Adventures In Audio with Audio Masterclass

How much would you love to be able to record without latency? In the old-fashioned analogue days you could. Now – perhaps – you can.

If there's a power cut, then you can't work in your home recording studio. Or can you? Perhaps there are lots of things you can do to make your recordings better.

Yes of course you can add reverb to any instrument or vocal with a reverb plug-in. But this isn't *real* reverb. It's a digital imitation. Wouldn't you rather have the real thing?

In audio you need to know your left from your right. And here they are...

Does your choice of cables affect the sound quality of your recording? Well of course, anything makes a difference. But does the degree of difference make a difference to your end product?

What is a suitable loudness level for YouTube? Theory has it that -14 LUFS is ideal. But there may be problems. The pro audio experts all seem to think differently. You can learn more about levels and LUFS with Audio Masterclass https://www.audiomasterclass.com

If you had to choose just one microphone for your recording studio, which type, make and model would it be?

The Warm Audio WA-2A Opto Compressor has a huge VU meter right in the middle of its faceplate. So how do you use it to measure gain reduction, and why?

So many bloggers and commentators encourage fear, uncertainty and doubt about audio. But what should really be taking up your attention and time in the studio?

In the future, microphones won't be like the microphones we use today. We won't have to hook them up to a preamplifier. Whoa this is heavy...

You could spend $40,000 building a studio and lose it all. Or you could get that money back. Which would you prefer?

Every studio needs a tube microphone. It is such a popular sound that we simply do not want to work without it. But why don't we apply the same logic at the other end of the signal chain and have tube loudspeakers?

Can a plug-in really provide quick, professional-grade mastering? Or is mastering a craft and art that requires careful and detailed consideration?

An Audio Masterclass website visitor has a problem amplifying his acoustic guitar on stage.

There are few rules in recording. But sometimes you just have to know where to set the pan control.

If your drum reverbs are hanging around too long, they could be confusing your sound. How long should a drum reverb last?

An Audio Masterclass website visitor has a sizeable choir to record, with only five mics in his toolkit. How can this be done?

There is so much folklore about sound insulation, commonly known as soundproofing, but the science and technology is easy to understand. Perhaps because it is expensive and difficult to achieve really good results, people look for 'magical' solutions...

It is every recording enthusiast's dream to have a studio where you can make as much noise as you like, work as late as you like, have as many musicians round as you like, and not be troubled by outside noise sources. So where in the typical home environment would be a suitable place to record? Take a look round and explore some possibilities...

Gain... Level... Are you confused? And does it make any difference if you are?

When phantom power was first invented, it was designed so that any mic that didn't need it wouldn't be affected by it. So why do we now worry about switching it off?

An Audio Masterclass website visitor has a dilemma, and a lot of money to spend. Which loudspeakers will serve him best as studio monitors?

In theory, the phase button is a button you should never need to press. So why is it there?

Mix engineers work with music and sound, don't they? So how would a copy of the lyrics be useful?

Still monitoring on the best loudspeakers money can buy? Perhaps you need something a little more mediocre.

Are you guilty of recording cliches? Do you do things because you've seen other people doing it like that? Or do you decide for yourself what's best?

YouTube is full of advice on audio and recording. Some of it good, some of it bad, some of it adding more confusion than enlightenment.

You're trying to get a decent recording, but your singer is doing really strange things with the microphone. What do you do?

You're recording to a click track, but the drummer just can't hit the beat. What can you do?

How do you describe a microphone's position in relation to the voice or instrument it is recording or amplifying? Perhaps we need a new word in our vocabulary.

A seemingly simple question that perplexes many newcomers to audio and recording...

An Audio Masterclass website visitor wants to know how loud the bass should be, in percentage terms.

Microphones are the most inconsistent products in the whole of audio (apart from loudspeakers that is!). But why do they sound different? Isn't there such a thing as the perfect mic?

An Audio Masterclass website visitor asks what are the first and last things you should do in a mixing session? Well, that's not the average question, but we do have some answers...

Sound for theatre drama productions can be made much better through simple loudspeaker placement techniques.