Theory / Technical

This fully illustrated, 80-page eBook demystifies the physical and psychoacoustic principles behind stereo audio capture, busting long‑standing myths and replacing guesswork with clear, measurable concepts.

These demonstration recordings accompany the SOS eBook Stereo Miking and illustrate the effect of different array choices and distances on the sound character and stereo image.

Concluding our series on advanced stereo mic techniques, we explore binaural recording, disc‑shaped baffles and dummy heads, as well as a clever process called ‘Stereo Shuffling’.

We dive deeper into the theory and practice of hybrid arrays, and consider the benefits of using more than one array.

With an understanding of spaced and coincident stereo arrays, we can exploit the characteristics of both — using either established arrays, or by creating our own!

Building on the concepts explored in previous parts of this series, it’s time to weigh up some of the pros and cons of coincident and spaced arrays.

We conclude our primer on coincident arrays by exploring the theory and practice of Mid‑Sides miking.

This third article of our stereo mini‑series explores how to manipulate the perspective obtained from coincident mic pairs.

Our second instalment draws on the work of Alan Blumlein, to explain how we can audition and evaluate different stereo‑miking techniques.

In the first part of a new short series about stereo recording techniques, we start by exploring the most important tools of all: your brain and your ears!

We’ve updated our set of free audio test files!

A signal gate is really just a fancy on/off swich — and an inspiring creative tool for modifying existing sequences and creating new ones.

We explain why aliasing in plug‑ins isn’t always a problem — and why oversampling isn’t always the solution.

Turn the ratio up, and a compressor becomes a limiter. Go even further and you enter the world of reverse dynamics — and unique sonic effects.

Mixing gets so much easier when your processing chains are configured to deliver the same results in response to the same levels!

We look at the processes that can add harmonic content to a sound, for subtle warmth or radical transformation.

Standard test signals can be incredibly useful when configuring and aligning audio equipment — and we’ve created a set of properly calibrated test files just for you! Read on to find out how to use them and where to find them.

Get your hands on these SOS Audio Test Files which accompany our SOS May 2023 workshop.

It’s nearly a decade since the LUFS standard for loudness measurement was defined, yet many still seem confused about what it means for music production.

Once the preserve of academic and experimental music, granular synthesis is more accessible than ever and has a lot to offer in all sorts of genres.

Colin Cartmell’s decades‑long tonequest has led him to create some of the best guitar cabinet IRs out there — so we asked him for advice on how to roll your own.