Gear Wont Save You: Shocking Truth About Pro Mixes AP Mastering 2024-08-17 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========Download the multitrack here: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1y74Y5Y_1GV-dsaLVHx90rcB_8QTFa_vN?usp=share_linkIn this video we discuss, with many audio examples, one of the biggest considerations affecting the recording and mixing process. It's potentially the biggest limiting factor in making a good sounding record but is often overlooked.
ChatGPT is hiding this from you (already affecting your life) AP Mastering 2025-10-03 | ▶ MY FREE PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/courses========== Video Description ==========Please note that all of my plugins are free from AI and require human intelligence to use.
Stop plugging your headphones into your audio interface!! Headphone amps demystified. AP Mastering 2025-09-25 | ▶ MY FREE PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesTRANSPARENCY AROUND SPONSORSHIPBenchmark HPA4 - loan demo unit (already sent back), no money exchanged handsFOSI Audio ZH3 - review unit (get to keep), no money exchanged hands, affiliate deal refused (discount code provided does not generate kickback)Austrian Audio Full Score One - loan demo unit (already sent back), no money exchanged handsAustrian Audio Composer - loan demo unit (already sent back), no money exchanged handsOLLO Audio X1 - review unit (get to keep), no money exchanged handsSennheiser HD660S - my own, I would like to be sponsored by Sennheiser but they ignore my emails2015 Mac book pro - my own, worked on it so much some of the keyboard letters have rubbed offm4 Mac mini - my own. Please let apple know I'd like to be sponsored by them.FOSI AUDIO DISCOUNT FOR ZH315% off discount code: ZH3MKT15 (valid until October 25th)Fosi Audio official website: bit.ly/fosizh3mktAmazon : https://gtly.ink/fazh3mktFosi Audio ZH3 Giveaway Event: fosiaudio.com/pages/fosi-audio-x-ap-mastering-exclusive-giveaway-subscribe-and-win-zh300:00 - Intro00:32 - Introducing the amps03:58 - Measurements04:19 - Output impedance05:40 - Introducing headphones06:41 - Real world difference13:22 - Inherent frequency response14:14 - Recallable gain20:15 - Channel balance23:46 - Voltage24:47 - Which was the best?27:27 -Mystery headphone amps!32:06 - Conclusion
Most studio desks are lame. Easy hack to upgrade yours. AP Mastering 2025-09-16 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========Join FlexiSpot Fall Season Sales and enjoy the biggest discount! You also have the chance to win free orders. It's appreciated if you leave a note saying “AP Mastering” at checkout and use my code ''YTE7P50'' to get EXTRA $50 off on the E7 Plus/E7 Pro/E7L standing desk.FlexiSpot E7Plus standing desk:USA: bit.ly/4632XrYCAN: bit.ly/47Iwvwj
AI just KILLED the music industry (the end is here) AP Mastering 2025-09-10 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========Everyone's panicking about AI "taking over" the music industry, but they're missing the point entirely. This isn't about job losses or technical quality - it's about something much deeper.I give my thoughts on some aspects which often get overlooked in these kinds of conversations. And it's all about context.I defend aspiring mumble rappers and give my opinion on the Backstreet Boys. I talk about Robert Nozick's thought experiment, the experience machine.I discuss the difference between AI tools vs. human talent replacement.Why people care about MORE than just "what comes out the speakers"How we're sleepwalking into a meaningless digital futureThis isn't about being anti-technology. It's about preserving what makes us human.
Getting a MASSIVE snare drum recording AP Mastering 2025-08-29 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========Do drum sticks make a difference to the sound of a recording? YES. Maybe more than the differences between mics when comparing the thinnest to the thickest drum sticks. Is the industry standard understanding that fatter sticks make a fatter sound accurate? Or is the opposite the case? We find out.
Do variable impedance preamps actually make a difference? AP Mastering 2025-08-22 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========In this video, we discuss mic preamp requirements for modern drum recording, why channel count matters, why 8 channels probably isn't enough and what gear on the market offers the best value for money. We test the Audient ASP880 with its variable impedance feature and use the Avantone CDMK 7 drum mic kit, recording drums and AB the difference impedance settings.Hopefully this adds to the conversation on whether spending more on a preamp actually improves the sound, or if the difference is negligible.
The compressor plugin industrys worst nightmare. AP Mastering 2025-08-15 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========I announce updates to my Curvature compressor plugin and Delta Expose compressor analyzer plugin and discuss the weird backlash I am receiving for making plugins.
This DESTROYS the entire compressor plugin industry AP Mastering 2025-08-06 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========We have discussed compressors before. I built an analyzer plugin to see what compressor plugins are actually doing under the hood. Then I built a free open source compressor plugin which was very versatile and could do many different kinds of compression. Then I improved the analyzer plugin so we could see even more detail and released this as Delta Expose. Now I have made a compressor which actually does something different like no other in existence. The curves look totally different, it behaves totally different and it sounds totally different.Use the code blackscholes at the check for a 10% launch discount. The code expires in a week after this video is published.▶ apmastering.com/plugins/curvature
Does stuffing speaker ports tighten the bass? Objective data... AP Mastering 2025-07-20 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========Does stuffing the port on a speaker with foam or material reduce resonances and improve time domain performance? We find out in this video.Note that in the video the measurement mic looks far too close and kind of at a weird angle. This is just the lens. I'm using a 50mm lens which is long enough to cause compression at these distances and the camera was not angled straight on so it looks a bit weird but the mic is positioned sensibly. Also, some people were moaning that the reference axis of the Kali speaker is the tweeter and so this time I pointed directly at the tweeter. With an omnidirectional measurement condenser at over 50cm distance, it makes barely any difference but at least the geeks will be happier now.
