The Case of the Mysterious Black Cassette Tape
In 1984 (I think), I was mailed a mysterious black cassette tape…
Music Thoughts, Rants, Randomness
How to stretch your home studio budget
Ok we lied. We’re not going to tell you exactly what to buy and what not to buy. That’s up to you. But we would like to help you avoid the trap that says you must have every whiz-bang technology in order to make great recordings.
What is a Record Label?
Twenty, even years ago, the answer to this very basic question – What is a record label? – would have been pretty straightforward. Now, it’s a philosophical quagmire, and you’re likely to get a hundred different answers if you ask a hundred people.
How to Beat Writer’s Block
Anyone can run into a little writer’s block from time to time. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, the waxing and waning of creative energy is an important part of the process, and everyone experiences a lull in creative flow at least once in their career – and usually it comes at regular intervals.
The 5 Best Reverb Plugins Compared
This article first appeared in FlyPaper by Soundfly. I reprint it here with permission, and I encourage you to check out their courses. You can get a 15% discount code on a subscription using the promo code AJTRUMM15. Reverb is like water. You can live without it for a few days, but eventually you’ll die. …
Do You Need That Upgrade?
This article first appeared in Recording Magazine. I reprint it here with permission, and I encourage you to subscribe to that publication, as they are a stand up bunch of folk! Black Friday will be upon us soon and you’ll be inundated with discount offers tempting you to buy while you can. But unless you’re filthy rich, “discounts” …
Mix Fu:
Learn, Practice, Forget This article first appeared in Recording Magazine. I reprint it here with permission, and I encourage you to subscribe to that publication, as they are a stand up bunch of folk! In martial arts, there’s a concept that goes something like this: learn the technique, practice the technique, forget the technique. Music mixing is similar …
What Is Quantizing and How Do I Use It
This article first appeared in FlyPaper by Soundfly. I reprint my original version here, and I encourage you to check out their courses. You can get a 15% discount code on a subscription using the promo code AJTRUMM15. What is quantizing, you ask? It’s simple on the surface. Quantizing is moving notes recorded into a …
Cull the Herd (where do I submit my music??)
You can’t be everywhere all the time. Still, it’s hard not to fall into the trap of trying to do just that. In the music business, there are thousands upon thousands of gatekeepers, promotional outlets, and other “opportunities” where you can submit your tracks. Since promoting music is largely about submitting and submitting and submitting again, you can’t simply ignore this aspect of the business.
Chasing the Timeless Sound
This article first appeared in Recording Magazine. I reprint it here with permission, and I encourage you to subscribe to that publication, as they are a stand up bunch of folk! There’s one term that’s a death nell when its associated with a record. It strikes fear in the hearts of producers, partly because nobody wants this brand, …