Knowledge Wednesday By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

This week's Knowledge Wednesday tip is to ensure your guitars are properly setup for recording.

There are many elements that make up a solid guitar recording, the player, the amp, the speaker, the microphone and the microphone placement but in order to set yourself up for the best start before recording, it is vital that the instrument itself is properly setup.

This includes, new strings, intonation, pick-up height, truss-rod adjustment and even a small oil treatment on the fretboard. All these factors will ensure the best tone from the instrument is directed through the signal chain, not only this but the player will be more comfortable with their instrument and therefore, more likely to produce a better recording.

An extra tip when setting up a guitar for recording is to tape-off or mute the strings that are over the nut or over the bridge. This can be done with a bit of foam or tape and even though it is a little unsightly, it will perform very well and reduce excess string noise during the recording process. 

Check back next week for more Knowledge Wednesday tips!

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Knowledge Wednesday By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

This week's Knowledge Wednesday tip is 100% relevant to mixing and developing your skills but it doesn't actually involve doing any mixing. In actual fact, one of the best things you can do to learn about balance, EQ, compression, effects and so on is to listen to a wide variety of professional mixes (commercial music if you want to call it that) and analyse with your ears what is actually going on.

Pay attention to what elements of the mix are most prominent, what instruments are panned in the centre, what sounds are panned out wide, what is occupying the low end and high end etc.

It's good to listen critically to the genres of music that you like the most however, I strongly recommend broadening your scope to other types of music, even the stuff you may not like because this will give you a better understanding of how sounds work together in the context of a mix and therefore, ensure you are better equipped for when you begin your own mixes.

Check back next week for more Knowledge Wednesday tips.

If you are looking for online editing, mixing and mastering services, head over to www.jwaudioproductions.co.uk   and get in touch via the contact page. There are currently December Deals in place so be sure to check it out!