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The dark side of using presets.

The use of presets should be done with caution. Very often I find myself using a preset on every plugin of the entire session just to see how it sounds. If I find that something sounds good, I would leave the preset on – and there is nothing wrong with doing that. I’m a firm believer that if something sounds good then you should be happy with it and move on… The issue starts when you convince yourself that something sounds good just because the same preset worked for a different recording. It is important to remember that although the presets were created by professionals, they were created for the way in which the instruments sound in the studios of those professionals. Let’s take drums for example, a drum kit will never sound the same in two different rooms. Even something as small as changing the sticks used in the performance can cause a huge change to the sound, so just because these presets were created by pro’s doesn’t mean that they are right for you. So what’s the correct way to use presets?

The bright side of using presets.

When we select a preset on a compressor for a kick drum, 9 out of 10 times on 9 out of 10 different compressors, the ratio, attack time, release time and even the threshold will be the same. And that’s because 9 out of 10 recordings of kick drums will sound good with those settings – but it’s not perfect. Presets should be used as a guideline or a starting point for you when you start working on your sound. Once a preset is selected, you should look at what each parameter is set to and adjust them accordingly. Just because someone else likes to cook eggs with their stove set to 6, doesn’t mean that you should do the same on your stove.

The best thing about presets is the fact that you can make your own. Often when I work with the same people twice, I would recall the setting I had for them on my EQ and Compressor and use that as a starting point.

Conclusion.

So is it okay to use presets? The short answer is: yes, it is okay. As long as you don’t convince yourself that something sounds good just because it should.

This is a question that many musicians (if not all) ask, usually at the start of their career.

In order to get the best and truest sound reproduction, you have to know how microphones work, the different types and where to use them (live or in studio).

First, you have to know the difference between large and small diaphragm microphones:

Large diaphragm mics are designed to pick up the lower frequencies like a male voice, bass guitar or kick drum. Small diaphragm mics are designed to pick up the higher frequencies like a female voice, the higher notes of a guitar or cymbals.

Now you can narrow your options by deciding which of these types to use.

Next, you have to decide on the polar pattern of the mic:

For vocals, a directional (cardioid or hyper-cardioid) mic works best, for bass look at omni-directional, for drums, it would be a mix of various types because of the different tones of the kick, snare, toms and cymbals and for guitar, directional cardioid mics.

Let us start with the vocals…

Everybody has a different voice when it comes to frequency, tone and feel, so there won’t be a mic out there that works the same on everyone’s voices. You can follow these guidelines though to find a mic that works for you:

• For a close-up sound, go for an omni pattern mic.
• If you want to give thin, or higher vocals some muscle, then use cardioid.
• For a big boosts in the lower frequencies hyper-cardioid and figure-8 should be used.
• For live performances, try to use a hyper-cardioid because it rejects sound in the back and to the sides.

Next up, we have the bass guitar…

As with the voice, bass guitars and bass amps will have different sounds, and here it is worth trying different mics at different angles and distances.

Let’s take a look at the characteristics and frequencies of the bass guitar first.

• Overall Range: 41 Hz to 5,200 Hz
• Fundamentals range: 41 Hz to 370 Hz (4 strings, 21 frets, standard tuning) or 30 Hz to 370 Hz (5 strings, 21 frets, standard tuning)
• Harmonics range: 60 Hz ~5,200 Hz

Now, of course, you will want to use a mic that will give you a true sound of the bass and amp, so use a mic that can (and will) reproduce the fundamental frequencies of the bass. Make sure that the mic can handle the sound pressure coming from the bass amp, so check the SPL rating and choose a mic with a high maximum SPL rating. Choose a mic with a directional cardioid polar pattern, this will help to boost the bass response and capture the lower frequencies of the bass.

Next we look at a drum set…

As mentioned earlier, here you will be using a variety of mics because of the different sound frequencies, tones and textures coming from the drums.

In order to recreate an accurate picture of the drums sonically, you will do well by experimenting with mics that best represent the way your drums sound acoustically.

• For the kick drum look at a dynamic mic like the Shure Beta 52A
• For the snare, a cardioid mic like the Shure SM57-LC works well
• Toms sound great with a cardioid dynamic mic like the Sennheiser 421
• And a small-diaphragm condenser mic workss with most cymbals

You can also look at microphone kits for your drum set, like the PG series or Audix’s DP line.

