We’ve all heard that annoying hard “s” sound that happens when a vocal track is recorded with a less-than-optimal microphone choice. That high-pitched irritation is called sibilance and it can be found on all kinds of vocal tracks, whether your recorded voice is singing, or speaking words for a podcast or a book on tape. This challenge is very prominent in the recording world, and for anyone recording an individual with a natural accentuation or particular penchant for emphasizing words that contain the letter “s,” a de-esser can be a welcomed friend of the ears.

Also known as a frequency-dependent compressor, a de-esser is made specifically to only compresses certain frequencies that we want it to reduce in volume, and does not compress the rest of the track’s frequencies. For vocal tracks, this usually occurs in the frequency range between 6-8 kHz. When the de-esser compresses the particularly offending frequency, it leaves the rest of the frequencies in the signal alone, which maintains the natural sound of the original performance.

Knowing how to dial-in the settings on a de-esser is paramount to achieving an improved sound without affecting your vocals in a negative way. In contrast, it is also important to know that pushing the parameters of a de-esser too far can actually result in the creation of even worse sounding “s” frequencies, to the point of giving the vocalist a lisp. While admittedly this can be a great practical joke, it’s likely not an effect you’d like to present to the world on a serious recording.

Besides vocal tracks, other material with high-frequency content can also benefit from the use of a de-esser. For instance, hihats and crash cymbals can produce sibilant frequencies. Using a de-esser to control those frequencies can help to balance the drum mix and make the overall mix sound more appealing.

In his tutorial from chapter five of the Pro Tools Mixing and Mastering course, author Brian Lee White explains in more detail the functionality of a de-esser and demonstrates how it can be used to tweak both vocal and cymbal tracks.

For more training on Pro Tools, check out Pro Tools 10 Essential Training, Audio Mixing Bootcamp, and our Foundations of Audio courses that include our innovative Get In The Mix Pro Tools session files.

Interested in more?
• All audio courses on lynda.com
• All Pro Tools courses on lynda.com
• Foundations of Audio courses from Alex U. Case and Brian Lee White

Suggested courses to watch next:
• Pro Tools 10 Essential Training
• Music Editing for TV and Film in Pro Tools
• Pro Tools Mixing and Mastering
• Foundations of Audio: Compression and Dynamic Processing

Tags: David Franz, Pro Tools 10

Well-timed long delays (echoes) are an excellent way to fill in part of a song’s rhythm track. Examples of echo effects can be heard in current electronic music, classic rock, reggae, and many other genres. Where would U2 be without the sound of The Edge’s delay pedals? Where would Steel Pulse be without their delayed snare hits?

The reason echo effects work so well is their ability to stay in-time (locked to the tempo of the song) and their ability to create interesting rhythms that add dimension to the overall sound of a song.

When creating delay effects with long echoes, you can define specifically when echoes are heard in rhythm with the entire song. For instance, you can set echoes to repeat every quarter note or every eighth note. Or, you can get more complicated and create a unique rhythmic pattern by placing the echoes on multiple subdivisions within the groove of the song.

You can also pan echoes to different positions in the stereo field to create a wider stereo image, or adjust the volume level of the echoes to add depth to your mix.

In the video below, lynda.com author Alex U. Case explains how to construct a groove-based echo effect by setting the rhythmic timing of an echo, adjusting the panning of your echoes, and balancing echo levels for the best outcome in a mix.

If you’re looking for more information about the fundamentals of delay and modulation effects and how to apply these effects, technically and creatively, to improve the sound of a mix, check out Alex’s full Foundations of Audio: Delay and Modulation course on lynda.com. As with all the Foundations of Audio courses, Foundations of Audio: Delay and Modulation includes Get In The Mix (GITM) interactive exercise files that open directly within your own DAW, allowing you to follow along with the course author in real-time as he explains the concepts and techniques. These files are free to all members (no Premium membership required) and they currently are available for the Pro Tools and Logic Pro Digital Audio Workstations.

