This tutorial continues constructing the house track that some of my other tutorials have used. Although I say in the first two parts there will be 4 or 5 videos the last one ran to 15 minutes so there are 3 in total. As this is my first screencast I’m more than open to suggestions on making future attempts clearer and easier to follow!

Step 1 - Introduction

This first video simply introduces the screencast and talks a little bit about the track so far and the elements involved. I also explain what we are aiming for and how we’ll go about doing it.

As you can see this whole tutorial is completed in Logic and uses only Logic plug-ins so Logic users can load it. Obviously this will alienate some people but I had to choose one DAW and the methods used can be applied to any software so this shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.

Step 2 - Preparing for the Breakdown

This second video describes the methods I used to prepare the piece for the breakdown. It covers using effects sends, filters and automation to create anticipation so that the listener is ready for the change in mood.

This section also shows how using reverb and delay tails can be the first building blocks for an ambient break down.

Step 3 - Constructing the Breakdown

This final section shows you every single element I used to construct the entire breakdown. I run through each part in detail explaining how it has been created, mixed and blended.

This section is pretty long and covers many subjects including MIDI, mixing, effects and automation. Hopefully this will help equip you to create your own breakdowns and lend some inspiration.

In comparison, recording electronic drums is a breeze. Unfortunately, they can also sound programmed and mechanical. There are good arguments both ways for using acoustic or electronic drums in recording — you can read the pros and cons at Harmony Central. But there is definitely a place for electronic drums for the home recording artist.

Rather than pushing sampled drums around an edit window with your mouse, there are a lot of hardware options that let you play drums with sticks straight into your digital audio workstation. This gives your rhythm tracks a more realistic feel, because they’re played in real-time by a real person. Most of these devices allow you to record your drum sounds directly to audio, or sequence them with MIDI so you can choose the perfect sounds later.

Besides buying the hardware, you’ll also need to learn some basic drumming skills. Because you can lay down the rhythm track piece by piece, it is amazing how much you can accomplish with limited skills, as long as you have reasonable timing. Even if you don’t get the timing perfect, you can quantize later.

When my second son was six, he decided he wanted to learn drums. Having five kids in a small house and a shift-worker next door, I didn’t want to buy a large acoustic kit. And I wasn’t sure how serious he was, so I didn’t want to spend a fortune on hardware or lessons. So we bought a small Yamaha digital drum kit (the DD-11) and a book about learning drums. I taught myself how to play, and then taught my son.

The solution seemed to work well: the drums were small and quiet, but my son learned good technique because he played with sticks. I was surprised with how well he could play drums on such a small and inexpensive kit. Eventually he outgrew his teacher, and received lessons from drummer who had real talent. Now he’s a young adult, owns his own acoustic kit, and is a brilliant drummer.

Since those early days we’ve had Roland Octapads, electronic kits and acoustic kits. We’ve always used the electric kit or Octapads for recording drums — we just don’t have what it takes to make acoustic drums sound better. This article isn’t a tutorial on how to record electronic drums — if you’re looking for one, eHow has a good video tutorial. What we will do is have a look at some of the devices that are available.

Roland Octapad and Equivalents

The original Roland Octapad PAD-8 came out in the mid-80s, just after the birth of MIDI. It was a rectangular device around two feet wide containing eight rubber pads (two rows of four) which trigger whatever sounds you like via MIDI. They were designed to sit alongside a full drum kit and give additional supplementary sounds to the drummer.

Later Octapads (like the SPD-11 we purchased in 2000) contain hundreds of their own sounds, but can still trigger external sounds (or a sequencer) via MIDI. Besides the eight pads, they have four inputs for additional pads or pedals.

They can also be used on their own as a mini drum kit. They’re great for gigging in small spaces, playing in venues where volume is a sensitive issue, and for recording. Terry (a producer/engineer friend) once told me of a drummer who had to play a particularly complex rhythm pattern on one track. He couldn’t play it cleanly on a standard kit, so went out to his car to get his Octapad. The closely arranged pads made it simpler to play the pattern.

Roland’s current model is the SPD-20, which features 700 drum and percussion sounds. They also have the SPD-S Sampling Pad, which has nine triggers (six pads and three edge triggers), and allows users to sample and add effects to their own sounds.

Other companies also make Octapad-like devices. I’ve already mentioned the Yamaha DD range, which I feel is a less professional product. Their current version is the DD-65, which they market as “a more professional and versatile digital-drumming instrument”. You can make it a more capable drum kit by adding the DK-65 hardware kit, which adds a snare stand (which acts as a stand for the DD-65), drum throne, kick drum pedal, hi hat tower and kick tower.