Lastly, we come to guitar mics…

There will be a difference in the mic choice, depending on whether you use an electric guitar or an acoustic. It is important to remember that mics don’t always give back exactly what is put in, meaning that the mic is coloured and would favour certain frequencies over others. Now it will help if you know which mics work best for acoustic or electric guitar.

For the electric guitar, the Shure SM57 works both in a live and studio setting. It is a dynamic microphone that has a lot more midrange than lows and highs. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because you can then combine it with another mic, like the Sennheiser 421, and with a little bit of mixing magic, get an amazing sound out. This is because the Sennheiser has a different frequency response and captures more bass and is a little brighter than the Shure.

When it comes to an acoustic guitar, you would want to capture more of the natural sound and tone of the guitar. This is why mics like those from Earthworks and DPA work better to capture acoustic guitars, mandolins, banjos, etc. Using an omni-directional mic is a good idea here, because not only will you get the direct (right in front of the mic) sound, but also the harmonics and other subtle tones and sounds that come not only from the sound hole of the acoustic, but from the strings and body themselves.

I hope that this gave you a little introduction to microphones and some advice on what to look, and listen for when choosing mics for your live show or studio. If at all possible, try to borrow or rent mics from friends and companies, and listen to each one carefully, learn how they work, what they reproduce and you will soon save time on your future projects and recordings!

Generally, when “doing stuff” your actions can fall into three different categories.

Stuff you should be doing, stuff you want to do, and stuff you do instead of either of the first of those two.

This is the realm of procrastination. The challenge of putting off doing things that we know are good for us, or that we need to do.

Whether it involves half an hour of procrastination by mindlessly scrolling through social media because you don’t want to get your day started, or longer-term procrastination such not getting that rattling noise in your car fixed until the car breaks down, or putting off making a large life decision like studying or quitting your job. I am certain that almost everybody has experienced the mysterious phenomenon of procrastination to some degree in their life. So, why do we experience it and how do we overcome it? I hope to outline these topics in this article, however it’s important to realise that the way you overcome procrastination might look completely different to the way someone else does. So, feel free to take what resonates for you here and then figure out what works for you.

For me, procrastination can be a tell-tale sign that I am experiencing one or more of the following; confusion during my decision making process, chasing perfection, fear of not being good enough, attaching to the outcomes of my decisions or fatigue. Unpacking each of these might help you better understand where you are at and how you can begin to manage each point.

Confusion:

This can be brought about by more than one aspect. You could be experiencing “decision paralysis” whereby you have so many options at hand, that the ability to focus in on one seems almost impossible. The fact that we have “the world at our fingertips” these days is an incredible feat, but it can also leave people very confused. When confused it becomes difficult to make focussed decisions. This often affects people who get the feeling that they “don’t know who they are” or what they want. With so many options at hand, it becomes important to prioritise what is important to us. Let me tell you a little story…

About two months ago I was studying full time and working three part time jobs. I was at my wits end and I was burning out. One night I had a dream and in the dream my house was burning down. Everyone was rushing out to safety and yet I was “paralysed” with indecision. I could see the flames coming nearer and nearer, yet I could not decide what to take with me. Should I take my favourite clothing? My electronics? Old diaries and keepsakes? Musical instruments? I was stuck and I knew that if I did not decide, I would be consumed by the flames.

Upon waking, I realised that in my life I was spread too thin and I had been putting off doing what was best for me, simply because I could not prioritise what was important to me. And then there was the fear of financial instability and letting people down, and, and, and… However, I knew then and there that I had to stop putting things off. I needed to prioritise what was important in my life and decide, despite the outcome. So, I quit two of the part time jobs because I knew they were not aligned with my current priority – my studies.

When you have a million things going on and too many options, you need to prioritise and then pick one or two things to address or get done. In my experience, simplifying things always leads to a better result. Just because I have the option to do everything, does not mean that I must. This can reflect in any area of my life, even in writing music. Sometimes one simple chord can create more emotion and effect than a cacophony of complex melodies. The bottom line is that focus and knowing how to prioritise is vital to overcoming the decision paralysis factor of procrastination.

Chasing Perfection:

Often, we sit in indecision or procrastination where we put off doing something we should be doing or that we wish we could do, because of fear of not getting it right or not being good enough. We tend to chase the “perfect” outcome and fear that if we don’t achieve standards we set for ourselves in our mind, we will ultimately become unhappy. A simple example – upon writing this article I am faced with two options.

