Plugins are the digital version of analog processors like compressors, EQs, and reverbs. Some plugins, called virtual instruments or software instruments, act as synthesizers or samplers. Matt demonstrates some of the benefits of plugins, like only needing one piece of software to add an effect to dozens of tracks. VST is one specific type of plugin; others include AudioUnits, AAX, and RTAS. Plugins need to match the computer's OS and the DAW's format to work.
- In a traditional analogue studio,…you'll find lots of musical instruments to produce sounds…and lots of equipment…like mixers and effect units…to process sounds.…In a digital studio,…software versions of those…instruments and processors…are inside of the dock.…The software versions are called plugins.…While analogue enthusiasts often…profess the audio superiority of analogue gear,…plugins in your dock are highly capable.…The quality of your work will depend…much more on your decisions and skills…than on whether the instruments and effects…are analogue or digital.…
The very best plugins may even be…even better than their analogue counterparts…because they have no unintended…noise or distortion…or because they do things that are impossible…in the analogue demand.…They're are also some distinct practical…advantages to using plugins.…If you want to use the same effect on 20 tracks,…you don't need 20 hardware units of the effect…in a rack of gear…or built in a mixing console.…You simply need to create duplicates of the…
The course starts with explanations of what sound really is and how we hear it, including discussions on frequency, amplitude, phase, and psychoacoustics. Matt explores analog audio signal path, explaining connections, gain staging, and metering. Next, he brings the audio signal into the digital domain, discussing analog to digital conversion, digital gain staging, file formats and compression, and dither.
Then the course digs into digital audio workstations (DAWs), explaining the concepts and misconceptions involved in digital recording systems. Matt describes how memory, CPU speed, and storage affect your DAW's performance, as well as how to manage computer resources and understand the plethora of file formats associated with digital recording. He follows with an overview of MIDI: how to generate, store, process, and communicate MIDI data. He wraps up with the audio processors that are often used for mixing in a DAW—including EQ, compressors, reverb, delay, and many others.
- What is sound?
- The three domains of sound: acoustic, analog, and digital
- The analog vs. digital signal paths
- Converting analog audio to digital
- Digital formats and data compression
- Understanding the five types of DAWs
- Recording performances with MIDI
- Mixing and processing audio with EQ, compression, and other effects
Skill Level Beginner
Music Production Secrets: Larry Crane on Recordingwith Larry Crane2h 21m Intermediate
Drum Setup and Mic'ing in the Studiowith Ryan Hewitt1h 14m Appropriate for all
1. Concepts of Sound
2. The Signal Path: Acoustic and Analog
3. The Signal Path: Digital
4. Digital Audio Workstations
6. Mixing and Processing Audio
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