Interested in more?
• All audio courses on lynda.com
• All Pro Tools courses on lynda.com
• All Foundations of Audio courses from Alex U. Case

Suggested courses to watch next:
• Pro Tools 10 Essential Training
• Audio Mixing Bootcamp
• Foundations of Audio: Delay and Modulation

Tags: Foundations of Audio, GITM, Logic Pro, Pro Tools

Noisy audio tracks are one of the most common problems encountered when producing video. Voiceover tracks, dialog tracks, background noise for a scene, and any other type of audio source may include unwanted hum, rumbles, or buzzes. Having high-quality audio is a major factor in producing excellent video content. So, what do you do if the audio for your video project is subpar and includes a lot of noise? Here are some tips on how to reduce the noise on your audio tracks.

First, it’s important to know that these unwanted noises are actually made up of harmonic tones, and to start reducing these noises, knowing what to listen for can help.

60-cycle hum is one of the most common noise problems, and it’s caused by electrical lines in countries like the United States that use power based on a 60-hertz cycle. The technique for getting rid of this noise starts with drastically reducing (or notching out) the 60-hertz content using an equalizer (EQ). But it doesn’t stop there. Because these noises are actually harmonic in nature, there are nodes along the frequency spectrum where the offending hum repeats itself, so you also need to eliminate the upper harmonics of the noise. The upper harmonics are multiples of the main 60-hertz frequency, so you should notch out 120 hertz, 240 hertz, and if needed, 480 hertz as well (60 x 2= 120; 120 x 2= 240; 240 x 2= 480; and another level up would be 480 x 2=960).

If your hum is not a 60-cycle hum, it may be harder to identify immediately the placement of your offending sound’s center nodes. To find visually where your offending frequencies are,  Audio for Film and Video with Pro Tools author Scott Hirsch recommends exporting your audio file and using a separate application called Izotope RX.

In the video below, watch how Scott takes care of his problematic hums and buzzes by utilizing a standard issue EQ plug-in in Pro Tools, as well as the Izotope RX application.

For more training on Pro Tools, check out Pro Tools 10 Essential Training. If you’re interested in learning more about audio in general, I recommend checking out our Foundations of Audio courses that include our innovative Get In The Mix Pro Tools session files (no Premium membership required!).

Interested in more?
• All audio courses on lynda.com
• All Pro Tools courses on lynda.com
• All Foundations of Audio courses from Brian Lee White and Alex Case

Suggested courses to watch next:
• Audio for Film and Video with Pro Tools
• Pro Tools 10 Essential Training
• Audio Mixing Bootcamp
• Foundations of Audio: Delay and Modulation.

Tags: Pro Tools

When you add plug-in effects to your tracks in Pro Tools (EQ, compression, reverb, etc.), your computer needs a little bit of time to process the tracks through the plug-ins. This processing is also not instantaneous. In relation to the other tracks in the Pro Tools session, the track literally plays back a little later than when it was originally recorded. That means, the tracks are no longer time-aligned.

To solve this issue, you can utilize Pro Tools’ Automatic Delay Compensation (ADC). ADC figures out what track has the most delay caused by plug-in processing (including the small amount of delay caused by using busses in your signal routing), then automatically delays every other track to match up with the longest delayed track.

For instance, if your largest amount of plug-in delay equals 1000 milliseconds of delay, then a different track having only 10 milliseconds of delay will actually be delayed an extra 990 milliseconds to align with the other track, so they both are delayed by 1000 milliseconds.

There are several settings for ADC in Pro Tools. Watch this video from the Pro Tools 10 Essential Training course to hear more about the differences between the offered ADC settings.

During a mixing session is usually the time when you’ll need the largest amount of ADC. You’ll likely have plenty of plug-ins that will be causing various amounts of delay on different tracks. Watch the following video to see how to implement Automatic Delay Compensation best in a mixing session.

For more training on Pro Tools, check out Pro Tools 10 Essential Training. If you’re interested in learning more about audio in general, I recommend checking out our Foundations of Audio courses that include our innovative Get In The Mix Pro Tools session files (no Premium membership required!).