I noticed in a music store on Sunday that Alesis also have Octapad alternatives - the ControlPad and PerformancePad. They have similar functionality to Roland’s product, but at a much lower cost.

If you have a favorite Octapad replacement we haven’t mentioned, or any comments about your experience with Octapads, please let us know in the comments.

Single Pads

If you don’t need eight pads, there are several simpler devices:

• Roland HPD-15 Handsonic 15 is designed for hand drumming. Though it looks like a single pad, it is actually divided into 15 different zones, enabling you to add subtle variations in your playing. It contains sounds for 600 instruments. It features MIDI In/Out/Thru, a built-in sequencer, and digital effects.
• Roland HPD-10 Handsonic 10 is similar, though with 10 zones and around 400 sounds.
• Alesis E-Practice Pad is designed for practice, but might also be used for recording. Though it doesn’t seem to have MIDI, it does have 65 sounds and 1/4” stereo output.

Electronic kits

I’ve just finished a holiday in Tasmania, and besides the fairy penguins, seal and snow, one of my favorite sights was my brother’s old Dynacord electric drum kit from the 80s. Although it doesn’t work any more, it brought back a lot of good memories. The brain used removable cartridges for the sounds, each of which contained a single drum sample. You customized your kit by pulling these cartridges in and out and replacing them with alternatives, which seems very cumbersome now, but was cool at the time. Cartridges were only available for snare, kick and toms - you had to use real cymbals.

Electronic drum kits have come a long way since then. While many real drummers prefer the greater expression on an acoustic kit, the gap is slowly closing. Mesh heads, better sounds, and better programming are improving the experience with each new generation. A full electronic kit gives a more authentic drumming experience than playing with Octapads alone, but takes up more space in your studio.

Electronic drum kits are huge topic that I’ve only just touched on. Many major brand names including Roland and Yamaha have excellent kits. Check them out at your local music store.

Other Devices

There are various other ways to program drum sounds with your hands rather than a mouse. Here are a few — feel free to mention other options in the comments.

• M-Audio Axiom keyboards include eight trigger pads which are perfect for playing drums with your fingers, as does the Novation ReMOTE.
• M-Audio Trigger Finger is a device with sixteen trigger pads for playing percussion with your fingers. The Akai MPD32 is similar.
• KORG nanoPAD is a smaller device with twelve trigger pads.
• Zendrum have a range of controllers for “triggering controller designed by drummers to allow musicians to express their creativity in rhythmic and intuitive ways.”

How do you add life to your rhythm tracks? What are your favorite devices, software and techniques for laying down a realistic rhythm? Let us know in the comments.

It’s likely that a lot of budding producers who do their own mastering won’t be aware of M/S processing and its benefits. If you’re not taking advantage of what this technique has to offer you could be missing out, so let’s take a look at how it works and its practical applications.

Step 1 - What is M/S Processing and How Does it Work?

If you are experienced in the areas of recording and microphones, you may already be aware of M/S (mid/side) technique. Using the M/S method, a single mono source is recorded using two microphones. This will then produce a stereo signal — nothing fantastic there, you may think, but when you consider that stereo width can be adjusted, retaining perfect mono compatibility, you may think again.

This type of recording basically involves mixing one mic dead center (essentially going to both left and right sides) and the second sent to two channels. These two channels are then panned hard left and right, with one side phase correct and the other phase reversed. The stereo width can be adjusted after the performance has been recorded, but the fact that it uses a complex set-up and requires specific kinds of microphones may cause some to find alternative methods.

M/S microphone technique can get a bit complicated, and as we are concentrating on using M/S in mixing and mastering here I don’t really have the space to explain it fully. If you are interested in this side of it you can have a look at articles such as this. Here you can learn about the specific microphone types required and how to set them up.

M/S microphone technique diagram

Step 2 - Using M/S Processing with Stereo Recordings

All this talk of microphone technique is all very well but how does this relate to treating an entire mix? Well, once our three M/S mic channels are mixed, they are bounced down or decoded to stereo, and in turn the reverse can be achieved relatively easily using the right encoder and decoder software.

With our stereo audio encoded into an M/S matrix we can not only manipulate the stereo image of the signal but actually treat the stereo information separately from the mono. For anyone who has not used this technique in their mastering chain before, you may just find it revolutionary.

Imagine a situation where your track has been mixed down and during the mastering stage and you want to be able to raise the level of stereo string, or EQ a mono kick drum. Using M/S plug-ins this is all possible. Some plug-ins even allow you to de-ess either mono or stereo vocals that are buried in the mix, which is pretty impressive. All this magic happens under the hood as the M/S decoding is all internal.