Do you know these 4 free plugins? AP Mastering 2025-07-14 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========I make a quick announcement about an updated version of my free saturation plugin and mention that I also have a free compressor plugin and two other open source free vst plugins.
Do ported speakers sound bad? Kali Audio LP8 tested. AP Mastering 2025-07-10 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========We put the extremely popular Kali Audio studio monitors to the test up against the hardest judge possible: the original digital audio. And I also compare to my $500 DIY studio monitors. Clearly the Kali Audio monitors sound horrendous in the time domain compared to the digital source and the DIY 3 way and their hyped up bass with their ports detracts massively from the clarity, focus and balance of the music. Although these monitors sound absolutely terrible in my opinion, they are not the worst on the market. In fact, in their class, they are some of the best. For their price, they are really one of the best contenders currently commercially available. The problem is, everything on the market at this price is a bunch of ported bass-hyped junk. So what is the solution. Either save up a few grand for something proper like a Neumann KH310 or build your own.NOTES ON THE RECORDING:I am using a cheap measurement mic. Yes it's Behringer again. You know what they say in German, he who buys cheap, buys twice. Well in previous tests I was convinced the noise was coming from my video light, so for this one, I didn't use it, and the video footage looks absolutely terrible as a result. HOWEVER, the huge amount of noise is still present. It turns out, the problem was NOT my video light like I bemoan in previous videos but rather Behringer again. Everything I ever buy from this awful company is terrible. Seriously. The self noise is a joke. That said, the frequency response, being a small diaphragm condenser, is just fine and so it serves its purpose totally fine as a measurement mic. You can hear from the Neumann tests I did previously that it's bang on, since many people couldn't even tell the difference between the original digital source and the Neumann speaker. The drawback, and what you get for your money when you buy Earthworks, is this HORRIBLY high self noise which degrades the quality these recordings slightly. If anyone at earthworks or DPA is a fan of my content, please send me your mics and I promise is will make a video driving over these behringer mics and the creaky behringer interface in a car.ALSO: These is only one speaker in the video because I am doing EXACTLY what I was doing before, and a few people were confused despite writing this in the video description, but to get a good stereo image you need to record the L and R channels separately. So you only actually need one speaker. This is perfectly legitimate. I've done tests and having two speakers and recording the left one and then the right one is essentially identical to using one speaker and then doing L then R. The only difference is the room. Which is not the speaker anyway.
All good studio monitors sound the same. Heres proof. AP Mastering 2025-07-03 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========OK the title is a bit much but after watching this video you'll see what I mean. If you compare decent speakers with linearity and time domain accuracy as design goals, you shouldn't hear any meaningful difference that isn't just chin stroking audiophile nonsense. Of course the exceptions to this are enclosure size. The larger the speaker cabinet, the lower the frequency at which the bass will start to roll off. You can use DSP or active EQ to hype that bass up a bit, at the cost of a lower overall SPL before reaching distortion, like the Neumann KH310 does, and like I do here with the mid dome DIY speakers, but there are diminishing returns. There's no replacement for displacement.The tiny "professional studio monitors" which have loads of deep bass use a mixture of EQ and resonant components like ports or passive radiators to pull off this magic trick, but unfortunately it's not magic, it's time domain distortion. If you want accuracy, either you build a pair of large format mastering speakers or you accept a bit of low end roll off relative to the size of the speaker. A decent speaker is otherwise pretty flat, and if it is not, then it is just not an accurate speaker. Most of the "pro audio monitors" on the market are not accurate and not really pro. If you want the good stuff, commercially produced accurate monitoring starts at multiple thousands of dollars and goes up pretty sharply from there into mastering territory. All the stuff under a grand is basically junk and between 1-10k is very hit or miss with only a handful of sealed options. The market is dominated with ports and passive radiators.In this video, I put my upgraded DIY speakers, now with an improved passive crossover, head-to-head again with the legendary Neumann KH310s in a series of blind AB tests. We compare speaker positions (stands vs desk), rooms (treated vs untreated), and I also through in a $2K DIY mid-dome version powered by Hypex DSP plate amps which many of you wanted to see. There's also an important update about my online courses, a new course called Speaker Science, and I explain why the classic $500 build might still be the best bang-for-buck option for accurate studio monitoring when your room isn't big enough or well treated enough for a pair of large format mastering speakers.Note on the price of the "classics"... the components cost just shy of 250€ per speaker including 21% VAT when ordered from sound imports to the EU, which includes drivers, inductors, capacitors, resistors, terminal screws, PCBs, stuffing and speaker wire. This doesn't include a piece of wood, glue and some screws. This also doesn't include tools or solder, which I'm assuming you have if you are working with wood and know how to solder.In the cheapest case, seen as an upgrade if you already build the subs and small speakers, you already did the enclosures, you use an old polyester pillow for the stuffing instead of buying poly fill, you skip the terminal screws and solder directly, and skip the PCBs and wire point to point on a spare bit of perf board, and reuse the 4" drivers from the small speakers build and the woofers from the upgradable subwoofers, the price of the upgrade to the classic 3-way would be around 115€ per speaker and half of that cost is the tweeter.You squeeze a few quid more out of the build if you use thinner gauge inductors and mount the crossover to the rear of the speaker for better heat dissipation in case they get hot. You can also downgrade from film to non polarized electrolytic caps for the lower value caps. If you do this, you might build the upgrade for less than 100€ per speaker. But if you penny pinch so hard, it's probably just getting a bit of a compromise.Of course you can spend more, you can buy diamond tweeters and whatever nonsense for thousands of euros. You can get a pair of hypex plate amps. You can do whatever. My original design concept for the classics was to build a pair of inexpensive passive sealed reference grade speakers that can be used with an inexpensive amp. I think I did that. It would have been better if the components were even cheaper. But if you go too cheap with the drivers they will not be reference quality. The woofer is already on the budget side. And I think mid domes just don't offer good value for money compared with high quality small cones.
