Category Archives: Productivity

Best Underrated Budget DAW: A Guide to Reaper by Cockos

Looking for an underrated budget DAW? Your best bet is Reaper, one of the best DAWs which is still relatively underground. We briefly mentioned this DAW in our budget sound design guide here, but it honestly deserves a full feature. Reaper is a simple but effective DAW, perfect both for seasoned producers and those starting out. Read on for a proper, in-depth look at what makes it so great.

Best Underrated Budget DAW: What Makes Reaper Stand Out

All of Reaper’s best points are actually highly dependent on personal preference. Ultimately, this is a breakdown of what makes it unique – yet its tight-knit following proves these quirks are part of its appeal

  • Simplicity

Reaper’s simplicity is also its biggest potential downside, but in its own way, it’s actually a real selling point. The clean interface allows you to project your own way of doing things onto a basic format. Options to organise and colour code tracks may at first appear limited, but actually provide everything you need and customisable packs can be downloaded from the official site.

  • Value for Money

Another bonus is Reaper’s value for money. The DAW costs 225 USD for the commercial listen or 60 USD for the basic licence.  At such a great price for personal use, this really makes it stand out compared to Logic and others.

  • 60-Day Trial Period

Speaking of the trial period, Reaper gives you the option to ‘purchase now’ or click ‘still evaluating’. What this shows is that Reaper is good enough that legions of musicians have chosen to pay for this bit of kit. The developers, Cockos, brand it as ‘audio production without limits’. Ultimately there are no downsides to taking the plunge with the trial period – especially when other DAWs require payment upfront.

  • Freedom of Organisation

Reaper is really minimalist in its interface, and as a result, it doesn’t use as much processing power as more complex daws. It also has next to no extraneous content, going by the rule of thumb that more doesn’t necessarily equal better. For example, the built-in drummers and loops found on a DAW like Logic are omitted, meaning it takes up minimal space, with the flip side being that it’s relatively bland in terms of visuals. As mentioned above, you can buy customisable user interfaces from Cockos, However, if cleanly organised and stripped-back daws are your thing, you might not need it, and ultimately Reaper raises the question as to how many extra features on other DAWs actually get used by the average, serious producer.

An Underrated Budget DAW: Are There Any Pitfalls?

The one thing which makes it a bit different is the fact you have to sift through files to find the FX you need. Some people have found that as a result, on a surface level it is not as intuitive as other DAWs. It’s sort of like Linux – an operating system which differs considerably from other options on the market but which has users who swear by these differences. 

What Other Good Points Does Reaper Have?

The most potentially polarising thing about Reaper is how stripped back it is. Although we’ve mentioned earlier how this can be a plus, looking deeper into its usefulness reveals Reaper to be even more of a worthy candidate for your favourite value DAW.

  • easily adaptable to any genre 

The bare-bones layout of Reaper is another potential downside which can actually be a bonus. unlike, say, Ableton or FL Studio, Reaper really does work for any genre. Ultimately, you are getting an absolute breakdown of the signal chain and recording studio, digitally and in miniature – without being steered one way or another by the developers’ creative preferences.

  •  lack of presets stimulates creative innovation 

So, as Reaper doesn’t have any built-in loops or software instruments. it’s geared more towards those who are already confident recording. It’s not as easy to quickly make a track which sounds good as with something like Apple Loops. However, a pro is that this total freedom can actually stimulate creativity. It can seem scary at first, but this is the kind of thing which can really challenge you as a producer. Ultimately, Reaper is a bold experiment as to what happens if you give musicians just the basics.

Tech Specs: Everything You Need to Know About Reaper

Don’t let its basic appearance fool you! Like any DAW worth its salt, Reaper allows you to:

  • side-chain
  • glue, resize, loop, and overdub tracks
  • create busses
  • colour code tracks
  • add the full expanse of necessary FX and plugins

Beyond the quirks about having to dig through files, Reaper’s interface is easily understandable if you’ve used Logic or even other DAWs such as Ableton Live. In addition, its built-in FX, sampler, and synth are very high quality, if slightly generic in terms of style. However, like most things to do with Reaper, this can be a bonus because it makes them very adaptable.

Reaper- A Basic Plugin Rundown:

  • ReaEQ – EQ plugin
  • ReaVerb – high-quality neutral-sounding reverb
  • JS Saturation – saturation plugin
  • ReaComp – compressor
  • ReaGate – high-quality gate with sidechain options
  • ReaTune – manual and automatic pitch correction plugin
  • ReaSynth – high-quality basic synth
  • ReaSample – Reaper’s own sampler

… and lots more! What’s great is these can actually be downloaded as a package to use with other hosts. Yes, that’s how much some users like the sound of them. And, like everything Reaper, they’re all really low CPU.

What Does Reaper NOT Have?

  • built-in software instruments.
  • the personalisation of daws like logic
  • real recorded session musicians on their virtual instruments. however, as said before, this can be a bonus in that it promotes more creativity. 

Final Thoughts: Is Reaper Worth It?

Ultimately, the answer is a resounding YES. For such an underrated, basic-looking DAW, Reaper has very few flaws. If you’re confident with mixing and mastering, it’s easy to get to grips with. Even if you’re not, it’s an ideal place to learn the ropes due to its simplicity. If in doubt, Reaper is 100% worth trialling for the free 60 days it gives you. Regardless of your preferences, you never know which bits of it might grow on you. 

How to Sound Like Seattle Grunge Bands- Tips for Guitarists

The 90s grunge scene of Seattle originally became popular amongst those who felt misunderstood and hard done by. These same qualities mean it has continued to resonate worldwide from South America to the UK. Read on to find out how to achieve the iconic sounds of this musical era.

Double Tracking: At the Heart of the Seattle Grunge Sound

One of the best ways to get that heavy sound of Seattle grunge scene is to double-track your guitar parts. What may surprise you, however, is how some tracks have as many as four different guitars. These overlap each other to create a whole new sound. 

One example is Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit. In this record, legendary producer Butch Vig panned the two heaviest tracks to the left and right. He then topped these with other tracks with varying levels of FX. Legend has it Kurt Cobain took a lot of convincing to accept double tracking – he claimed it messed with the band’s underground sound.

What this style of double tracking does is blend sound like mixing paint. In this way, you can achieve sounds different to just your basic amp settings. You might not have access to the same FX as Vig. However, by using what you do have creatively, you can achieve a similar complexity to your heavy guitar parts.