Of course these processors are also at home when used on individual mix elements. For example you could manipulate the mono and stereo percussion instruments within a drum loop to allow the loop to fit perfectly with your mix. The applications of this technology are pretty diverse.

Step 3 - Which Plug-ins Support M/S Technology?

There is one small downside in all of this and that is the fact that there aren’t too many plug-in manufacturers developing in this area. Luckily the ones that are do it very well and the results they produce are often really impressive.

The German company Brainworx appears to be the current leading authority on plug-in based M/S processors. They have an impressive array of products ranging from the free ‘bx_solo’ to the excellent, full blown ‘bx_digital’. The bx_solo allows beginners in this field to get a taste of what the process is capable of without spending a penny, well worth a download. You can also download 14 day demos of all their plug-ins at their website.

The bx_digital is a bit of a monster and incorporates a full M/S matrix, an EQ for both mid and side elements, de-essers, a ‘mono maker’ and even high and low end enhancers. Bar dynamics control there is not much you can’t do with your mix here.

The well equipped Brainworx bx_digital.

A plug-in that has only recently introduced M/S support is iZotopes Ozone mastering suite. Pretty much every page of iZotope now has an M/S option and allows you to manipulate your mono and stereo signals separately, adding width, EQ and dynamic changes to each section of your audio.

For more of this all-in-one M/S magic be sure to check out the Flux ‘Alchemy’. This plug-in is a fully fledged mastering processor and has a great little M/S section that incorporates widening and a bitter/sweet enhancement section.

The Flux Alchemy plug-in

As most of you will undoubtedly be aware, none of these plug-ins are free — in fact none of them are even that cheap, but if you are serious about delving in this area of processing, it’s worth investing in one of these. My personal choice would be the Brainworx range as this is what I use for all my mastering but if you prefer an all in one option and are on a tight budget you might want to opt for the iZotope Ozone.

iZotope Ozone has full M/S processing capability.

If all you need is an encoder/decoder then Voxengo’s free ‘MSED’ plug-in should be right up your street. It’s available for download here.

The free Voxengo MSED plug-in.

Step 4 - Basic M/S Processing in Mastering

The main thing you will find useful during a mastering session is the M/S processors ability to raise and lower the level of stereo or mono information in your mix. I often find that by boosting the stereo information by just a few db, the mix is given a lift and a wider, more open sound is imparted to the track.

You may want to make more precise adjustments than just a general stereo width enhancement. Imagine your mix has been recorded with a mono lead vocal but it was mixed too high, giving the overall track a very narrow feel. By reducing the level of the mono material with the M/S processor you should be able to go some way to rectifying this. If you find this effects other levels too much you may need to go back to the mix or seek out other options.

Brainworx include other useful tools for basic processing of your tracks. The mono maker for example will take any audio below a certain frequency and make it strictly mono. I find this often gives a track a more focused and coherent low end mix. It also allows you to process this new area in the mono section and gives you the piece of mind that you won’t color other instruments when doing so.

Step 5 - Using M/S Based Equalization

Another advantage of having control over the mid/side portions of your mix is the ability to equalize them independently.

This can allow you the freedom to enhance the upper mids of stereo strings, or even reverbs, whilst leaving the mono, core instruments untouched. Or you could enhance the low end of your kick and bass and roll off some top end from stereo percussion or backing vocals. These can be indispensable tools during a challenging mastering session.

Another great trick here is to use the high pass filters to remove the low end from the stereo signal. When this is used in conjunction with the mono maker you can be 100% sure that the very low frequencies in your mix are focused and in mono.

The M/S EQ in iZotope Ozone 4

Step 6 - M/S Dynamics Processing

Although M/S compression and limiting has been around for as long as compression itself, it is a relatively new area in virtual realm. Brainworx are doing some very exciting stuff in this area and it’s worth checking out.

Their full blown M/S dynamics processor the ‘bx_dynEQ’ allows the user to home in on specific elements in the mix and compress not only certain frequencies, but also the mono or stereo sides. This is the perfect tool for boosting a kick drum or bass part in your mix. An absolute godsend to dance and hip hop producers.

Brainworx dyn_eq

There is also a fun cut down version of this plug-in, featuring the same technology but with a far simplified interface. This plug-in is aptly named Boom! and a demo can be downloaded from the Brainworx site at the link earlier in this piece.

Brainworx Boom!

To learn more about what you get as part of Audio Plus, read this. To take a peek inside this tutorial, hit the jump!