High-end audio interfaces. OBJECTIVE TEST RESULTS. Snake oil??? AP Mastering 2025-06-26 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========I tested a Prism Sound Lyra2 interface and I was incredibly impressed. But do you really need an expensive interface like this? This is the pinnacle of transparency in an audio interface but are Focusrite and MOTU already transparent enough?I do a loopback test with 1500 generations and find out what the audio quality is like...
$5,000 Neumann speakers VS $400 DIY speakers (Audio Shootout) AP Mastering 2025-06-20 | DIY COURSE: apmastering.com/courses/classic-upgrade▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========I recommend Neumann KH310 monitors. They are a high quality, sealed 3-way that has been an industry standard large near field / small midfield for critical applications for two decades. However, they cost around $5000 in America and around 4000€ in Europe, placing them out of budget for many people. Can we create something for $400 if we make it ourselves, which comes close to the quality of the Neumann speaker? Or even $300 in the case of the 2 ways? Well in this video we do precisely that with extensive audio examples, recording the in-room sound of all these speakers on real music.Notes on the recording... On my previous video where I showcased the small speakers, I used a quick DIY jecklin disk and a pair of omni measurement mics to record. Especially because those small speakers don't extend that low, I thought it would be sufficient for the purpose of the recording. In hindsight, the stereo image was lackluster, and now we are comparing speakers with low bass output, such as setup would just render mostly mono recordings. So I decided to use a single omni measurement mic and record the speakers individually. So each recording you hear is comprised of two passes, first recording one speaker and then recording the other.Unfortunately at times, there is some amount of white noise noticeable and this is caused by my video light which has a cooling fan. It got pretty hot in the room, as we had really hot weather recently, and I only noticed after I'd recorded the whole thing that the noise made its way onto the recordings in certain parts, even more exacerbated by using an omni mic, but omni is most accurate for these kinds of tests. Shame, but I'm not doing it all over again, so just pretend it's not there. You can still hear how the speakers perform despite that.Instead of swapping all of the parts out each time, in some cases I'm using the same speaker in both positions. For the classic one, I just swapped around the mid and tweeter so they are slightly asymmetrical. I doubt the sound is impacted that much. The reason the crossovers are just sitting on the speakers instead of going inside like normal is for a similar reason, and that's because I just built two enclosures and I am swapping out the baffles.I don't need 10 speakers in my studio, so I only made a pair of enclosures and I will keep only one pair of speakers. When the mid dome ones are done properly with a 4th order crossover and extra DSP to boost up the bass a bit, they sound exceptional. I measured them after having tweaked to satisfaction with the hypex amps and they were flat as a pancake more or less from 40kHz to 20kHz.But since my hypex plate amps are being used by my mastering speakers, and the mid dome ones don't sound as good as the "classic" ones when you use a 2nd order passive crossover like I demonstrate in this video, I'm probably just going to keep the "classic" ones and either sell the parts of the mid dome one or do something else fun with them, not sure. Either way, I'm extremely impressed by the "classic" ones, and considering they cost around $400, they pretty much blow everything commercially available out of the water.00:00 Intro 08:09 Polar Bear - Beartown 09:03 FKA twigs - Two Weeks 10:32 Deftones - Beware 11:50 Lola Young - Conceited 12:54 PEEKABOO, Flowdan - BADDERS 13:51 Blawan - Under Belly 14:53 João Gilberto - Desafinado 15:55 P Money - No Room16:43 Converge - Dark Horse
Is this audio myth fake news? AP Mastering 2025-06-18 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========I'm open to the fact that some people have better hearing than me. Especially people 30 years younger than me, for sure, if we are talking about high frequencies. Recently a popular audio YouTuber claimed to be able to hear the difference between 320 MP3s and WAV files in a blind test, but it turns out, so can I. So instead of flexing about my superior hearing, I decided to scrutinize the test itself and I show you in this video my findings.This is not to say that there is nobody who can tell the difference between a well encoded 320 and a WAV, I just think it might have been made too easy in the NPR test.The original website test is here:npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/02/411473508/how-well-can-you-hear-audio-quality
Behringer VS Focusrite interfaces. Is Behringer really crap? AP Mastering 2025-06-08 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========I previously said that Behringer did not make great interfaces in my personal opinion. Following that, a lot of people insisted that their Behringer products were amazing. So I bought the Behringer UMC1820 to objectively compare it with the more expensive Focusrite Clarett+. In this video, we dive into real-world and technical tests: noise levels, mic preamp quality, crosstalk, headphone amp output impedance and even a 300-pass loopback test. Have Behringer really improved in recent times or is their stuff low quality? Let’s find out, with objective tests, without bias.
