Blog - Page 3 | Black Ghost Audio

Jan 17, 2019

Charles Hoffman

7 Essential Books Every Music Producer Must Read

While in pursuit of learning about music production, YouTube videos, podcasts, and articles are all great, but there’s something about a good book that is just irreplaceable. Long-form content, organized into the chapters of a book, allows an author to develop their ideas fully, and thoroughly explore the topics they’re writing about.

Jan 13, 2019

Charles Hoffman

The Difference Between Phasers and Flangers

A question I get asked a lot is “What’s the difference between phasers and flangers?” Both of these devices introduce peaks/notches into an audio signal’s frequency spectrum, causing the effect they produce to sound somewhat similar. This article will explore the differences in the way these tools process audio, and how you can tell them apart by ear.

Jan 6, 2019

Charles Hoffman

How to Turn Your Artist Project into a Business

Turning your artist project into a legitimate business is the first step in achieving financial independence. Although many people find comfort in knowing that they’ll receive a regular paycheck from their day job, many of you reading this are probably sick of the day-to-day, soul-sucking experience that comes along with working for someone else. Additionally, when you run your own business, there’s no cap on the amount of money you can make.

Dec 27, 2018

Charles Hoffman

12 of the Best Plugin Alliance Plugins on the Market

Plugin Alliance has united some of the most renowned international audio companies under, what they refer to as, a “virtual roof.” On their official website, they state that “Plugin Alliance empowers world-renowned analog hardware companies with a digital strategy and provides software developers with services that allow them to develop products with increasing quality and quantity.” Essentially, they’re working with some of the greatest audio companies on earth to provide an assortment of high-quality analog modeled plugins.

Dec 24, 2018

Charles Hoffman

5 Steps to Capture Professional Vocal Recordings

Being able to produce a professional level vocal recording is a coveted skill. If you’ve attempted to record vocals before and the results were lackluster, it was likely a number of factors that played a part in mangling your recording. Surprisingly, the quality of your gear probably had very little to do with the results you experienced. Even a cheap condenser microphone like an MXL 990 is capable of producing excellent results if used appropriately.

Dec 16, 2018

Charles Hoffman

How to Make Your Mixes Translate to Consumer Speakers

How many time have you made a mix that you were pleased with, but when you played it in your car, it fell apart? Your mixing ability will get you pretty far, but you'll eventually hit a wall. The equipment you use does matter, but this doesn’t mean that you have to spend a lot of money on new hardware. I’m going to show you how to drastically improve your ability to make your mixes translate to consumer speakers for as little as $10.

Dec 13, 2018

Charles Hoffman

The Difference Between Dynamic EQs and Multiband Compressors

Dynamic EQs and multiband compressors look similar, have similar controls, and behave similarly. With so many similarities, it can be difficult to identify how they are dissimilar. The difference between dynamic EQs and multiband compressors lays buried in their design. Dynamic EQs use their input audio signal as a sidechain source to trigger a parametric EQ that affects signal amplitude. Multiband compressors split their input audio signal using multiple filters, and the signal from each filter is run through its own compressor; these signals are then summed together to create the output signal.

Dec 9, 2018

Charles Hoffman

The Ultimate Guide to Recording Acoustic Guitar

Acoustic guitar is an instrument that many people want to incorporate into their songs, but the problem is that capturing a quality recording can prove to be quite challenging if you’re new to recording. I’ve put together a list of tips that will help you achieve the professional quality sound you’re chasing, both on a budget, and with high-end gear.

Nov 27, 2018

Charles Hoffman

The Beginner's Guide to Music Production Computers

Many people regularly ask me, “Which computer should I buy for music production?” The “best” computer for music production is going to fall within your budget, and also provide you with enough processing power and storage to create music without significant limitations. This guide is going to help you get the most bang for your buck, and truly understand what’s worth spending your money on when purchasing a computer geared towards music production.

Nov 16, 2018

Charles Hoffman

Best Black Friday 2018 Deals For Music Producers

There are many Black Friday deals for music producers this year. I've browsed through tons of different websites and hand-picked the best deals I could find on the internet. The deals range from heavily discounted products, to buy one get one free deals. The products on the list include software, as well as hardware.

Nov 11, 2018

Charles Hoffman

How to Network in the Music Industry

Networking in the music industry is quite simple, but I see people butcher this process time and time again. There are two ways you can go about networking. The first way is by building genuine friendships with people, and the second way is more business oriented and focuses on mutually beneficial business relationships.

Nov 8, 2018

Charles Hoffman

The Difference Between Transient Shapers and Compressors

The main difference between transient shapers and compressors is that transient shapers are threshold-independent, while compressors are threshold-dependent. This means that transient shapers are meant for input signals that are dynamic, such as the snare recording of a Jazz drummer.

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