Comment / Opinion

As regular readers may have gathered, I'm not very good at relaxing holidays, so I always take a basic laptop-based studio setup with me...

If I were ever asked to participate in the TV programme Room 101, I could find plenty of things to rant about...

To help you brush up on your listening skills, we examine the production of some recent hits from Lewis Capaldi, Brandi Carlile, and Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus. Our classic mix is Bobbie Gentry's 1967 country music hit.

“Garage band sessions, where the drums have been mixed on a single microphone, embody honesty and humanity.”

In keeping with his South Yorkshire roots, this month's column returns to one of our Editor In Chief's favourite themes, which might best be described as fiscal restraint — or perhaps audio austerity...

"I love the fact that recording and production has become so cheap."

To help you brush up on your listening skills, we examine the production of some recent hits from Panic! At The Disco, Mabel, Dan + Shay, Kacey Musgraves plus a classic Carpenters mix.

Over 10 years ago I started a leader column by saying: "The cold reality is that the musical hardware and software available...

We examine the production of some recent hits to help you brush up on your listening skills.

"Tracks in the context of an album can have a totally different effect in comparison to hearing those tracks in isolation..."

With another NAMM show over, our esteemed Editor-In-Chief shares his thoughts on emerging trends...

We examine the production of some recent hit records to help you brush up your listening skills.

"With its unique voice and rich timbre, the acoustic guitar in the hands of a creative mind has unlimited possibilities."

Musical creativity can be inspired by many different things, but our Editor In Chief finds that picking up an instrument he wouldn't normally play can stimulate new ideas...

We examine the production of some recent hit records to help you brush up your listening skills.

"It's a harrowing journey trying to turn a cube-shaped room in an apartment building into a listening room suitable for mixing a quality record."

How does the manufacturer of a DAW, plug-in or app go about setting a pricefor that software?

We examine the production of some recent hits from: Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B • Clean Bandit feat. Julia Michaels • Drake and a Classic Mix: Bryan Adams '(Everything I Do) I Do It For You' (1991).

"I have resisted the explosion in modular, monosynths, polysynths and gizmos... because of the lack of focus they inflict."

Although Macs are simply wonderful when they are working properly, on a bad day they can be just as frustrating as their counterparts...

Studios may be suffering in the 21st Century, but they still hold a certain appeal — not least as wedding venues.