Most audio interfaces are a rip off. Or bad quality IMHO. AP Mastering 2025-05-28 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========In this video, I cut through the marketing hype surrounding audio interfaces to show you what’s actually worth your money. I break down the difference between overpriced gear and true value, share a full price-performance list, and give practical recommendations for home studios, commercial setups, mixing, mastering, and more. If you're overwhelmed by brands like Focusrite, Behringer, MOTU, RME, or UAD, this is for you.Download the full comparison sheet below and stop wasting money on audio snake oil.🔗 Download the Interface Comparison Sheet: drive.google.com/file/d/19qTwAy0S244f14mT1wmzosHKBIqroBz-/view📘 Read the DAC Sound Quality Study: apmastering.com/studies00:00 Context05:02 - Home studio recording09:21 Pro recording studio12:20 ITB mixing15:10 Console mixing15:58 Electronic music16:20 Hardware synth studio19:12 Mastering
Your studio monitors are lame. Get THESE instead for $150 AP Mastering 2025-05-05 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========SPEAKER COURSE HERE: apmastering.com/courses/small-speakersUse code "MAGICMIDS" for a 25% discount (valid for 7 days only).IMPORTANT NOTE ON THE SETUPSince small sealed designs like these are meant to be used as super nearfields, I deliberately use a very tight listening triangle, with the speakers in a meter bridge position. The lipinksi sound speakers are absolutely NOT designed for this setup and sound super muffled like this. But I thought I'd include them anyway for fun.My desk shelf has an adjustable angle, so I can set it flat exactly like a meter bridge and put monitors and other stuff on top. It’s normally down (angled away from me to reduce desk spill / comb filtering) but I’m using it in this flat position to simulate some kind of typical use for this kind of monitor. That said, this set up is kind of bad in terms of comb filtering and they can sound better on stands, lifted higher above the desk. I demonstrate this on the foo fighters and tool tracks. But I imagined that placing them directly on the shelf is closer to the kind of set up most people would do, and that’s what they are famous for. Ironically, using foam to "isolate" them from the shelf makes them sound slightly worse despite the fact that many people think this improves the sound.I recorded using two omnidirectional measurement mics. This means, if you do some kind of standard XY thing, you will essentially just record mono. To get a stereo image, I isolated them from each other using a piece of 15mm ply with 60mm pyramid foam stapled to both sides.The amp I’m using is a Fosi audio ZA3 which I recommend as it sounds good, looks good and is cheap. FULL TRANSPARENCY: Fosi actually sent me this but no money exchanged hands and I was actually going to buy it anyway to power these speakers, for the exact reasons I state in the video. Whether I bought it or they sent me it, this video would have been identical. VIDEO DESCRIPTIONIn this video, I provide the cost effective antidote for the plague of small ported studio speakers in the audio production world.I expose the fake “sealed monitors” on Sweetwater and show you some real sealed speakers which you can make yourself for peanuts. Small sealed monitors are the secret weapon of nailing the mids, and if you nail the mids, you nail the mix.00:00 - Problem with ports05:14 - DIY solution06:52 - The amp I'm using09:20 - Post metal (ISIS - In Fiction)10:35 Pop rock (Foo Fighters - Rope)11:44 dnb (Ed Rush - Body Back)12:56 Free jazz (Ornette Coleman - Lonely Woman)14:32 Pop alt metal (Bring me the Horizon - Throne)15:46 Vomit step (SNAILS - Frogbass)17:01 Post hardcore (These Arms are Snakes - Mescaline Eyes)18:23 Psytrance (Alchimyst - The Rave)19:41 Progressive metal (Tool - Pneuma)
MM vs MC Phono Cartridges: A/B Test Results! AP Mastering 2025-04-26 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesGEAR USED IN THIS VIDEO FROM▶ http://fosiaudio.com/products/box-x5-phono-preamp▶ http://audio-technica.com @AudioTechnicaEMEA ========== VIDEO INFO ==========TLDR: MC is ACTUALLY superior especially in HF detail but they are both incredible. Buy the MC if you are rich and care about the extra tiny quality gain.Raw recordings as WAV: drive.google.com/file/d/10MzpR_oJxotJmy9ubZgfb-l0sRjFUINnI do extensive AB tests of MM (moving magnet) vs MC (moving coil) phono cartridges to hear the differences. Audio Technica were kind enough to lend the carts and Fosi audio was kind enough to supply the phono preamp. I didn't label the ABs because it's obvious from the shiny gold which is the MC cart.People think my position is that everything sounds the same and nothing matters. Wrong. Transducers are where the BIGGEST differences are. Speakers, mics, carts...PREAMPSThere is no huge difference between the preamps on first listen, however, I have noticed through boosting quiet signals that the Fosi audio preamp has a MUCH better signal to noise ratio, less hiss, less hum. It obviously has considerably better features and has some kind of cool relay stuff going on inside to switch the gain values and power on.CARTSIn terms of the carts, depending on your perspective there is a huge difference or no difference. I'll explain... no difference if you just want to listen to a bit of music. They are really close. There's not that much difference in frequency response. That's good because both are very high quality carts, without spending stupid amounts of money, from arguably the best manufacturer. And they are both a microlinear shape. So they sound similar because they are both good and quite true to the source.Where they sound different is in transient response and also stereo imaging. Not the kind of audiophile woo woo mumbo jumbo "4D soundstage" blah but literally there is a difference in channel balance and maybe also crosstalk between the two carts. The channel balance seems right of center on the MC. There could have been suboptimal contact on my headshell or suboptimal alignment, but I did the best I could, and unless there is a big difference in crosstalk, this should be correctable with a small level adjustment.It is clear that the MC cart has better transient response. I'm not entirely sure if that is just a HF bump on the MC cart making it easier to hear detail or whether the lighter assembly really does result in more detail to be pulled from the grooves. Again, BOTH ARE INCREDIBLE. The difference is kind of minor but the MC cart did sound superior. Is it worth hundreds more though? If you are rich, probably yes.SONG NOTESThe Beatles - Norwegian WoodHard panning, nice HF content with the guitar/sitar. Good crosstalk test.Ed Rush, Optical - PacmanVERY LOUD cut by Simon at the Exchange. ER & O had a significant and often unappreciated impact on other styles of electronic music.Bloc Party - HelicopterClassic brit indie track, one of my favorite albums of that era. VERY clear HF differences between the carts easily identifiable by listening to the cymbals.ORL - Rapid Fire TollboothOne of Omar's cuts which ended up getting turned into a Mars Volta track. Although Pridgen's drumming on the Volta track is ridiculous, Omar's brother lays down an extremely solid beat here on the original version, and I kind of prefer this more laid back original. Very clear differences in HF here. In fact I prefer the MM cart here, MC is kind of shrill BUT that is likely the recording, which also has an unbalanced stereo image.Shakti - LiveMy personal favorite live recording of all time.Autechre - LCCVery low level intro, can hear surface noise differences.Stranglers - Dead RingerEarly Stranglers are amazing. Pretty loud cut for an LP of its age.Brittsommar - Tell MeI recorded, mixed and mastered this and also played drums. We built the songs around single take solo acoustic guitar/singing takes. This was many years ago in my first studio. Can hear big difference in transient response between carts by listening to the ride cymbal.Kraftwerk - Die RoboterUltra classic electronic track. Nice transients and LF content.