“You’re a unique artist with ideas you want to express and music you have to share. So how do you make sure that you’re keeping your tracks interesting and fun for your audience to listen to? In this tutorial we’ll look at some of the most common things that people neglect to keep interesting, causing their tracks to feel lifeless and dull, and how we can keep things lively and intriguing to hold on to our audience’s attention.”

Table of Contents

1. Start Off with a Bang
2. Avoid Using Loops
3. If You’re Going to Use Loops Anyway
4. Clean Up Your Mix
5. Uneven Phrases
6. Uncommon Time Signatures
7. The Rule of Three
8. Imperfection
9. Be unique, but not too unique

Existing Plus members can log-in and download. Not a Plus member? Join now.

Here’s a rundown of the different methods we can use to boost the stereo image of both our whole mix or individual instruments. Of course some of these are more sensible options than others when it comes to producing a coherent, intelligible mix. It’s worth taking a minute before you turn your new stereo enhancer plug-in up to 11.

Step 1 - Creating Contrast & Balance

One of the best (but least exciting ways) of boosting the perceived width of your stereo sound stage is to actually use more mono material in your mix. This may seem like a bit of a contradiction but by introducing more mono elements, your stereo audio will be perceived as wider and will make more of a stand in the mix.

Let’s say your mix is made up primarily of stereo files, now these may not have a huge stereo image but nevertheless, they are stereo and will have some sort of spread.

After hearing these stereo sounds for some time the listener will perceive this as the narrowest stereo point, if you then attempt to add a sound with a very wide stereo image, or an effect that widens a particular sound it may go unnoticed as the difference between the new sound and the main mix is minimal. It’s all about perception.

A way to close the gap between these stereo sounds is to decrease the stereo image of some sounds or actually use mono versions. Many drum sounds work really well in mono and not every guitar or synth in the mix has to be spread right across the stereo field or saturated with stereo chorus.

With the width of the overall mix reigned in your stereo sounds will now have much more impact and will become really pleasing to the ear. Stereo enhancers and special effects with a wide image will really jump out of your mix and should give the desired effect.

Step 2 - Using Small Delay Times

An age-old trick used by sound engineers to create a wider stereo image, is to delay one side of the audio using a very small delay time. Plug-ins that induce this sort of delay on either side of the stereo field are freely available in most formats and often come supplied with DAWs as standard.

Logic Pro’s sample delay plug-in

The great thing about this sort of treatment is that it’s very transparent and doesn’t affect your audio in any negative way. It doesn’t detune or heavily process your signal to create the stereo enhancement.

Subtle use of this method and delay times of 5-15ms on either side should preserve your mono compatibility pretty well and you shouldn’t affect the dynamic signature or energy of the original audio. This method can work really well on many different sources but be aware this isn’t an ‘in your face’ effect and if you’re looking for something extreme you may want to check out other routes.

Download audio file (2.mp3)

Drum loop with no treatment

Download audio file (2b.mp3)

Drum loop with delay-induced stereo width

Step 3 - Using EQ and Filters to Widen Your Sounds

Another great way of opening your stereo (or even mono) sounds up a little is to create differences in frequency on either side of the image. This can be achieved using a variety of different processors but does work very well with either an EQ or filter plug-in.

Whether your sound is stereo or mono simply create two mono channels in your DAW and place duplicates of the audio file on both channels. Now pan them hard left and right and place your chosen eq plug in on each channel. It is a good idea to a use a clear graphical parametric model here.

Now try adding 4 - 6db of high mids to one side and removing exactly the same amount and frequency from the opposite side. On playback you will notice a definite difference in either side and a widening of the stereo image. Essentially stereo width is created by differing signals in both sides of the field, so this is one easy way to produce the effect.

Be aware in a lot of cases this is the most subtle way of creating a stereo image. In my example the difference is pretty negligible but in some circumstances this can work very well. Try experimenting with more extreme settings and resonant filters.

Two Cubase EQ plug-ins creating a stereo effect

Download audio file (3.mp3)

Synth line with no treatment

Download audio file (3b.mp3)

Synth line with dual EQ induced stereo width

Step 4 - Dedicated Stereo Enhancers

Of course, there are a number of processors out there that offer a one-stop solution for creating wider and more impressive stereo sounds. Some of these are great when used sparingly but without knowing exactly what is going on under the hood you might want to move with a certain amount of caution, as damage can be done here.

The method used to widen the stereo image often differs from plug-in to plug-in so turning the mix up on one of these bad boys can completely transform your sound. Be warned, you may lose your mono compatibility and introduce phase issues. Warnings aside, some of these plug-ins do sound great and can really add something to your mix.

