UVI Thorus XT is more than a standard chorus plugin. It combines a clean digital engine with a modeled bucket brigade analog engine, plus continuous voices, input filtering, modulation controls, and detailed analog behavior. In this review, we look at how a working mix engineer can use it on synths,
Sonible’s Smart:Chain is an AI-assisted channel strip built to make mixing faster without trying to replace the musician. It combines leveling, EQ, compression, de-harshing, saturation, clipping, and group control in one place. The result is less menu diving, more creative control, and a much better use
For R&B, pop, and hip-hop artists, a blank DAW session can feel like a lot. This beginner-friendly walkthrough shows how to set up a session, record vocals, edit takes, build a simple mix, add effects, and export a finished song. The goal is simple: start with
Analog gear is still fun, but it can make modern studio work harder than it needs to be. This review looks at Karno’s SEPIA system, a digitally controlled host for analog modules. It keeps the sound and signal path of hardware while adding software recall, flexible routing, and easier
For R&B, pop, and hip-hop producers, vocal production usually means recording, editing, comping, and sometimes starting over. Synthesizer V Studio 2 Pro takes a different route. You can turn a real vocal into MIDI, swap the singer, rewrite the lyrics, and shape the delivery note by note.
Sable Hill Lacuna is a plugin built for engineers who want some of the movement and character of analog hardware without giving up digital control. In this walkthrough, David Gnozzi breaks down its current modeling, multiband saturation, stereo behavior, filters, and practical uses on full mixes, drums, bass, guitars, and
Ten years ago, Wietse uploaded the first video to his audio channel with an old iPhone, basic editing, and no idea where it would lead. A decade later, the channel is nearing 200,000 subscribers, alongside a mixing and mastering business, major studio experiences, and a lot of hard-earned
NAMM 2019 offered a close look at Tree Audio’s new tube-based studio gear. Ian from Tree Audio walks through the company’s all-tube console, monitor controllers, and new 500 Series modules, explaining how they can fit into a real working studio. The focus is simple: useful tone,
David Gnozzi puts the Drawmer FC1 FET compressor and Drawmer OC1 opto compressor through a real mix-style test on kick, snare, vocals, acoustic guitar, and bass. Instead of judging them by features alone, he listens for how each one handles transients, tone, movement, and long musical performances. Key takeaways
A working mix engineer puts ten high-end analog compressors through the same acoustic and electronic drum loops to hear what each one really brings to a drum bus. The settings are not matched perfectly, but they are chosen to show the character of each unit. The useful part is
For R&B, pop, and hip-hop vocals, a strong chain can make the difference between a part that sits inside the track and one that leads it. This workflow uses Reason Rack as one plugin inside Pro Tools, combining tone shaping, control, saturation, and effects without turning the
Mixing on headphones sounds simple: put them on and start moving faders. But headphones remove the room from the equation, and that room is part of how our ears judge space, width, and balance. This guide explains why speakers and headphones both have problems, how room simulation can help, and