The first thing is, if you're doing your job well, you're always learning. Audio is ruled (and with an iron fist) by physics and physics will always influence the results you get, even if you've done the same setup a dozens of times, so listen! Always listen. Temperature, Humidity, and even peoples clothing affect the results you'll get. Approach each time you're working on a project as if things could be different this time. We'll get into some real details about various instruments here and how to capture them. We will NOT be talking about samples here as the decisions about capturing the sounds have already been made.

A lot of people who will read this are producing music using samples. That means that someone recorded that sound. The instruments were built by a human using some tools or machines. Those instruments have acoustic properties that are a result of the material from which they were made. When played, the sound emanating from them is a result of material from which they were made AND the environment in which they were played. That environment has its own characteristics that cause reflections, resonances, and affect the duration of each note. I'm stating all of this just to unpack what may not seem obvious but is important for you to know as you craft sounds to tell your musical story. In any finished musical production there is a certain amount of "space" available for the sounds you've woven together. So, if you think about all of the frequency content, note duration, etc, in each instrument you'll realize that there may be some tools you need to make it all come together. If you are recording some or all of the elements of your project, you no doubt are already familiar with at least some of those tools and their application. Bottom line, putting together a good listenable recording is not magic. It is the thoughtful application of all of our audio tools. Next: Audio tools

hey there, Jim McCurdy here. I'm a pretty well known sound engineer that you've likely never heard of BUT you've no doubt heard my work. On this platform I'm going to share little "sound bytes" that will help you do whatever you do with audio, be it live sound, recording, mixing in the box, etc. This is where you'll find real tools and information that I have learned during my six decades in the industry.