1. To sit and wait until I think I have the best article prepared in my mind before I start putting in any action, because I want it to be professionally written, relatable and include all the facts etc.
2. I can just start. Allow what flows to flow and then to chip away at it little by little to see what comes of it, knowing that it will not be perfect, but that it will be done. I have to be at peace with the fact that if it really sucks, the only thing that will be affected is my ego for a little while. I know all too well that allowing my ego to make decisions for me is never going to get me anywhere.

So, I go for it. I sit down, block out about 3 hours of my day, and simply start writing until it’s done. The result will be what it is, and people will respond the way they respond, and at the end of the day it does not matter whether people like it or not. I do not need to be perfect to finish a task. Sometimes finishing an imperfect task is more of an achievement than half finishing a perfect one. Trying to chase perfectionism is an illusion. So, make the decision before you start, that there’s a chance you won’t get it right. If you can make peace with that, you are more likely to begin and of course, to complete the task at hand.

Chasing Happiness:

This ties in with the decision-making process and the factor of attaching yourself to outcomes. Although it may be easier said than done, it is important to understand that a decision or task may make you feel better and it may not. Holding onto trying to make the perfect decision can leave you in a space of procrastination.

For example, you may hate the job you are in. You get an offer for a new position and you sit there making a list of all the pros and cons and yet you put off doing what you know would be better for you because of “what if’s”.  What if this person is disappointed? What if I do not have enough money? What if I am not qualified enough?

What if…

Spending time in projection of the future can cause you to go loopy. The fact is that whatever decision you make is going to come with some sacrifice as well as some benefit (as far as you are aware) but in truth, you have no idea what the future holds. You could end up having the time of your life or you could end up in yet another corner of misery. If you adopt the mindset that literally anything can happen, and commit to making the most of whatever outcome occurs, then you ultimately will be able to find peace and happiness in your decision.

Sometimes a way out of procrastination is simply to decide to do something, and then to just do it, letting go of the “what if’s”.

Fatigue:

Sometimes we struggle to do things because we are just tired. Whether it is mentally, physically, or emotionally, exhaustion demotivates you. Ask yourself what kind of rest do you need? Do you need to step away from your laptop for an hour to get some brain rest? Do you need a holiday? Do you need to eat? Do you need to sleep? Nourishing your energy levels in this way can often reboot you into a place of motivation. In this case you have got to develop your ability to say no, which is a whole topic in itself!

So, there you have it. It may not be scientifically based, but it happens to be my view on what can possibly drive procrastination and what you can do to overcome it. For me, the driver of procrastination is almost always fatigue, self- doubt or confusion. These three things can be overcome through rest, self-empowerment, decision making and letting go.

So next time you find yourself procrastinating, ask yourself “Do I need to rest, believe in myself, prioritise or let go?” If you can do these things, you’re are more likely to be able to focus in with self-discipline to begin and even finish the tasks before you.

Two more important factors to take into consideration is the ability to ask for help when you get stuck, which requires humility and the process of generating healthy habits through disciplined practise, but these topics will be covered in articles to come. For now, focus on the four questions stated above as a starting point for overcoming your procrastination. What really helps me as well, is writing two lists down first thing in the morning. One is a list of all the things I need to get done, the other is a list of the top three things you know you can manageably get done in the day. Be at peace with crossing those three things off rather than trying to face the overwhelming task of all the projects at hand.  My advice for now – deciding to just do something, and then doing it and letting go of your expectations is often your best formula for overcoming procrastination. Remember that deciding to not do something, and then being at peace with that decision, is often as effective as well!

Keep an eye out for articles I will be writing in future to find out more about self- management, mental blocks, creativity and more!

Mastering the art of balance is one of the most fundamental aspects of experiencing lasting peace and joy daily. In this article, I will take you through a simple 6 step process that you can begin implementing today to move toward a place of better mental, physical, emotional, and possibly even spiritual health. This process, if practised consistently, may help you get to a place where you are able to make better present moment decisions for yourself and move away from harmful coping mechanisms.

Are you living the kind of lifestyle that requires you to perform high quality levels of work at the drop of a hat, work for long hours until early hours of the night or come up with creative solutions to problems on a daily basis? Do you experience lulls of creativity blocks, uncertainty about the where the next income check will come from, clients who don’t know what they want or aren’t willing to pay you what you’re worth, imposter syndrome and other mental challenges? Does it feel like you keep latching onto negative habits to cope, or do you simply just feel as if you’re constantly living in stress-mode?

