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 Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-are-stems https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-are-stems A stem is a group of audio sources mixed down together and then handled as one unit, such as all the drums or all the vocals. Multitracks are the individual tracks before that grouping. Here is the difference, and when to send which. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-referencestemsmixingmasteringremixing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-dbfs https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-dbfs dBFS (decibels relative to full scale) measures level in a digital system against the highest level it can represent, which is 0 dBFS. Every other digital level is a negative number below it. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-referenceaudio-basicsmixingmastering https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-headroom-in-audio https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-headroom-in-audio Headroom is the gap between the level a signal normally runs at and the loudest level the system can handle before it clips. Here is what it means in analogue gear, in a DAW and on Spotify. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-referenceheadroomgain-stagingmixingmastering https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-sample-rate https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-sample-rate Sample rate is how many times per second a digital system measures an audio signal, written in hertz or kilohertz. It sets the highest frequency a recording can hold: just under half the sample rate. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-referenceaudio-basicsmixingmastering https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-sidechain https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-sidechain A sidechain is a second input that tells a processor when to act, without being heard itself. Pumping kick-and-bass is one use of it; the term means the input, not the effect. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-referencemixingcompressionglossary https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/transient-shapers-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/transient-shapers-explained A transient shaper turns up or down the start of a sound and the tail that follows, without the threshold and ratio a compressor needs. This guide explains how it works, checked against the SPL Transient Designer manual and the Ableton Live 12 manual on 26 Oct 2026, and when to reach for one instead of a compressor. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingdrumsdynamicspluginshome-studio 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/mixing-in-mono https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/mixing-in-mono A mono button is not only a phase alarm. Used on purpose, mono is one of the quickest ways to hear whether parts are fighting for the same space. This guide covers how to set up a reliable mono check in your DAW, how to read a correlation meter, a step-by-step mono balance pass, and where your listeners actually hear mono. Manuals checked on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingworkflowshome-studio https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/phase-and-polarity-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/phase-and-polarity-explained Phase and polarity get used as if they mean the same thing. They do not. Polarity is a flip of the waveform; phase is about time, and its effect changes with frequency. This guide explains both, shows how to hear and fix each in a home studio, and sets out a short checking routine for multi-mic recordings, layered sounds and DI-plus-amp tracks. Sources checked on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingrecordingworkflowshome-studio https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/room-correction-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/room-correction-explained Room correction measures how your speakers sound at your listening position and applies a filter to flatten the result. It is useful, but it corrects one seat, not the room, and it cannot remove echo or fill deep cancellations. This guide explains how the systems work, how to run a measurement properly, and where correction fits after treatment and speaker placement. Manuals checked on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers home-studiomixingworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/stem-mastering-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/stem-mastering-explained Stem mastering means sending a mastering engineer a handful of submixes instead of one stereo file, so they can fix balance problems the mix left behind. This guide explains how it differs from stereo mastering, when it actually helps, how to print stems that sum back to your mix, and why we think it is usually a sign the mix is not finished. Sources checked on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingmasteringstemsworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/808-and-sub-bass-sound-design https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/808-and-sub-bass-sound-design Most phone speakers cannot reproduce the fundamental of a deep 808, so the bass you hear on a phone is mostly its harmonics. This guide is about designing the sound itself, before mixing: picking the note, shaping the pitch drop and decay, adding harmonics on purpose, and testing on the speakers your listeners actually use. Standards and manuals checked on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers sound-designsynthesismixingworkflows 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/automation-in-your-daw https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/automation-in-your-daw Automation is how a mix changes over time: a vocal that rides up in the chorus, a filter that opens into the drop, a reverb that blooms on the last word. This guide covers drawing and recording automation, the Read, Touch, Latch and Write modes, how to avoid overwriting your own work, and a simple order for automating a mix. Mode definitions come from the Ableton Live and Logic Pro manuals, read on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers productionmixingworkflows 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/choosing-studio-monitors https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/choosing-studio-monitors A practical guide to choosing your first or next pair of studio monitors: why the room and placement matter as much as the speaker, how to read a frequency-response spec, what size woofer suits a small room, and how to set the monitors up once they arrive. Placement guidance comes from Genelec and specs from Yamaha, read on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers home-studiomixinggear https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/de-essing-vocals https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/de-essing-vocals Sibilance is the hiss of "s", "sh" and "t" sounds that jumps out of a bright vocal. This guide shows how to find it by ear and with a de-esser's listen mode, set threshold and range, choose