Interested in more?
• All audio courses on lynda.com
• All Pro Tools courses on lynda.com
• All Foundations of Audio courses from Brian Lee White and Alex Case

Suggested courses to watch next:
• Pro Tools 10 Essential Training
• Audio Mixing Bootcamp
• Foundations of Audio: Delay and Modulation

Tags: Pro Tools

Adding notes to a musical score is the basis of scoring your music, but what if you want to add lyrics to your score as well? Whether you’re creating a full score that includes every instrument in your musical masterpiece, or a simplified lead sheet that only shows the lead melody, lyrics, and chord changes, Sibelius 7 makes it easy to add the lyrics.

Usually, when added to sheet music, lyrics are aligned centrally under their respective melody notes. If you prefer, sometimes you can also adjust the font, font size, word placement, and many other elements of the lyrics to create what you consider to be the best presentation of your work.

Watch here as author Jenny Amaya adds and formats lyrics on a score. Navigating the Sibelius 7 ribbon and menu items, she shows you how to lay out multi-syllabic words and words that extend across several notes, and she demonstrates options that will help you make your score look pretty:

For more training in Sibelius, check out Jenny’s courses Sibelius 7 Essential Training and Sibelius 6 Essential Training.

Interested in more?
• All audio courses on lynda.com
• All Sibelius courses on lynda.com
• All courses from Jenny Amaya on lynda.com

Suggested courses to watch next:
• Film Scoring with Pro Tools
• Mark Mothersbaugh, Music Composer
• Audio for Film and Video with Pro Tools 9
• Finale 2012 Essential Training
• Pro Tools 10 Essential Training

Tags: Sibelius

Audio fans, take note! lynda.com is giving away a free copy of Avid Pro Tools 10 software—and offering a free Pro Tools course to everyone.

Enter the giveaway and join our mailing list by filling out the form below. The giveaway ends Saturday March 31, 2012, and a winner will be selected at random and notified by email on Thursday April 05, 2012. (See the Official Rules for more information about the sweepstakes, and our Privacy Policy for more information about our mailing list.)

[The Pro Tools 10 contest ended at 11:59:59 PM PT March 31, 2012. Thank you for entering! Prize winner will be posted on blog.lynda.com on Monday April 09, 2012. Good luck!]

Meanwhile, watch our free course Pro Tools 10 New Features to see what the latest version can do—including enhancements in importing, exporting, mixing, and more.

* Upon entering the Pro Tools 10 sweepstakes you will receive a confirmation email message from news@lynda.com. To ensure delivery, please add news@lynda.com to your address book. Must be 18 or older to enter the sweepstakes. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. No purchase required to enter or win. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning a prize. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

By entering this sweepstakes you agree to have read the complete
Official Rules for the lynda.com Pro Tools 10 sweepstakes.

Interested in more?
• All Pro Tools courses on lynda.com
• All audio courses on lynda.com

Suggested Courses to watch next:
• Pro Tools 10 New Features
• Pro Tools 9 Essential Training
• Mixing and Mastering with Pro Tools
• Music Editing for TV and Film in Pro Tools
• Audio Mixing Bootcamp

Tags: Pro Tools

As part of our focus on audio training expansion, the lynda.com audio segment is pleased to announce the release of a new type of interactive exercise file that brings the author directly inside your Digital Audio Workstation.

In all of our new Foundations of Audio courses, we are now including Get In The Mix interactive exercise files (affectionately called GITMs) that are available to all lynda.com members. GITMs are native, high-fidelity project files purpose-built for your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). The author uses instructional video and audio tracks to walk you through the session or project, referencing listening examples in the DAW timeline. The author shows you how to effectively use digital signal processing plugins such as compressors, EQs, and delays, by leveraging the DAW’s built-in mix automation capabilities. The result is that you can watch as the authors turn the knobs and tweak the settings of plugins in your DAW in real time. Simply download the relevant GITM .ZIP file from the lynda.com website (located in the exercise files tab on the course’s page), open up the 24-bit session file in your DAW, and press play to follow along with the instructor as they demonstrate how to master a variety of audio production techniques.