With so much going on all at once, you might not even remember the last time you had a moment to catch your breath.

I have news for you – Firstly, you are not alone, secondly this kind of living is not normal and lastly, there is a way you can begin to manage it all.

We as human beings were designed to thrive, just like any other living creature in nature, we have optimal cycles and internal processes that, if regulated correctly, are designed to make sure we live happy and healthy lives. The only reason we are able to feel stress in the first place, is as a protective mechanism against real danger – for example if we are being chased by a predator, our adrenal glands would activate and cause us to be able to run faster, be stronger or whatever it is we needed in that moment to survive. BUT then, once the danger was gone, we would go back to our normal, fully functioning selves, possibly needing to rest to recharge our energy. Our adrenal response was not meant to be running consistently. In fact when we are constantly stressed, we use up a lot of our energy that would have been supporting an optimally functioning body, on a desperate attempt to “survive”.

Our bodies do not know the difference between “daily stressors” such as a prolonged lack of sleep, or real danger such as a lion chasing us. Also, the area of the brain that is responsible for reasoning is less likely to function properly when we are in a stressed state, which is often why people can feel or act “crazy” when really stressed out.  In a world that pushes us to perform and to simply keep pushing ourselves beyond our own limitations, how do we cope with the overwhelming nature of things?

If you don’t know where to begin, perhaps try to start implementing these six steps into your daily life.

The steps are:

1. Cultivating awareness.
2. Reflection.
3. Listening to your body.
4. Making a decision.
5. Letting Go.
6. Implementing Action.

• Cultivating Awareness:

You cannot expect to know how to respond to life’s challenges if you do not have the awareness as to what the problem is. Cultivating awareness doesn’t happen overnight. It is something that you learn over time through consistent intention and desire to create a better life for yourself. Awareness means the ability to recognise the reality of a situation or the ability to recognise one’s internal response to life before acting out on a thought or behaviour that is potentially counteractive to the situation.

Ways in which you can begin to cultivate internal awareness to know yourself better is to keep a journal. Notice how you are feeling throughout the day. What ticked you off? What made you smile? When did you feel inadequate, hurt, happy, annoyed, ignored, proud arrogant etc.? Become the observer of your responses – try to approach it without judgement. In this stage you simply want to notice it, just as much as you might notice a cloud passing by. Notice how you respond to things. Good and bad. For example, you might notice that you had a cigarette when you really didn’t want one. Keep it simple. Once you have generated a better all-round view of yourself and your responses, you can begin to move toward the next step which is Reflection. 

• Reflection:

In this stage there is only one vital ingredient you need to commit to if you want to get it right – Reflect on things WITHOUT judging yourself or others. Often when we reflect, we use it as a method to beat ourselves up for all the stuff we did wrong, or we shift blame onto others. In the reflection stage you can ask yourself – what have I been feeling?

 In this case, try to keep it practical and short. E.g. Awareness =Today I had a cigarette when I did not want one.Reflection= I really have not been sleeping well because I have been stressed about the project I need to finish, and I had an argument with my partner this morning before work. I feel tired, and I feel angry and a little hurt and so I felt as if a cigarette would make me feel better.

Awareness allows us to seewhatwe are doing. Reflection allows us to understand why we are doing it.

• Listen to your body:

The next step requires you to slow down, which might be tough for some. Realise that when you are stressed, the most important thing in the whole world is to bring yourself to a state of calm. Without doing that, nothing will seem to work properly. If you feel that you don’t have “the time” to slow down – here’s something you might not have heard before – you can slow down internallyeven if everything around you is chaotic. How? Because youget to choose how you respond internally to the things around you. This stage also takes practise, but it gets easier the more you do it. Ask yourself the question, what do I really need right now? Do you need rest? Water? Do you need a hug? Also ask yourself what does my body notwant right now. I.e. you may think you need that extra cup of coffee to stay awake, but perhaps a glass of water and a few stretches would do the trick to get your blood flowing and your brain alert again?

• Make a decision:

Once you have become aware of what you’re doing, you’ve contemplated some possible reasons for why it is you’re doing it and you’ve asked yourself what it is you really need in that moment, you then get to choose! Yes, you heard me right… every single thing you do in your life comes from a place of decision. And yes, while that decision may be driven by unconscious beliefs that may require you to begin digging a little deeper, it is still a decision. And you can decide todayto not listen to the thoughts that no longer serve your best life. Funnily enough, people often think that deciding means we will suddenly start “getting it right”, but that’s not the case. If you want to stop smoking, you first need to decide to stop smoking, and you’ve got to keep making that decision as long as you still want it as a part of your life. Often though, we do not actually believewe have the option to choose, but we do!