wide-band or split-band processing, and fix the worst cases by hand. Checked against the FabFilter Pro-DS manual and the Ableton Live 12 manual on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingvocalseqworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/ear-training-for-producers https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/ear-training-for-producers Ear training for producers is less about naming intervals and more about hearing frequency, level and dynamics fast enough to act on them. This guide sets out a 15-minute daily routine, the free and paid tools that support it, and how to carry the skill into real mixes. Tool details were checked on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingworkflowsproductionhome-studio https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/kick-and-bass-relationship https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/kick-and-bass-relationship When kick and bass fight, most fixes reach for EQ and sidechain. This guide works one level earlier: tune the kick to the song, pick bass notes that leave it room, and check the phase between the two so they add up instead of cancelling. It complements our low-end mixing and sidechain guides. Pitch maths checked against ISO 16 and the MIDI tuning convention, DAW steps against the Ableton Live 12 manual, on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixinglow-enddrumshome-studio https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/laptop-only-home-studio https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/laptop-only-home-studio You can write, record, mix and release a track with nothing but a laptop and a pair of headphones. This guide covers which free or cheap software to start with, how to set the laptop up so it does not fight you, how to record without an interface, how to mix on headphones, and when an upgrade is actually worth buying. Prices and loudness figures were checked on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers home-studioworkflowsmixinggear https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/layering-drums https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/layering-drums Layering means playing two or more drum sounds as one hit, each doing a different job. Done well, it gives a kick both weight and click; done carelessly, it gives you a louder, blurrier version of what you had. This guide covers choosing layers by job, fixing phase and timing, filtering each layer to its range, and building a layered kit in a drum rack, using Sound On Sound and the Ableton Live manual, read on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers productionmixingworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/limiting-and-true-peak-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/limiting-and-true-peak-explained A limiter is a very fast, very hard compressor that stops your track going over a ceiling. True peak is the level your audio reaches between the samples, after it is turned back into a waveform or encoded to a lossy format. This guide explains both in plain terms, shows how to set a limiter step by step, and explains why a -1 dBTP ceiling is the safe default, using the ITU, EBU and Spotify specs read on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers masteringloudnessmixingworkflows 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/mastering-at-home-basics https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/mastering-at-home-basics Mastering at home is less about secret plugins and more about a short, repeatable chain, honest listening and a few numbers you check at the end. This guide walks through preparing the mix, the four moves most masters need, loudness and true peak, and the export settings, using Spotify and the ITU loudness standard as sources, read on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingmasteringworkflows 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/pitch-correction-basics https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/pitch-correction-basics Pitch correction comes in two flavours: automatic, which retunes notes as they play, and graphical, where you edit each note by hand. This guide explains the difference, the few settings that decide whether a vocal sounds natural or robotic, and how three common tools describe their own features, as read on vendor and manual pages on 24 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingvocalsworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/saturation-and-distortion-basics https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/saturation-and-distortion-basics Saturation is gentle distortion: it adds harmonics that can make a sound feel fuller or more present. This guide explains what saturation and distortion are, why soft and hard clipping sound different, what aliasing is and when oversampling helps, with practical habits for using it in a mix. Sources read on 24 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingproductionplugins https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/stereo-width-and-panning https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/stereo-width-and-panning Panning decides where each sound sits between your speakers; width tricks decide how big the whole picture feels. This guide explains pan laws in plain words, why delay-based widening can fall apart in mono, and a short routine for building width that survives a mono sum. Sources are Ableton, iZotope and Sound On Sound, read on 24 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingproductionworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/vocal-chain-basics https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/vocal-chain-basics A vocal chain is the set of processors a dry vocal passes through before it reaches the mix. This guide walks through a common starting order (pitch correction, EQ, compression, de-essing, then delay and reverb), explains why each slot sits where it does, and says when to break the order. Based on iZotope and Sound On Sound guidance, read on 24 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingvocalsworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/vocal-editing-comping-and-timing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/vocal-editing-comping-and-timing A practical guide to the stage between recording vocals and mixing them: recording takes for comping, building a comp phrase by phrase, cleaning breaths and edits, and nudging timing only where it matters. Examples use Ableton Live take lanes and warp markers, with the Ableton manual read on 25 Oct 2026; the method works in any DAW. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers vocalseditingworkflowsmixing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/vocal-harmonies-and-doubles https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/vocal-harmonies-and-doubles A practical guide to backing vocals: when to double and when to harmonise, how to record stacks that match, how to tighten, pan and level them, and when pitch-shifted harmonies are good enough. Examples reference the Ableton Live and Logic Pro manuals, read on 25 Oct 2026; the method works in any DAW. