Category: Knowledge

The Art Of Arpeggiators

The art of arpeggiators is the following: also known as arps, they are a simple audio sequencing tool that involves a basic real-time sequencer. Arpeggiators are available on some hardware synths and software instruments. They allow the user to automatically go through a sequence of notes based on the player’s input. In addition, arps are…
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Drum Mastering

Drum mastering using parallel compression is a great way to mix tracks and to fix specific issues. Users are usually aware that when drums include a wide variety of elements, the impact produced in specific sounds is considerably lower. Producers know that one way to reduce this effect is by using parallel compression. Mastering Drums:…
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Modulation Effects Part 2

“Modulation Effects Part 2” is a continuation of our first entry on this topic. In particular, modulation effects modify sounds in a peculiar way. Moreover, they can also alter sounds in a dramatic and bizarre manners. Many advanced effects have been available to the public for years, but recently, they’ve gained popularity especially in contemporary…
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Modulation Effects (Part 1)

Modulation effects are a type of audio effect that modify sounds in a peculiar way. You can alter sounds with modulation effects by adding a time-delayed version of the sound itself while varying the size of that delay over time. In general, modulation provides a sense of dimension, motion, and depth. Modulators, also known as control…
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Audio Formats and File Types

Audio formats and file types are two concepts you’ll encounter throughout your music production journey. As a bit of context, the audio universe has a wide variety of audio file types classified under three main groups. These are uncompressed, lossless, and lossy. Just for starters, there are essential differences between compressed and uncompressed audio file…
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Compression

Compression is the process of decreasing the dynamic range of an audio signal by boosting the lowest peaks and flattening the loudest peaks in the signal. It can turn a sound into a great performance or a total disaster. A compressor is a dynamic range processor that involves several parameters such as threshold, ratio, attack,…
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Formants: Synthesize Vowel Sounds

Formants are spectral shapings created from an acoustic resonance of the human voice tract. These are amplitude peaks in the spectrum of resonant sound sources. Even more so, they are a concentration of acoustic energy that flows around a specific frequency in the speech wave. There are a variety of them and each one corresponds…
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Duduk

A duduk or tsiranapogh is an ancient double-reed musical instrument. It is part of the woodwind family, apricot wood being its material. Called dudukahar in Armenian, it resembles a unique flute that sounds like a wailing voice. One usually plays it in pairs because, in this fashion, you achieve a richer and more haunting sound. In…
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The Art Of Equalization

Equalization is constantly evolving within the music production universe by using several audio plugins. Some are instant balancers, which offer clarity, definition, depth, and cohesion to sounds. In addition, some work automatically and manage to balance frequencies by themselves. Automatic plugins identify which components of the frequency spectrum are looking for the attention of the…
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Sidechain Return Effects

Sidechain return effects are the result of excessively covering the overall audio signal. Here’s the explanation: plain sidechain compression is a popular technique amongst many producers. This technique is often for bass lines, as they tend to lower the volume of the bass. This results in letting the kick drum through without altering the low…
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