Once you realise how easy it is, you’ll never want to turn back!

• Letting Go:

This is often the hardest part which people often get very wrong. We want to make decisions based on what we think the outcome might be, but nothing is concrete (as we have clearly seen this year because of COVID-19 – anything can happen). When you decide, before acting on it, you need to let go of the attachment to the outcome. The truth is that you may not get it right first time, you may not succeed at the thing you are trying to do. It may blow up in your face! But it also might be amazing, you may be successful, you may find happiness beyond your wildest dreams! It is really a 50/50 chance, so why not believe in the positive 50%? And trust in the fact that if things do not go “as planned” that there is always something you can learn and grow from when you “fail”. You have also got to let go of what others may think of you. There is a saying is that you cannot save your face and your ass at the same time – you need to begin making decisions that are right for YOU and no one else. At the end of the day, if you are not ok, then nothing around you will be ok. So, let go of judgement, of comparison to others, of the outcome. If you’re struggling to let go, then simply thinking of the fact that you would liketo let go, and imagining what it would feel like if you were able to let go of the outcome, is the first step!

• Implementing Action:

This is the last step, but it is vital to the transformational process if you are wanting to implement change or to achieve goals in your life. The important thing is once you’ve made the decision that is best suited to your optimal functioning, and you have let go of the outcome of your action, you need to follow through with the action and stick to it as best you can. Many people fall short when it comes to follow through. For example – I go loopy when I do not sleep well, and I know that looking at screens late at night means I don’t get to sleep properly. So, I had to make the decision to switch off all screens at least 1 hour before I go to sleep. Sometimes it’s a challenge, but I find 100% of the time, when I follow through with this action, I am far more productive the following day. Following through on a decision is where the magic happens.

In Conclusion:

So, if you are finding yourself stuck in negative habits, behaviours or coping mechanisms the trick is to follow these six steps because they help you to look at what is going on internally – after all, you aren’t going to be able to develop and maintain healthy coping mechanisms if you aren’t able to create awareness of and navigate your internal self. It is an inside out job. Once you begin cultivating that internal stillness, you naturally will be able to start making better decisions and ultimately turning to healthier coping mechanisms.

If your band feels like they are disconnected from each other and the crowd during a live performance; KLANG Fabrik might be just what you need as it brings back a more natural and authentic feel to the stage.

 Stage monitoring technology has advanced tremendously over the last few years with many bands adopting the use of in-ear monitors (IEM) which reduces the overall stage volume and makes it easier to control feedback and poor house mixes as well as allowing a tailored monitor mix for each individual artist. While IEMs are being a big part of our standard tech riders and equipment they are not without drawbacks.

The most common complaint is that artists feel disconnected from each other, the audience and the space itself. It feels like the listening experience has been flattened out by removing the closeness and the excitement of the performers in a traditional setup of stage monitors. When you remove some of these characteristics from a performance it can really impact the performers confidence and ability to perform to their best capabilities.  Looking at it from an audio perspective the use of IEMs effectively takes away the immersive experience on stage and tunnel it into a simple stereo feed.

While we’ve become good at adding room mics and putting together a good IEM mix, we are still can’t get it quite right to provide a natural sounding result and this is where KLANG Fabrik in collaboration with Digico has come in offering a fully immersive in-ear monitoring solution. We’ve been fortunate to have attended some training done on the Klang Fabrik and the Digico SD12 in Cape Town and what an experience it was.

Imagine watching a movie in surround sound and being captivated by the experience; now this is exactly the same immersive experience with KLANG Fabrik. Being able to create a fully immersive experience bringing back the traditional characteristics through the Fabrik.

Klang applies a sophisticated DSP algorithm to all incoming audio signals to process to give them a spatial property which is more complex than just a right or left stereo mix. For an example if you are on stage with the drummer behind you along with the backline, the KLANG system is able to process the drummers signals to sound like he is directly behind you rather than just providing the typical left or right stereo sound of normal IEM mixes.

The control of the Klang unit is fairly easy to use through its freely downloadable KLANG app available for both mobile platform (IOS & Android) as well as Windows and MAC platforms. The app also has a demo mode that allows it to demonstrate the DSP capability directly on your platform of choice with a supplied track. Although the effect and control capabilities are not as robust as with the KLANG device it gives you a good idea of what to expect.