Power Chords: How to Get as Heavy as You Like

One feature of grunge which also became used by punk, pop punk and post-punk, is the power chord. The power chord is neither major nor minor. It omits the third note of the scale, leaving only the first and the fifth. This neither major nor minor quality allows grunge to maintain that haunting, eerie sound. It also allows it to sit in a nice in-between spot as a genre. It carries a lot of sadness, but was also intended to be energetic, encouraging fans to mosh and headbang.

However, using power chords won’t immediately make you sound grunge. In fact, there are many grunge tracks which don’t use them, and plenty of punk, rock, and post-punk tracks which do. However, if you’re unsure where to start, sticking to power chords can help. Play at the low end of the guitar neck, add some gritty distortion, and you can get a great sound to start. For a real grunge sound, try syncopating them. By muting some of your strums, you can write riffs similar to ’Smells Like Teen Spirit’, ‘Fell on Black Days’ by Soundgarden, or any track by Alice in Chains. 

The Seattle Grunge Sound’s Secret Weapon: Be Messy

Grunge never tried to be perfect. As an underground genre, it shied away from the polish of large studios and the mainstream industry. In fact, Kurt Cobain actually asked producer Steve Albini to help him make the sound of In Utero, the band’s third album, dirtier, messier, and less commercial. You can notice this especially on tracks like Serve the Servants, which used seventh chords layered with tons of distortion. Occasionally, choosing more complex chords which don’t sound nice under distortion can give your playing a dirtier, grungier sound.

Alice in Chains were also masters of messy riffs and production. When they and other bands went unplugged, this ramshackle approach saw grunge become closer to folk. Whether electric or acoustic, embracing your natural messiness as a guitarist brings an underground authenticity to your playing. Just remember that moderation is also key!

Grunge Tip Number 4: Avoid Too Many FX

Because grunge was underground, bands didn’t always have huge pedalboards. Grunge bands tended not to use fuzz, wah, flanger, or other effects as much as some other genres.. Doing less with more is a key hallmark of grunge.

To achieve this, try limiting yourself to just a couple of distortion or overdrive pedals and your amp. Don’t be concerned with sounding pretty, but instead focus on expression and atmosphere. Contrast and dynamics, as explained in the next point, also help you do less with more.

Loud-Quiet Dynamics – the Key to Distinctive Seattle Grunge Inspiration

The original Seattle grunge bands often switched from loud to very quiet and vice versa. This meant when the chorus kicked in, it was most impactful. This technique was chiefly utilised by Nirvana. However, it also features in the music of Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Alice in Chains, as well as the Foo Fighters, although they came after the main scene. 

To achieve this, it’s not enough to just turn down the volume or lessen the FX when producing. It all starts in the writing process. Use a sparse, minimal riff in the verse sections with clean or almost clean guitar. Meanwhile, crank the distortion up to eleven in the choruses. This will provide you with the contrast you need to grab your listeners’ attention.

Shake Up Your Music Theory: How to Have a Truly Underground Sound

One lesser-known way of getting that grunge “Seattle sound” is by changing the way you write. Due to its underground values, grunge music really didn’t care much for proper music theory. One favourite technique of Kurt Cobain was to change the second chord of the key. This chord normally should be minor, but Nirvana often made it major. This is unexpected, and not what listeners expect to hear. Therefore, it is responsible for the slightly tense, haunting quality of tracks off Nevermind and In Utero. 

Other bands such as Alice in Chains also avoided theory conventions. For example, many bands kept the fifth chord out of the chorus. This prevented the songs from sounding too happy or like they ever reached a climax. Using these conventions can help prevent your sound becoming too mainstream.

Final Thoughts

These are just some of the ways you can achieve the Seattle Sound or something close to it. Remember that grunge was an underground, do-it-yourself genre with a reputation for going against convention, so there are no rules. However, these tips should help you narrow down your techniques to achieve the sound you’re looking for.

Liked this article? For more ways to think about music differently, check out the rest of our tutorials section here.

How to start playing Guitar solos: BEST Software to learn Guitar Fretboard notes FAST

How long does it take to memorize the guitar fretboard? If you truly want to master the fretboard, it’s best to move away from relying on a fretboard chart and start memorizing chord positions, root notes, the CAGED system, and more. Here, we have included many options in our breakdown of the best software and apps to learn guitar fretboard fast and easily, as everyone has different methods that suit them best.

While a good practice routine is a must, you need more than just rote memorization. Learning the guitar fretboard for beginners can lead to boredom if you make this common mistake. However, learning interactively on the other hand can turbocharge your playing. Whether through mini-games or by slowing down your favorite solos, the fretboard is yours for the taking with these apps and other programs. Read on for some great software to help with just this. 

BEST FREE OPTION: LEARN GUITAR FRETBOARD EASILY WITH FA CHORDS

If you want to easily learn guitar fretboard positions at a low price, this is the software for you. The developer of this software is actually a guitar tutor, so you know this app has real thought behind it. FA Chords includes games that give you the same note from multiple angles. Whether as part of an interval, scale or by itself, contextual learning means unexpected notes don’t surprise you or slow you down.

Much of the content is based on the CAGED system which is across the board the best and most professional way of organizing the guitar fretboard neatly into fretboard positions and chord shapes that make soloing easy, and it makes up the basis of every guitar fretboard diagram

FA chords also introduces the Circle of Fifths. This bit of music theory shows how parts of the scale fit together and is one of the best ways to learn guitar fretboard notes by understanding the patterns behind the process. As a result, it’s an ultra-fast shortcut to playing your own solos. By building in theory to memorization games, FA Chords makes this topic accessible. Even if you just set out to master some basic scales, you’ll come out a lot more skilled. 

Specs/availability: All parts of the software are available for separate download on the website’s software page. They are available for all operating systems including Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android.

Price: Free, on their website (click here to access it).

GUITARLAYERS: BEST PAID OPTION TO LEARN GUITAR FRETBOARD NOTES EASILY

One of the best features of Guitar Layers and which we still think puts it near the top of this list is how it can generate chord shapes, positions, and inversions at the drop of a hat. 

In addition – why we still think it’s one of the best – it’s not just compatible with MacOS, it’s pretty much designed with this operating system in mind. Therefore it isn’t just great for hobbyist guitarists but also for professional educators and those who need high-quality software on a regular basis. 

If you want a gamified option to learn notes of the guitar fretboard, Guitar Layers is one of the slickest options on this list. Its sleek black interface and color-coded notes and chords make learning the fretboard a breeze. In addition, its unique learning pattern uses color coding to let you neatly sort notes, e.g. by the octave. 

Guitar Layers gets its name from its layered system of learning. This makes abstract concepts visual, like harmonizing. As a result, you’re able to see how scales and notes relate to each other and where they are in context. This goes a bit deeper than the theory of FA Chords, too. Guitar Layers actually shows you notes relatively. It also lets you make custom scales, and change the notes of any pre-existing scale. It’s on the more expensive side, but it’s worth it due to how comprehensive and high-quality is it. 

