Guitaronomics: Have Guitars Become More Expensive Over Time?
“$1,300 for a new Strat?! I bought mine for $150 at a pawn shop in 1965. Wish I would’ve kept it.” Ah, yes. The common refrain of American baby boomers repeated in guitar shops and online forums everywhere. At face value, this ubiquitous lament makes the answer to our question seem obvious: Of
How to Double Track Guitars in Your Recordings
In the early days of home recording, track allocation was usually the biggest concern. Even with the best practices, organizational skills and bouncing techniques, the number of available tracks was limited and noise was a problem. With powerful digital audio workstations (DAWs) available to consume
The Cassette Comeback: Digital Disillusionment Gives Tape New Life
There’s one word Steve Stepp repeatedly uses to explain National Audio Company’s success: stubbornness. That may not always be among the key virtues of successful entrepreneurs, but when your business is making cassette tapes in a digital age, it can come in handy. Yes, the tapes some may rememb
How’d They Get That Sound? Studio Tricks on 6 Famous Records
Whether it’s cutting up the speaker in a guitar amp, using a cassette recorder to make an acoustic guitar sound electric, or slamming a mixing console almost to the point of explosion, musicians have long used and abused their gear in creative ways in order to find distinctive and unconvention
Drum Hacks 101
It’s hard out here for a drummer. Or, more to the point, it’s expensive out here for a drummer. There’s nothing quite as infuriating as listening to your guitarist complain about switching out strings when you have a crack in your ride or drumheads to change. Being a drummer is financially
Home Sweet Home Recording: 10 Tips to Make Your Tracks Shine
So as to set the record straight, I’m going to make the following disclaimer: I am not Mutt Lange. I am not Rob Cavollo. I am not Jimmy Iovine or Daniel Lanois or Steve Albini, nor will I ever be in the same orbit as those stars, unless you give me a broom to sweep […]
Making It Professionally as a Self-Taught Musician
Self-taught musicians in a professional capacity are like Spanish speakers from inner-city Los Angeles traveling in Spain. The foundation of the language is the same but there are significant differing points that may make understanding each other challenging. There are incredible benefits to being
PsychoAcoustics: A Practical Guide to How Our Minds Distort Sound
You can’t believe everything you hear. No, we’re not talking about rumors, gossips or myths. We’re talking about the music you hear. We can perceive sounds as loud even at low volumes, hear the illusion of space and depth with tricks of delay, and even our eyes can fool us into hearing things