The Fabrik has a range of I/o options with all audio inputs being digital it offers a choice of Dante, AES67, Madi or ADAT. Mixes outputs can also be routed through the same formats. While the unit has 16 balanced analogue outputs it supports up to eight of the allowable 16 mixes. While system setup is fairly easy and straightforward to setup it is recommended reading through the documentation as it will cut down on frustration of minor changes needs to be done to get it working flawlessly.

The end result of using the FABRIK is that it offers a more authentic and real-life experience than that of the usual stereo field we have experienced in the past when it came to IEMs. The Klang system definitely brings back the connection with the audience and the stage presence that is lost in the traditional sense.

References: Klang Fabrik, Klang Fabrik Product Manuals

Hi, I’m Peter Claes, and welcome to my Masterclaes® Channel. This YouTube channel is designed to improve your knowledge about sound and help you make better mixes.

I specialise in sharing my knowledge gathered in the 30 years of experience in live sound and studio work.

Artists I have worked for are: Arsenal, Hooverponic, Axelle Red, The Simple Minds,The Human League, CPeX, Milk Inc Live, The Night of the Proms, Millionaire, The Sore Losers and many more. In the past 25 years I have shared my knowledge through my Masterclaes® program.

Video’s published on this channel are about mixing in the box, working with the band, microphones, Mixing desks, Rig Rundowns of my studio, Product reviews and much more !

On this channel I also make fun and entertaining mixing content based on crazy and sometimes “gimmicky” equipment. I like to cut through the marketing hype about products and I like to give you the honest truth about audio equipment.

If you enjoy the channel make sure you hit subscribe and also tap the notification bell so that you are always notified when I release a new video.

You can ask my wife, when it comes to choosing a movie I’ll always pick something I haven’t seen over an old movie I’ve seen before… I definitely love new things. But lately, and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve begun to realize that our society has an obsession with the NEW!

Now I may be preaching to choir a bit here since of all people I know, the more technical, and enthusiasts per-say, tend to have an appreciation for the value of classic things. Having said that, I still think it’s relevant to draw to our attention to a trap that we all may be falling into right now.

New isn’t always better

I’ve been a massive culprit of believing that I could do a much better job if I just had X piece of new gear or Y plugin. I have believed that what is really holding me back is the quality of my converters or the transient response of my monitoring, and If i could just get some new Genelecs and that Apogee that new SSL sound card then I’d be killing it!

Over the years I’ve personally done many comparisons of gear when trying to make a decision and let’s be honest here a lot of the improvements of newer/better gear are very subtle! Now don’t hear what I’m not saying… I’m not saying that great and very expensive gear isn’t amazing… not at all. I’m not saying that the small differences that you can or can’t even hear when you upgrade each part of a chain don’t add up to a much much greater end result, BUT. What I’m trying to get at is that we have to stop listening to the marketing teams that want us to believe that we NEED this revolutionary new plugin and just get on with the work.

Old isn’t necessarily stale

When I say this to people who appreciate vintage gear it may seem pointless but here is the thing. It’s easy to believe that a hand built Fairchild 670 with 20 tubes, 11 transformers and 2 inductors is going to sound absolutely fantastic! But, It’s a lot harder to trust that we can make great music or soundtracks without one. You see what I know, is that somewhere in me there seems to be this voice that is always telling me that ‘I need this new plugin that is at 40% off today’ that my snare would finally not sound !@#$ if I just had that new Steven Slate thingymabob! Don’t get me wrong, I’m gonna buy some new stuff on Black Friday, Cyber Monday or that other big sale, however. The beauty of old stuff… or just the stuff that we have is that it limits us, it forces us to make a decision and move on to what we can control.

In Conclusion

So here is the summary! Don’t despise the day of small beginnings. Don’t doubt your gear, just do the best you can with what you have right now. Upgrade when you can, get that noise reduction plugin or whatever you actually ‘need’ to allow you to do work that you couldn’t before, but don’t believe the hype, just make great sound now!

Here are my 5 points to which I believe you need to brand your studios and business to remain in business. We work in an industry where people want to see what you are as well and hear who you are,  have a look and I hope you gain some value in this article.

1. Your Branding has to be on point:

2. You Need to have the best  equipment for the business:

3. Systemize all your processes within your business:

4. Market your bedroom studios

5. Attend networking events and talk more about your studio: