Magazines are full of great tips for recording, mixing, even the initial building of your studio.
But you can’t hear the results.
And really, the one thing that is arguably more important than the gear you use, is the ears of the person who is using it.
That’s why my list is dominated by DVDs. You get to hear what you are being taught and you can do it through the monitors you use to record and mix your own music.
Not that books and magazines don’t have their place, because there are some great ones out there, but they are at their best when combined with some first hand knowledge of the sounds you are listening for.
UP FRONT. I RECEIVE NOTHING FOR LISTING THESE PRODUCTS.
I simply find them incredibly useful. Did I take every piece of advice, they offered? No. I made choices based on what I want from my studio. These resources all provide the reasons why they make their choices, so you are free to stray where you feel it appropriate.
NOTE: All of the DVD resources use Pro Tools as the DAW and Reason gets a little love as well, but the concepts explained in the lessons can be ported over to whatever DAW you use.
The focus here is on the sound and helping you create your own as professionally as possible.
So here are the resources and why I recommend them:
1. Pro Tools HF_SC – (DVD), Kagi Media
This was my go-to resource when I was faced with using a general contractor to convert my basement into a studio with control room and live room. I used other resources as well and even had a professional come out at one point for a fast consultation, but there is one area in particular the DVD made the difference for me:
I learned about having the contractor give me a second electric line separate from the house. Because of this, I have my own dedicated 100 Amp circuit (equal to the power directed to the entire rest of the house) for the studio without worrying about the fridge kicking in or the central air conditioning possibly causing a breaker to trip while I’m working.
As a whole, the DVD runs through the entire build in of a true project studio, not a half million dollar room, and they explain what they are doing and why. There are also guest professionals offering additional info.
Even if you have your project studio set up, there are some areas this DVD might be able to help you.
2. Mix It Like A Record – (DVD), Kagi Media
I own several DVDs dedicated to mixing. All of them are good, but this one in particular, not only took me step by step through a mix session with multi-platinum Latin Grammy winning Mixer/Producer Charles Dye, it gave me background on what the pros are talking about when they refer to “analog sound”.
He offers some of the plugins that helped him get a Grammy from a mix done “in the box”, what the plugins offered and how he used them. If that isn’t enough, he offers the concepts that are worth considering if you are truly looking to develop your own unique sound and create mixes that ‘breathe’.
I recommend this DVD as the first one to grab when learning mixing. Especially if you are actively buying mixing plugins. What you learn here will definitely inform your choices one way or another.
3. Multi-Platinum Track Editing – (DVD), Multi-Platinum Pro Tools
This DVD will take what you learned from Charles Dye regarding overall concepts of sound and performance and focus this information on the individual instrumental tracks.
In Track Editing, you will take a 5 hour turn through a professional track editing session where you can gain a superb understanding of editing, pocketing and time compressing audio regions.
Brady Barnett, a multi-platinum credited independent producer, recording engineer, arranger and one of the premiere Pro Tools editors in the industry walks you through his every decision giving you an over the shoulder view of the kind of detail that separates pro from wannabee.
Instruments covered include guitars, bass, percussion, loops, keys and leads.
4. Multi-Platinum Vocal Editing – (DVD), Multi-Platinum Pro Tools
Here, Brady Barnett takes you through 4.5 hours of tuition on getting perfect vocals through editing, pocketing and time compressing.
Lead and backing vocals are addressed here while you peek over his shoulder again getting a play by play on his every decision and the logic or emotion behind it. Every vocal phrase of the song is covered giving you true insight on what you need to get out singers during a session for you to get the job done in the mix.
Combined, these DVDs will take you a long ways with developing your sound if you suspend judgment and simply take in the information they are offering that applies to you and giving consideration as to why you part ways with certain decisions.
That last resource is going to break the DVD trend. Yes, there are other great DVDs out there, but I feel that what’s listed above combined with the following book will give you a true shortcut towards bettering your mixes.
5. Mixing With Your Mind – (Book) Michael Paul Stavrou
The book is expensive. But can say in all honesty that after roughly four podcasts discussing the proper use of compression, dozens of magazines trying it break down, books and even the DVDs taking up the topic, no one has made the use of compression as simple and effective as this one book.
The book offers a LOT. But the pages dedicated to compression alone are worth the price.
Following that, I now am a convert to Stavrou’s technique for finding the sweet spot when placing microphones and I have added perspective in recording vocals and have even adjusted the height of my seat when in the mixing position based on this book and have heard the results.
About Chris Wesley
I’l also on: