Mixing / Production

In 1924 George Antheil wrote a piece of music which required 16 synchronised player pianos playing four different parts, along with a bizarre human ensemble. But it took 75 years before Antheil's dream of a gigantic machine-controlled performance was fully realised, using MIDI, by US-based musician and SOS contributor Paul D. Lehrman. In this two-part feature, he explains how this two-year project reached fruition.

As Chief Sound Designer for Roland and founder of Specrasonics, Eric Persing has created some of the most widely used sounds in modern electronic music. He tells Kevin McDaniels how he turned sample CDs into big business, and reveals how some of the exotic sounds on his Spectrasonics discs were created.

British soulstress Gabrielle returned to the limelight earlier this year with a number one single based around a distinctive sample from Bob Dylan's 'Knocking On Heaven's Door'. Mike Senior meeds producers Johnny Dollar and Simon Palmskin to find out how the hit was constructed.

Best known as the producer of some of the most important punk albums of the '70s and biggest dance hits of the '80s, Mike Thorne now runs his own label, multimedia company and studio in New York. Tom Flint talked to Mike about technology, his studio and the future...

There aren't many bands who produce their best work over 20 years into their career, but XTC's 1999 album Apple Venus Vol. 1 has been widely acknowledged as a masterpiece, and their latest, Wasp Star, is a joyous collection of noisy, catchy pop songs. Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding recorded it in their own Idea Studio, where they talked to Sam Inglis.

Although 'Money' took new British R&B star Jamelia into the top 5 at the age of 17, her apparent overnight success was built on more than a year of hard work by producer Colin Emmanuel. Sam Inglis uncovers the story behind the single.

Veteran guitarist Carlos Santana's 1999 comeback album Supernatural has been a sales phenomenon in the US album charts. Richard Buskin spoke to engineer Glenn Kolotkin, whose association with Santana goes back to his classic albums of the '70s.

Whether your bag is pop, jazz, or classical music, or even if you just watch TV occasionally, you've almost certainly heard Richard Niles's work. Mike Senior talks to one of the most versatile men in modern music.

Fifteen years ago, the idea that writing music for computer games could put you in the freame for a major Hollywood film-scoring job would have seemed laughable. But it's exactly what has happened to Nathan McCree and Matt Kemp. Paul White travelled to their Oxfordshire studio to unearth more...

Matt Bell talks to the man behind Chicane, and unravels the story of a Bryan Adams vocal mangled into anonymity by an unreliable vocoder, and a number one hit produced in a home studio without so much as a patchbay to its name.

Christina Aguilera's debut single was a worldwide smash hit last year, thanks in no small measure to the distinctive work of producer and co‑writer David Frank. Mike Senior finds out how he did it.

From his early days as a pioneer of British synth-pop, Martyn Ware has forged a career on the cutting edge of electronic music. And he is still innovating today — in 3D.

Two successful new producers from New Zealand have used a unique blend of old and new technology to create two hit albums for the Stereophonics. Mike Senior talks to Bird & Bush about their role in a British rock & roll success story.

Working from a small studio in Quebec, Canada, Pierre Marchand has been responsible for some stunning production work, most notably with songsmith Sarah McLachlan. Paul Tingen finds out how he successfully mixes a technological approach with live performances to create his organic intimate sound.

For my next project, a theatre musical, I am currently writing MIDI backing tracks in Cubase, which will then be...

In the final part of his series on digital editing, Paul White examines some methods of removing clicks from a recording, before looking at how to burn a production master CD.

In all the hullabaloo over the wizardry that brought long-dead reptiles back to life for last year's smash TV success Walking With Dinosaurs, the story of the production of the musical score from a small home studio — a tale no less impressive than behind the programme's visuals — was overlooked. Matt Bell sets the record straight with composer Ben Bartlett.

Big George talks to the man responsible for the final creative stage in the production of many of the most successful records of the last decade.

In Play, American dance producer Moby made one of the albums of 1999, which owed its critical recognition in no small part to the hit single 'Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?'. Tom Flint talks to Moby to find out how the track was made.

Paul White concludes his short series on mixer automation with a step-by-step guide to setting up and running an automated mix.

After last month's overview of the equipment and processes involved in compiling an album master from mixes, Paul White gets down to the business of sorting out wanted audio from unwanted...