Recording

I have an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff effects pedal that I’d like to try out on vocals, drums and possibly some other things during tracking.

My room is not ideally treated, especially in the corners near my monitors, which have no bass traps. Would it help to use monitors with bass ports on the front.

Can I link the S/PDIF out of my Boss DR-880 to the S/PDIF input of my Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 audio interface and get good results?

Audio files to accompany the article.

Does today’s sample-based drum software mean we don’t need real drummers any more? We find out what a human session drummer offers that a virtual drummer can’t.

Live rooms and headphones can kill the mood for some vocalists — so why not ditch the cans and record in front of your monitors?

We make a rare visit to a world-class recording studio, as one of The Church’s engineers takes us through a recent session.

Audio files to accompany the article.

I’m working on an acoustic track and would like my vocalist to sing backing vocals in a more ‘breathy’ way. Are you able to offer some vocal coaching tips that I can ask him to try?

I have three laptops in the house, all of which produce various sparks and flashes at the mains end when plugged into the wall. Can this be ‘right’ ?

In the May 2015 Mix Rescue article, Mike Senior talks about how he bounced out a mix any number of times to compare it to his references. I understand the purpose of referencing, but what I don’t understand is why he bounced out the mix.

I’ve put a lot of effort into creating and editing a recording of a solo mandolin. Although I like the final result a lot, on reflection the tone seems too trebly and cold.

Engineer Richard King has brought the art of ensemble recording to new heights in both classical and folk/pop spheres.

Audio files to accompany the article.

Brass on location: Our engineer tracks a trombone ensemble and solo trumpet for use in a contemporary rock mix.

We visit the world-famous Blackbird Studios in Nashville to meet Jacquire King, the Grammy-winning producer of James Bay’s Chaos And The Calm.

Throbbing Gristle’s highly individualist approach to music extended as far as making their own instruments and, ultimately, their own genre.

Spektakulatius: With last month’s mixes in the bag, our engineer was tasked with finding and working with a mastering engineer to put the finishing touches to both albums.

I recently came across an Eric Valentine video, in which he mentions how he keeps his preamps in the live room. My question is this: is there really a valid reason for doing this on runs which I imagine to be less than 100 feet?

I get the impression that manufacturing tolerances for mid-range and cheaper microphones are not always as tight as one would desire. If I found a mic I liked, and were then to go out and buy that model of mic, might the one I tested and the one I bought sound significantly different?

I often wonder exactly what gets matched when microphones with interchangeable capsules are bought as a stereo pair. Is it the bodies, the capsules, or both?