It’s well worth checking out PSP’s stereo pack, the Flux, and the stereo expansion tools inside iZotope’s excellent Ozone mastering plug-in. There are also some worthy offerings included in popular DAWs such as Logic, Reason, Cubase and Live.

Logic 8’s stereo spread plug-in

Download audio file (4.mp3)

Guitar in mono

Download audio file (4b.mp3)

Guitar with Logic’s stereo spreader

Step 5 - Using Chorus, Unison & Stereo Detune

Modulation effects are still one of the firm favorites when it comes to getting a wide sound. First up you have to ensure you are using a true stereo chorus unit, as not all chorus processors are stereo.

While most chorus, flanger and ensemble plug-ins will make your audio sound great, you may notice that you lose some punch and definition at high levels. This is pretty common and is a pay off for the shimmering stereo effect that a chorus effect produces. Some chorus units, such as the classic Roland Dimension D, are famous for creating thick chorus effects without robbing the direct quality of the dry audio. UAD do a great reproduction of this unit and it’s well worth a spin.

The UAD recreation of the classic Roland Dimension D

Download audio file (5.mp3)

Dry guitar loop

Download audio file (5b.mp3)

Guitar loop treated with Dimension D Chorus

You will find that some instruments will feature dedicated stereo unison effects. These will often have algorithms that filter out the effect on the lower frequencies, minimizing the smearing that can occur in the lows. These effects will also often split the voices of a synth up across the stereo spread, leaving a dry mono version in the center to retain clarity. The stereo unison on the Korg Polysix is an excellent example of this done well.

The Virtual Korg Polysix with stereo Unison controls

Download audio file (5c.mp3)

Polysix riff in mono

Download audio file (5d.mp3)

Polysix riff with stereo unison

Close the curtains and inform the neighbors, because in this tutorial we will transform your own voice into a monster you never thought you had inside you!

Thumbnail image by shanewarne_60000.

Step 1: Recording Your Voice

First, fire up Logic Pro. Record your voice making some screams and squeaks into a microphone. Try to make it sound something like the examples, but almost anything will do. If you can’t record your voice, try to get some samples from the Internet or use my voice.

Download audio file (Screams.mp3)

Use ‘Strip Silence’ to cut the different screams. Set threshold to the right percentage until you see that your screams are cut away from the rest of the audio. Click OK and remove the rest of the audio around the screams, if there is any left.

Select all your audio and right-click on one of them. Click on ‘Convert to New Audio File(s)’ and call them “Screams”. You will see the names of your audio files change to Screams, Screams #1 and so on. (If you wish to change these names press Esc and 4 to get the text tool. Click on each scream and name them what you want. Press Esc and 1 to go back to your normal cursor.)

Step 2: Using the EXS24

Now you have your audio screams chopped up and ready to go, we’re going to get one of them into the EXS24. While there already are many tuts about this, I will explain this process shortly. Open a new software instrument track for your EXS24. Click on edit in the upper right corner of the EXS24 which will open the Instrument Editor.

Click on ‘Zone’ to open a menu, then click ‘Load Multiple Samples’. Click on one of your screams and press ‘Add’ and then ‘Done’.

After this Logic will ask you where to put the note on the keyboard. Normally you would put the sample on one single note, but in this case we want the scream to be on every single note possible. In order to do so select “Auto-map” to get the scream widely spread on the keyboard.

Click on Instrument and “Save” and call this sampler “Half-Life.” Close EXS24.

Step 3: Creating the Monster

You’ve got your voice samples and have put them in the EXS24 sampler on every key, so now it’s time to get the monsters out of your speakers. Press Command 6 to get the piano roll out.

You can press any key on the virtual keyboard on your screen to hear the sound of your voice. You will probably notice some strange sounds. On the C3 key you will find your original voice, but if you move higher you will start to sound like a little baby. That’s cool for a trick, but we want the monster inside of you to come out! The more interesting parts of this piano roll are the keys below C3, where you will find your voice processed much lower than your original voice. This is where the fun starts. Press Esc 2 to get your pencil tool out of the box and start drawing some lines below C3.

You will now hear a creaking monster waiting for his dinner.

Download audio file (CreakMonster.mp3)

Step 4: Scaring the Neighbors

Once you’ve got the hang of this it’s time get the neighbors to call the cops. “There are monsters in the house next to us!” Get your other screams and creaks into another EXS24 and combine them. Every scream you have made will sound like something else once you’ve processed it with your sampler. You can drag your MIDI file up to get instant results, or make new ones on the track to make them more unique.

At this stage your imagination is your most deadly weapon. Go wild drawing in notes and the darkest creatures will come out. Start panning channels left and right to get you monster sound bigger and bigger. Don’t turn off the lights because you’ll end up in an institute.

