I’m often amazed by what I learn from other people—not just what they know, but where they learned it. As much as I love Mastering.com, I’ve found real value in exploring other learning resources, too. A few years ago, someone introduced me to One Song. I’d never listened to a podcast before, but this one turned out to be a goldmine for understanding what goes into a production. They break songs down into stems and explore how they were put together, mixing in interesting background stories and plenty of humor. It’s helped me notice details I might otherwise miss and sharpened my listening skills in ways I didn’t expect. What’s your hidden gem or unexpected learning resource? A podcast, book, YouTube channel, or something else entirely? I’d love to hear what’s helped you—and what you’ve learned from it.

It took me some time to sort out all my notes from Fix-The-Mix events with Kevin to put together my own summary of how Kevin teaches to create kick depth. The main principle is never remove anything from the sound, but always ADD to the sound, which preserves sound integrity. So, here are four scenarios to create depth within the kick: Situation 1. Kick transient is OK at -5 dBFS, but kick low end is BELOW 0 VU. Boost the kick’s low frequencies until it reaches 0 on VU meter calibrated to −15. Situation 2. Kick transient is OK at -5 dBFS, but kick low end is ABOVE 0 VU. Lower the kick’s gain until the low end reaches 0 on VU meter calibrated to −15. Then, use a transient shaper to exaggerate the transient and bring its peak back to −5 dBFS. Situation 3. Kick low end is OK at 0 VU, but kick transient is BELOW -5 dBFS Use a transient shaper to exaggerate the kick’s transient until its peak reaches −5 dBFS, while keeping the low end at 0 on VU meter calibrated at -15. Situation 4. Kick low end is OK at 0 VU, kick transient is ABOVE - 5dBFS. Lower the kick’s gain until its transient peaks at −5 dBFS. Then, boost the kick’s low end until it reaches 0 VU on a meter calibrated at −15. So, always add... add... add.... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Always going up... up... up!

I recorded this before the vocal intensive. I didn’t edit some things like I should have. This recording and mix was a personal challenge. I’ve never made a hiphop track before and I recorded my 10 year old niece. I made this on beat maker 3 then moved it over to the DAW to record real instruments and sound effects. I hear things now I should have fixed before the mix. What do you hear? Taking my time to get better at this engineering stuff with the time I have. Thank you and Happy Friday 😎

I've noticed something interesting that I wanted to share. When I'm in a streak of comparing my tracks to tracks I hear on Spotify, I'm sometimes inspired. Most of the time, though, I'm discouraged because my work will never be that good. When I compare my own work to my past work, though, it is very encouraging, because progress is abundantly evident. I'd really recommend going through some of the tracks you've mixed, produced, and mastered in the past, and comparing them to what you've made recently. Tell me if it works for you! Also, do you think it's best to separate listening to popular tracks and working? Does it discourage you as well when you compare yourself to others?

What's the most helpful free thing you've ever downloaded or earned? For me, it's probably Shreddage Stratus 3 Free by Impact Soundworks. I use it for every guitar rhythym or solo. Also for bass I use their Precision Free.