Specs/availability: Available for macOS from the app store. Not available as an app, although it’s aimed at education where most will have desktop access.

Price: 9.99 GBP or 12 USD (click here to access it)

BEST SIMPLE OPTION: MASTER GUITAR FRETBOARD WITH FRETBOARD WARRIOR

Whilst the previous two options are complete packages, Fretboard Warrior does one thing but does it well. In a similar vein to some of the games included with other apps here, it tests your knowledge of the notes on the fretboard by asking you to tap the correct place. This can help you learn guitar fretboard positions fast in ANY key because ALL positions are based around a root note. 

There are many options out there that promise to help you learn guitar fretboard notes in 10 minutes or other similarly impossible times. In truth, to properly learn the fretboard means using it dynamically. There is no shortcut, but this game comes close because it focuses on one specific thing but does it interactively. 

However, what sets it apart is that it’s very quick and convenient for focussing on just one thing. It’s speedy and without distractions, so it keeps your thinking flexible and fast. This is a really great transferrable skill for playing guitar solos, where it’s necessary to think on your feet. 

Specs/availability: Can be downloaded online from the developer

Price: Free (click here to access it)

LEARN GUITAR FRETBOARD FAST WITH FRETONOMY: BEST GAMEPLAY BASED OPTION

Ultimately, we still think this is one of the best options on the market due to the professionalism of the interface. This puts it up there along with GuitarLayers. Whilst some of these apps are created by and aimed at hobbysists, this one is pretty professional. However the company is also always open to feedback here:

Yes, this one has 18 mini-games. Fretonomy is big both on the aesthetics, and on the games. If you learn most easily  in a fun and interactive environment, this is by far the best app on the list. It has up to 18 different mini-games and it is a value-for-money option for learning guitar fretboard positions for beginners and intermediate guitarists alike, as it is technically free but offers in-app purchases.

The interface is smart and eye-catching with both an overview of a fretboard plus chord positions and names and a musical stave so you can see music in different forms. Bonus points to this app for including this last part as many guitarists rely on tab, but it never hurts to learn to read music. 

Like most of the software on this list, Fretonomy also teaches chords, chord positions, scales, and intervals. However, it also offers a nice selection of chord progressions for help with songwriting.

Specs/availability: Available on both the app store and for Android

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases (click here to access it)

BEST BONUS OPTION: SOLO ALL OVER THE FRETBOARD WITH THE AMAZING SLOW DOWNER 

One of the best ways to learn the notes and chords of the guitar fretboard is to play solos to contextualize your knowledge. It is not hard to learn to solo on guitar but if you really want to master the fretboard, it’s an essential skill. Contrary to what you may read online, it is not possible to learn to solo in 5 minutes or other ridiculously short times. It takes dedication and practice, but this app makes the process a lot faster and easier. 

. This app is expensive, but worth it to adjust the tempo of any piece of music. In this way, you can slow things down to your ideal tempo. This also lets you break down a solo so it’s easier to learn, which is arguably the most appealing feature of the app. 

Although it’s not strictly educational, this deserves includion as one of the best alternative apps to learn the guitar fretboard notes and chord positions because of how it connects this to wider playing techniques.. By slowing down songs you can break guitar solos into their constituent parts and patterns. getting to grips with the real building blocks of constructing your own. As a result, working your way from the first fret to the twelfth has never been easier. 

Specs/availability: Available on the app store. Also available for Microsoft Windows – but it’s considerably more expensive at 39.99 USD.

Price: 14.99 USD (click here to access the Mac version)

HONOURABLE MENTION: LEARNING GUITAR FRETBOARD FAST AND SCIENTIFICALLY WITH FRETPRO APP

Fretpro isn’t exactly the best app to learn guitar fretboard overall if you want more depth, but it’s still a really neat piece of software. It’s basic, but it’s not pretending to be anything more. Its purpose is just to help you learn the notes of the fretboard. However, its learning style is high tech and it uses something called spaced repetition, where the same questions come at irregular intervals. Science has proven that this keeps your thinking sharp and flexible – a must for independently moving up and down the fretboard. 

Approaching guitar this way means it’s easier to handle novelty. This is one thing several apps on this list have in common. It’s a vital skill – for example when you’re sight reading or at a jam session. This method also helps learn large amounts of information by keeping all parts interconnected. With this app, you will memorize the fretboard so easily that you soon won’t need a guitar fretboard diagram. Instead, you will be able to quickly and smoothly move from position to position. 

FretPro is made by a single guy in California on a mission to help guitarists. It has a smart interface and bonus points for this high-tech method of learning, so it wraps up the list with a bang.

Specs/availability: Available for iPhone on the App Store

Price: Free

Final Thoughts

So there you have it. Whilst some of these apps have similar games, each guitarist is different and there are ways that work for some which don’t work for others. It’s all about finding your learning style and how best to unlock it for total fretboard mastery. Plus, a deeper knowledge and understanding of how the notes and patterns connect to each other means you too can begin to construct soon from the ground up.

Want to improve your guitar playing? Check out both our software section for more helpful programmes, plus our archive of tutorials.

Soundtrap – Spotify’s Collaborative DAW: A Quick Rundown of Pros and Cons

Soundtrap pros and cons tend to include much of the conversation around Spotify as a whole. While some in the music industry are really happy with its ease of use, other musicians feel it doesn’t quite cut it and oversimplifies the creative process. Read on for a look at both sides.

Soundtrap Pros and Cons: How it Works

Soundtrap is essentially an online DAW. You can make music and bring in collaborators from all over the world, in groups. It makes things easy for long-distance projects, which are now a staple of the digital music era. However, the first impression is it’s geared towards a particular type of producer. It also takes this model and expands it to other areas of sound design.

Soundtrap operates on a subscription basis and starts with Soundtrap Free. After this, it advertises four tiers: Soundtrap for Music Makers premium and supreme, as well as Soundtrap for Storytellers, designed for podcasters, and Soundtrap Complete, which has the most features. All that’s needed after this is a simple login. Then you can begin sharing your projects with friends and collaborators. There are chat features and you can tune into projects and make adjustments, too.

Successes and Failures so Far:

It’s important to remember that Spotify started in advertising, not in music. Soundtrap’s taglines are a bit unusual for a serious producer or musician. The names of the tiers and how it’s targeting the education sector, too, mean Soundtrap feels like a very simplified DAW. However, these points make Soundtrap relatively unappealing to a large proportion of the music industry. For starters, musicians tend to work in certain ways and as a large company, Spotify isn’t familiar with this.