GITM files are currently available for Pro Tools and Logic Pro users, and we are looking into rolling out GITM files for additional DAWs in the near future. The GITM sessions are free to any lynda.com member and include, in addition to the author-led training, musical material at the end of each session/project file in the form of practice tracks that you can experiment with on your own.

In addition to the Get in the Mix sessions that all members have access to (about 6-10 GITMs per course), Premium members of the lynda.com Online Training Library^® also have access to all of the raw audio example files (WAVs) that are used throughout the GITM-equipped course. These raw audio files include listening examples and real-world audio demonstrations that illustrate production concepts, and can be imported and played within any DAW.

For those who don’t want to use the Get In The Mix files within a DAW, just watch the Foundations of Audio course movies within the lynda.com course player like normal. The course movies designated “Get in the Mix” will automatically play the author’s tutorial demonstration, and you can still stop, start, and rewind as necessary (What’s the difference in a nut shell? GITM exercise files are interactive and play in your DAW; watching the course movies designated “Get in the Mix” in the standard lynda.com player just gives you the instruction—no DAW needed.)

Here’s an example of a Get in the Mix movie from chapter four of the Foundations of Audio: Compression and Dynamic Processing GITM-equipped course:

Now—dig in, try them out, and let us know what you think of the new GITM files!

Interested in more?
• All audio courses on lynda.com
• All courses from Brian Lee White on lynda.com
• All Logic Pro courses on lynda.com
• All Pro Tools courses on lynda.com

Suggested courses to watch next:
• Foundations of Audio: EQ and Filters
• Foundations of Audio: Delay and Modulation
• Foundations of Audio: Compression and Dynamic Processing

Tags: Get in the Mix, Logic Pro, Pro Tools

NOTE: As of April 5, 2012, a winner has been selected and notified. Thank you to all who participated!

Official Rules for the lynda.com Pro Tools 10 Sweepstakes

No Purchase Required to Enter or Win. A Purchase will not increase your chances of winning a prize. Void Where Prohibited or Restricted By Law.

