microphones

At his legendary Sun Records studio, producer Sam Phillips recorded tracks that formed the earliest library of rock ’n’ roll music. He cut seminal records with Howlin’ Wolf, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and the king himself, Elvis Presley.

Here’s a breakdown of classic Sun Records recording methods, and a brief guide to matching them in your own studio.

Greetings and welcome to another Dojo. Last month I showed you how to get some early-Beatles vibe into your mixes. This time, I’d like to turn the clock back a bit earlier, put the ragtop down, throttle the Chevy small-block V8 and burn rubber back to the cradle of American rock ’n’ roll—Memphis, Tennessee. Tighten up your (seat) belts, the Dojo is now open.

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Four blue-chip engineers—Dave Fridmann, Eric Bauer, Colin Marston, and Jarvis Taveniere—explain what you need to do to prepare your home recordings for prime-time mixing—and sonic glory.

Some time ago, home recording was a field largely occupied by ambitious amateurs who weren't quite ready for a pro studio and wild eccentrics whose limitless creativity knew no bounds. This made the rare home-recorded release a special treat, and albums by artists such as Brian Wilson, Daniel Johnston, and Guided By Voices gave us a glimpse into their raw creative processes. But as the ubiquity of laptop DAWs replaced 4-track machines and portable digital recording consoles as the de facto home setup, the field became democratized.

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Why you should consider tracking the acoustic sound of your solid-, semi-, or hollowbody axe in addition to the amp it's plugged into.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Dojo. This month we are going to do something rarely done and counterintuitive. We are going to mic our electric guitar in addition to the amp! Why? Because there is something to be gained. The Dojo is now open, so let's get started.

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