The Studio Rats Podcast

Hard drives fail and computers die.  Do you have a backup regiment in place?  Maybe it’s not as good as you think.  Mine wasn’t.

Prompted by a listener’s question, I discuss different techniques for removing, or at least lessening, click track bleed from your recordings.  Suggestions include; muting unneeded tracks, EQ notches, compression changes, volume automation, iZotope RX, using phase to your advantage, and masking with another sound.

A brave listener submits a song for our first mix critique.  Don’t worry, many of my comments can be applied to your next mix project!  I promise. Special thanks to Doug Darrell of Triangle Exception for submitting the track on the chopping block today!  And don’t forget to check out the podcast Six String Bliss.

A quick primer on setting your compressor.  It’s not as difficult as you might think. Get the book Mixing With Your Mind here.

Some follow-up on yesterday’s episode regarding critical listening – including vital information I forgot to mention!  Plus, I answer a listener’s question about tracking with compression.

Critical listening is a vital skill important to all stages of music production.  In this episode, I provide some tips and suggestions on how you can develop your listening chops. The idea for this podcast came from this Sweetwater Tech Tip. Bob Katz’ Honor Roll can be found here.

In this episode I discuss some creative uses for EQ that you might not have thought of before.

In this episode I discuss some factors to consider when working on an audio restoration project.

Okay, maybe it’s not flakey people that are holding you back; maybe it’s your DAW or CD authoring software.  In this episode I discuss why I needed to put Waveburner out of its misery, how Wave Editor won me over, more on workflow, and Bandcamp responses to my query.  24-bit Apple Lossless support is coming…soon.  Hopefully.

This podcast episode is all about committing to your tone when recording, the importance of a good arrangement, and why waiting to “fix it in the mix” might be the reason you never finish a mix.

Are flakey engineers and musicians holding you and your music back?  Listen to the podcast to hear my thoughts on the subject.

This podcast episode is all about Bandcamp and what happens to your audio files once uploaded to their site. As an engineer and musician, I want to be able to deliver the highest quality audio files to my clients and fans.  I thought Bandcamp was the best way to do this, until I discovered a major “gotcha” in their offering.  In short, Bandcamp only supports 16-bit Apple Lossless files, even if you’ve uploaded a 24-bit source file. I performed a number of null tests (listed below) to prove my findings.  What does this mean?  Listen to the podcast! 1) 24-bit source file vs. Apple Lossless (iTunes) = pass 2) 24-bit source file vs. Bandcamp FLAC = pass 3) 24-bit source file vs. Bandcamp Apple Lossless = fail 3) 16-bit source (with dither) vs. Bandcamp Apple Lossless = fail 4) 16-bit source (no dither) vs. Bandcamp Apple Lossless = fail Note: It appears that the excellent TT Dynamic Range Meter plugin I mention in the podcast is no longer available.

This podcast focuses on an interview with Neil Young and his discussions with Steve Jobs regarding 24-bit 192kHz downloads through iTunes.  Related topics include Apple Lossless and FLAC files, HDtracks.com, Bandcamp.com and 16 vs 24-bit. Here are links to the articles I mention in the podcast. DigitalTrends.com - Neil Young’s plan to make digital music sound 20 times better Geek.com - Apple wants 24-bit audio for iTunes music downloads

Today’s podcast is all about using your home recording studio to your advantage.  If you’re not paying hourly for studio time, why not take the time to get good sounds and solid performances?

In this episode of the podcast I make the case for simplifying your workflow so you can complete whatever project you are working on.  I briefly mention the Nord Drum, Moog Minitaur, iZotope Ozone and plugins with simple user interfaces.