Essentially Soundtrap is the recording process democratised. The mystery which previously went on only in famous recording studios is now openly available to anyone. However, mainstream DAWs such as logic still sometimes prove to be too complex for the complete novice to work with. This is especially true if your goal is not necessarily to become a producer, but you need a DAW as part of a side project such as for a film score. This is where Soundtrap comes in. It is really good at combining lots of pre-existing ideas. As a result, is perfect for this sector of the market. It also removes a lot of the steep learning curve which comes with DAWS.

Main Competitors:

Obviously, Soundtrap’s competitors include other popular DAWs. However, Soundtrap differentiates itself from these by generalising as opposed to specialising. DAWs such as FLStudio and Ableton market themselves towards particular types of musicians. Even Logic, with its heritage instruments and aesthetics, is the go-to DAW for a specific industry subculture. In this case – the pro songwriting, Nashville, California, and pop/rock audience. Yet who is Soundtrap best for? Spotify’s size is also one of its greatest flaws. The company is so large that it becomes a jack of all trades. This same principle is at play with Soundtrap. As a result, it works for those who look at things from a general perspective. This tends to include educational institutions and beginner sound designers.

One major competitor for the social collaboration aspect is Audiomovers ListenTo, which we reviewed last month. Nevertheless, ListenTo is actually far more in line with the writing process at an industry level. It also offers a slicker and more streamlined service, prioritising high quality. This includes control over specific aspects of the transmission process such as latency. 

Soundtrap Pros and Cons: The Good Points

Soundtrap has many of the same pros and cons as Spotify itself. Spotify is primarily an expert in music consumers. These are people who have music on in the background but who don’t really deep dive. As a result, this audience excludes the vast majority of sound designers and producers and even a significant percentage of guitarists and other instrumentalists. Soundtrap is therefore a unique product of this – a DAW geared towards not geeks but casual creators. This makes it less than exciting for serious music lovers – but a real lifesaver for the increased number of those now interested in music creation.

It’s also collaborative, which means that it is perfect for teaching. This is in line with how Soundtrap is a social endeavour. It follows the same pattern as how Spotify allows users to share playlists and listen together. It’s clear Spotify targets Soundtrap for a certain kind of creator. 

Soundtrap’s Flip-Side: The Bad Points

However, this has its downside. Many of the things found only on Soundtrap are best for novices. Its preset beats make it really easy to create music quickly which is perfect for a school or university project, but on an industry level doesn’t quite hold up. As a result, some of the platform’s marketing, which seems aimed towards serious musicians, falls short. There is the air of a large company trying and failing to keep up with the times. This is not to say Soundtrap is bad, per se. It’s just that its target audience isn’t what you might expect and it’s prone to false advertising.

Soundtrap Pros and Cons: Overall Assessment

Soundtrap tries to do a lot in one go. Its values and the kind of musical interaction it promotes are similar to Spotify as a whole. It prioritises sharing and socialising similar to a social media platform as opposed to the serious studio work promised by potential competitor ListenTo by Audiomovers. Again, this doesn’t mean Soundtrap is bad. It just means it’s niche seems more within education or casual music creation.

Therefore, Soundtrap is fun if you’re a diehard Spotify user and you need a usable DAW with a small learning curve. It’s fantastic if you need shortcuts and you don’t want to teach yourself full music production. The designers gave it some really good software development, so you can push it to quite high levels for independent artists. However, it’s just not the kind of challenging, stimulating software which really pro gear fanatics would use – but Spotify didn’t intend it this way.

Final Thoughts:

Soundtrap pros and cons are very dependent on whether you like Spotify’s overall way of doing things. Some people love it. Some hate it. It focuses on big business and is another wing of the Spotify behemoth. Therefore, it’s a bit one size fits all. Producers can use it for their own purposes as a result of this sort of blank slate. Yet, it’s also lacking some of the things which really draw music lovers to gear. Yet if you need something easy to understand and want to start producing quickly, it’s worth a shot.

If you liked this article, check out more on software here, as well as our review of ListenTo by Audiomovers here.

Best Mics for Recording Electric Guitar 2023: A Market Rundown

The best mics for electric guitar of 2023 show some studio classics which can turbocharge your recording. Though there are lots of options out there, sometimes the choice can be overwhelming. When recording guitar, it’s especially important to use the right mic to ensure sound translates the way you want it to – and electric guitar needs very different recording techniques to steel or acoustic. However, if electric is your instrument, read on for a rundown of what’s out there.

Best Mics for Electric Guitar – Beginners: Shure SM57

This mic regularly makes the top ten or top five lists and for good reason. The SM57 is a classic which is durable and easy to learn. Many pro studio engineers recommend it for beginners, both for its intuitive capacity and the fact it’s under 100 pounds. As a result, it’s easy to replace if broken – however, it’s also unlikely to do so in the first place. It’s robust and its one drawback is sometimes it can pick up unwanted noise, but its quality is actually very high for a mic of its price. 

Many beginners pick up a Shure SM57 not knowing much about mics only to find it’s one of the most trusty bits of gear in their studio. It’s also proven to be great on tour, able to withstand the knocks and stresses of the road.

Price and availability: Check Reverb.com by clicking here.

Specifications: 40-15,000 Hz cardioid microphone

Best Overall Mic: Sennheiser e906

This is a great mic which works for drums and other instruments as well. Its versatility is good if you need to record multiple instruments and can’t afford a specialised mic for each one. Sennheiser created a unique shape designed for guitar amps, presenting a broad and flat surface which means you can use it without a stand. In addition, its presence filter helps you adjust the amount of presence – great if you have instruments which are sounding a little dull or lifeless. In fact, this mic is great at breathing life into just about anything. It’s extremely flexible and responsive as well, meaning fast it can withstand fast punchy riffs or jolts of sound.

The Sennheiser e906 is actually a super-cardioid mic, meaning it is hyper-sensitive to sound coming from the direction in which it is pointing. This means it can get crystal clear tones from this spot alone, filtering out unwanted noise from other areas. This precision makes it absolutely amazing in the studio.

Price and availability: Check Reverb.com by clicking here.

Specifications: 40 – 18,000 Hz super-cardioid mic

Best Mics for Electric Guitar – Heavy: Royer 121 / Peluso R14

The biggest challenge of recording heavy guitars is the fact mics can easily blow out. The full force of sound coming from a Marshall stack is often too much for many mics especially if placed too close. Hard rock and metal lovers recommend both the Royer and the Peluso for their durability and reliability, ensuring many tours and recording sessions without any problems. Both are on the expensive side, yet have very similar properties. As a result, if you can’t track one down, you might be able to substitute the other without too much change in the end result.

