In the 1990s, Audio Recording Changed Forever June 13^th 2017 - 01:50 PM

For those who began work in the audio industry before the 1980s, the experience of “going digital” is clearly remembered. Many of us questioned everything we knew and wondered whether all the experience we had gained in the analog era would carry forward. Fortunately, in hindsight, that experience paid off and…

Getting a “Live” Sound in a Tiny Studio June 6^th 2017 - 11:00 AM

As recording has gradually moved away from large studios to small spaces, the difficulty to getting a big “live” sound has become more difficult to achieve. There are, however, some tricks that allow the expansion of small rooms to sound much bigger than ever expected.

Seizing the Opportunities of Immersive Audio in Storytelling May 31^st 2017 - 12:05 PM

The stars are aligning for a new era of immersive audio in storytelling. Audiobook sales are steadily growing, the popularity of non-musical audio in personal podcasts is exploding and immersive audio technology is making compelling audio cheaper and easier to produce.

Ribbon Microphones Make a Full Circle in Audio History May 24^th 2017 - 01:05 PM

What’s old is new again. An ironic confluence of interrelated events — one that brought ribbon microphones to the front and center of broadcasting in the 1930s and to seemingly lose favor in the 1960s — is back again after 85 years.

Using Microphones in Extreme Weather Conditions May 8^th 2017 - 09:00 AM

Using microphones during extreme weather conditions is sometimes unavoidable. When this happens, there are certain things every audio recordist needs to know in order to capture good sound while protecting the audio gear.

Simple Ways to Record High Impact Multi-Channel Sound April 20^th 2017 - 05:00 PM

Recording multi-track immersive audio is no longer difficult. Yet, many broadcasters and video producers prefer to stick with plain old mono sound. They are missing the opportunity to add major impact to their productions.

Plugins vs. Hardware: An Argument for the Ages April 17^th 2017 - 11:30 AM

Since the world’s first audio recording in 1860, there have been legendary technical disputes in the field that are never settled. One more recent one is the question of which is better: digital plugins or hardware components? Debate is fiery on both sides. Here are some thoughts on the argument.

The Twist of Fate That Led to the Audio “Lunchbox” April 14^th 2017 - 08:00 AM

The seed of the idea for the audio “lunchbox” began in 1966, when Saul Walker started designing modular console components at his company, API. The concept became so popular that some engineers began building homemade racks to house their personal API modules. Out of this, the 500-series lunchbox movement was born.

Omni or Directional: Which Kind of Lavalier Microphone Should You Use? April 13^th 2017 - 10:00 AM

In 1969, Sony shook up the microphone world with the debut of the tiny ECM-50, the smallest broadcast condenser microphone recording engineers had ever seen. Since then, thousands of super-compact lavalier mics have been released, complicating the choice of the right microphone for a specific application.

Microphone Stands Evolve Into Sound Tools April 6^th 2017 - 09:00 AM

In the not so distant past, the microphone stand was simply a support device to keep a microphone secure. When its quality was high, the stand just did its job and was forgotten. Today, microphone stands have evolved to include accessories that can actually improve audio performance.