1. Eligibility:  The lynda.com Pro Tools 10 Sweepstakes (the “Promotion”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including the District of Columbia) who are at least eighteen (18) years of age or have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence.  Employees of lynda.com, Inc., its related or subsidiary companies and companies associated with the promotion of the Promotion, as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of each employee of the foregoing companies are not eligible.  Participation in the Promotion constitutes your full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.
2. Sponsor:  The Promotion is sponsored by lynda.com, 6410 Via Real, Carpinteria, California 93013 (the “Sponsor”).
3. Entry Period:  The Promotion begins at  03:00:00 PM PT on February 29, 2012 and ends at 11:59:59 PM PT March 31, 2012 (the “Entry Period”).  Entries that are submitted before or after the Entry Period will be disqualified.
4. How to Enter: Entrants will complete all information requested at http://blog.lynda.com/2012/02/29/win-pro-tools-and-learn-it-for-free. Additionally, you can also enter by sending a 3 x 5 card with your name/address, email, and contact information to lynda.com Pro Tools 10 Sweepstakes, at lynda.com, Inc., 6410 Via Real, Carpinteria, CA  93103 by the close of the Entry period.  By entering the lynda.com Pro Tools 10 Sweepstakes you agree that you will be joining the lynda.com mailing list and that we may contact you in the future.  All Entries become the property of lynda.com upon submissions and entrants assign all right, title and interest and to each entry upon submission.
5. Sponsor’s Rights to Entries; Assignment of Rights; Release and Waiver of Claims:  By participating, Entrant assigns all right, title and interest in and to the Entry to Sponsor without further compensation.  Entrant’s assignment hereunder constitutes his/her express acknowledgement that Sponsor, its agents, licensees and assigns have the unconditional  right and permission to reproduce, display, publish, publicly perform, adapt, modify, create derivative works from, exhibit and otherwise use the Entry as-is or as-edited for any purpose in any media throughout the world for any purpose, without limitation, and without additional review, compensation, or approval from Entrant or any other party, in perpetuity.  Entrant further waives any right of or claim to copyright, trademark rights, privacy rights, publicity rights, rights to use of name, image or likeness, and any other legal or moral rights, relating to, arising out of, or embodied in the Entry.  Entrant expressly agrees not to instigate, support, maintain, or authorize any action, claim, or lawsuit against the Sponsor on the grounds that any use of the Entry, or any derivative work based upon or incorporating the Entry, infringes any of your rights as creator of the Entry, including, without limitation, copyrights, trademark rights, privacy, publicity and moral rights.
6. Winner Selection: Winner will be selected at random (using random.org) on April 05, 2012.
7. Prize: One copy of Pro Tools 10 professional audio recording and music creation software, approximate value $600. No substitution, transfer or assignment of prizes will be allowed.  As applicable, non-cash prizes are not transferable for cash, and Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value in the event a prize is not available at the time of award, and the Promotion calls for a non-cash prize.
8. Winner Notification. Once a winner or, as applicable, winners are identified from among eligible Entries, Sponsor will notify said winner(s) using the e-mail address provided by Entrant at the time of entry.  Winner must acknowledge and respond to said email notice within 10 days of Sponsor’s sending of said e-mail.  In the absence of a timely response, Sponsor reserves the right to award a prize to the next runner up in the Promotion.  No other notice will be provided.
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10. Additional Requirements of Prize Winners and Some Entrants:  Except where prohibited, winners and some Entrants will be required to expressly consent to the use of their name(s), image(s) and likeness(es) identifying them as winners of this promotion before receiving a prize.  In addition, except where prohibited, Sponsor may require Entrants and every Prize winner to sign and return an affidavit of eligibility, and a liability/publicity release (“Affidavit and Release”).  The Affidavit and Release will confirm Entrant’s: (i) age, residence and eligibility to win a prize pursuant to and in conformance with these Official Rules; (ii) irrevocable assignment and transfer to the Sponsor of all of Entrant’s right, title and interest in and to the Entry, including, without limitation, all copyrights and trademark rights; (iii) waiver of all claims and moral rights in, relating to and arising out of this promotion, Entrant’s Entry, including, without limitation and to the extent permitted by law, a release and waiver of claims relating to use of Entrant’s name(s), image(s), photograph(s), and voice(s) in any media throughout the world for any purpose, without limitation, and without additional review, compensation, or approval from Entrant or any other party, in perpetuity. As applicable, such an Affidavit and Release will be required for each contributor to or any third party appearing in any Entry that wins or is selected for a possible prize.  All documents requested by Sponsor, including said Affidavit and Release must be signed, notarized, and returned to the Sponsor within 14 days of receiving notice that said Affidavit and Release is required.  If an Entrant or any person contributing to an Entry is a minor, the Entrant’s parent or legal guardian must sign the required documents on the Entrant’s behalf.  Prize winners will also be required to provide a Social Security Number for tax reporting purposes.  If an Entrant fails to sign and return the required documents within the required time period or is otherwise ineligible to receive the prize, he/she will forfeit the prize.