Here’s the creature I created:

Download audio file (Monster.mp3)

Step 5: Adding Effects

From this point on you’ve got your own army of monsters backing you up. But the fun doesn’t end here! You can add all sorts of effects, which will make your monsters even scarier. There are no rules on which effects you should use, but try some reverb, phaser or distortion on your outputs. Try other effects as well, start experimenting!

Download audio file (Monsterwfx.mp3)

To learn more about what you get as part of Audio Plus, read this. To take a peek inside this tutorial, hit the jump!

“Just like everything else in music and recording, it’s now possible to master your own material. The tools are readily available and are very inexpensive compared to previous audio generations, but just because you own a hammer doesn’t mean that you know how to swing it.

Mastering is a basically simple process, but like all simple processes, it’s a lot more involved than it seems. As long as you know a few tricks and don’t have beyond-reality expectations for the end result, it can improve your program material by varying degrees, or just as easily make it a lot worse than what you started with.”

Table of Contents

• What is Mastering?
• The Difference Between You and a Pro
• The Mastering Technique
• Perceived Audio Level
• Competitive Level
• Hypercompression — Don’t Go There!
• How to Get Hot Levels
• The Signal Chain
• The Limiter
• The Compressor
• 4 Rules For Hot Levels
• Mastering Compressor Tips and Tricks
• Frequency Balance
• Summary

Existing Plus members can log-in and download. Not a Plus member? Join now.

Step 1 - What is Saturation?

Saturation is a process that has its roots firmly in the analog domain. Mix engineers using tape would print ‘hot’ levels to create a type of compression, which is known as tape saturation.

When tape is driven in this way and the level meets 0db (and a fair way beyond) the level clips, but in the analog realm this is known as ‘soft clipping’. The end result is a satisfying, fuzzy overloaded signal which displays natural compression and limiting characteristics. Engineers would use this as a tool on certain elements on the mix.

Digital systems are generally a lot stricter and really anything above 0db is considered as hard clipping. Anything beyond this brick wall should create digital distortion. Of course this isn’t technically accurate when it comes to modern DAWs and interfaces, as many of them incorporate a soft clip algorithm in their channels and master buss. This is why, for the most part, you don’t experience a huge problem if you induce small amounts of clipping in applications such as Logic, Cubase or Reason.

The soft clipping that occurs in these situations is certainly better than digital distortion but doesn’t create the effects we are looking for here. If we wish to recreate classic tape or tube saturation then a dedicated plug-in or hardware processor is called for. Of course you could go all out and invest in some real tape or tubes but as most of us are now producing ‘in the box’, let’s look at some purely digital options.

Classic tape machines are famous for their saturation effects

Step 2 - Saturating Drums

Saturation can work in pretty much any mix element but it really shines on a few specific things, drums being one of them.

A great drum performance recorded through pristine mic pre-amps into a 24 bit DAW can be a beautiful thing but sometimes during mixing they can lack a little attitude and grit. Saturation can supply exactly the right amount of edge without overly coloring or affecting the piece’s original feel.

Most saturation plug-ins work well as inserts and are extremely simple in nature. Once you understand the process of saturation you should know when and where to apply it and to what degree. Ideally you are looking to strike a balance between saturated sounds and cleaner, less colored elements. Of course you could plaster saturation effects across your entire mix but only if you want your mix to sound as if it was recorded to tape!

For this demonstration I have used the excellent URS ‘Saturation’ plug-in on an acoustic drum loop at a few different settings. Hopefully this will give you an idea of what is possible when you are presented with various different flavors of saturation.

The models used are a tube pre-amp at about 30%, followed by a tape machine model at 100%.

Download audio file (2.mp3)

Drums with no treatment

URS tube saturation

Download audio file (2b.mp3)

Drums with URS tube saturation

URS tape head saturation

Download audio file (2c.mp3)

Drums with URS tape saturation

Saturation in any form adds harmonics to the sound. The perceived volume is also raised as natural compression and limiting occurs when the effect is introduced. These combined effects add up to what could be called ‘fatness’ or a ‘warm’ analogue feel. Whatever you call it, it certainly works in both examples here.

The plug-ins I’ve used in this tutorial range from high-end to bundled DAW products. I’m sure there are some interesting free products that offer similar features, so if you know of any please feel free to share links.

Step 3 - Heating Up Synth Lines

Another great way of using saturation plug-ins is to treat synth sequences. Virtual analogue instruments can be brought a little closer to the real thing and most sounds will be given a more upfront, edgy quality.

