Often found in classical and traditional music, the harp is a delicate and gentle instrument. It’s great for quieter, subtler, emotional melodies, and even accompaniment. You can, of course, take it to the other extreme. If utilized correctly, harps can also be great for unsettling, mysterious, and dark music as well. If you plan to…
Generally, you need to pay for the best plugins. But the cost can add up fast, especially if you’re planning to purchase all the essentials like EQ, reverb, compression, and more. The good news is that cheap VST plugins aren’t too hard to find. And while they can’t necessarily compete with higher priced plugins, they…
Bass guitar plays a key role in any mix. The challenge is usually getting it to sit just right in the mix, a problem that begins with the exact equipment and mic positions used to record it in the first place. Bass amp VST plugins can streamline your workflow considerably. In addition to providing a…
The cello is an absolute must-have in orchestral settings, a delight in ambient soundscapes, an emotional counterpart in acoustic singer-songwriter tunes, a dissonant distraction in horror / thriller projects, and much more. With its four-octave plus range, the cello is the musical bridge between the viola and bass, and that makes it versatile for melodies,…
The saxophone reed often seems like an unimportant part of the instrument. While the reed seems small and minor, it is the most important part when it comes to making the noise that you need out of the instrument. Choosing the right reed will make learning this instrument a little easier. The saxophone reed is…
With complex wiring schemes, plenty of tweakable parameters, and a near limitless palette of unreal, warm analog musical sounds and noise, modular synthesis is in vogue again. Most things analog translates well to digital, so it’s no wonder that someone thought to introduce the world of modular synthesis to digital recording. While digital modular synthesis…
Chances are you already know the power of a compressor and value it highly in your mixing workflow. A limiter is like a superpowered compressor with the ability to boost the loudness of your mixes and even add some nice saturation and warmth, depending on the module. To that it extent, limiters fit in rather…
Ableton Live quickly rose through the ranks to become the DAW of a new generation. As a capable live and in-studio recording tool, it’s ideal for electronic music, and can adapt nicely to other styles and genres as well. If you’re sold out on Ableton Live, it’s only natural that you’d come sniffing around here….
Loving the sound of classic romplers? Or do you come from a time when technology was more analog than digital, more hands on than automatic, grittier rather than cleaner? Whether you’re familiar with the earliest romplers available, or you’re new to the entire concept, there is something about classic gear and early VST plugin developments….
From layering in heavily effected vocal tracks to serve as background texture, to setting robotic, synthesized vocals at the forefront of a mix, vocoder VST plugins can be used in a variety of creative ways to add color and interest to your mixes. Vocoders may have originally been developed for radio and military purposes, but…
Like it or hate it, autotune is either used sparingly or with more extreme settings in practically every top 40 hit. Are they hits because they use autotune? Perhaps not. Even so, for producing pitch and timing perfect mixes, vocal processing is par for the course. Depending on the genre or style of music you…
From the haunting beauty of a violin solo in a somber acoustic classic like “Dust In The Wind” to the playful violin filling the spaces in the lusty 80s Celtic folk pop of “Come On Eileen,” the violin is a powerful instrument, whether used in a gentle singer-songwriter tune, full orchestra, or to complement a…
Modern recording typically involves a mix of hardware components and software solutions. But more and more producers are turning to “in the box” recording because it’s fun, and in many cases, you can achieve comparable results without all the expensive, heavy, and sometimes inconvenient hardware units. We’re not suggesting that the analog vs. digital debate…
Whether in pop, hip-hop, R&B, EDM, or another electronic genre, lo-fi VST plugins are in high demand. Sometimes, pristine clarity is the opposite of what you want. You want your tracks to have some grittiness, some character, some pitch issues, or some distortion to them. That’s where lo-fi VST plugins shine. Whether it’s making your…
Whether it’s the orchestra, R&B, soul, disco / funk, ska, or even rock, brass instruments play a special role within the context of a variety of musical settings. Long, sustained notes make brass instruments perfect for melody and accompaniment, but their pinpoint rhythmic precision can make them an excellent choice for percussive and rhythmic stabs…