Category: Produce

  • Ben Marshall’s Problem-Solution Approach to Mixing Vocals

    Ben Marshall’s Problem-Solution Approach to Mixing Vocals

    + Recording and mixing your vocals at home? Grammy-winning artist Kimbra explores how to harness the full creative potential of your music in her new course! To me, vocals are always the hardest thing to get right in a mix. I’m always looking for a balance between clarity and excitement. When the vocals are too forward,…

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  • Our 8 Favorite Songs to Use to Test Headphones and Speakers

    Our 8 Favorite Songs to Use to Test Headphones and Speakers

    Here’s a playlist of songs meant to help you choose the right speakers and headphones for your mixing project, exploring dynamics, frequencies, and timbres.

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  • How to Not Piss Off Your Mastering Engineer

    How to Not Piss Off Your Mastering Engineer

    In the above video, a companion to our Mentored course, Faders Up I: Modern Mix Techniques, sound engineer and course instructor, Joe Lambert, explains why it’s important to keep a minimally limited (or compressed) version of your mixes on hand, and to make a second compressed version for listening purposes. Compression is a versatile tool that…

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  • Sax in the Box – How I Coaxed a Galaxy of Sound out of Splice’s New Sample Pack

    Sax in the Box – How I Coaxed a Galaxy of Sound out of Splice’s New Sample Pack

    Here at Soundfly, we love it when our favorite artists go out and create tools that are universally useful to producers of all kinds. That’s why I was ecstatic to find out that one of our own, Flypaper author and jazz composer, Mike Casey, was producing a one-of-a-kind saxophone sample pack with our friends at Splice, called “Sounds…

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  • What Is a Leading Tone?

    What Is a Leading Tone?

    + Welcome to Soundfly! We help curious musicians meet their goals with creative online courses. Whatever you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it. Subscribe now to start learning on the ’Fly. In the above video, courtesy of Soundfly’s very popular online course, Unlocking the Emotional Power of Chords, NYU and Montclair State University adjunct professor of music technology, Ethan…

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  • Breaking Down Beach House’s Stressed Out and Shoegazey New Single, “Dark Spring”

    Breaking Down Beach House’s Stressed Out and Shoegazey New Single, “Dark Spring”

    + Soundfly helps curious musicians meet their goals with online courses like The Creative Power of Advanced Harmony and Pop Vocal Production. Whatever you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it. Subscribe for unlimited access. With their newly released album, 7, Baltimore dream pop outfit Beach House have reached new emotionally intoxicating heights, but with a sound that feels denser and…

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  • How to Choose the Perfect Compressor Settings Every Time

    How to Choose the Perfect Compressor Settings Every Time

    Compression is one of your most powerful mixing tools. It’s the essential element behind every good mix. But to make your compressors work, you need to understand compression first. It’s intimidating to start learning such a huge subject, especially when the controls and their effect on your signal are difficult to understand depending on your…

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  • Is Janelle Monáe’s “Dirty Computer” the New “Purple Rain” or Something Else Entirely?

    Is Janelle Monáe’s “Dirty Computer” the New “Purple Rain” or Something Else Entirely?

    Welcome to Soundfly Slacks Off, a published team discussion. The following conversation took place among Soundfly team members on May 4, 2018 and has been edited to provide maximum interesting stuff and minimal snoody gibberish (but we kept some of that in there too). Want to nerd out with us on musical topics or get…

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  • The Cleansing: “Dirty Computer” Ushers in a New Era of Janelle Monáe

    In the era of Cardi B, Beyoncé, Lena Waithe, Laverne Cox, Tiffany Haddish, and many others, we bask in the glory of Black womxn. No longer are we afraid to show our thick thighs, curvy curls, and infectious attitudes. And why should we be? Black womxn have been told to sit down and shut up,…

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  • Quick Tracks Nº 11: Make a 60-Second Rhythmic Funk Groove à la Prince

    Quick Tracks Nº 11: Make a 60-Second Rhythmic Funk Groove à la Prince

    Welcome back to the dance floor, Quick Trackers! Once a month, we hook you up with a short production or songwriting challenge, aimed at helping to up your musicianship. To respond to the challenge, just email us, leave a comment, or post to social media with the hashtag #quicktracks and tag us @learntosoundfly. For this month’s challenge, let’s…

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