As any seasoned mix engineer will tell you, trying to ‘fix it in the mix’ is a fool’s errand. Realistically, if you want something to sound good in your finished track, it needs to sound good to begin with. If you’re working purely in-thebox that’s easy enough, but if you want to capture a ‘real’ instrument, a vocal or a field recording there are suddenly a whole host of extra factors to consider, from what mic to use to where to place it and how to process your sound.
With this issue’s cover feature, we hope to offer a catchall primer to help you get better recordings no matter the situation. Whether you’re working on a pristine pop track or something gritty and lo-fi, we’ll show you what you need to know to capture the perfect sound.