The word pad in the term synth pad stems from an old orchestral arrangement concept. Sections of the orchestra would play sustained harmonies behind the main melody lines to add greater depth and to pad out the arrangement. The term persisted to be used in synthesizers. A synth pad is a sustained sound ...
Music production has never been easier. But that doesn't mean that becoming a successful music producer doesn't take time and hard work. While access to music technology and musical knowledge has never been as standardized as today, the music market is more competitive than ever. More people producing music means ...
Working with a digital audio workstation (DAW) is a lot about routing audio through different tracks. To do so, music producers rely on buses, sends, and aux tracks, also known as return tracks. These make for incredibly useful tools for improving workflow, processing multiple files simultaneously, and saving ...
In electronic dance music, a drop describes the moment in which a sudden change in the track takes place. A double drop is an advanced DJing technique in which the drop of two tracks is played simultaneously. Drops are usually highly energetic and introduced by a build-up section. Double drops are most commonly ...
Song arrangement is about taking a musical idea and organizing it to create a song that flows from start to finish. Arrangements should have a cohesive structure, divided by recognizable sections. Choosing the instruments that make up a song (voicing) is also an important part of song arrangement. What is the ...
Producing good-quality remixes is an art form. To take a completed song and give it a new context takes a lot of creativity, know-how, and compositional skill. There are many approaches to remixing, from completely altering the structure of the original song to simply adding a new beat to an acapella vocal track. ...
Ambient music is a type of music that focuses on textures and soundscapes rather than melodies and beats. It's usually characterized for having a soothing, relaxing effect and for its loose structure, lack of identifiable motifs and chord progressions, and high dependence on abstract noises and atmospheres. While ...
The best equalizer setting is one that is turned off or one that is set to "flat", meaning that all dials are set to zero. Equalizers distort the sound of the original master recording. However, they can be useful as a last-resort when compensating for poor speakers or headphones. Please note, we're referring to ...
A metronome is a musical device that emits a beeping or clicking sound to help you play at a consistent tempo. Metronomes are used by musicians to improve their timing. They are also often used during musical performances, using “click tracks” through in-ear monitors. How to Use a Metronome Whether it's ...
M4A is a higher quality audio format, even at smaller file sizes, while MP3 is much more compatible with a wider range of devices. Both are lossy compression types, which mean that they use compression to lower the file size while sacrificing some of the audio quality. What Is the MP3 Format? MP3 is one of ...
“Solfege” (English/French) or Solfeggio (Italian) is a simple system to learn basic concepts of music. Solfege teaches you how to hear, sing, and write harmonies and melodies. Solfege is still in use for sight-reading training today, despite its long history. It is still an essential component of music education. ...
440 Hz is the standard accepted pitch reference for tuning musical instruments. 432 Hz is an alternative pitch argued by some to be superior due to personal preferences or spiritual beliefs. If we didn’t have a standard pitch reference then musical instruments would sound out of tune with each other. In the past ...