11. General Conditions:  Prize winners are solely responsible for any fees, taxes or other costs associated with receiving any prize.  In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Promotion is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to, technical errors, tampering with Entries, winner selection, or any form or fraud, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either (a) suspend the Promotion to address the impairment and then resume the Promotion in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules or (b) award the prizes according to the best approximation of these Official Rules, from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment.  The Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the Promotion or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules.  Any attempt by any person to undermine the legitimate operation of the Promotion may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.  Failure by the Sponsor to enforce any provision of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.  The Promotion is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited.   In the event of a dispute as to the owner of an Entry, the authorized account holder of the e-mail address used to enter will be deemed to be the Entrant.  The “authorized account holder” is the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.
12. Disclaimer.   NEITHER SPONSOR, NOR its related companies, NOR ANY OF their respective agents, directors, officers, employees, attorneys, insurers, predecessors, successors OR representatives (COLLECTIVELY, “SPONSOR ENTITIES”) MAKE OR GIVE ANY REPRESENTATIONS, CONDITIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE PROMOTION, OR ANY PRIZE OR ENTRANT’S PARTICIPATION IN THE PROMOTION.  THE SPONSOR ENTITIES SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE, COST, OR INJURY THAT ARISES FROM THE PROMOTION OR ANY CAUSE, OCCURRENCE OR CONDITION THAT MIGHT CAUSE THE PROMOTION TO BE DISRUPTED, SUSPENDED OR CORRUPTED, INCLUDING: (I) LATE, LOST, DELAYED, DAMAGED, MISDIRECTED, INCOMPLETE, OR UNINTELLIGIBLE ENTRIES; (II) TELEPHONE, ELECTRONIC, HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE PROGRAM, NETWORK, INTERNET, OR COMPUTER MALFUNCTIONS, FAILURES, VIRUSES OR DIFFICULTIES OF ANY KIND; (III) FAILED, INCOMPLETE, GARBLED, OR DELAYED COMPUTER TRANSMISSIONS; AND (IV) THE DOWNLOADING OF ANY MATERIAL IN CONNECTION WITH THIS PROMOTION.
13. Release and Limitation of Liability:  Sponsor Entities shall not be liable for any claims, demands, damages and causes of action or any costs or expenses relating to the foregoing, arising out of or relating in any way to the Promotion or any prize.  By participating in this Sweepstakes, Entrants hereby release and discharge the Sponsor Entities from any and all claims, demands, damages and causes of action of every kind and nature, in law, equity or otherwise, known and unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed, and in particular any from all claims, demands, damages and causes of action of every kind and nature for damages actual and consequential, past, present, and future, arising out of, or in any way relating the Sweepstakes, the administration of the Sweepstakes, any prize awarded, the use or misuse of any prize, and any publicity, advertising or promotion relating to the Sweepstakes and/or the prize, and/or acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of the prize.  It is understood and agreed that this is a full, complete, and final general release of any and all claims described as aforesaid, and Entrant agrees that it shall apply to all unknown, unanticipated, unsuspected, and undisclosed claims, demands, liabilities, actions or causes of action, in law, equity or otherwise.  Entrant has read and fully understands the contents of section 1542 of the Civil Code of the State of California, and that section and the benefits thereof are expressly waived.  Section 1542 reads as follows:“Section 1542.  (General Release – Claims Extinguished.)  A general release does not extend to claims which the creditor does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release, which if known by him or her must have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor.”
14. Disputes:  Except where prohibited, Entrant agrees that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Promotion or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in the state of California.  All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, Entrant’s rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Promotion, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of California or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than California.
15. Promotion Results:  Prize winner will be posted on lynda.com blog on April 09, 2012. Name of winner can also be obtained by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to lynda.com Pro Tools 10 Sweepstakes, c/o lynda.com, 6410 Via Real, Carpinteria, CA  93013

