Got Vista?
If you’re a PC (not Mac) user and do audio work, this Web site might be of interest to you. It’s the most complete list of Vista-compatible audio software and hardware I’ve seen.
If you know of another (or better) site, lemme know!
Audio 101: K.I.S.S.
Years ago, when I was an up-and-coming audio geek, I used to think, “someday I’ll know just about everything there is to know about making good recordings. And then, I’ll rule!”
What I’ve since found out is that it’s not so much what (or how much) you know, but how you apply it. And that takes [...]
Post 100: “Indie” Rock
So, for all you keeping count, this is blog post 100 for “from ohm to om”. Hopefullly no one has died of boredom yet.
I thought I’d take this little moment of repose to post some eye candy. Give your brain a rest.
My wife received this YouTube link from her friend the other day.
This band [...]
A Difficult Situation to Remedy
I recently finished a mastering project that had a tricky, but not too uncommon, problem: lots of bass along with sibilant vocals and bright/harsh cymbals.
Attenuate some of the high-frequencies, and the bass becomes more pronounced. Roll-off some of the bottom end and the sibilance gets worse. IMO, it’s one of the trickiest things to successfully [...]
Back to “Real” Content
I got this e-mail last week…
Can I get away with buying two (of the same) unmatched mics, separately, and using them for a stereo recording? Would there be any abnormal polarity/phasing issues? Is there a modification I can make to one of them to mitigate any such problems? Any recommendations?
My answer…
In a perfect world, [...]
Caustic Closure
Well, my mystery “consumer advocate” resurfaced and gave it one more shot…
Hi Paul,
I have let some time go by and I would like to know if you will make a sample of your work based on the mix I sent you, available to the music community.
I await an answer.
My response…
I’m going to pass, but I [...]
Balancing Sound
One thing that I think a lot of beginning recordists struggle with is how to get a balanced sound in their mix. Part of this is based on having accurate monitoring…but an quick fix around that is to double-check your mixes with a good pair of headphones. While headphones are a completely different experience than [...]
NXNP
I have just joined a panel discussion for the North By North Park music festival in San Diego. The festival is Saturday, August 2 and generally begins at 10:00 a.m.
My panel is Music Industry 101: the Basics in 2008, and has some good local producers and music personalities on it.
Check the Web site for times [...]
Snow in the Summer
Happy to report that I just finished mastering Jim Sonefeld’s solo debut, Snowman Melting.
If Jim’s name sounds familiar, it may be because the band he plays drums for (Hootie & the Blowfish) have sold 20+ million albums worldwide. Or, it may just be that you’re a fan of people who get paid to hit things [...]
Mo Bass
How much bass is too much bass? That depends on what genre of music you’re recording and how well it’s recorded. If your mixes are too bassy, it’s a surefire way to lose all their focus and definition. If they don’t have enough bass then you lose the foundation (and realism) of your recording.
How much [...]
About This Blog
From Ohm to Om reflects the opinions of mastering engineer Paul Abbott, owner of San Diego's ZenMastering.
We welcome comments from readers...pro or con!