อังคนางค์ คุณไชย - อีสานลำเพลินMy favorite record of all time. Absolute perfection. There is nothing possible that can be improved about this recording in any aspect whatsoever. This is the Japanese repress.0:00 - Intro0:30 - Background info2:41 - AT-OC9XML (MC cart)3:16 - AT-VM95ML (MM cart)3:49 - Fosi Audio BOX X54:45 - The Beatles - Norwegian Wood5:34 - Ed Rush, Optical - Pacman6:26 - Bloc Party - Helicopter7:11 - Omar Rodríguez-López - Rapid Fire Tollbooth8:10 - Shakti - Live at South Hampton College9:06 - Autechre - LCC9:56 - The Stranglers - Dead Ringer10:41 - Brittsommar - Tell Me11:28 - Kraftwerk - Die Roboter12:12 - อังคนางค์ คุณไชย - อีสานลำเพลิน
What you NEED to know about level in audio AP Mastering 2025-04-18 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========I discuss in this video why amplitude is so important and why everything else doesn't matter when it comes to raw uncompressed audio. This is in the context of compressor gain reduction curves and the topics from my previous video.
Compressor Scam RELOADED: Shocking new data! AP Mastering 2025-04-10 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========Following up here from my original three part compressor scam video series over half a year later... I have new data from a new plugin I've developed and it's pretty funny. You guessed it, more marketing hype and expensive nonsense exposed. Do you really need another expensive LEGENDARY compressor? Probably not. Here's proof.
Youll never guess which microphone most people prefer! AP Mastering 2025-04-03 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesTakStar TAK55 mic: amzn.to/4kHSB6eSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========The results from the mic shootout are in and it is pretty interesting! TakStar TAK55 VS AKG C414 VS Sennheiser MD421
Cheap VS expensive mic & fake Chinese Neumanns AP Mastering 2025-04-02 | VOTE: https://forms.gle/gUfDQHiUMFQurrcd9TakStar TAK55 mic: amzn.to/4kHSB6e▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========I got sent a microphone by the Chinese company TakStar. I do a blind comparison with an original AKG C414, which seems to be its inspiration, and a sennheiser MD421 for fun. Do cheaper microphones sound good?
DAC Delusion: These test results are insane! AP Mastering 2025-03-19 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========In my previous video I conducted a blind test for a DAC loopback VS original recording. This video reveals the results. If there was any large differences, we would have seen that reflected in the poll results. As there were significantly more than 1000 participants, the statistical power is compelling here and it really shows that nobody was able to hear any difference. If you want to argue with these results, either you need to argue against mathematics or assert some kind of conspiracy theory or improbable explanation. Audiophiles, just face it, you can't hear the difference, as good pro audio quality DACs are transparent.
The DAC Scam - Almost everyone believes the hype AP Mastering 2025-03-10 | GOOGLE POLL: https://forms.gle/wAQopiwNp8xmYX8c7WAV OF BLIND TEST:drive.google.com/file/d/1JY8x0Vx7eL3KMoupVK1EAgHmeUJ6njxd/view?usp=sharing▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========Although some viewers have accused me of being too quick to call things a scam in the past, I really feel like there's no better work to describe so called "high end DACs". I mention some DACs which cost many thousands of dollars and in one case, a DAC which costs 160,000 GBP, which is over $200k USD. I discuss R2R NOS DACs and then provide a blind test with a poll. Some converters DO sound bad and I give an example in this video. However, most sensible converters over a basic price level, let's say a few hundred dollars, when well designed, are already transparent.
New best sequencer? Hapax defeated? The XP32 is here. AP Mastering 2025-03-02 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp: squarp.net▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fm▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nlSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== Video Description ==========I recently made a video concluding that the Squarp Hapax was the best sequencer. Does this still hold now the XP32 has been released? I discuss the hermod and the XP32 in this video and how that setup compares to the Hapax, the Cirklon. Eloquencer, NerdSeq etc.
Audio university degrees are worthless AP Mastering 2025-02-24 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========I discuss my personal experience studying at university 20 years ago doing audio engineering. Although I got good marks (second highest score on the entire course, 1st with hons), I didn't feel uni was really worth it. I discuss some alternatives and the economic forces at play which are eroding the quality of higher education.
The Nyquist theorem isnt what you were taught (why digital used to suck) AP Mastering 2025-02-11 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========Texas Instruments video: youtube.com/watch?v=U_Yv69IGAfQI'm sure I'm going to get a few people objecting to me saying the Monty Montgomery video isn't absolutely perfect. Now, while I think it is MOSTLY perfect and I really like it, he does make one error of the kind I describe in this video. It's a very small but important detail. When he talks about band limiting a square wave, he suggests his filter characteristics are:Cutoff: 20.5kHzAttenuation at 21kHz: 100dbThis means, in the space of 500Hz his filter needs to roll off 100db. If calculated, this gets us a steepness of:2832 dB per octaveThat's just stupid. He refers to it as being "quite steep" lol. This is the only oversight I can see from his video which is otherwise an absolutely great introduction to digital audio and the cardinal theorem of interpolation.But this oversight kind of shows that Monty didn't at the time either understand, or want to have to explain, the fact that modern audio interfaces (and most likely the one he was using for the video) are NOT Nyquist rate devices but rather have delta sigma front ends, which is why we can get such good sound at 44.1kHz CD quality. If you try to do exactly what he says in his video with a Nyquist rate device, you would get different, and poor quality results.