Price and availability: Check Reverb.com for a Royer by clicking here, and for Peluso click here.

Specifications: 30 – 15,000 Hz figure 8 ribbon mic (Royer 121), 30 – 16,000 Hz figure 8 ribbon mic (Peluso R14)

Best for Soft/Vintage Guitar: AKG C451 

This mic normally has a reputation as being a drummer’s mic and is especially good for recording cymbals, however, many musicians have begun to use it for acoustic as well as gentle, softer electric guitar. Why is it so versatile and how does it work so well? This is a mic which focuses on the high-end. It’s great at bringing colour to dull sounds. And as a result, it means that you can capture vintage or more low-key guitars in all their glory. The AKG C451 adds sparkle to this kind of guitar when undertones and overtones get lost in warmth and fuzz. 

Price and availability: Check Reverb.com by clicking here.

Specifications: 20 – 20,000 Hz cardioid mic

Best Overall Ribbon Mic: Beyerdynamic M160 

This is a ribbon mic with a difference. Instead of being a figure eight cardioid mic, it’s a hyper-cardioid. For those who are not familiar, your average cardioid mic pics up sound in a figure eight pattern. This means that you get lots of natural reverb but can also get some unwanted room noise if there isn’t good enough soundproofing. Supercardioid mics like the e906 focus the pickup of sound on one area, but hyper-cardioid mics are a type of super-cardioid which focus these even more tightly, meaning with the M160 it’s really easy to direct and point this mic to get the exact sounds you want.

This mic was actually the one which recorded the legendary drums on Led Zeppelin’s When The Levee Breaks and has been around since 1957 but it is also a favourite for recording engineers to use on guitar amps.

Price and availability: Check Reverb.com by clicking here.

Specifications: 40 – 18,000 Hz, hyper-cardioid ribbon mic.

Final Thoughts 

Ultimately these mics give good variety in terms of what you use them for. Although not all of them are specifically from 2023, they’re all highly relevant and useful bits of gear which will serve you well. You can use the Shure, Sennheiser, and Beyerdynamic for multiple instruments and styles whilst the other two are also adaptable based on your playing flexibility. One thing’s for sure – these bits of gear will be useful for years to come. 

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Audiomovers ListenTo: An Honest Review of this Musical Collaboration Software

ListenTo by Audiomovers was immediately intriguing, although when setting out to review I didn’t know what to expect. ListenTo is billed as a collaboration tool to allow musicians around the globe to listen in on a single session. However, its simple formula also allows it to solve so many more problems. Read on for an honest take on ListenTo and what makes it so great.

Audiomovers ListenTo: The Basics

The ListenTo plugin allows you to stream high-quality audio to collaborators around the world. You can easily download it from the Audiomovers website, and it’s simple to install. It works on a variety of DAWs, including Logic, Cubase, Ableton Live, Protools, and even Reaper.

The plugin is priced at 8.33 USD for a standard yearly subscription or 16.67 USD for the Standard Plus Yearly (recommended). Both can also be billed annually. It’s available in VST, AU, and AAX formats. Those listening receive audio by app, via the plugin, or even on a free internet link which requires no downloads. Listeners can even record this audio for future reference.

I was impressed by the fact that Audiomovers have clearly left no stone unturned. It’s as if someone examined every step of a typical co-working process and seriously considered how to streamline it. This is also without any compromises on quality – ListenTo offers streaming quality up to 32-bit or 96 kHz.

Best Things About Audiomovers ListenTo

So to break it down, ListenTo stands out because it fills two niches, both of which aren’t really served by any other software. Firstly, its quality and efficiency are second to none. I found it extremely impressive in this regard, especially in terms of options to fine-tune audio quality (more on this later). Secondly, ListenTo works with how projects develop in reality.

Simplifies the process of collaboration

The way ListenTo keeps things simple works in line with the production process. It’s easiest to stream by putting the plugin on the mix or master bus of your track. In this way, it shares huge amounts of musical data quickly and easily. However, it can be applied to any channel strip – for example, if you wanted to work only on drums.

Built for real workflow

So, Audiomovers achieves this connection via a centralised format where one producer with a link can share large numbers of tracks with relatively large numbers of people across the globe. This smooths things over for both producers and their coworkers. Resultantly, this frees up real creative flow, uninterrupted.

Privacy, Accessibility, and Pricing

ListenTo’s built with the industry in mind – it even has the option for password/pin-protected sessions. Audiomovers site says it is used on over 85% of sessions at London’s famous Abbey Road Studios. When using it, I actually became more aware of every aspect of the track.

Its low subscription cost also stands out. By making this kind of industry-standard technology affordable to average musicians, ListenTo facilitates grassroots projects. This allows greater channels for collaboration for bedroom producers and independent artists.

Options at the time of writing this review

Additional Things That Stand Out About Audiomovers ListenTo

Really built for musicians

Similar to how LIstenTo simplifies things, what it does include is indispensable. Aside from increasing efficiency, every single feature is chosen carefully to slot in with the average producer’s workflow. This was extremely refreshing. Many bits of software come with unnecessary details, while simultaneously leaving out the small additions which make the process easier. ListenTo, on the other hand, avoids all this.

Does one thing very well

ListenTo is great at what it’s intended for and doesn’t try to be anything more. Users can freely set audio quality and can adjust latency to as low as 0.1s. ListenTo also keeps count of connected clients. By prioritising features like these, Audiomovers have created a really efficient little plugin. This lets musicians focus on getting high-quality, crystal-clear audio to large numbers of collaborators worldwide.

Is There Anything Bad About Audiomovers ListenTo?

In all honesty, there really isn’t much I would change about ListenTo. For moments when you’re in the groove, the fact that it’s audio-only has unexpected side effects. With its capacity for streamlining, ListenTo makes the production process easy on the eye and eliminates any potential distractions. I also found it made me focus more purely on the music.

If you’re looking for social networking, this isn’t it, but it doesn’t pretend to be. Its great strength lies in simplifying complexity in general. It’s equally useful for a one-on-one project with a large number of tracks on the go. The sheer audio quality and the fact this is such an efficient plugin mean that even if you don’t think you need it, you might want it.

The Only Product of it’s Kind? What Makes ListenTo Stand Out

So, is ListenTo worthy of the hype? I would have to say the answer is a resounding yes. ListenTo really does fill a real gap in the market. There is plenty of co-working software out there and plenty of options for high-quality audio streaming. However, there really isn’t anything which combines them so seamlessly – nor which can handle large numbers of tracks in one go with such clarity.

