Straight answers on audio plugins, your DAW, and making music, written properly so you can fix the thing or make the thing. The technique comes first and it is free, whether or not you ever buy anything from us.
Grouped below by what you are trying to do. Use the search to jump straight to one.
No guide matches that yet. Try a DAW name, a format, or a technique.
Which formats each host loads, where they install, and why a plugin you just bought is not showing up.
Using audio plugins in Logic Pro, and why they are not showing up
Logic takes Audio Units, not VST. Where they install, the Plug-in Manager, Reset and Rescan, and validating a stubborn plugin yourself with auval.
For beginnersUsing audio plugins in GarageBand
GarageBand takes Audio Units, not VST. Where they install, how to add one to a track, and why a plugin you just installed is not showing up.
For producersUsing audio plugins in Ableton Live
Live takes VST2, VST3 and, on a Mac, Audio Units. Where they install, the Plug-Ins settings, and the rescan that fixes a plugin that will not appear.
For producersUsing audio plugins in FL Studio
FL takes VST, VST3 and, on a Mac, Audio Units. Where they install, the Find and Verify plugins scan, and why a plugin you just added is not showing up.
For producersUsing audio plugins in Studio One
Studio One takes VST3 and, on a Mac, Audio Units. Where they install, the Locations and blocklist settings, and why a plugin is not showing up.
For producersUsing audio plugins in Cubase
Cubase takes VST3, not AU, and VST2 is on the way out. Where they install, the Plug-in Manager and blocklist, and why yours is not showing up.
For producersUsing audio plugins in REAPER
REAPER takes VST, VST3 and, on a Mac, Audio Units. Where they install, the path and re-scan settings, and the fix for a plugin that will not appear.
For producersUsing audio plugins in Bitwig Studio
Bitwig takes VST2, VST3 and CLAP, but no Audio Units. Where they install, the Locations and rescan settings, and why a plugin is not showing up.
For producersUsing audio plugins in Pro Tools
Pro Tools takes AAX only, not VST or AU. Where AAX installs, the iLok and scan gotchas, and why a plugin you just bought is not showing up.
For editorsUsing third-party audio plugins in Final Cut Pro
Final Cut takes Audio Units, not VST. Where they install, why yours is not showing up, and the four limitations nobody mentions.
For editorsUsing audio plugins in DaVinci Resolve
Resolve loads VST and, on Mac, Audio Units, in the free version too. Where they install, the one folder it ignores, and why yours is not showing in Fairlight.
For editorsUsing audio plugins in Adobe Premiere Pro
Premiere takes VST and, on a Mac, Audio Units. The Audio Plug-in Manager, where they install, the folder it ignores, and why yours is not showing up.
Which format to download, where each one goes on Mac and Windows, and the checklist when a plugin will not appear.
Why is my audio plugin not showing up in my DAW?
The seven ordinary reasons a plugin goes missing, in the order to check them, and the one that catches nearly everyone, whatever host you use.
TroubleshootingPlugin is damaged and can't be opened: the macOS fix
Why macOS calls a plugin damaged or unverified, the Open Anyway and Terminal fixes, and why a signed, notarized plugin never triggers it.
TroubleshootingWhy is my export silent? Fixing a silent bounce or render
The quick checklist, and the big one for self-playing instruments: an offline bounce captures silence, so you bounce it in realtime instead.
FormatsAU, VST3 and AAX: which audio plugin format do you need?
What each format is, which host takes which, where they install, and a simple rule for picking the download that will actually show up.
InstallingHow to install audio plugins on macOS, and why they do not show up
Where each format installs, the difference between the two Library folders, the one some apps ignore, and the checklist for a plugin that will not appear.
InstallingHow to install audio plugins on Windows, and why they do not show up
The VST3 folder, the SmartScreen warning, the Unblock step people miss, and the checklist for a plugin that will not appear in your DAW.
Fixing problemsWhy is there no sound coming from my plugin?
The usual causes in order, from mute and routing to missing MIDI, an empty patch, a stuck gate, or CPU overload, with a symptom to fix table.
Fixing problemsWhy does my audio crackle and pop?
Why playback crackles, clicks and drops out, what buffer size actually does, why it gets worse as a project grows, and how to stop clicks while recording.
Fixing problemsWhat is plugin latency and how do you reduce it?
Why some plugins add a processing delay, how plugin delay compensation lines it up on playback, why it matters when recording, and how to reduce it.
Fixing problemsHow to lower CPU usage in your DAW
Why your DAW glitches and stalls, and how to cut CPU load with buffer size, freezing and bouncing, shared sends, and trimming heavy plugins.
Fixing problemsMy plugin crashes my DAW
Why a plugin crashes or freezes your DAW, how to find the culprit from the crash log and safe mode, the fixes in order, and how to stop it recurring.
FormatsWhat is a VST plugin?
What VST means and who made it, the difference between an instrument and an effect, VST2 versus VST3, and why VST is not the only plugin format.
Fixing problemsAU validation failed in Logic Pro
Why Logic disables a plugin that fails AU validation, the usual causes, and how to fix and re-run validation in the Plug-in Manager.
Fixing problemsWhy is my recording out of time?
Why a recorded part plays back early or late, what latency and delay compensation are, and how to record in time with a low buffer and direct monitoring.
How to actually make the thing: ambient, drone, pads, lo-fi, basslines, generative, and music you own.
I want to make music but don't know where to start
A starting map for adults with no experience, no gear and not much time. What to ignore, and a first week that ends with actual music.
For beginnersHow to make music without knowing any music theory
Theory describes what sounds good, it is not a licence you need first. The three shortcuts that do the same job, including the four chord loops everyone uses.
For beginnersHow to make ambient music when you can't play an instrument
Ambient is the friendliest doorway in: slow, textural, forgiving. The four ingredients, the three settings that matter, and a first piece tonight.
For producersHow to make generative ambient that plays itself
Generative music is a system, not a loop. Drones that drift out of phase, randomness fenced to a scale, and slow moves over minutes.
For producersHow to make a drone sound for ambient and film
What a drone is, how to build one from a held note, how to keep it moving over minutes, and how to sit it under a scene.
For producersHow to make a synth pad
What makes a sound a pad, how to build a lush one from scratch, how to make it evolve instead of sitting still, and how to fit it in a mix.
For producersHow to turn a sample into an instrument
Set the root so it plays in tune, loop it so it sustains, and turn a static sample into an evolving, playable texture.
For producersChord progressions for ambient and cinematic music
Why cinematic chords float instead of resolving, which modes give which feeling, five progressions to start from, and how to voice them big.
For producersHow to write an acid bassline that actually moves
Acid is not a filter sweep. It is accent and slide, one repeating cell, and a pattern locked to the kick.
For producersHow to make a lo-fi hip hop beat
The swung boom-bap drums, the jazzy chords, the simple bass, and the tape and vinyl wear that turns a clean loop into a lo-fi one.
For producersWow, flutter and saturation: how the tape sound actually works
What each control physically is, the numbers a real cassette deck hits, and how much is too much before it reads as broken.
For producersVoice leading: why your chords sound like a keyboard demo
The same four chords sound amateur or beautiful depending entirely on which notes move and how far.
For creatorsHow to make royalty-free background music for videos and streams
What royalty-free and owning your music really mean, why making your own is safer for monetized videos, and how to write a bed that stays out of the way.
For creatorsHow to make music for video games
Why game music has to loop and adapt, how layered stems and interchangeable sections work, and how to keep it out of the way of the game.
For producersHow to make dark ambient and cinematic ambient
Low drones and sub rumble, dissonance and minor modes, field recordings and noise, and slow evolution that feels heavy without being loud.
For producersHow to make acid techno
The 303 line with accent, slide and resonant sweeps, the driving four-on-the-floor kick, and the hypnotic repetition that carries a long track.
For producersHow to make a riser or build-up
Pitch risers and noise sweeps from scratch, the silence before the drop, and layering several risers so the build actually hits.
For producersHow to make an evolving tape loop
Loop a phrase, layer loops of different lengths so they drift out of phase, and let it wear out until it becomes a different piece.
For producersHow to make a bassline
The four jobs of a bassline: lock to the kick, follow the chord roots, stay in one register, and repeat a short cell until it turns into a hook.
For producersHow to make synthwave
The palette and how to build it: detuned saw leads, a driving arp bass, lush pads, gated 80s drums, and the nostalgic major-over-minor feel.
For producersHow to make a soundscape
Layering field recordings, drones and processed samples, then using granular, reverb and panning to give it space and slow movement.
Start hereHow to make ambient music
A primer: start from a slow pad or drone, use open harmony and long reverb, add a texture, and let it change very gradually. Links out to the deeper guides.
For producersHow to write a melody
What makes a melody memorable: a short motif repeated and varied, mostly stepwise motion with a few leaps, a clear contour, and landing on chord tones.
