Profile avatar
production-expert.com
The leading website for audio professionals. As the digital landscape changes, Production Expert stands out as one of the last dedicated resources for audio professionals in music and post-production. ✅ News ✅ Tips ✅ Reviews ✅ Opinion
343 posts 1,643 followers 63 following
Prolific Poster

We all like to think that the tools we’ve invested in are the best out there. But it’s still impossible to declare an overall “best” de-noise plug-in. Why? Because different noise reduction tools excel in different areas, and the "best" choice depends entirely on the task at hand. Paul Maunder…

Russ Hughes talks about one of the best music computers ever to grace the studio… and it wasn’t a Mac or PC!

Zynaptiq has introduced BALANCE, a new balancing equaliser plug-in designed to streamline global EQ curve shaping. We have the details…

There is a troubling trend in the audio industry: the relentless pursuit of profit over quality, driven by tech investors who don’t understanding this industry, sometimes called "enshittification"—the gradual degradation of products and services as companies prioritise growth, valuation, and…

We decide to mix an entire track with some of the best free audio plugins around for your favourite DAW. Check out how we got on.

Toby Griffin, a community member working as a freelance sound designer, engineer and mixer, recently asked about the pros and cons of charging clients to store their projects and data on your systems. Mike had a view on this but decided to ask our team for their thoughts. If you are considering…

We spend a lot of time thinking about the technical aspects of creating a great recording studio. But what if the reason you don’t get clients has nothing to do with the gear? We give 5 reasons why people may not be using your studio, or if you are a freelancer, your services.

FabFilter’s latest Pro-Q release saw a number of innovations, with its Spectral Dynamics mode a significant new feature. With the promise of even more options for artistic or technical enhancement, here we take a closer look at what Spectral Dynamics can do.

The established techniques for capturing stereo have been serving engineers well for decades, but they are not set in stone. We ask when and how they can be changed to work for you.

In this week's Free Plug-in, we are featuring Air | Music Edition, the perfect plugin to quickly and realistically simulate the distance and depth of musical elements in any mix. Air will help you achieve natural-sounding performance results in the studio and sound like the real deal in seconds.

We have discussed a good number of myths that have come about in our industry over the years and in case you have missed them, we have brought them together in one article. Some are recent, some are older but all of them still sound familiar to us.

Russ Hughes explains that there’s one challenge for professional audio freelancers that often gets overlooked, but can have devastating consequences.

Using a new DAW is about finding the things you already know how to do in your DAW of choice. James Richmond doesn’t profess to be a Pro Tools wizard but after more than 15 years of using it he’s picked up a few things and here is an overview for anyone who is familiar with Logic but wants to…

We probably all know that lack of recall is the biggest reason people who could afford to, and would like to mix with hardware outboard, usually don’t. But might the proliferation of mix-friendly recallable hardware facilitate a return to analogue gear? Check out our round up of some of the…

It’s all too easy to allow the visual nature of plugins to determine how we mix. With some exceptions your ears are always the best sense to rely on.

Known the world over for their transformative vocal fixes, Antares also offer a number of other intelligent helpers for the engineer’s toolkit. Here we check out Auto-Tune Vocal Compressor to see what sets it apart from the rest.

When there isn’t a budget to hire out help, where do you start? Composer Walter Everton walks through his experience working on low budget Indie post-production projects. At the start of his career, he didn’t have the fortune of finding the projects with really any budgets. In this article…

Softube has announced an update to its Flow Mastering Suite, introducing version 2.0 with features aimed at giving users more control over their mastering workflow. We have the details…

Known for their well-regarded virtual mojo and more, Swedish warmth specialists Softube recently announced their latest creation: Drawmer 1976. Setting out to evoke the stereo saturation and width effects of its hardware contemporary, here the Experts dial-up the juice to give their verdict.

Do you think the significant difference between plugin equalisers is whether or not they imitate an analogue EQ? This is broadly true but there is an issue which affects some digital filters. The issue of EQ “cramping”.

In this article, Paul Maunder explores five techniques to boost your dialogue editing skills, whether you’re working on an indie film, a TV series, or a commercial project.

We all have strong opinions about which mics sound best on particular sources, but in many cases there are more sounds happening around a mic other than the one you are trying to capture. Do you ever consider how the off axis response of mics colours the sound of these off axis sources?

Problems will always crop up but sometimes engineers can get all the fixes they need using nothing more than skill aided by some easily-accessed helpers. Here we highlight how to take on some common editing and mix fixes easily and for less money.

