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Notes
What the work actually involves — microphones, rooms, and the decisions that happen before anyone touches a fader.
Technique · September 11, 2026 · 3 min readBass: DI, amp, or both
The bass is the instrument most often recorded badly by default. The choice between direct and amplified is a real one, and it should be made on purpose.The Room · September 11, 2026 · 3 min readThe room is an instrument
Rooms are not neutral containers for sound. They are part of the recording, and the only question is whether you chose the part they play.The Room · September 11, 2026 · 3 min readHow to read a track sheet
A track sheet is a session in a page. Learning to read one tells you what happened, what was intended, and what to do next.Technique · September 11, 2026 · 4 min readWhat a compressor actually does to a vocal
Compression is not a volume control and it is not a polish. It is a timing device, and the controls that matter most are the ones people set last.Gear · September 11, 2026 · 3 min readWhy the preamp matters less than you think
Preamps are real and they differ. They are also, on almost any list of things that will improve a recording, near the bottom.Technique · September 11, 2026 · 4 min readGuitars and amps: the part that happens before the microphone
The largest tonal decisions on a guitar track are made by the player, the instrument, and the amp settings. The mic only records what is already there.