The #1 thing to make your music sound better
One question I regularly get is: ‘why does this track from artist X sound so fricking good? What’s the secret to making my music sound professional?’. Well, that’s a tough question I’ve been thinking about lately. And by now I believe I’ve found the answer. The key to solving this problem has to do with […]
How to find high quality samples?
Every time I open up my sample library I get confronted with this never-ending list of drum samples. Sifting through hundreds of files to find that perfect sample. Starting out with high quality samples will give you a head start in your production game. But how do you pick good samples and what qualities do […]
Can I master my own tracks?
Mastering is an art form that requires a deep technical understanding of analog and digital audio. Mastering is much more than just putting a limiter on the master bus. While it’s technically possible to master your own tracks, there are many reasons why it’s not recommended. Let’s first start with 4 reasons not to master […]
What is fader riding?
Many people use compression to reduce the dynamic range of a track. A compressor is nothing more than an automated volume control. In fact, before compression was even invented, real hands turned faders up and down during mixdown. A note that was a little too quiet could be turned up and notes too loud could […]
Techniques for Collaborating Online
With lots of people affected by the Covid-19 virus, there is more need than ever for new music. Musicians and music producers with home studios are lucky. They can continue to work on their music as normal. Even if you don’t have access to a home studio, you can still make music with nothing more […]
8 Creative Ways to use Distortion In Your Tracks
Distortion is something you usually want to avoid when recording. You don’t want to see those red lights blinking at you, right? That is often the case, clipping your interface or converters isn’t a very pleasant sound. But why is it that we do like the subtle overdrive of a guitar amp? Or the warm […]
Producing music with foley
Foley is an artform where ordinary sounds are recreated in the studio. Things like footsteps, opening, and closing doors, moving chairs, rattling keys and clothing noises. Sounds that nobody seems to notice unless you take them away. Recording the world around you Recording foley or ‘found sounds’ as some people like to call it, is […]
Interview with Rinze Hofstee about Collaboration
My graduation research project from the HKU was about collaboration methods for applied music productions. During my research, I interviewed various music professionals, including Rinze Hofstee. Together with his colleague Joep Smeele, he tours the world under the name ‘Sick Individuals’. I spoke to Rinze on the phone and asked him how Sick Individuals became […]
How to create a dub delay on an analog mixer
Computers are machines I couldn’t live without. But sometimes they tend to get in the way of creating music. That’s why I am currently working on a completely analog setup in the studio. I hooked all synth’s and outboard effects to an analog mixing desk and realized that the mixer too can act as an […]
Create your own kickdrum
Making the perfect kickdrum always seemed like an impossible task to me. How do professional producers create kicks that sound punchy and fat in a club? In reality, many producers struggle with creating great kickdrums. So how do they get around this problem? Well, they use great sounding samples in the first place. Second, if […]
Top 18 Music Production Blogs
Since I learned a lot from music production blogs, I decided to make a short list of music production blogs that produce good quality content. […]
Giving Feedback
Everybody listens to different kinds of music. Just like some people love to eat sushi when others can’t stand it, there are people who love your music when others hate it. Giving feedback to other people’s music can quickly escalate into an argument about why that kind of music fights with your own musical taste. There is an art in giving feedback as much as there is an art in creating the music itself. […]
10 Deep House Songs Analyzed by Structure
Recently I started getting into deep house music. I’ve always liked deep house music, especially the more melodic kind. A problem I ran into with my own music, however, is that I began with great sounds and melodic ideas, but I didn’t know how to finish the track. It was time for me to study a bunch of tracks in terms of structure. […]
Finding Your Own Sound
A lot of artists have a certain sound. Something which differentiates them from the rest. Having your own unique sound doesn’t mean you need to work in only one genre. Your own unique sound will shine through anything you do. It is in your blood, your experience, personal interests, and your view of this world. […]
Why do I need a mix template
Almost all of the great mix engineers in this world use a mix template. I wanted to make one myself for a long time but I couldn’t get my head around it at first. If you are just starting out with mixing music, the thought of creating a go-to mix template can be daunting. […]
Stock Plugins or Third Party Plugins
Each DAW is bundled with a huge amount of different audio processing plugins. With all these plugins at hand, why are people still buying third-party plugins? Don’t they have enough tools to play around with already? […]
How much RAM for music production?
A returning question I see on various music production groups every week is: ‘How much RAM do I need for music production?’. There is nothing wrong with this question, the problem is the answer that is given. […]
Electronic Music Production for Beginners
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to produce electronic music that could unite people from all across the globe? Music that touches people, makes them dance and forget all the struggles that life throws at them? Well, why not try it for yourself? […]
Procrastinating Decisions
It is never wise to procrastinate decisions. This applies not only to writing new songs but also during recording, production and even mixing. A well-known phrase is: ‘we will fix it in the mix’. Shifting a decision to another moment may not seem disastrous. But often when mixing, problems come to light that actually had to be solved during the recording session. […]
The electronic music producer
In previous articles, I talked about coaching music producers and producer/engineers. Today I want to talk about the electronic music producer. […]