TheoryHow to write a chord progression
Build chords from a key, the diatonic table in C major, the progressions that show up everywhere, and how tension and resolution carry a song.
For producersHow to make vaporwave
The slowed, hazy sound from chopped loops, big reverb and tape warble, plus how to stay on the right side of copyright with your own material.
FoundationsWhat is MIDI and how does it work?
What MIDI is, why it is control data and not audio, the messages it carries like note and velocity, and how producers use it to edit and swap sounds.
TheoryWhat are scales and keys in music?
What a scale and a key are, the major and minor step patterns, C major and A minor side by side, and why staying in a key makes notes sound right.
For producersHow to make house music
The four on the floor kick and off-beat hat, a bouncing sidechained bass, piano and organ stabs, and how to arrange a house track in phrases.
FoundationsWhat is a synthesizer and how does it work?
What a synth is, the oscillator to filter to amplifier signal path, what each control does, and the main types from subtractive to FM to granular.
SynthesisWhat is an ADSR envelope?
The four envelope stages, why attack, decay and release are times but sustain is a level, and how the same envelope shapes volume or filter.
FoundationsWhat is a DAW and which one should you use?
What a digital audio workstation is and does, a fair rundown of the main ones and what each is known for, and how to pick one and start free.
For producersHow to make techno
The driving four on the floor kick, hypnotic repetition, rolling bass and atmosphere, and how to build a track that evolves over minutes.
SynthesisWhat is FM synthesis?
How FM makes sound by one oscillator modulating another, why the ratio sets the character, and what it is good for, from bells to punchy bass.
SynthesisWhat is subtractive synthesis?
The most common way synths make sound: an oscillator into a filter into an amplifier, how the filter shapes the tone, and how it differs from FM and additive.
FoundationsWhat is an audio interface and do you need one?
What an audio interface is and does, whether you actually need one (no if you work in the box), and what to look for if you do.
FoundationsWhat is quantization and should you quantize?
What quantizing is, how the grid and strength work, how to tighten timing without killing the groove, and when to leave a part loose.
For producersHow to make trance
The offbeat rolling bass, supersaw leads and lush pads, the long breakdown that rebuilds into the drop, and how to arrange it at 130 to 140 BPM.
SynthesisWhat is wavetable synthesis?
How a wavetable holds many single-cycle waves and scanning through them morphs the tone, why it suits evolving digital sounds, and how it differs from FM.
SynthesisWhat is an LFO?
What a low frequency oscillator is, the rate, depth and shape controls, the classic uses from vibrato to filter wobble, and how it differs from an envelope.
FoundationsWhat are sample rate and bit depth?
What sample rate and bit depth mean, the Nyquist idea, what 16 and 24 bit give you, what to actually use, and what dithering is for.
For producersHow to make hip hop beats
The drum core, the sample or loop, and the bass that locks to the kick, the tempo ranges from boom bap to trap, and how to stay clear of copyright.
SynthesisWhat is a filter?
What a filter does, cutoff and resonance, the low-pass, high-pass, band-pass and notch types, and the filter envelope that gives a synth its movement.
Sound designHow to make a bass sound
Choosing the oscillator, keeping the bass mono and solid, layering a clean sub with a character layer, and adding saturation so it reads on small speakers.
For producersHow to make future bass
The moving detuned supersaw chords, the pitched vocal chops, the half-time drop, and the hard kick sidechain that makes the chords breathe.
SynthesisWhat is an oscillator?
What an oscillator is, what the waveforms sound like, why synths use more than one and detune them, and how it starts every synth sound.
Sound designHow to make a lead synth sound
Choosing the oscillator and unison for a lead that cuts through, mono versus poly and glide, and the filter, envelope and effects that place it.
For producersHow to make phonk
The cowbell melody, the distorted 808 and hard drums, the chopped Memphis vocals and cassette texture, and how to stay clear of copyright.
For producersHow to make chiptune (8-bit music)
Making 8-bit music with the limited palette of old sound chips: pulse and triangle waves, a noise channel, few voices, and fast arpeggios that fake chords.
Sound designHow to make a chord stab
Turning a chord into a short, punchy hit with a fast attack and quick release, the sounds and 7th chords that work, and placing stabs on the offbeats.
SynthesisWhat is a waveform?
What a waveform is and why its shape sets the timbre, what the basic waves sound like from sine to saw to noise, and how complex sounds are built from them.
For producersHow to make future garage
The shuffled 2-step drums, deep sub bass, pitched vocal chops and wide reverb pads, and the restraint that gives future garage its melancholic space.
