https://wearethemusicmakers.co/latest Music tech and AI in music: the news that matters, what we think about it, and a directory of the tools. en-us Sun, 25 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/parallel-compression https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/parallel-compression Parallel compression, often called New York compression, blends a heavily squashed copy of a sound under the untouched original so you get density without losing the hit. This guide goes past the one-line definition: when to use a return versus a Dry/Wet knob, starting settings for drums, vocals and the mix bus, and the mistakes that make it sound worse, not better. Routing facts checked against the Ableton Live manual on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingcompressionworkflowshome-studio https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/compressor-types-vca-fet-opto-vari-mu https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/compressor-types-vca-fet-opto-vari-mu Most compressor plug-ins model one of four kinds of hardware: VCA, FET, optical or vari-mu. Each turns the volume down with a different part, and that part decides how fast it reacts, how it lets go and what it adds. This guide explains the four, checked against the manuals on 25 Oct 2026, and gives a simple way to pick one for each job. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingcompressionpluginshome-studio https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/bus-processing-and-groups https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/bus-processing-and-groups Groups and return tracks are the two ways most DAWs let you process many tracks at once. This guide explains the difference, how to set up drum, music and vocal buses, how sends work, and the habits that keep bus processing from flattening a mix. DAW details come from the Ableton Live 12 manual, read on 25 Oct 2026; the ideas carry over to any DAW. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingworkflowscompression https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/low-end-and-bass-mixing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/low-end-and-bass-mixing Most home mixes go wrong below 100Hz, where the kick and the bass fight for the same space and the same headroom. This guide covers a practical order of work: arrangement and tuning first, then filters, EQ, ducking and saturation, with checks you can do on modest monitors. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingeqcompressionworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/multiband-compression-basics https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/multiband-compression-basics A multiband compressor splits a sound into frequency bands and compresses each one separately; a dynamic EQ moves a single EQ band only when that part of the spectrum gets loud. This guide explains both, gives a step-by-step way to set each up, and argues that most home mixes need far less of either than presets suggest. Facts checked against the Ableton Live 12 manual and FabFilter Pro-Q 4 help on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingmasteringcompressioneq https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/compression-basics https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/compression-basics A compressor turns loud parts down once they cross a level you choose. Threshold and ratio decide how much, attack and release decide how fast, and knee, makeup, dry/wet and sidechain shape the rest. Here is what each control does, using the Ableton Live manual as the reference, and when each one is worth touching. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingcompressiondynamicsworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/sidechain-compression https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/sidechain-compression A sidechain lets one sound control how a processor treats another. Pumping kick-and-bass is the famous use, but the same routing quietly ducks guitars under a vocal, keys a gate from a drum, and, with a multiband compressor, turns down only the frequencies that clash. Here is how each version works, using the Ableton Live manual and FabFilter Pro-MB help as references. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingcompressionworkflowssound-design