I tried loads of MIDI sequencers. One is king (by far). AP Mastering 2025-02-03 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========There have been many MIDI sequencers over the years, both hardware and software. Some of the early stuff like the Yamaha QX1 makes essentially zero sense to use today unless you want to impose deliberate creative restrictions. The much more advanced Yamaha QY700 is also pretty much just a relic of the past now. But some machines like the AKAI MPC 3000 are still pretty much in use today and taken very seriously especially by hip hop producers. Then there's the modern stuff by Squarp, Cirklon, Polyend, Arturia and the eurorack based stuff like eloquencer, metropolis, Rene, varigate.Can these hardware machine really be better than the software sequencers? Some small niche group of producers people still swear by Notator on the Atari ST but most people nowadays are using cubase, logic, FL studio, Ableton, reason, bigwig etc. But what about trackers like Renoise? Or hardware trackers like nerdSEQ?I discuss my experiences with everything I've tried in this video. There's a bunch of stuff I committed like the korg electribe stuff which I had fun on back in the day, and with the exception of the Cirklon, I'm not discussing anything I haven't owned or used extensively, hence why I may not have discussed your personal favorite sequencer. But I cover most of the significant ones here.
Analog elitism debunked: digital is actually analogue anyway AP Mastering 2025-01-22 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========This video was inspired after countless comments from analogue purist hifi audiophiles who claimed that my vinyl-digital comparison video is invalid because to hear the "true sound of vinyl" the signal path must be all analogue. What does analogue even mean? When you actually try to define it, you come to something like "continuous / non-discrete electronic representation of the original sound wave". However, nothing in our universe is truly continuous. There's large amounts of space between molecules and atoms and sub atomic particles... see Max Planck for details. And you might think, "oh well that's just being pedantic!" but no, because some modern digital formats have higher sample rates literally that the amount of magnetic particles per second on analogue tape. Like actually. So digital, given this definition is more analogue than analogue tape. If you define digital as "computer type stuff" then fine but, given a black box storage mechanism, there's no detectable means of claiming digital is "discrete" once it is low pass filtered. And there's no real detection if high quality digital at all apart from its absence of distortion compared to traditional analogue formats. Or put otherwise, with sufficiently high quality digital technology, listening to a record is indistinguishable from listening to a rip of the same record and you would fail a properly conducted ABX test.
Is Eurorack hardware ACTUALLY better than software? Clear winner. AP Mastering 2025-01-13 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========Eurorack VS software... I traveled to Berlin, Germany, to Schneiderladen, arguably the most famous and important eurorack synthesizer shop in the world. The task was to answer the question: what is better? To me the answer is very clear indeed. People talk predominately about sound quality... well I personally think that is daft. How much better does an analogue sine wave sound than a digital sine wave? Probably not very different unless the analogue one is broken or so old the oscillator is unstable, in which case you can just recreate that in digital by adding low pass filtered noise as a frequency modulation source. No, sound quality is completely irrelevant. Don't care. What is important? The hands on jamming with the equipment and being creative, being inspired, being HAPPY. I have way more fun behind a modular system than clicking buttons on a computer. So which is better? Hardware every time.Does it sound better? Don't care.Does it have more features? Don't care.Is it best value for money? Don't care.Is eurorack elitist? Don't care.All you torrent guys who download cracked software because you don't want to pay the developers for their blood sweat and tears, of course none of you are buying eurorack. That's obvious. But for those who are actually willing to invest into their primary passion in life, and aren't unemployed, eurorack is the single most exciting thing in electronic music creation, IMHO.
Hard truth: most vinyl is digital anyway AP Mastering 2025-01-08 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========After my previous video, in which I demonstrate how vinyl doesn't really sound warm or have a consistent particular "sound", I received many (often angry or rude) comments from people claiming I was wrong, despite the multiple comparisons I gave in the video. They continued to assert that vinyl sounds better than digital. That my playback equipment was just not expensive enough and if I spent another $100,000 on gear I would get a better sound, despite the fact even the cheap spherical stylus sounded remarkably close to the digital master. Or that you just can't hear the magic of vinyl because the sources of my examples were all from digital masters; only completely analogue recordings unleash the magical quality of vinyl.It is therefore ironic, that most vinyl records that were cut after the late 70s went through at least one round trip of analogue to digital and digital to analogue conversion. This is because a digital delay is almost always used in the cutting process in order to get better cuts. This was originally done with tape machines by modifying them by fitting a highly specialized preview deck for cutting vinyl records, and this is IMHO the best method if the original mixes were printed to tape and the mastering engineer is highly skilled and cuts using an AB split console. However, there are very few engineers capable of doing this and very few studios that actually (really) offer it, despite any marketing claims of "all analogue".Many "all analogue" vinyl records still have this digital process because hardly anyone knows about it. The only way to be sure you are listening to "all analogue" music is to restrict your listening exclusively to music from before the 1970s, as digital recording was happening in the early 70s, digital editing in the mid 70s, and then towards the end of the 70s digital delays started to establish themselves as the new standard in vinyl record cutting racks. Any reissue of a record made in the 50s or 60s was probably recut from analogue tape using a digital delay process in the lathe, unless it was specifically mastered by one of the very few studios who genuinely offer all analogue cuts from tape, using preview deck modifications on their tape machines. To me, all of this purity is stupid anyway, seeing as digital is highly transparent and none of these all-analogue enthusiasts could pass an ABX test.
