SOS PODCASTS

David Mellor explores how the Yamaha NS-10M monitors became a studio staple and why, decades after being discontinued, engineers are still seeking out second-hand pairs.

Oli Freke talks us through the history of samplers, from the introduction of the Mellotron in 1963, through to current day sampling software, while highlighting the golden era of sampling from the late 80s to early 90s.

Paul White delves into the fun world of modelled guitars, amps and cabs, that cannot only make your songwriting and studio sessions more creative and unique.

Paul White and Hugh Robjohns pick their software and hardware highlights from the gear they've reviewed in the last 12 months.

Paul White and Hugh Robjohns talk us through four essential studio effects that every music producer or mix engineer needs to know for creating an effective mix.

Paul White and Hugh Robjohns discuss the basics of a good home studio setup, including choosing the right equipment and setting up your space correctly to achieve the best recording and mixing results.  

Paul White and Hugh Robjohns discuss the best practices for avoiding and eliminating electrical noise interference in your home studio.

The drum machine has progressed massively since the days of the home organ player. Here Oli Freke takes us through a brief history, with lots of audio examples.

In the first of this two-part series, David Mellor gives us an introduction to mic polar patterns.

A valuable test for recording engineers, David Mellor gives examples of different mic types to emphasise the importance of knowing your mic collection in detail.

In the final part of this series, Rob Toulson focuses on mic techniques for recording drums and talks us through the issue of frequency cancellation in a multiple mic setup, details how to choose the recording sweet spot in a room and explains the various stereo mic options that are available including the famous Glyn Johns technique.

Rob Toulson explains how to optimise the drum sound for recording by experimenting with drum head, damping system, tuning and drum shell combinations.

In Part 1, we look at the key principles of drum acoustics and discuss some scientific aspects of drums with respect to making music and creative recording projects.

Paul White takes us through the history and evolution of guitar synths, from early attempts at creating onboard sounds and audio-to-MIDI pickups, through to using pedals and plug-ins to emulate synth effects.