Sound designHow to make a reese bass
How to build the detuned, phasing growl of a reese bass, keep the low end solid in mono, and add the movement and distortion that give it bite.
For producersHow to make chillwave
The dreamy, nostalgic sound of warm vintage synths, heavy reverb and a washed-out tape haze, with slowed samples and buried vocals at a relaxed tempo.
TechniqueHow to make an arpeggio
What an arpeggio is, how an arpeggiator turns a held chord into a pattern, the rate, direction and octave controls, and how it differs from a sequencer.
SynthesisWhat is polyphony?
What polyphony is, the difference between monophonic and polyphonic synths, what voices and voice stealing mean, and where paraphonic sits between them.
For producersHow to make disco
The four-on-the-floor kick, off-beat open hats, and octave-jumping funky bassline, plus string and brass stabs, chanking guitar, and what nu-disco adds.
TechniqueHow to make a vocal chop
How to cut a vocal into fragments, re-pitch and arrange them into a hook or a rhythmic texture, and how to stay on the right side of copyright.
SynthesisWhat is unison?
How unison stacks detuned copies of a note for a thick, wide sound, what the voice, detune and spread controls do, and what a supersaw really is.
Sound designHow to make a pluck sound
How to shape a short, percussive pluck with a fast attack and quick decay, a filter envelope that snaps closed, and the oscillator choices that make it sharp or soft.
Sound designHow to make a lo-fi piano sound
How to turn a plain piano into the soft, dusty, wobbly lo-fi sound: tape wow and flutter, vinyl crackle, a rolled-off top, and loose jazzy chords.
Sound designHow to add vinyl crackle to a beat
What vinyl crackle is, where to get it, how to loop and EQ it under a beat so it is felt not heard, and why it is not the same as buffer crackle.
TechniqueWhat is syncopation?
What syncopation is, how accenting the off-beats against the strong beats creates groove, the ways to add it, and why it drives funk, disco and dance music.
ProductionHow to structure a song
The common sections of a pop and an electronic track, how long each usually runs, and how to shape an energy map so the chorus or drop lands.
For producersHow to make ambient techno
How to blend techno's steady pulse with ambient's deep pads, drones and dub delays into something hypnotic and textural rather than peak-time.
Sound designHow to make a sub bass
What a sub bass is, which clean wave to use, how to make it translate on small speakers, and how to fit it with the kick so they do not fight.
SynthesisWhat is timbre?
What timbre is, why a piano and a violin sound different on the same note, and how a synth shapes it with oscillators, filters and envelopes.
TheoryWhat is a chord?
What a chord is, how triads are built by stacking thirds, what makes a chord major or minor, and what seventh and suspended chords add.
Sound designHow to make a wobble bass
How to make the dubstep wobble bass with an LFO on the filter cutoff, sync it to the tempo, and add resonance and distortion for the growl.
For producersHow to make synthpop
How to build 1980s synthpop from synth bass, leads and pads, drum machines and a catchy vocal hook, and how it differs from synthwave.
ProductionHow to finish a track
Why tracks stall and how to actually finish them: arrange early, limit your palette, commit decisions, and accept that done beats perfect.
FoundationsWhat is tempo and BPM?
What tempo and BPM mean, how a beat is the pulse you tap to, the rough tempo ranges for common genres, and what half-time and double-time are.
For producersHow to make city pop
The glossy 1980s Japanese pop sound: lush 7th and 9th chords, funky slap bass, clean guitars and warm tape, and the recent online revival.
Sound designHow to layer sounds
How to stack complementary sounds into one bigger sound, give each layer its own frequency space, and keep them in tune, in time and in phase.
FoundationsWhat is a time signature?
What a time signature is, what the top and bottom numbers mean, why 4/4 is so common, and how 3/4, 6/8 and odd meters change the feel.
For producersHow to make deep house
The warmer, soulful side of house: a soft round kick, deep rolling sub, jazzy 7th and 9th Rhodes chords, and a laid-back late-night mood.
Sound designHow to make a supersaw
How to build the big, wide supersaw lead by stacking detuned saws, why you layer a clean sub under it, and how to make it sit in a track.
For producersHow to make IDM
The complex, experimental side of electronic music: glitchy programmed breakbeats, odd meters, evolving textures, and music made for listening not dancing.
TheoryWhat are musical intervals?
What a musical interval is, how intervals are named and counted in semitones, the difference between melodic and harmonic, and why they build scales and chords.
Sound designHow to make an 808
How to make an 808 bass from a tuned sine sub, slide it between notes, add saturation so it hits on small speakers, and fit it with the kick.
TheoryWhat is a mode?
What a musical mode is, the seven modes of the major scale from Ionian to Locrian, what each one sounds like, and how to actually use one.
For producersHow to make trip-hop
The downtempo Bristol sound: slow dusty breakbeats, deep bass, jazzy Rhodes samples and a hazy vinyl-crackle atmosphere, and how to stay clear of copyright.
TheoryWhat is the circle of fifths?
What the circle of fifths is, how it lays out the twelve keys, how it shows key signatures and related keys, and how to use it to write music.
For producersHow to make drum and bass
How to make drum and bass at 170 to 175 BPM: the chopped breakbeat, the heavy sub and reese bass at the half-time feel, and how to arrange it.
For producersHow to make shoegaze
The dreamy, noisy guitar sound: thick walls of reverb, delay, chorus and fuzz, vocals buried in the wash, and how to build it from layered guitar or synth.
For producersHow to make grime
The UK sound built for MCs at around 140 BPM: sparse syncopated beats, hard square-wave bass and stabs, and how to leave room for the vocal.
TheoryWhat is a pentatonic scale?
What a pentatonic scale is, the major and minor pentatonic notes and degrees, why it is so hard to play a wrong note with it, and why it is everywhere.
For producersHow to make dubstep
The UK bass sound at around 140 BPM with a half-time feel: sparse drums, deep sub, wobble and growl bass, and how to build tension into the drop.
For producersHow to make dub
The reggae style built at the mixing desk: stripping to drum and bass, dropping parts in and out, and drenching hits in reverb and tape echo.
TheoryWhat is a seventh chord?
What a seventh chord is, the major, minor, dominant and half-diminished types with their notes, and why sevenths sound so rich in jazz, soul and RnB.
For producersHow to make trap
The Southern hip-hop sound: booming sliding 808s, fast rolling hi-hats, a snare on beat three, and dark, sparse minor-key melodic loops.
For producersHow to make boom bap
The classic East Coast hip-hop sound: hard swung drums, chopped soul and jazz samples, and a dusty, warm, slightly lo-fi character.
TheoryWhat is a triad?
What a triad is, the major, minor, diminished and augmented types with their notes, how to build one by stacking thirds, and why they matter.
For producersHow to make drill
The dark, menacing sound from Chicago and the UK: sliding 808 bass, sparse ominous minor melodies, skippy hi-hats, and how it differs from trap.
For producersHow to make jungle
The UK breakbeat sound at 160 to 170 BPM: chopped and rearranged breaks, deep sub-bass, ragga and dub influence, and how it relates to drum and bass.
TheoryWhat is a suspended chord?
What a sus chord is, the difference between sus2 and sus4, why they sound open and unresolved, and how to use them to add tension and release.
For producersHow to make reggaeton
The Latin urban sound at 90 to 100 BPM: the dembow rhythm, a deep bass locked to the kick, catchy hooks, and how to build the groove.
TheoryWhat is a diminished chord?
What a diminished chord is, the diminished triad and diminished seventh with their notes, how it differs from half-diminished, and why it sounds so tense.
For producersHow to make afrobeats
The modern West African pop sound at 100 to 120 BPM: the percussion-led groove, bouncy melodic bass, bright plucks and hooks, and how it differs from Afrobeat.
For producersHow to make downtempo
The chilled, atmospheric sound at 70 to 110 BPM: slow laid-back beats, lush pads, deep bass and ambient texture, and how it relates to trip-hop and chillout.
TheoryWhat is a chord inversion?
What an inversion is, root position and first and second inversion with their bass notes, slash chords, and why inversions make progressions smoother.
For producersHow to make UK garage
The skippy UK dance sound at around 130 BPM: the 2-step shuffle, deep sub-bass, chopped soulful vocals, and how it differs from future garage.
For producersHow to make breakbeat
The chopped-drum-break sound of big beat and nu skool breaks at 120 to 140 BPM: sourcing and cutting a break, big bass and stabs, and its jungle roots.
TheoryWhat is a major scale?
What a major scale is, the W W H W W W H step pattern, C major and G major worked out, scale degrees, and why it sounds bright and happy.
For producersHow to make psytrance
The fast, hypnotic sound at 140 to 145 BPM: the driving kick, the rolling straight sixteenth-note bassline locked to it, and squelchy psychedelic leads.