Vinyl sound quality myth destroyed AP Mastering 2025-01-03 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========Audiophiles will claim that vinyl sounds warmer, more analogue or "truer" etc but this is all nonsense and I demonstrate why in this video, other with explanations and straight up AB comparisons between stuff I have personally mastered and the respective vinyl releases. If something sounds different on vinyl vs the digital, it could be because of a whole number of things including but by no means limited to the playback stylus, preprocessing the cutting engineer applied for the cut or even in many cases the vinyl version is simply cut from a completely different mix. In any case it is not possible that a vinyl cut from a digital master could sound "more true" than the digital master, since any deviation in sound quality from the digital master is by definition less true. I can totally understand how an old jazz recording could be more true listening to a vinyl that was cut in pristine quality from a perfectly archived original reel to reel master VS some 1980s weird digital copy from a rip of a bad pressing recorded with a vintage ADC. Sure. That stuff is actually not unheard of and I would obviously chose to listen to the vinyl repressing every time. But in the majority of cases, vinyl doesn't improve the sound over the digital. What is the benefit of vinyl? It's simply the coolest music format of all time. Nothing can beat the experience of vinyl for people who love music. I love vinyl. Not because it magically improves the sound quality but because it is an awesome experience and you feel like you "have" the music. You own a physical copy of your favorite music. On Spotify you access almost everything and have nothing.
Almost all headphones are inaccurate. Only these are good. AP Mastering 2024-12-13 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========Thanks to http://zococity.es for letting me film the opening scene in their lovely showroom.I discuss which are the most accurate headphones for studio monitoring. You might be surprised at what I recommend given that I have demoed, purchased, returned and sold many headphones, some of which cost a fair amount of money. Some of the brands discussed include sennheiser, audeze, akg, beyerdynamic.... I have heard even more headphones than I put in this video, but the video is long enough as it is.
Pro Audio Monitors are all crap. Use these instead. AP Mastering 2024-12-09 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========As usual, my title is on the provocative side. There are a couple of speakers on the market labeled as pro audio monitors that are good, but they are few and far between. As I discussed in my previous video (part 1 of the pro audio monitor lie), almost all of the speakers on the market are small and have either ports or passive radiators in them to hype up the bass using resonances to enable them to produce a wider range of frequencies than would otherwise be possible from their size using a sealed cabinet. Of course this is not forbidden. Manufacturers are allowed to make such speakers and you are allowed to buy them. But ported small speakers have a big trade off... time domain accuracy and distortion. Calling inaccurate small speakers with resonant ports "pro audio monitors" seems misleading to me. In this video I continue the theme I started in my first video and discuss acoustics, bust the small room small speaker myth and explain why NS10s and auratone 5Cs are small but not subject to my criticism. In fact, I RECOMMEND them for small or otherwise bad sounding rooms where headphones are less desirable.
The Great Studio Monitor Lie: The Truth Exposed AP Mastering 2024-11-22 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========Some people have taken issue with my usage of the word "scam" in my previous videos exposing marketing nonsense in the audio industry. Let's pull up the definition of the word: "a dishonest plan for making money or getting an advantage, especially one that involves tricking people". In this video I expose how studio monitor/speaker manufacturers routinely lie, often directly but also by omission, about the accuracy of their monitors and trick people into buying them on that basis. This would seem to perfectly fit the definition of the word scam; making money by tricking people.I expose the industry's dishonesty and tell you the truth about accurate monitoring and how to get it for less than the price of common deceptively marketed studio monitors.THIS IS PART ONE. Like all of my three part videos, I first broadly introduce the topic, then in part 2 I expand on the nuances and leave part 3 open for influence in the comments.In part 2 I will discuss Yamaha NS10s and Auratones and say why they aren't actually all that bad, and why they are distinct from the modern trend of small ported studio monitors with large amounts of various kinds of distortion. I'll also bust the myth that is often perpetuated by laymen: "small speakers sound better than big speakers in small rooms" and I'll go over the use cases for (good sounding) small speakers such as NS10s and Auratones.
You cant do PROFESSIONAL mastering in Ableton, Reason, Bitwig etc. Heres why. AP Mastering 2024-11-16 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========I received a lot of pushback in the comments on my last video about DAWs. Many people were just arguing subjectively over which DAW was best and that I should have rated whichever DAW higher or lower. That's all fine as it was all just a bit of fun and all very subjective. However, one thing which I do think requires further explanation is what I said about mastering. I said, you can't do professional mastering in stuff like Ableton Live and Bitwig etc.So I've decided to make a dedicated video to clarify my stance on this specific topic and explain why using Ableton Live / Bitwig / Reason etc isn't ideal for mastering at the pro level.I discuss some of the key features and workflow necessities at the core of modern mastering, and why they go beyond what many of these DAWs typically offer. For actual pro level mastering, you need specific tools and a streamlined workflow to work sensibly day in day out. Workflow plays a huge role in your productivity, which determines your ability to pay your rent.
