In the last decade vinyl has made a comeback, particularly with the younger generation. The realization of how good vinyl sounds is part of the reason for its insurgence with millennials. But the main factor, according to studies, is the act of holding a physical copy of the music in their hands. The interactive experience […]
2016 Namm Tec Award Analog Equipment Review
The annual NAMM Show (National Association of Music Merchants) was once again a success in highlighting some innovative and exciting advancements in audio processing. Of course most of the excitement at the show revolved around software and digital audio advancements but my attention was focused on analog processing. My hat comes off to SSL, Tube-Tech […]
The Power of Analog Mastering
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The Advantage of a Word Clock
What is a Word Clock? Every digital device, from a simple portable CD player to a Pro Tools HD rig, has a word clock. Not to be confused with sync clock (like MTC or SMPTE), word clock is what tells a A/D or D/A converter when to take the sample. It fires an impulse to the […]
Mixing Tips: Creating Space In A Mix
I receive a multitude of mixes each month where the song sounds like a wall of instruments, unable to detect where some instruments begin and others end. A muddy labyrinth of sonic confusion if you will. Sure it’s sounds thick and full but it has no clarity and a complete lack of “space” within the mix and […]
“Mastered for iTunes” What does it mean
I have been fielding more and more questions in the past few weeks concerning the “Mastered for iTunes” logo that is positioned on so many artist pages in iTunes. Mastered for iTunes is a declaration by Apple that the “songs and albums for sale on iTunes are exactly as the artists and engineers intended […]
Mixing a Song for a Vinyl Release
Vinyl mastering is an artform. It is an all-analog format and it sounds great. But with that come some physical limitations. Digital formats like CD and MP3 can reproduce anything where as vinyl is more unforgiving. The last vinyl cutting lathes were produced in the early 80’s and it is impressive that we are still […]
RIAA Equalization
RIAA Equalization, there or Recording Industry Association of America, is a specification for the recording and playback of vinyl records (phonographs). In general terms, the recording is boosted in the high end and reduced in the low end for the recording and the reverse happens during playback. That is, the high-end is reduced and the low-end is […]
Producing Great Sounding Records
(Why Records Don’t Always Sound Like the Master Tape) BY: KEVIN GRAY 5/3/97 The following was written to aid engineers and producers who wish to release vinyl records. It is especially important for those who may be well versed in recording, but have not released vinyl records before. The paper is mainly about “pop” music […]
Mastering To Analog Tape (Tape Mastering)
About once a month I am asked to master an album that was recorded on a digital audio workstation, like most albums are these days, to analog tape. The idea is that recording the stereo mix to tape will saturate a mix with a sound that is consistent with a recording done entirely on 2″ analog […]
