Mixing / Production

Outdoor live-sound work can be immensely satisfying to do — but it also involves some serious preparation...

The SOS team are tasked with improving speech recordings for an audio newspaper aimed at the partially sighted.

'Somebody That I Used To Know' is a worldwide hit that breaks every rule in the book. Artist Gotye and mix engineer François Tétaz reveal how they made it.

Technically speaking, working with a single-track recording may not be 'mixing', but a surprising amount of useful mixing‑style finessing can still be performed.

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What are the secrets to a successful soundcheck? We asked some of the biggest names in the live sound industry to share their top tips.

Analogue tape is enduringly popular as an audio recording medium, but do enough people know how to use it properly any more? Bob Clearmountain’s experience suggests otherwise...

Paul Weller's latest album was brimming over with musical creativity. The challenge for mixer Jan Kybert was to forge a coherent album from a mass of ideas.

This month, as well as sorting out a few sonic gremlins, with edits, EQ and other tricks, we aim to draw out more of the ‘moments’ in a track.

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The SOS team visit a well‑appointed home studio to try to cure a strange noise problem and help out with some acoustic guitar recording.

Delay forms the basis for a wide range of effects that can transform your tracks from dull and pedestrian to polished and professional.

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Expectations were high for the first Van Halen album in 14 years — and with eight mics on the bass alone, engineer Ross Hogarth was taking no chances!

This month, as well as revealing a few unusual tricks, our mix engineer demonstrates how to achieve power and clarity by focusing on the contrast between the sounds of different instruments.

Audio files to accompany the article.

The SOS team visit a London studio in a building directly under a busy road — and with another studio in the room next door!

Lana Del Rey has topped charts worldwide with her signature retro sound — and it all started with a demo that became a viral hit.

Can you hear the difference between an MP3 and a WAV file? We explain how lossy audio data compression works, and how to spot the tell-tale signs it leaves behind.

This month, our mix engineer develops a reader's track and shows that the difference between an average mix and a good one is less about the quality of the gear than about what you do with it!

Audio files to accompany the article.