For producersHow to make dub techno
The deep, echo-soaked sound at 120 to 130 BPM: a muted four-on-the-floor, a chord stab drenched in tape delay and reverb, and a vast minimal space.
TheoryWhat is a minor scale?
What a minor scale is, the natural, harmonic and melodic forms with their notes, why it sounds dark, and what the relative minor is.
For producersHow to make tech house
The groovy house and techno hybrid at 124 to 128 BPM: the tight kick, the rolling offbeat bassline, swung percussion, and how to keep it minimal.
TheoryWhat is harmony in music?
What harmony is, how it differs from melody and rhythm, what consonance and dissonance mean, and how chords and progressions make harmony move.
For producersHow to make melodic techno
The emotional, hypnotic sound at 120 to 125 BPM: a driving kick, a deep rolling bassline, moody arps and melodies, and long, evolving builds.
TheoryWhat is a key signature?
What the sharps or flats at the start of a staff mean, how many each key has, the order they are added, and how to read the key from the signature.
For producersHow to make progressive house
The melodic, builds-focused house sound at 124 to 128 BPM: the rolling bass, layered synths added over time, the long breakdown, and the uplifting drop.
TheoryWhat is an augmented chord?
What an augmented chord is, how two stacked major thirds give it a raised fifth, why it sounds tense and dreamy, and how to use it as a passing chord.
For producersHow to make nu-disco
The modern disco and house revival at 110 to 125 BPM: the four-on-the-floor groove, funky synth bass, filtered disco loops, and feel-good chords.
TheoryWhat is a borrowed chord?
What a borrowed chord is, how modal interchange pulls chords from the parallel key, the most common ones like the minor four, and how to use them.
TheoryWhat is an octave?
What an octave is, how it doubles or halves the frequency, why notes an octave apart share a name, and how octaves are used to thicken a part.
TheoryWhat is a key change?
What a key change is, why songs change key, how to modulate smoothly with related keys and pivot chords, and the truck-driver bump for a final chorus.
FoundationsWhat is a sampler?
What a sampler is, how it maps a recorded sample across the keyboard to play as notes, what you can do with one, and how it differs from a synth.
For producersHow to make amapiano
The South African house sound at 110 to 115 BPM: the deep sliding log drum bass, jazzy piano and Rhodes chords, busy soft percussion, and a spacious groove.
TheoryWhat is a cadence?
What a cadence is, the perfect, plagal, half and deceptive cadences, and how these chord endings act like punctuation to pause, resolve or surprise.
Sound designHow to make a lush string sound
How to build a lush synth string sound from detuned saws, a slow bowing envelope, a chorus for the ensemble width, and a hall reverb for space.
Getting the finished track loud enough, clean enough, and out the door for streaming.
How loud should my master be? LUFS for Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music
What LUFS is, the level each platform normalizes to, why they turn loud masters down, and a safe target for true peak and loudness.
MasteringWhat is true peak?
What true peak and inter-sample peaks are, why a sample meter can miss them, why they matter for streaming and MP3, and how to limit to a safe dBTP.
MasteringWhat is dynamic range?
The gap between the quietest and loudest parts, musical versus technical range, how compression narrows it, the loudness war, and how much to keep.
MixingWhy does my mix sound muddy? And how to fix it
The low-mid buildup that causes mud, which frequencies to look at, and an ordered fix list from high-pass filtering to keeping the low end mono.
MixingWhat is a compressor and how do you use it?
What threshold, ratio, attack and release actually do, when to reach for compression, and how to avoid the pumping of over-compression.
MasteringHow to master a track
What mastering does and cannot do, the usual chain order from corrective EQ to the limiter, a sensible loudness target, and knowing when to stop.
MixingWhat is EQ and how do you use it?
What an EQ does, the band types and the bell's frequency, gain and Q, cutting before boosting, and using EQ to unmask sounds that clash.
MixingWhat is a spectrum analyzer?
What a spectrum analyzer shows, how to read the low-to-high frequency curve, how producers use it to spot problems, and why it should never replace your ears.
MixingWhat is reverb and how do you use it?
The types from room to plate to convolution, what pre-delay, decay and damping do, and how to add space without muddying the mix.
MasteringWhat is a limiter and how do you use it?
How a limiter holds a ceiling, why it is the last thing on your master, how it differs from a clipper, and how to avoid crushing a track.
MixingWhat is sidechain compression and how do you do it?
The kick ducks the bass pumping effect, how to set it up with a key input, and the other jobs sidechaining does like ducking music under a voice.
MixingWhat is gain staging and how do you do it?