Additionally, users can send and receive audio both ways means those on the receiving end can record additions in real time. I haven’t come across anything else which does all this combined whilst simultaneously being so intuitive and unobtrusive. You might want to check their website for more information by clicking here.

Final Thoughts

ListenTo enables real creative flow without distraction. Audiomovers have designed a central hub around which musicians can work and an easy way for them to access it. As a result, this is a plugin which works like musicians do. It manages to solve many problems with very little effort. I feel I haven’t even begun to discover all its possibilities – without a doubt, it will remain with me in future.

ListenTo is compatible with MacOs 10.15 – 11 and Windows 10 (64-bit only) and 11.

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Your Identity as a Sound Designer: A Quick Cheatsheet for Using Plugins to Find Your Artistic Identity

It’s hard to find your identity as a guitarist. Whilst it may seem as if there are no more legends along the lines of Steve Vai or Eric Clapton, the meaning of being a guitarist is still constantly changing. Now the ease of digital sound design means everyone has access to similar gear, it’s up to the individual to use it creatively in order to convey a unique sound. Read on for how sound design can help do this and quick tips as to developing your own unique sound.

Sound Design Identity: Understand How DAWs Affect Artistic Identity

In the age of analogue, much of an artist’s sonic identity could come from their gear, whether that was a quirky, refurbished guitar, or the amps and cabinets available in the studio. The shape of the room, it’s furnishings, and the number of people present would all have affected the way the finished product turned out. On a DAW, consistent and controlled settings prevent this variability, thus the ability to create a unique sound belongs to the artist themselves. This means when using a DAW sound designers must get creative with adding the things which would come naturally with an analogue recording- layering reverbs, equalising, and mixing and mastering so their sound has just the right amount of distinctiveness – something especially important for guitarists where so much is reliant on tone and feeling to get the musical message across.

Sound Design Identity: Learn From Your Idols

How did your favourite producers, sound designers, or guitarists get to where they are today? None of them would have been perfect from the get go. What separates them from the thousands of guitarists who give up is the fact that they not only continued trying but that they fine-tuned and adapted their creative processes to avoid ever making the same mistakes twice.

As sound designers- whether you have a small bedroom set up and are just starting out or a personal studio and you may be wishing to reinvent your sound, using plugins to experiment with adding and subtracting things from your sound is one way of ensuring all your tracks are unique and carry that distinctive fingerprint which sets them out as yours and yours alone.

Sound Design Identity: Use Reference Tracks

Reference tracks are a heavy part of the production process, but for any sound designer there is always the risk of sounding too much like your inspirations. It can be frustrating when you don’t have access to the same gear as them and you may spend your time in the studio trying to find that perfect sound. The important thing to realise is that any alternatives you choose will mark you out as separate from your influences and therefore give you more of a creative edge. As a result, embracing differences and realising it’s impossible to sound exactly like your idols is one of the best ways forward – it can separate you from the hundreds of other guitarists who get stuck at this stage. Reference tracks are just that – references, and expecting your work to sound exactly like them limits your creative possibilities. Whether a producer or sound designer yourself – or a guitarist working with a team of other creatives – understanding this can be one of the most freeing parts of developing a creative identity.  

Sound Design Identity: Repurpose Plugins and Sounds

Default plugins on DAWs such as Logic are often geared towards some of the most crowd pleasing and popular sounds. This means harking back to the heyday of guitar with rock and hard rock oriented amps which are versatile enough to still be used in modern genres such as indie rock. But what if you want something different? Before shelling out on specialist gear to sound just like your influences, see if repurposing the default plugins on your DAW can achieve similar sounds at a fraction of the price and whilst simultaneously giving your music a distinctive edge. That metal plugin you bought on a whim and have now forgotten about as your band changed direction? Some of the reverb could sound great for one of your darker, moodier tracks, even if it doesn’t strictly fit into the genre.

Think Outside of the Boundaries of Genre

Out of the wealth of plugins available, many are often geared towards specific genres, especially in niches known to sell consistently such as blues. However, these genre labels need not limit you if you truly want to break boundaries a bit. If you’re a rock guitarist, why not use an indie style reverb for a ballad? Or taking that same reverb heavy noise of underground and indie music and using it for experimental or noise music? By looking at your own genre through the eyes of another, you can get a more accurate picture of where you stand within wider sound design and make creative movies which pinpoint your sound yet keep it familiar enough that it can draw in new listeners.

Know What You Need

There is a lot of advice out there on the internet and ultimately every sound designer ha their own way of working. If you haven’t yet found yours, it can be hard to tell what’s relevant. Knowing what you need can bring exponential growth in both your artistic and technical development. Are you a bedroom producer who simply wants some decent reverb to make those low key, soft guitars sound more emotional? Or are you knee deep in technical shred guitar recordings and are looking to ensure every note of a guitar solo shines through? By focusing on what you love, it’s easier to find what you need- and find plugins which really work for you in the process.

Overall, these are just some of the ways in which the process of sound design can help you define a distinctive identity as an artist. By seeing your artistic identity reflected in the plugins you use, waveforms you see, and creative choices which you make, you can further hone and develop your sense of yourself as a musician so that all your work has your own distinctive stamp on it – a compilation of the gear you use and the way you use it in a pattern completely unique to you.

Budget Sound Design Guide: Free Plugins and Alternative DAW Options for All Levels

They biggest myth in sound design is the idea that defining your own sound costs the earth. Not able to afford the most expensive plugins? Want something other than Logic X Pro? Read on for some hidden gems – completely free plugins which are versatile enough to shake up the way you think about sound whilst still being adaptable to most genres.

Budget Sound Design Tool: Peavey Revalver 4

Peavey is one of the oldest and most established amp brands but they have used their past successes as a springboard for new and versatile products. Peavey Revalver 4 is just one example of this and how fine attention to detail pays off to create stellar sound design for absolutely free!

With instrument modelling at the input and tone matching at the output as a result of its finely configured audio cloning technology, the Peavey Revalver 4 is completely true to life and takes its name from valve amplifiers, renowned for giving a deep and rich tone bringing human warmth and sonic touch to your recordings.

Revalver 4 also allows third party plugins, pedals, and VSTs to be added, meaning it is without a doubt one of the more flexible free plugins you can find. Not only does the Revalver 4 meet the needs of audiophiles everywhere with its commitment to mimicking the natural tone of classic Peavey gear. While the amp store provides paid additions, at its basic level, tone cloning, independent mic placement, and the ability to control features by MIDI mean it still has much to offer.