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers vocalsrecordingmixingworkflows 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/dithering-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/dithering-explained Dither is a tiny amount of deliberate noise added when you cut a file down to a lower bit depth, so the rounding error turns into a smooth hiss instead of gritty distortion. Here is when to switch it on, when to leave it off, and what the noise-shaping options in your bounce dialog are doing. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers masteringmixingworkflowsaudio-basics https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/eq-basics https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/eq-basics Equalisation (EQ) turns frequency ranges up or down. This guide explains subtractive and additive EQ, the six filter shapes most plug-ins share, and where the usual problems (rumble, mud, boxiness, harshness) tend to sit, with the caveat that every range is a starting point for your ears, not a rule. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingeqworkflowshome-studio https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/gain-staging-floating-point https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/gain-staging-floating-point A 32-bit float DAW mix bus is very hard to clip, and a 32-bit float field recorder can save a take that hit the red. But your converters, your analogue-modelled plugins and your meters still live in a world with a ceiling. Here is what changed, what still matters, and the habits worth keeping. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixinggain stagingworkflowsrecording https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/mid-side-processing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/mid-side-processing Mid/side (M/S) is another way to describe a stereo signal: the sum of left and right (mid) and their difference (side). This guide explains the maths in plain words, why everything you do to the side channel vanishes in mono, and the handful of mixing and mastering moves where M/S earns its place. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingmasteringstereoworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/mixing-on-headphones https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/mixing-on-headphones Headphones remove your room from the mix, which is their great strength and their great trap. Here is why headphone stereo sounds wider than speakers, what crossfeed, correction curves and virtual rooms actually do, and the checks that still need a second playback system. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingheadphonesmonitoringworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/reference-tracks-for-mixing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/reference-tracks-for-mixing A reference track only helps if you compare it fairly. A mastered release is louder than your mix, and louder sounds better, so an unmatched A/B pushes you towards more EQ and more compression. Here is how to match levels with a loudness meter, which meter readings to use, how to pick references, and why streaming normalisation changes what "loud enough" means. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingloudnessworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/reverb-and-delay-basics https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/reverb-and-delay-basics Reverb fakes a room and delay repeats a sound, and both usually sound best on a shared return track rather than stacked on every channel. Here is what early reflections, decay, pre-delay, feedback and ping pong actually do, using the Ableton Live manual as the reference, and when to send instead of insert. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingreverbdelayworkflows 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 https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/bedroom-mix-mistakes https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/bedroom-mix-mistakes Most lists of beginner mixing mistakes tell you what not to do. This guide pairs each of ten common bedroom-mix problems with a quick test you can run on your own track, on your own headphones or speakers, so you can hear the problem before you fix it. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingworkflowshome-studioloudness https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/fix-generated-stems-in-your-daw https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/fix-generated-stems-in-your-daw Stems from a song generator often drift against the grid, carry a noise floor and fight each other in phase once you lay them out in a DAW. This guide gives the order to fix them in: lock the tempo at the source if you can, warp what is left, take noise out gently, and check polarity and mono before you mix. Every tool setting is taken from the vendor manuals, read on 24 Oct 2026. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicstemsmixingworkflowsdaw https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/home-studio-acoustic-treatment-budget https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/home-studio-acoustic-treatment-budget Most home studios spend their first treatment money on thin foam tiles, which do almost nothing below the midrange. This guide sets out a buying order based on published absorption data and acoustician advice: thick bass traps in the corners first, then panels at the first reflection points, then everything else. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers home-studiomixingworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/prep-stems-for-ai-mixing-mastering https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/prep-stems-for-ai-mixing-mastering Automated mixing and mastering services only hear what you upload. This guide pulls together what two of them, RoEx Automix and LANDR, actually ask for in their own help pages: lossless WAV, every stem starting at 0:00, honest labels, no limiter on the bus and real headroom. Then a pre-upload checklist and why we think the prep matters more than the service you pick. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingmasteringstemsworkflowsai-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/ditto-over-55-artists-use-ai-most https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/ditto-over-55-artists-use-ai-most Ditto Music's survey of 5,039 self-releasing artists found AI use rising with age, from 24% of 18–24s to 74% of over-55s. In the raw data, many of those older users are recent starters, which suggests AI is filling the engineer they never had. But the sample is Ditto's own customers, and Ditto sells AI mastering. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowsindependent-artistsai-adoptionmixing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/01/cryo-mix-nova-explainable-mixing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/01/cryo-mix-nova-explainable-mixing Cryo Mix V2 adds Nova, a chat-based mix assistant, uploads of up to 32 stems and a report beside each stem saying what the AI did. A mix you can read and overrule is one you still own, but Cryo's terms also claim a perpetual licence to your prompts and settings. Fri, 09 Jan 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowsmixingai-mixingcryo-mix