Pro Audio
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by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
In the postmodern era of music production, most musicians, producers, and engineers rely on a computer running a robust Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) like Pro Tools or Ableton to be the studio centerpiece. But despite their power and convenience, sometimes creating in this environment can turn into a series of mouse clicks that eat away at the joy and magic of music production. There are times when ditching the DAW and going old school with a physical piece of hardware can unlock new potential, forcing you to develop alternative techniques
by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
Whether you record demo tracks on the road, produce podcasts at home, or collaborate with other artists in random locations, having a travel-friendly audio interface is key to staying versatile in your work. An ideal interface would be small enough to fit in a backpack, laptop bag, or satchel while supporting multiple types of I/O and USB powering. Seriously, the last thing you need is to have your ideas vanish whilst frantically searching for a free AC power outlet. Thankfully, your options are plentiful in number, and I’d like to bring your
by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
Let’s face it—microphones are expensive. We all want a stocked mic locker with the greatest vintage microphones the world has to offer, but unfortunately, that’s a privilege few can afford. But fear not! There are plenty of amazing and affordable microphones in production that rival or even exceed the sound of the classic studio legends. So whether you’re micing up a guitar, your voice, or a whole drum kit, check out five of my favorite mics that we have in stock at B&H.
Large Diaphragm Condenser: Rode NT1 5th Gen ($214-$228)
As a mic I
by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
For this installment in the 500-series guide, we’ll be looking at the available offerings of effects modules in the 500-Series format. I’m also including more utility modules that aren’t necessarily an “effect,” but don’t fall under the Preamp, EQ, or Compressor categories and are quite useful, nonetheless. Some more recently released 500-series effects modules have a combination of preamps and dynamics processors or can be used as such, so if you’re looking to get started on a budget, these could be good places to start your 500-series
by Trevor Collins · Posted
No matter what area of audio production you work in, you're constantly listening. Loud and proud or whisper quiet, through headphones or speakers, in your studio or on the road, you're constantly listening. And naturally, you need to hear your productions through various transducers to accurately assess how they translate.
What you don't want is to be relegated to a life of vibe-killing, time-wasting repatching—you know, power-down those speakers, unplug them, plug in the other speakers, power them on, etc.—or adjust your DAW's master fader to
by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
Mixing in headphones is a somewhat controversial topic in the pro audio world. Some producers and engineers mix primarily in headphones (often out of necessity) and others denounce the practice as entirely useless, preferring to work only on studio monitors. But I think that everyone can agree that a sound mix, whether it’s a song, podcast, video, or other, needs to sound good on headphones and on larger speakers. For me, and many other engineers, that
by Trevor Collins · Posted
Looking at the computer market these days, you might think it’s a bad time to buy a music production laptop. AI-induced RAM shortages have caused computer costs to skyrocket. But with AI going nowhere fast and no sign of this trend slowing down, now may actually be the best time to get in while the getting is good. After all, prices may only go up from here! And with great advances in software and hardware over the last few years, you have some impressive choices available to bring your music production setup into the 2020s. So, let’s go over
by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
Whether you’re a musician who’s building a studio or rehearsal space, setting up an audio system at a venue or house of worship, an aspiring streamer/podcaster, or a production house, the audio mixer may be the most important (and expensive) purchase you make—but with multitudes of options, you’ll want to know exactly what you need before pulling the trigger.
This guide will help you sort through the factors to consider when searching for the perfect mixer for the job. If you’ve got a case of choice paralysis when it comes to mixers, or if
by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
The Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or MIDI for short, is the technical standard protocol that allows electronic musical instruments to interact with music hardware and software like synthesizers, soft-synths, and DAWs.
MIDI is not audio, but rather a set of instructions sent to a piece of hardware or software using keys, knobs, sliders, or other methods of input to define the pitch, timing, volume, and velocity of the sound module’s output. The MIDI controller has become essential in modern music production and can be found in just
by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
The 500 series form factor, first innovated by API in the 1960s, has established itself as one of the most popular and convenient form factors for outboard gear—get yourself an API Lunchbox or an equivalent and you can mix and match modules, swap gear in and out, and customize the chain of your outboard gear in whichever way you please, all in a portable form factor that you can carry from studio to
by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
Whether you're a hobbyist making beats for fun or a seasoned professional producing music for your adoring fans, you'll want to have a MIDI keyboard to control your software synthesizers, drum machines, and maybe your whole DAW. In this shopping guide, we'll go over some of the best and most popular MIDI keyboard controllers we have in stock at B&H, their important features, and what kind of musicians they're best suited for.
If you need to know more about MIDI controllers and their affinity with DAWs, synths, and other hardware, check out
by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
Among the many tools audio engineers use to sculpt and shape raw audio into a final work, most would say that compressors are in the top two most ubiquitous and useful. In concept, compressors are simple tools: they make the loud parts of sound quieter and the quiet parts louder, reducing dynamic range so that everything can be heard more clearly. They were first developed out of necessity, designed to solve critical technical problems in the early days of AM radio broadcasts—loud signals would distort, and quiet signals would be lost behind
Posted
Kevin breaks down various setups you can use when recording vocals at home, from entry-level to high-end. The first step: understanding basic room acoustics. You'll also learn how microphones work, how to gain stage properly, and much more. Thank you to @mattrelevo for joining us!
0:00 - What We're Covering
0:44 - Treating The Room
1:36 - Audio Interface
2:54 - Dynamic vs Condenser Mic
4:01 - Basic, Bare-Bones Setup
12:30 - Home Studio Setup
17:10 - High-End, Professional Setup
by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
Tube microphones (also known as “valve mics” to those who refer to the subway as “the tube”) are something of a venerated patrician class of microphone technology known for their euphonic sound characteristics and historical pedigree, along with exorbitant prices that induce nightmares for recording studio accountants—discontinued models like the Telefunken ELA M 250E command upward of $30,000, making a brand-new Sony C-800G
by Freddy Gerngross · Posted
With their history and pedigree, tube microphones have built a reputation for being the delicate, rare, and expensive stuff only the wealthy or most prestigious of recording studios can afford to have in their arsenal. While that was true in the past (and still is for some tube mics), many audio equipment manufacturers are cloning vintage microphone architecture or producing their own designs that are affordable enough to be