Here I have fed one of Logic Pro 8’s stock Apple loops through the SPL ‘Twin tube’ saturation plug-in. The sounds that come out of this plug-in are truly amazing and you could be convinced you’re listening to hardware. I’ve barely used the harmonics parameter and have simply dialed in a decent amount of saturation.

The end result is a fuzzy, loud synth loop with a retro feel. This is what most synth lovers strive for and it’s something that’s often difficult to achieve with soft synths alone.

Download audio file (3.mp3)

Synth line with no treatment

Download audio file (3b.mp3)

Synth line with SPL saturation

The synth is treated with an SPL twin tube processor.

Step 4 - Vocal Treatment

Surprisingly enough even vocal recordings can benefit from a good dose of saturation. To show it’s not just third-party plug-ins that can deliver the goods in this area, I have used the ‘Bitcrusher’ plug-in from Logic to achieve a similar effect.

With the resolution at full and the bitcrushing off, the drive control adds gentle soft clipping and saturation. This makes the vocal fuller and also quite a bit louder.

Download audio file (4.mp3)

Vocal with no treatment

Download audio file (4b.mp3)

Vocal with Logic’s bitcrusher

Logic’s bitcrusher is more than capable of some nice saturation effects. 

Step 5 - Saturation in Mastering

A very common use of saturation is to strap it across the master mix buss. This can give your entire mix an analog quality and can even fool the most discerning ears into thinking hardware was used in the process.

A favorite amongst many for this sort of critical buss and mastering work is the PSP Vintage Warmer. I’ve spoken to many producers who absolutely swear by this box of tricks and use it for most of their buss limiting and saturation duties.

The Vintage warmer has a lot more to offer than just straight forward saturation and is capable of compression, limiting, tape effects and even basic EQ. The audio examples below use only saturation and limiting. This means the overall volume of the parts is boosted considerably but you can certainly hear the saturation effect clearly.

What I’ve done to demonstrate the Vintage Warmer is play all the demo material together and strap it across the master buss in Logic. There are no other effects here apart from some filtering on the synth and the saturation plug-ins that have been covered.

Download audio file (5.mp3)

Mix with no treatment

Download audio file (5b.mp3)

Mix with PSP Vintage Warmer 2

The PSP Vintage Warmer is a favorite amongst producer for mastering duties.

Woods

The woods that your guitar is constructed from will give you your tone. For the most part we are dealing with Mahogany, Swamp Ash or Ash, Alder, Maple, with more exotic woods such as Korina. Let’s discuss the two most popular.

Mahogany is a very rich and warm sounding wood. Gibson use this as a tone-wood for their Les Paul and SG models. These guitars also feature a Mahogany neck which further adds to the warmth of the sound. For a clean signal these woods are very smooth, full and jazz-like and have been used by Larry Carlton and Robben Ford for these reasons.

With gain or distortion the woods take on a ‘classic rock’ vibe. Led Zeppelin and AC/DC have helped to make this sound very much part of rock history. It really bites when picked hard and is very smooth when strummed or picked as single notes. A good example of the smooth tone of these woods is the the intro to Guns N’ Roses classic Sweet Child Of Mine, which is played on a Gibson Les Paul on the neck pickup.

Alder is classic Fender tone. It was Fender’s replacement for the more expensive swamp ash but has become a sought after tone wood in its own right. Alder has a ’snap’ to the tone that can be heard on most of Hendrix’s work. It’s a thin sound that still retains lots of character, and it’s bright and therefore cuts through a mix or live sound with ease.

Clean tones are ‘jangly’ as demonstrated by Mark Knopfler (think Sultans of Swing). These classic tones are still favored by modern artists such as John Mayer. Slight overdrive really adds to the ’snap’ of the sound. John Mayer has a classic Alder tone.

These woods have been in popular use since the late 50s and are usually what we expect a guitar to sound like. All musical genres have used these two woods over the years and they are now firmly established as the sound of the electric guitar.

Acoustic Sound

Acoustic sound is vital to the overall sound of an electric guitar. Acoustically it should resonate when strummed across all strings and should have a good acoustic volume. Check the body of the instrument when playing it. It should have a lively vibration and this can be checked by hitting the B string and placing your hand directly onto the body. There should be a strong vibration. This indicates that the guitar is alive and will sound good amplified.

This should be the first thing you check, if you don’t like the way it sounds acoustically or it does not have any of the above characteristics then don’t even bother to plug it in. Remember all guitars are not equal regardless of the model or manufacturer.

Construction

The best woods available will only sound good if the construction of the instrument is to the highest quality. Neck-to-body joint is paramount, as this is the single most important construction consideration. Look at the point were the neck sits at the body—there should be no visible gaps and should generally look tidy.