Keeping levels sensible at every step so nothing clips, the target your tracks should sit at, and why hitting the red makes a mix sound worse, not louder.
MixingWhat is the difference between gain and volume?
Gain is the input level that drives a stage and can change tone, volume is the output level that sets loudness, and when to reach for each one.
MixingHow to add depth to a mix
How to place sounds front to back using level, reverb and pre-delay, and high-frequency roll-off, so a mix has near, middle and far layers.
MixingWhat is panning and how do you pan a mix?
How panning places each sound from left to right, what to keep in the centre, how to spread the rest in balanced pairs, and what pan law is.
MixingWhat is automation in music production?
How automation makes your DAW move a control over time by itself, what you can automate, the write modes, and how to use it to add movement.
MixingWhat is multiband compression?
How multiband compression splits the sound into frequency bands and compresses each one on its own, when it helps, and why it is easy to overuse.
MixingWhat is clipping in audio?
What clipping is, the difference between harsh digital clipping and softer analog clipping, how to stop unwanted clipping, and when it is used on purpose.
MixingHow to mix bass
How to get a bass that is powerful and clear on every system: level with the kick, mono low end, saturation for small speakers, and sidechaining.
MixingWhat is tape saturation?
The warm colour analog tape adds: gentle compression, harmonics, softened highs and a head bump, why producers use it, and how it differs from distortion.
MixingWhat is wow and flutter?
The slow and fast pitch wobble of tape and vinyl, what causes it, why it is a fault in hi-fi but character in lo-fi, and how it differs from tape saturation.
MixingWhat is a tape stop effect?
The sound of tape slowing to a halt, pitch and speed dropping together, how to make one, and how it differs from wow and flutter and a pitch bend.
MixingWhat is the difference between mono and stereo?
What mono and stereo actually are, why mono is not lower quality, when to keep parts mono, and what mono compatibility means for your mix.
MixingWhat is frequency in audio?
What frequency is, the range of human hearing, how frequency maps to musical pitch and octaves, the frequency bands, and why it matters for mixing.
MixingHow to mix vocals
The standard vocal chain in order, the EQ moves that add clarity without harshness, and how to carve a pocket so every word cuts through.
MixingWhat is stereo width and how do you widen a mix?
What stereo width is, the techniques that widen a mix safely, why the low end stays mono, and why you always check the result in mono.
MixingWhat is parallel compression?
How blending a heavily compressed copy under the dry signal adds body while keeping the transients, how to set it up, and where it shines.
MixingWhat is phase in audio?
What phase is, how phase cancellation thins a sound, what causes it from multi-mic to wideners, and how to check and fix it by summing to mono.
MixingWhat is comb filtering?
How a sound plus a slightly delayed copy makes evenly spaced peaks and notches, what causes it, why it sounds hollow, and how to avoid it.
MixingWhat is a de-esser?
What a de-esser is, why sibilance gets harsh, how to set one so it tames the ess sounds without dulling the vocal, and what to do without one.
MixingWhat is headroom in audio?
What headroom is, why leaving room below 0 dBFS stops clipping and helps mastering, how much to leave, and how it differs from the noise floor.
MixingWhat is bussing?
What a bus and an aux send are, how a subgroup lets you process a group together, when to use a send for shared reverb, and how the two differ.
MixingWhat is a send and return?
How a send branches a copy of a track to a shared effect and the return brings it back, pre versus post fader, and how a send differs from an insert and a bus.
MixingWhat is dry vs wet signal?
What dry and wet signal mean, how the dry/wet mix control blends them, when an effect runs fully wet, and the difference between insert and send effects.
MixingWhat is mid-side processing?
How mid-side splits a stereo signal into centre and sides so you can widen, keep the low end mono, or treat the centre and edges of a mix separately.
MixingWhat is a decibel (dB)?
What a decibel is and why it is logarithmic, what the 3, 6 and 10 dB rules of thumb mean, and how dBFS, dBu and dB SPL differ.
MixingWhat is amplitude in audio?
What amplitude is, why it is not quite the same as perceived loudness, how peak and RMS differ, and how amplitude relates to frequency and waveform.
MixingWhat is a sound wave?
What a sound wave is, how compression and rarefaction carry it through the air, how its properties map to pitch, loudness and timbre, and how a mic captures it.
MixingWhat is resonance in audio?
What resonance is, what the resonance or Q control on a filter does, when a resonant peak becomes an unwanted ring, and how to tame it with EQ.
MixingWhat is a transient?