Every decade has defining moments in music production. It’s fair to say that the 80s laid the foundation of many of the technologies we use today. Here are 5 technologies that defined the sound of the 80s, read on to see our choices.

Drum virtual instruments have revolutionised drum sounds, with everyone’s attention often drawn to their expensive sounds and microscopic control. Here we talk about the less talked about thing that really gets to the heart of what makes them great for pumping-up real recordings.

In this article Julian Suggest 8 of the best software aids for those who whether by choice or necessity, mix stereo content on headphones. From repurposed virtualised immersive monitoring products through to simple crossfeed plugins, there’s something here for all users.

Following on from the release of their brand new vocal time and pitch alignment tool, Waves’ time saving super-stacker has been turning a few eyes and ears in the world of vocal production. Here we put Sync Vx to the Experts to get their verdict.

Source Elements has announced an upcoming major update to its Source-Nexus Suite – the company’s professional software solutions for audio routing, video conferencing, and remote sessions, and will be previewing the new features in a webinar on 18th February. 

Digital Clipping is a Bad Thing, right? Well in that case why do plugins specifically designed to clip audio exist and why are they popular? Why Clip?

Until February 28, creators can get the new UA 1176 Classic FET Compressor Plug-In for free, no UA hardware required.

Unwanted reverb in dialogue recordings is an all too common problem. Utilising some real-world examples, Paul Maunder demonstrates how he uses Acon Digital DeVerberate 3 to rescue recordings which would, in some cases, be otherwise unsalvageable.

Although plugins do the job brilliantly, a hardware bus compressor might be a way to introduce consistency and personality into your mixing. And there are a lot to choose from beyond the big names.

With so many great records out there made before advanced audio fixers were available, some might ask whether tricks such as phase alignment make an appreciable difference to multi-mic recordings. Here we roll a bunch of mics into shape to hear what difference, if any, there is to be gained.

In this article, Paul Maunder identifies what Post Production professionals require from an audio interface and explores nine units that tick most, if not all, of the boxes.

BOOM Library has announced a significant update to its BOOM ONE collection, adding over 18GB of diverse sound effects from rolling and spinning objects to immersive ambiences from Sri Lanka and more!

Softube have announced the release of their Drawmer 1976, the latest in their line of virtual incarnations modelled on black and yellow Brit outboard units. Promising “character, colour and life” for digital mixes, here we have details on the latest flavour of Swedish warmth…

Playfair Audio has announced the release of Dynamic Grading 2.0, an update to its unique dynamics processing tool which delivers a redesigned interface, new features, and expanded capabilities. We have the details…

While compressors are a staple in almost every mix, they’re not without their limitations. Playfair Audio’s Dynamic Grading 2 aims to go beyond the traditional compressor—so we put it to the test with the Experts.

Grammy nominated mixer Nathaniel Reichman shares his guide to calibrating a Dolby Atmos monitoring systems in the time domain using the standard features of Pro Tools.

Everyone loves real gear, but is having it in your mixes actually worth it? If you’re hoping that all that lovely Insta-friendly gear really can make your mixes better, here we talk about the things to make your hardware life a little easier.

Plugin subscription plans can seem like a dream, you get a ton of stuff for one small monthly payment. However, that dream can turn into a nightmare - here’s how to avoid it.

Thinking about a new studio computer in 2025? In this article, we outline everything we know about Apple’s plans for new Mac computer releases during 2025.

Over the years we’ve been compiling some of the best recording studio hacks from all over the world, some are ingenious, others fun. One thing is certain, these studio hacks around are well worth checking out.

In this week's Free Plug-in, we are featuring T-De-Esser 2 from Techivation, a free updated version of Techivations original De-esser which gave premium De-essers a run for their money. T-De-Esser has been designed with simplicity in mind. It is fast to set up and easy to use and sounds great.

In this article, Julian considers what is important and useful about software channel strips and gives some examples of plugins that do it well.

Russ talks about the roller coaster world of self employment and what we can do when facing periods of uncertainty.

In this article Julian demonstrates how most EQs alter more than just how loud different frequencies are in a signal, they also affect when different frequencies occur because of phase shift. The effect often isn’t significant but when it is it can often be avoided. Find out more here.

Audiomovers has introduced Windows support to its audio routing software OMNIBUS 3.0 as well as announcing the new supporting MINIBUS plugin. We have the details…

Audiomovers, the developer behind pro audio software tools such as LISTENTO and Omnibus 3, has announced the first episode in a new podcast series which celebrates the ‘hidden heroes of music creation’.

Techivation has announced the release of M-De-Esser 2, the latest evolution of their M series plug-ins. Here are the details.