Revalver 4 is available for free download at the following link and works for both Windows and OSX.

https://revalver.peavey.com

Budget Sound Design Tool: Chameleon by Guitar ML

It’s only occasionally you find such a hidden gem in the world of sound design. Whilst most plugin designers seek a competitive edge within the market, honing their skills so they can become the best at what they do, occasionally a designer breaks outside the mould to create something which really has a unique selling point. For a free plug in – and for what it does – Chameleon by Guitar ML is absolutely one of these.

Over the course of a song, the sound created by a guitar is in a state of constant motion, and this is responsible for much of the dynamism of both live music and analogue recordings. Chameleon by Guitar ML has gone one step further than most plugin designers, using artificial intelligence and machine learning to create a plugin which models three real world samples to create a virtual amp head. This is therefore the ideal plugin for those looking to develop an ear for sonic nuance, with less but richer and deeper options and extreme amounts of control.

Chameleon is available forWindows 7 and up, Mac 10.11 and up, as well as Linux. More information can be found on their website.

https://guitarml.com

Budget Sound Design Tool: Valhalla Supermassive

Valhalla Supermassive is all about reverb, reverb, and more reverb. Named after interstellar phenomena, it’s different settings all conjure up ethereal, spacey sounds which bring a dramatic edge to your sound design.

Is it worth it? Absolutely. For free, there is no reason not to give this plugin a try. Valhalla Supermassive has a clean interface and easy to use controls – perfect for anyone who wants to shake things up without learning too many new skills. Easy to master, it can be used both in moderation to add something subtle or to go all out and drown your guitar in dreamlike, deep space sounds ready to redefine anything from shoegaze to doom metal.

One of the biggest pros of this plugin is the neutrality of the sounds in the first place – they are bold and adaptable to any genre – a stellar plugin at zero cost and with plenty of features to explore.

It’s latest version (1.5.0) is available for both Mac and Windows computers with Intel and Arm features also available for Apple M1. This update sees VST fixes for Studio One and FL Studio as well.

Logic Pro X’s Amp/Pedalboard designer

It is extremely easy to overlook the options which are right there at our fingertips. Most of us graduate from Garageband to Logic X Pro or an alternative DAW very, very early on in our musical careers, often skipping it entirely.

However, for anyone with a Mac, Garageband is a worthwhile feature to investigate because of its availability alone – plus the achievement of working creatively with some of the most default plugins. Logic’s Amp/Pedalboard designer may not have the reviews, renown, finesse, or attention of the rest of what is out there, it’s important not to overlook what it has to offer. The humble pedalboard designer contains amps styled after those by Mesa, Orange, Vox, Marshall, and Fender, plus rare boutique cabinets, seven microphone options, and the ability to reposition the mic at will. Though not as specialist as some other plugins on the market, these generalist options mean it’s literally up to you how you use them – pushing your creativity to new heights.  

Naturally, Pedalboard Designer has been developed for IOS, and comes with Logic, though can be accessed freely on Garageband if you wish to test it before downloading Logic itself.

Reaper: An Alternative, Budget DAW as Worthwhile as Logic

With three hidden-gem, free plugins, and an unconventional option on the list, what about your DAW itself in terms of budget gear? Whilst most producers and sound designers choose to work on macs and use Logic or other popular DAWs such as Ableton, Reaper is an overlooked budget DAW which has a 60 day free trial period and after that costs only $60 for a discounted licence. Whilst commercial licences cost more – at $225 – Reaper is very easy to begin with at a low cost and offers plenty of freedom for deciding whether it is for you or not.

At a cheaper price, Reaper has a pretty mind-boggling range of VSTs and plugins. It’s simplicity and the fact it doesn’t cost the earth makes it great for sound designers on a budget who are happy stretching themselves to adapt to a new piece of software.

https://www.reaper.fm/download.php

Reaper is adaptable, supporting Linux with Intel and Arm, MacOs 10.5-12, and Windows from Windows XP to Windows 11 as well as working with WINE.

These are just some of the budget friendly options on the market, however, with them it is entirely possible to create a sound design setup for a very small amount – one which, when you get to know it, is as useful as any at a higher price or with seemingly more sophisticated gear.

Six Powerful Tips to Give a Compelling Presentation

Giving a stellar presentation entails the investment of time, effort, and practice. After all, not everyone has the right skills to present themselves in public. So if you’ve been looking for the best tips to give a good presentation, we’re glad to have you here.

In this article, we will shed light on some of the most important tips that will help you pitch your project in the best way possible. And if you need help with making your assignment stand out, our recommendations will impact your final decision. Continue reading this article till the end:

✔   Rehearse What You Have to Say

As a rule of thumb, beginning with the rehearsal of what you plan to say will allow you to know how your final presentation will unfold. Basically, this part is divided into two major steps. If you prepare yourself emotionally and mentally, it will help you uplift your confidence. Plus, these two tips are a good way to become a better speaker in public.

Notice we have recommended you memorize your presentation. But, we have asked you to master the art of telling a story. The difference is, within reach is, you have to memorize your presentation. However, when you open up about the story, you have to focus on engaging the audience with your tone. You’ll be better off if you begin with jotting down an outline of the slides before working on the entire presentation.

✔   Prepare Yourself, Technically, Mentally and Emotionally

It’s like, you’ve already gone through tons of presentations in school but speaking to a receptive audience in university or at work is a different experience. But let’s be honest about one thing, TED talks are much different. But why? Well, they are the accounts of the speaker’s personal experiences with life, so they are compelled to speak with utmost confidence.

Here, we are preparing to focus on multiple presentations, various notes, and taking high stakes. So preparing yourself technically and emotionally for every segment of this work will be a good idea. As for the technical preparation, you are aware that the order of the slides is important. And, you wouldn’t want to get embarrassed in front of the crowd with your slides getting stuck.

As for emotional preparation, focusing on interacting with the crowd and solving their issues is important since they will be influenced by what you say.

✔   Be Confident

Confidence is the only key to nailing any performance in public. Whether it’s a presentation or singing in front of a lot of people, confidence can easily make you stand out. Plus, if you exercise public speaking in front of the mirror, acquiring more confidence will be easier.

Let’s get it straight, the moment you lose your confidence or embark with a shaky personality, the audience will lose interest in talking to you. Stand firm, look into the mirror and see how you can manipulate yourself in the mirror.

However, if you have reservations about being vocal with confidence, you can try some vocal exercises, as they smoothen your tone. And, when you feel good about your voice, standing out in the presentation won’t be difficult. Today, confidence has become a key to cementing a strong reputation for yourself in the corporate world and in any academic institution. There is a reason why confidence is considered the key to success.

