UA Blog

No one will argue that digital technology has done much to empower musicians to take control over their recordings. Today’s artists are far less dependent on high-priced recording professionals, with many great-sounding projects having never even seen the inside of a recording studio.

Hans Zimmer is one of the most prolific and compelling film composers in Hollywood. With more than 100 films and eight Academy Awards to his name, a short list of Zimmer's scores include the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Gladiator, The Lion King, The Da Vinci Code, Sherlock Holmes, The Last Samurai, Kung Fu Panda and The Dark Knight.

In the never-ending quest for the perfect mix, EQ is one of the oldest tools we have, and still one of the most powerful. Used in moderation, EQ can add clarity and definition to a crowded soundscape. Used with precision, it can remove offending sounds we wish we hadn’t captured. As a strategic tool, a bit of EQ can make all the difference needed to separate dueling guitars, scoop the mud from your drums or make a vocal shine.

The creative use of ambience is a vital color in the audio engineer's palette. Learn how capturing ambience was pioneered, and how it evolved into a creative sonic tool with forward-thinking engineers and hardware innovations.

Prior to his untimely death in 2013, Grammy-winning engineer Mike Shipley was one of the industry’s top mixers, with a hit-making career spanning over 30 years. Here, learn how Shipley used UA hardware and UAD plug-ins to sculpt hits for Allison Krauss, Maroon 5, and more.

The mastering engineer is the last step of the artistic phase, and the first step of the manufacturing phase. It’s the final opportunity to listen, polish, and make a change in the sonic presentation. It is also the first step of the manufacturing phase, because it prepares the master in the way that best suits the needs of the manufacturer. The goal is to listen to the broad picture; the actual content is immaterial. The mastering engineer is paying attention to EQ presentation, to level presentation, to dynamics presentation.

Learn the basics of audio compression, different types of hardware and plug-in compressors, and techniques for using compression on your recordings.

Of all the components that make up your studio environment, the two most important for producing high-quality mixes have to be, 1) your ears and 2) your near-field monitors. More specifically, the proper placement of these key components within your room will make all the difference in achieving accurate mixes that will sound good on the widest range of systems.