How to Make Your Own Beat Introduction So, you want to start making your own beats and you’re wondering what music production gear you should get, along with the best software for beat making? Creating your own beats can actually be pretty easy if you have the right guide in front of you. ...

How to Mix Bass Introduction No matter how it’s played, mixing bass guitar is one of the most important parts of your music. But it’s also one of the toughest to get right. Want your tracks to sound professional? Check out this guide to learn everything you need to know to mix a killer bass. ...

How to Mix a Kick Introduction The kick drum is a crucial element to understand when mixing a track. It usually acts as the heartbeat that keeps all the other components together and forms the foundation of the production. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about how to ...

How to Record Vocals Introduction Every musician dreams of recording in a huge, fancy studio with a world-famous producer. But the reality is, most of us are working with pretty limited budgets. Luckily, with a few simple tricks, some basic production knowledge, and a little patience, you ...

Snare Mixing Techniques Intro Snare drums. They’re often a key part of any song. But they also have a reputation for being tricky when it comes to blending into the mix. You might be mixing a track and, for whatever reason—whether it’s the tone, dynamics, performance, or something else—the ...

What are Stems in Music? Introduction There are plenty of occasions when it’s useful—or even necessary—to create stems for your music. While it might seem like you can just bounce and export each track as separate WAV files and be done with it, there’s actually a real art to deciding how you ...

Mixing 808 Introduction In hip-hop, as well as pop and other genres, the 808 is often just as important to a track as the vocals. Whether it's an 808 or a live bassline, the bass gives a song its soul. It's crucial to bring the 808 to life in the mix without overpowering the kick drum or ...

Layering Audio 101 If you’re aiming for richer, more professional-sounding tracks, you’ve probably come across the concept of layering sounds. The idea is simple: combine (or stack) two or more similar types of sounds together. This can create a result that’s stronger or more interesting than ...

How to Start the Mix! Introduction Let’s talk about what it really means to “begin mixing.” It can be tough to know where to start. What do you do once you’ve imported your session? How does everything fit together, and how do you actually get moving? To help explain, let’s use a ...

Best Studio Microphone for Vocals Introduction Searching for the right vocal microphone can feel overwhelming. There are so many options available and lots of new terms to learn. When looking for the perfect microphone for your setup, you’ll need to consider several factors like your budget, ...

Best Analog Microphone Preamps For Vocals! Introduction A microphone preamp is a device that prepares the signal so it can be processed by other audio equipment. Microphone signals are often too weak to be sent directly to mixing consoles, multi-track recorders, or other recording devices ...

Best Small Diaphragm Condenser Microphone Introduction Small-diaphragm condenser mics are most commonly used for recording acoustic guitars, hi-hats, harps, drum overheads (but not kick drums), or any instrument with sharp transients (those quick, loud sounds) and rich overtones. Many people ...