Audio fans, take note! lynda.com is giving away a free copy of Avid Pro Tools 10 software—and offering a free Pro Tools course to everyone.

Enter the giveaway and join our mailing list by filling out the form below. The giveaway ends Saturday March 31, 2012, and a winner will be selected at random and notified by email on Thursday April 05, 2012. (See the Official Rules for more information about the sweepstakes, and our Privacy Policy for more information about our mailing list.)

[The Pro Tools 10 contest ended at 11:59:59 PM PT March 31, 2012. Thank you for entering! Prize winner will be posted on blog.lynda.com on Monday April 09, 2012. Good luck!]

Meanwhile, watch our free course Pro Tools 10 New Features to see what the latest version can do—including enhancements in importing, exporting, mixing, and more.

* Upon entering the Pro Tools 10 sweepstakes you will receive a confirmation email message from news@lynda.com. To ensure delivery, please add news@lynda.com to your address book. Must be 18 or older to enter the sweepstakes. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. No purchase required to enter or win. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning a prize. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

By entering this sweepstakes you agree to have read the complete
Official Rules for the lynda.com Pro Tools 10 sweepstakes.

Interested in more?
• All Pro Tools courses on lynda.com
• All audio courses on lynda.com

Suggested Courses to watch next:
• Pro Tools 10 New Features
• Pro Tools 9 Essential Training
• Mixing and Mastering with Pro Tools
• Music Editing for TV and Film in Pro Tools
• Audio Mixing Bootcamp

Brian Lee White chats with lynda.com

We recently held a live Q&A on Twitter with Oakland-based mixer, producer, and educator Brian Lee White (@brianleewhite). White is the author of several audio courses for lynda.com, most recently two Foundations of Audio courses: Compression and Dynamic Processing, and EQ and Filters. In this edited transcript, he shares his thoughts on NAMM 2012 and music industry trends.

lynda.com (@lyndadotcom): How many times have you been to NAMM? Why do you go?
Brian Lee White (@brianleewhite): I’ve been going since ’95. In the ’90s, I used to go for my dad’s music store. Now I just go to network and see friends.

David Franz (@undergroundsun): What was the coolest piece of gear you saw at NAMM?
Brian: I am really stoked about the UA Apollo. I’m a long-time UAD user and really excited about the Thunderbolt technology.
David: Yeah, that definitely seemed to have the most buzz at the show. Super cool stuff.

Simon Allardice (@allardice): Anything (software, hardware, or company) you were hoping to see appear at NAMM that didn’t show?
Brian: Good question. The lack of noise about the next generation of Logic worries me a little. It’s been a while since a major release.

David: Do you use an iPad in your workflow? If so, which apps do you recommend?
Brian: I do. I use the Neyrinck apps to remotely control my Pro Tools rig, and I have a mic stand mount so I can reach it easily. I also use the GarageBand app on my iPad for song writing. It’s really fun.

David: Seems most iOS i/o devices use the power from the iPad/iPhone connector—possible power problems? Thoughts?
Brian: I’ve yet to see any kind of pass-through connector on the peripherals, but the battery on my iPad is really decent.
David: Yeah, the only ones I’ve seen that have separate power are from IK Multimedia—great gear and apps!

Simon: Any area (compressor? Guitar sim?) where software still has a long way to go before it reaches hardware quality?
Brian: I now mix entirely in the box; for me, we’ve arrived. The speed/efficiency of the workflow makes up for any subtle differences. But don’t get me wrong, hardware still has its uses. I would be hard pressed to work without speakers/mics/pres/etc.

David: What is your deserted-island piece of music gear?
Brian: I have everything in my laptop, a whole studio with instruments and effects…I can produce a song from start to finish.

lynda Audio (@lyndaaudio): There’s a lot of gloom & doom about the music industry. What do you see as a bright spot?
Brian: There are tons of small companies doing cool things with software and iOS. Web distribution lets them reach the right users.
lynda Audio: Who specifically comes to mind?
Brian: Well, little outfits like Cytomic and Valhalla DSP make plug-ins that, for me, are best in class and a great value.

lynda.com: You just released a course on EQ/Filters. Why did you decide to tackle this topic?
Brian: In my course, I try to get away from the formulaic approach and teach people why and when to use EQ, not just how. EQ is one of the basic tools people think they mostly understand, yet often miss the big-picture thought process.

David: Get In the Mix is a new feature of your Foundations of Audio courses. Can you tell me how they work?
Brian: Get In the Mix interactive exercise files (or GITMs) are an entirely new way to learn how to use and “hear” how the tools are working, right inside your DAW. Here’s a more detailed explanation of how they work.

lynda.com: Any advice for those looking to break into the music industry?
Brian: Learn how to—and get used to—wearing many different hats. The old paradigm of getting hired at a studio is gone now.
lynda.com: Yes, we can all take our learning and careers into our own hands these days.

David: What are you working on now, music and mix-wise—if you can talk about it?
Brian: I’m not really at liberty to say right now, but be on the lookout for a major release in the next month or so.
lynda.com: That’s the way—preserve a little of the mystery!

Interested in more?
• All audio courses on lynda.com
• All courses from Brian Lee White on lynda.com
• All Logic Pro courses on lynda.com
• All Pro Tools courses on lynda.com

Suggested courses to watch next:
• Audio for Film and Video with Pro Tools 9
• Foundations of Audio: Compression and Dynamic Processing [with Get in the Mix exercise files]
• Audio Mixing Bootcamp
• Digital Audio Principles
• Pro Tools 10 Essential Training

Tags: Interview