Tools For Musicians

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…

From classical and pop to rock and hip-hop. Strings complement a variety of musical styles, and are used heavily in TV, film, and video game music too. So, for most producers and composers, having access to a competent strings VST plugin (or multiple plugins) is going to be high on the priority list. In this…

Sampling is addicting and fun. You can take a variety of sounds, turn them into something completely new, and build layer upon layer to develop your own beats. Of course, you can overdub vocals, instrument tracks, and anything else as you see fit, and even process those raw sounds through your sampler if you wish….

You can’t expect to produce pristine, perfect sounding vocal tracks without setting up your effects chain. But what effects do you need to make your vocal tracks sound their very best? And how do you even choose from the many VST plugins that are out there? In this guide, we look at the best vocal…

There are plenty of classic synths, be it the Yamaha DX7, Korg M1, or Sequential Prophet-5. But the Roland JUNO-106 analog polysynth (and its various iterations) still stands as one of the most popular, thanks to its programmability and great sound. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, then, that there are plenty of…

Blood curdling, skull crushing, floor thumping, wall of sound guitar tones. It’s what every self-respecting metal guitarist wants. To achieve these tones, there are certain tricks of the trade that need to be mastered. But having the right tools never hurt anyone. And it is possible to do it all with digital gear alone. So,…

Creating more separation and isolation in your mix allows every track to “breathe” and “sit” better. To achieve these ends, though, you need to be taking advantage of the right tools. A noise gate may not hold the allure of a compression, for example, but it tends to play an important role in the mixing…

From normalizing dynamics and adding dirt and grit to vocal tracks, to making guitars cut and “gluing” drums together, compressors serve a variety of key functions in the mixing and mastering phase. Ask any producer, and they will probably tell you that they can’t live without compression. That makes compressors highly desirable, especially plugins that…

Music is made up of rhythm, melody, and harmony. And while rhythm isn’t the domain of any one instrument specifically, it’s fair to say that drums and percussion are what immediately come to mind for most. Drums help you feel the song. They hold down the rhythmic foundation. They play a vital role in keeping…

Video game music has evolved a great deal with technology, to the point where major releases often play host to full orchestral scores or a string of top 40 hits. But it wasn’t always that way. In the early days, video game music had its own primitive esthetic, mainly due to software and hardware limitations….

Mastering is like the cherry on top of the mix cake. From compressing and limiting to EQ and stereo widening, sometimes the last-minute touchups mean everything for a track. To be able to master effectively, though, you need the right tools. Just as a carpenter wouldn’t drive to work without his toolbox, a mastering engineer…

Polishing a mix is a process. And while the general steps are known, the specific change from mix, to mix, based on the genre, the preferences of the artist or producer, and the tools available. One tool that every mixer and producer should have at the ready, though, is a de-esser. It may not be…