What a transient is and why it carries the punch, how a transient shaper reshapes attack and sustain, and how it differs from a compressor.
MixingWhat is distortion and saturation?
What distortion and saturation do, how they add harmonics, the difference between warm even harmonics and harsher odd ones, and soft versus hard clipping.
MixingWhat is chorus?
How chorus copies a signal, delays and modulates it, and mixes it back for a thicker, wider shimmer, what the controls do, and how it differs from a flanger.
MixingHow to use a reference track
What a reference track is, why comparing your mix to a released song keeps your ears honest, how to choose one, and how to level-match and A/B.
MixingWhat is a noise gate?
What a noise gate does, what the threshold, attack, hold and release controls mean, its cleanup and gated-reverb uses, and how it differs from an expander.
MixingWhat is a delay effect?
How a delay effect makes echoes, what the time, feedback and mix controls do, the digital, analog and tape types, and how to keep it from cluttering.
MixingWhat is a flanger?
What a flanger is, how a short swept delay makes the jet-whoosh, what the controls do, and how it differs from a chorus and a phaser.
MixingHow to make a mix translate
Why a mix sounds different on other speakers, how to test it on a phone and in a car, and the fixes that make it sound good everywhere.
MixingWhat is a phaser?
What a phaser is, how all-pass filters and an LFO make the watery sweep, what the controls do, and how it differs from a flanger.
RecordingHow to record vocals at home
What gear you need to record vocals at home, how to tame an untreated room, the right mic technique, and how to capture clean takes.
RecordingHow to set up a home studio
What gear you actually need, the cheapest way to start with just a laptop, whether you need an audio interface, and how to set up the room.
RecordingWhat is phantom power?
What the 48V phantom power switch does, which mics need it, which can be damaged by it, and how to switch it on and off safely.
RecordingWhat are studio monitors?
What studio monitors are, why a flat honest response matters, what nearfield and active versus passive mean, and how to place them in your room.
VocalsWhat is autotune?
What autotune and pitch correction do, how the transparent and robotic effects are made, the key, speed and amount controls, and how to keep it natural.
MixingWhat is a bitcrusher?
What a bitcrusher does, how bit-depth and sample-rate reduction add grit and aliasing, and the lo-fi, crunchy, 8-bit sounds it makes.
MixingHow to mix on headphones
Whether you can mix on headphones, the pitfalls like an exaggerated stereo image and hard-to-judge low end, and how to work around them.
MixingHow to mix drums
How to mix drums: set the kick and snare first, EQ each element, add punch with compression and transient shaping, and glue the kit on a drum bus.
MixingWhat is dithering?
What dithering is, why reducing bit depth needs it, when to add it (once, at the very last step), and what noise shaping does.
MixingHow to EQ a kick and bass
Why the kick and bass fight in the low end, how to carve complementary EQ spaces so each has its own room, and how sidechaining helps.
MixingHow to fix a harsh mix
What makes a mix harsh, the 2 to 8 kHz range where it lives, how to sweep and tame it with EQ and dynamic EQ, and how to stop it happening again.
FoundationsHow to export a track
What exporting a track means, the format, sample rate and bit depth to use, how to capture the tail without clipping, and real-time versus offline bounce.
Scoring a scene, placing sound in a real space, and the craft of music that supports picture without pulling focus.
How to make music sound like it's playing in another room
The filter settings that work, the four mistakes that make it sound fake, and what to do when the camera moves.
For editorsHow to write cinematic underscore that sits under a scene
What underscore is, how to support a scene without pulling focus, building tension on the cut, and making the music belong in the space.
For editorsHow to make trailer music
The drone-and-pulse bed, the rising tension, the big hits and the braaam, the silence before the last one, and the three-act build.
For editorsHow to mix music under dialogue so both survive
Where speech and music actually collide, the three fixes in order of how well they work, and the levels to aim at.
For editorsWhat is worldizing?
The Walter Murch technique for making sound belong to a real place, why it beats a reverb preset, and how to do it digitally.
For editorsFutz: making a voice sound like a phone, a radio or a TV
Band limits you can dial straight in, and the reason a perfectly futzed voice still sounds fake.
For editorsDiegetic and non-diegetic sound, and why the line matters
What the terms mean, where source music sits, and the trick of crossing the line on purpose.
For editorsHow to add music to a video
Adding music to a video edit: placing and trimming it to picture, syncing to cuts, ducking it under dialogue, fading cleanly, and staying clear of copyright.
One email when we publish another, or when a new Tunary instrument ships. No newsletter, no schedule.
Tunary