The finish of the instrument is also important. Unfinished or natural guitars will resonate more because the wood is free to vibrate, and finishes should be applied as thinly as possible to preserve the characteristics of the tone woods. Go for a thin finish for the best sound. Also, ‘thick finishes’ have been used in the past to hide a particularly bad looking piece of wood, sunburst guitars generally use better wood than solid colored guitars simply because you can see the wood through the finish.

Necks and Fretboards

Modern guitar construction gives us a choice of through or bolt-on necks. The through neck is glued into place (without bolts) and generally aids the access to the higher frets due to the smoothness of the neck joint. There is some contention as to whether or not the through neck aids tone and sustain. Many believe it does, and others believe a bolt-on neck gives a crisper sound. Use your ears to decide.

The radius of the neck is important. It will determine the comfort of the instrument and should be a primary consideration when buying your guitar. Make sure you can play chords and single notes with ease and also check string bending and vibrato. Check the edge of the fretboard . Do the strings sit too close to the edge for you? Are the strings easy to push off the board?

Fret-wire is important for the overall playing and feel. Common sizes are small, medium and jumbo. It’s easier to fret a note with a bigger fret-wire. Fret-wire is made from nickel or stainless steel, the latter having a much longer lifespan.

Common fretboard woods are Rosewood, Maple and Ebony. Rosewood adds a warmth to the tone. Maple adds a clean crisp edge and Ebony is somewhere in the middle of the two. Not too bright, not too warm—a very nice compromise.

Scale length is a personal choice. A smaller scale length allows you to use thicker strings—the belief is that the more string vibrating over the pickups the thicker the sound. Use your ears and decide for yourself.

Pickups

Popular pickup choices are Humbuckers, Single Coils and P90s. Humbuckers have a ‘big’ sound that cancels hum due to construction. Rock players favor these as they react well with distortion and remain ‘tight and focused’ with a big sound. You can coil tap humbuckers to create a single coil type of sound. This is usually done with a ‘tap-switch’.

Single coils are weaker in comparison but offer a sound all of their own. They can sound ‘nasty’ in a good way. They are also great for that classic "blues " sound. A downfall of the single-coil is that they are not hum-canceling and can be noisy especially under fluorescent lighting. Modern single coils such as the DiMarzio Crusier have hum-canceling features so noise is not so much of an issue.

The P90 is an overgrown single coil so it falls right in the middle of the two sounds.

Pickups are a personal choice. A good way to utilize the available sounds is to go for a guitar with a mixture of pick-ups. For instance, neck and middle single-coil and bridge humbucker. Coupled with a 5-way selector switch this will give a wide choice of sound options covering all musical styles.

Hardware

A guitar is fitted with various hardware parts. In general they consist of a bridge, volume, tone controls and machine heads.

Bridge types are fixed, tremolo and floating tremolo systems. In the early 80s floating tremolos were a big part of rock guitar, the tremolo literally floated in the recess of the guitar allowing you to raise and lower pitch with the bar, these allowed some crazy sounds to be made that became a trademark of early 80s rock. The downfall of this system was they were high maintenance and became feared by guitar technicians. The floating trem is currently out of vogue and seen as a little over the top but again your own needs should govern your own choice. Beware that guitar techs will charge more to set these systems up as they require more time to find the optimum position for the floating tremolo.

The classic Fender tremolo bridge can also float if required but tuning stability is seriously compromised if this option is favored. Usually Fender bridges are set against the body so that pitch can only be lowered.

Many players believe that a fixed bridge is the best overall option for tone. Because of its solid to-body construction it really resonates against the tone wood of the body and tone appears ‘thicker’. Many classic Gibson guitars are built on this premise.

Machine heads control the amount of tension on your strings and are used to bring the guitar into tune after careful adjustment of each one. ‘Locking’ machine heads hold the string in place firmly and aid tuning stability, an ideal companion for the classic Fender tremolo bridge system.

Maintenance

A guitar owner should take care to ensure their instrument is kept well maintained. This will prolong the life of the guitar as well as ensure that it sounds its best at all times.

Complete sets of strings should be changed regularly to keep tone at an optimum. The amount of time between string changes will vary from player to player depending on how long they play for. Don’t wait for your strings to break before changing them.

At some point in the guitar’s life you will want to get a professional luthier to service it. This will include fret dressing, truss rod adjustments and general repairs. This will further extend the life of your instrument as well as keeping its resale value.

Ultimately your guitar is a personal choice. It must fit your needs in terms of sound and playability, feel good and inspire you to play and practice.

I hope you have enjoyed this guide to electric guitars and it serves as food for thought.