The Recording, Mixing, and Mastering Reference Handbook

About the Companion Website Introduction PART I The Instruments (practical recording and mix-techniques) Chapter 1 The Voice Acoustics and microphone settings · Vocal psychology · The Headphone Mix · Tips · Various vocal techniques · The mix settings and effects · Special uses of vocal microphones · Harmony vocals as overdub · Tips Chapter 2 The Drum Kit The Instrument and the acoustics · Mic setup · Mic technique: The individual drums in the kit · Advanced mic setups · Mix-settings and effects Chapter 3 The Bass Guitar The instrument · Mic or DI? · Or both? · Virtual amps · Mix-settings and effects · Tips Chapter 4 The Electric Guitar The instrument · Mic techniques · Ambience and acoustics · Layering guitars · Virtual stacks & re-amping · Mix-settings and effects · Tips Chapter 5 The Piano The Instrument and the acoustics · Always use condenser microphones · Recording acoustic pianos in the studio · Digital piano · Live recording · Mix-settings and effects Chapter 6 The Acoustic Guitar The Instrument · Mic setup · Mix-settings and effects Chapter 7 The Recording of Some Less Common String Instruments The mandolin · The dobro · The banjo · The harp Chapter 8 Percussion Congas and bongos · Cajon · Claves · Djembe and bodhran · Tambourine and shakers · Timbales · Xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, and glockenspiel Chapter 9 The Double Bass and the 'Cello The Instrument and the acoustics · Mic setup · Stereo setups · Mix-settings and effects · Tips Chapter 10 The Violin and the Viola The Instrument and the acoustics · Mix-settings and Effects · Tips Chapter 11 Brass and Wind Instruments Brass and saxophones · The horn section · The flute · Tips Chapter 12 Synthesizers and Electronic Keyboards The instrument · DI, mics, or MIDI · Mix-settings and effects · Tips Chapter 13 The Leslie Speaker The Instrument · Mic setup · Mix-settings and effects Chapter 14 Live in the Studio Isolation booths and screens · Ghost Notes · Tips Chapter 15 Recording Choirs and Small Acoustic Ensembles The acoustics · Mic placement · Spot mics · Tips · Choirs with accompaniment · Mix and editing PART II Microphone Techniques (principles/background theory) Chapter 16 Microphones: Types and Specifications The transducer types · Reading mic specifications · Comparing Mics Chapter 17 Microphones: Polar Pattern Cardioid · Omni · Figure-of-eight · Multi-pattern microphones · Shotgun microphones · Mic techniques · Omni v. cardioid: Choosing the right polar pattern · Recording with omnis Chapter 18 Stereo Recording Spaced omni - The Decca tree - Baffled stereo · Coincident stereo · MS Stereo · More stereo setups: ORTF, NOS stereo, & binaural · PART III Processors and Effects (principles and practice) Chapter 19 EQ and Instruments Sub bass (20-60 Hz) · Bass (60-250 Hz) · Low-mid (250 Hz to 2 kHz) · Midrange (2-4 kHz) · High-mid (4-6 kHz) · High (6-20 kHz) · The components of the EQ · Common types of EQ · EQ'ing different instruments - use your ears and your imagination · Complementary EQ and contrasting frequency ranges · The graphic EQ · Tips Chapter 20 Harmonics and EQ The Harmonic Series · EQ'ing harmonics Chapter 21 Compressor/Limiter and Expander/Gate Compressor · Gate and Expander Chapter 22 History of the Reverb Natural ambience · Electronic reverbs · EMT 140 Plate Reverb · EMT 250 goes digital Chapter 23 Tape Echo and Digital Delay Tape echo · Digital delay · Calculating delay time · Using delays · Tips Chapter 24 Ambience and Reverb Digital reverbs in the studio · The parameters of the digital reverb · Insert or send · Reverb-types · How to use reverb · Tips Chapter 25 Convolution Reverb Impulse response (IR) · IR libraries · Special FX · How to create an IR · Tips for recording an IR Chapter 26 Modulation Effects Flanging · Chorus · Phase shift · The Haas Effect and doubling · Tips Chapter 27 Distortion and Tape Saturation Enhancing sounds with distortion · Tape saturation · Distortion used as an effect · Tips Chapter 28 Varispeed and Pitch Processors Pitch shift · Pitch Correction · Manipulating sound with pitch processors PART IV Mixing and Mastering (principles and practice) Chapter 29 The Mix The basic mix · Utilizing the stereo field · EQ · Depths and widths · The sound stage · Make the individual tracks on the mix sparkle - EQ revisited · Stereo groups · Compression · Leave a little headroom to the mastering engineer Chapter 30 Mastering The mastering studio · Mastering for CD · Mastering for online streaming · The creative process · Mastering tools · Mid-side processing · Bit resolution · Stem mastering PART V Acoustics (principles) Chapter 31 Phase and Comb Filtering The Comb Filter Effect · Multi-mic recording and phase · Critical distances and frequencies · How to avoid phase cancellation Chapter 32 The Control Room and the Monitors The control room and the monitors · Principles for monitor placement · The space and the monitors · Fine tuning the acoustics Chapter 33 The Recording Room Tuning the acoustics · The dimensions of the recording space · Separation · Diffusion · Tips PART VI Audio Standards, Plugs, and Connectors (principles) Chapter 34 Levels and Meters Levels · Audio levels in the signal chain and how they are measured · Meters · The dB(A) scale Chapter 35 Plugs and Connectors Plugs · Balanced connectors · Unbalanced audio · Tips · Inserts · Digital audio formats · Synchronizing digital · Word clock