Author: Martin Fowler

  • Son Lux on Composing for Contrast at the Forefront

    Son Lux on Composing for Contrast at the Forefront

    Son Lux is a trio of versatile musicians comprised of vocalist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Ryan Lott, guitarist, Rafiq Bhatia, and drummer, Ian Chang. While all three make beautiful work on their own (Lott has scored films such as The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Bhatia’s latest offering, Breaking English is coming in early April, and Chang’s 2017 EP, Spiritual Leader…

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  • The 13 Most Common Mics You’ll Find in a Studio, and Why Engineers Rely on Them

    The 13 Most Common Mics You’ll Find in a Studio, and Why Engineers Rely on Them

    Every day, the metal gates are rolled up, the padlocks are unlocked, and the side-alley doors are swung open for business. The master power switches are flipped on, the tubes warm to a nice sizzle, and, one by one, each tool and instrument buzzes to life. From wide, wooden live rooms, to dark, dank project…

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  • Reflecting on the Legacy of Chris Cornell, and What I Learned Playing His Music

    Words you say never seem To live up to the ones inside your head The lives we make never seem To ever get us anywhere but dead. — Chris Cornell/Soundgarden Chris Cornell left this Earth too soon. Still, judging by the life he led, he seemed like the sort of legendary artist who belonged to…

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  • Why Your Soundcheck Never Sounds the Same as Your Performance

    Why Your Soundcheck Never Sounds the Same as Your Performance

    It’s show day! You’ve rehearsed your set until there’s no more room for improvement, changed your strings, sent all the Facebook invites weeks ago (right?), and you’re ready to bring down a packed house tonight. But before you melt any faces, you have to arrive early to the venue and soundcheck. You’re a band full of…

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  • Every Single Thing You Need to Play the Synth Bass Part from Bruno Mars’ “24k Magic”

    Every Single Thing You Need to Play the Synth Bass Part from Bruno Mars’ “24k Magic”

    Bruno Mars has made a career off tribute after tribute to artists and sounds of the past. While his success is undeniable, his approach to utilizing classic sounds and stylings is often touted as merely that of a copycat. Still, he always manages to deliver party beats with a clever contemporary twist and a wink of…

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  • 606–909: The Legendary Roland Drum Machine Series

    606–909: The Legendary Roland Drum Machine Series

    Ah, that classic beat, marching ever onward, familiar as the beat of our own hearts. But the beats we’re so consumed with, the sounds that so commonly drive our daily lives, are not only not the sound of a beating heart (a robot heart, maybe), they’re not organic sounds at all. Yes, yes, whether you like it or…

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  • Sounds of the Future: A Historical Primer on Synths in Sci-Fi Movies

    Sounds of the Future: A Historical Primer on Synths in Sci-Fi Movies

    We live in the most exciting time one could possibly hope to be alive. Every day, new aspects of our earthly existence are being discovered, advanced, and technologically exploited to further improve our experience of reality on this planet and in this universe we humbly occupy. Yet, despite these fascinating daily occurrences, we still love…

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  • How to Create the Unmistakable Keyboard Sound in “Everything in Its Right Place”

    How to Create the Unmistakable Keyboard Sound in “Everything in Its Right Place”

    Today we’re going to learn how to emulate that classic warm keyboard sound that starts Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place” in just a couple of steps. A couple of notes: First, we’ll be working in the newly released version of Helm V0.6.1, an impressively powerful free digital synth plugin. Download the free version here to follow along,…

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  • So You Think You Can Dance Buildup?

    So You Think You Can Dance Buildup?

    So, you think you know EDM. You’ve been listening to all the latest players in the electronic music world, and you think you know what they’re all about — the unique, infinitesimal nuances of sub-genre that distinguish one from another. What you may not know is that all of these artists in almost all forms of…

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  • The Weird and Creepy World of String Harmonics

    The Weird and Creepy World of String Harmonics

    Experimenting with string harmonics can lend an eerie, etherial sound to your compositions. Here’s how to get started.

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Elijah Fox at the piano