✔   Start Strong

The day of your presentation is here, and it’s your time to shine! Starting off with compelling punch lines, quotes, or a decent slide presentation will be a good idea. And, not to forget, the first few seconds of the presentation will have a strong impact on the audience. Therefore, starting strong is a major factor that determines the overall success of your presentation.

Most of the time, starting weak will never have a compelling impact on the audience. You can say leverage the advantage of starting strong.

Plus, your body language must be sturdy since the audience notices it. As explained earlier, starting off with a shaky body or not so confident attitude will make it hard to win the audience’s interest. Take a few deep breaths before starting off since it will help you declutter your mind.

No wonder, keeping yourself physically fit will help you stand concrete on your feet when speaking publicly to a lot of people. So now is the best time to practise deep breathing, as it will declutter your mind.

✔   Use Props If Necessary

Are you wondering about starting off with a good presentation using props?

Here, you need to think creatively. Using props is a good way to prepare for any presentation. Using props doesn’t only provide you with enough support but allows emotional support to the speaker.

Even using a small prop such as a book can help the audience understand the crux of the discussion. And, if you bring a small prop In the presentation room, it will only be more damaging for everyone.

With props, you don’t need to use the slides at all. To draw inspiration, you can go through the TED talks to know how they benefit you. A prop Is also acknowledged as a confidence tool since it can take your presentation skills to the next level.

✔   Keep Everything Short and Precise

The audience will start losing interest after a couple of minutes post your presentation. So, keeping everything short and precise will be a good way to make the most out of the situation.

Simply put, the attention span of the modern audience is a few seconds. Therefore, you have very little time to win their trust.

On the contrary, providing the audience with too much information and slides will only leave them dumbfounded at the end of the day.

We recommend you divide the paragraph with bullets, numbers, and clear headings. Plus, the use of infographics shouldn’t be avoided. Thus, the presentation can be inclusive of pictures, videos, audio recording, flow charts, diagrams, and whatever makes it convenient for the viewer to perceive the slides.

TrainYourEars – GREAT Music ear training software – Honest Review

What is Train Your Ears?

Train Your Ears is a revolutionary new Music ear training software tool for fine-tuning your ears and mind to the frequencies of different bandwidths, thereby showing you the differences between different sounds at a technical level as well as comparing before and after a bandwidth is changed. A fantastic product for both beginners and seasoned musicians alike, it goes into the granular details of equalisation, bringing a new perspective to a tool all music producers have encountered yet which is so commonplace that it normally becomes an accepted part of production. Train Your Ears is an incomparable way for all musicians to think more deeply about EQ – and in turn about their own music.

Why purchase this music ear training software?

Outside of simply requesting the user to match EQ bands with examples of noise which has been cut or boosted, this music ear training software allows you to move bands around to your liking and experiment with the interface to fine tune your understanding of how it works. In fact, Train Your Ears lets you literally take sound apart and reconstruct it – simply by listening to the different frequencies which resonate within it. So far, no other product comes close to giving the user this amount of freedom to experiment with sound – Train Your Ears is virtually unparalleled in giving musicians a way to EQ which matches their composition process.

When purchasing a DAW, there are many options for an EQ plugin which works for you. We have just recently reviewed probably the best new EQ software right now – Eventide Split EQ, read the review here. However, all of these tend to leave the user alone in terms of working out how to use them. In fact, they presume a pre-existing knowledge of the EQ process. Train Your Ears is therefore totally novel in letting artists combine it with any EQ plugin they wish to show you not just how the technology itself works but how noise itself interacts, creating real effects on the sounds of a song.

How to use the Train Your Ears music ear training software?

Too many articles on the internet attempt to teach EQ and fail because they are explaining a very nuanced concept in words – and yet it is one which is much better shown than told.

Train Your Ears does away with all the unnecessary written details and goes straight into showing you the difference between two versions of the exact same piece of music – one with EQ and one without. A typical practice session has seven bands which correspond to the division of EQ into bandwidths on a typical DAW such as Logic or Ableton.

It is very important for music ear training software products to provide the user with as much interaction as possible.

After a sample is played, it encourages you to match the audio with the corresponding bandwidth change, determining by how much it has been boosted or cut. Checking afterwards will then confirm how accurate your ear is.

The training session will then ask you to change the EQ’d signal so that once again it manages to sound the same as the original, and you are able to check afterwards to see if it is correct. The product also contains a monitor which allows you to see the exact level in decibels by which the signal has been boosted or cut, allowing a precise measurement of the amount of sound.

You can check the price for this product on the Train Your Ears website, by clicking here.

Once you install the product, be sure to check their own documentation and exercises by clicking here.

Here is an example assignment for Train Your Ears

Personal Review

I personally found that the software easily translated from a digital product to actual, tangible results which I was able to apply to my own music. At first, I was not able to hear the difference between the subtleties of different bandwidths and the smaller, technical divisions music falls into such as bass and sub-bass, but with even a small amount of time spent listening to Train Your Ears, I found myself becoming more finely attuned, simply because I had reference points.

By allowing the usage of songs which are already familiar, the music ear training software product manages to hold attention and makes the process of getting deep into some of the most subtle and technical aspects of music much easier. It translates terminology which is understandable first and foremost to those who are intimately familiar with the equipment into something manageable for most if not all musicians to turn into a fantastic reference for their own production skills.

It could be assumed that the applicability of this technology heavily depends on the style of music you are producing. Some genres, such as heavy metal, have very specific, niche methods of production which do not necessarily align to the customary methods of EQ’ing. Therefore, for those working in these genres, one key point for Train Your Ears would be if it is adaptable to managing other methods of working. Personally, I found the interface had a beautiful cleanliness and simplicity – which means it is flexible enough that in the hands of someone familiar with their genre, it can be adapted to suit any kind of music.

Pointing out the different bandwidths numerologically also means that there is a tangible, logical, concrete result for any EQ changes. EQ changes are not just an abstract wall of sound – instead they are given as precise numerical data so you can see exactly which bandwidth has been changed and where – as well as keeping track of multiple boosts and cuts.

You can check the price for this product on the Train Your Ears website, by clicking here.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Train Your Ears is an indispensable way to get more in depth and understand the full picture of how EQ works before applying it to your own music. Any musician can benefit from it – whether novices or pros, it shows the real vibrations and elements which make up any production. Not only this, it does this in the abstract whilst also directly linking the sound you hear to measurable values.

In this way, it is a really valuable piece of kit – and most importantly gives you a way to change in real time an equalised piece of music to make it match the original again – demonstrating how much EQ’ing can change the sound of a song but also how, with the right skills, it is possible to manipulate it at multiple levels to reach a broader and more nuanced picture of your production, therefore giving the artist more freedom.