Every DAW ranked. One is obviously best (IMHO) AP Mastering 2024-11-06 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========There are many DAWs out there. I rank all of the most important ones. I'm not going to discuss stuff like Renoise which has not had active development for years, although it's kind of cool and I was using it at one point, neither will I discuss stuff like N-track studio or Audacity because nobody uses them for serious studio work. These are options which most people would actually consider as their workhouse DAW.The 17 DAWs are:Ableton LiveFL StudioLogic Pro XPro ToolsCubaseReasonStudio OneBitwig StudioReaperCakewalkNuendoSamplitudeDigital PerformerTracktion WaveformArdourHarrison MixbusLUNA
Free Saturation Distortion Plugin (Mac / Windows) AP Mastering 2024-10-21 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========In this video I unveil my new free plugin.Saturation distortion is extremely easy to code and it would seem that spending a lot of money on a plugin of this function might be unnecessary.This plugin was mostly coded in one afternoon and offers 8 different saturation modes with fixed 4x FIR oversamplingMany of the algorithms are a single line of code, for example:sample = std::sin(sample);People often are confused with the difference between saturation, distortion, soft clipping, drive, warmth etc. It's very simple. These all are just different words to describe distortion. When a piece of analogue gear, say a tube amplifier, reaches its maximum output, and cannot produce an even louder signal, it is in saturation. This is distortion. Saturation distortion. You can approximate this kind of distortion using mathematical functions such as tanh."Soft clipping" is a term used by some people to describe a "smooth transition to clipping". However, this is the same thing as saturation. Saturation can have different shapes and sounds but it is not necessary to cause confusion by giving a bunch of different names to what is essentially all the same thing. All of the algorithms in this plugin reach saturation but some are more extreme in their non linear nature than others. When something causes a significant nonlinear response way before saturation, then it's probably more suitable to just more broadly call it distortion. This is the case with a couple of the algorithms.
Mixing With Clippers. The Reality. AP Mastering 2024-10-02 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========Previously we discussed the theory of why clipping is never a good idea and other techniques such as using distortion or simply not pushing the levels so hot, actually result in superior results. At least in theory. But now we will put the theory to the test and actually listen and hear whether mixing with clippers sounds good or not.
Almost Nobody Knows, Distortion Can Be UNDONE! AP Mastering 2024-09-24 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========This is part two of the clipper scam video series. In part one, I establish that clipping isn't the best tool in the toolbox for mixing, despite its popularity, that it takes only one or two lines of code to write a clamp function and that the term "soft clipping" is poorly defined. This is because "clipping" is identical to clamping and clamping is by definition not soft. Whereas what many people are actually referring to when they use the term "soft clipping" is actually saturation, the latter being the superior term to describe the process. In part one I state how many of the terms thrown about all just mean distortion and its better just to call it what it is, distortion, and if you want to be specific, rather than using some marketing hype term, you should refer to it by its correct mathematic or electronic term. We are supposed to be engineers. Engineers use accurate terminology, not marketing buzz language.In part 2, we see how clipping doesnt make stuff loud in the real world, how it can damage speakers and how saturation is still the better choice over clipping.
The Clipper Plugin Scam - Were You Fooled? AP Mastering 2024-09-18 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========Spreadsheet: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mIjwPwG3WjvrTY6F1yrG4CsdrDK5868v?usp=share_linkIn this video I discuss how, in my opinion, clipper plugins are a scam, how soft clipping doesn't exist and the exact (extremely simple) code needed to write a clipping algorithm.
Bob Olhsson - The Motown Sound (Podcast #2) AP Mastering 2024-09-05 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========This is the FULL LENGTH VERSION of the interview I did with Bob Olhsson, legendary recording and mastering engineer who famously worked at Motown Hitsville studios. We discuss recording techniques, analogue sound, tubes, Fairchild limiters and lots of cool stuff.A short "highlights" version will be uploaded at the same time.
OG Motown Engineer Reveals Secret To Motown Sound AP Mastering 2024-09-05 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========This is a CUT DOWN VERSION of the full interview I did with Bob Olhsson, legendary recording and mastering engineer who famously worked at Motown Hitsville studios. We discuss recording techniques, analogue sound, tubes, Fairchild limiters and lots of cool stuff.The full length version will be uploaded at the same time.
Don’t Fall For This! (Common Audio Mistake) AP Mastering 2024-08-26 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========In this video we discuss how audio engineers in the 1950s had a more robust scientific background than audio engineers today, and how this lack of scientific understanding today causes common mistakes in the audio world. We discuss Neve consoles and how to properly compare. Why isolating all factors apart from the variable of interest is important and why Neve, SSL and API plugin emulations kind of miss the point.
Ethan Winer - Debunking Audio Myths (Podcast #1) AP Mastering 2024-08-09 | Ethan's Audio Expert book:http://ethanwiner.com/book.htmEthan's Articles page:http://ethanwiner.com/articles.htmlEthan's YouTube channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/EthanWiner/videos▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de
The Audio Cable Fraud (With Ethan Winer) AP Mastering 2024-08-06 | Ethan's Audio Expert book:http://ethanwiner.com/book.htmEthan's Articles page:http://ethanwiner.com/articles.htmlEthan's YouTube channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/EthanWiner/videos▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de
Study Confirms: Analog Plugins = SNAKE OIL AP Mastering 2024-07-28 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========In this video we go over the poll results from a previous video in which we do a blind AB test between an analogue modelling mix and a regular digital mix. You can find the formal writeup / study I did on my website: apmastering.com
Analog Plugin Myth Debunked: 49 instances, no difference? AP Mastering 2024-07-23 | ▶ MY PLUGINS: apmastering.com/plugins▶ MY COURSES: apmastering.com/coursesSHOPS I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Sound Imports: http://soundimports.eu▶ SchneidersLaden: https://schneidersladen.deGEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND:▶ Squarp Hapax: squarp.net/hapax▶ Hypex amplifiers: https://hypex.nl▶ Reaper: http://reaper.fmSTUDIOS I RECOMMEND:▶ Studio Wong: http://studiowong.de========== VIDEO DESCRIPTION ==========VOTE! https://forms.gle/8c2AFkv2embLPiU39
