volca Mix appeared first on zZounds Music Blog.