Small Bites | Beat Kitchen

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Small Bites

Content from our social media — music theory, songwriting, engineering, mixing, synthesis, and more — collected in one place. If you saw something on our page and want to find it again, it's here. Read it, search it, share it.

Featured Bite

Video thumbnail: Whether you call it a bus or whether you call it a send and a return, the utility of running...

A dedicated space

Whether you call it a bus or whether you call it a send and a return, the utility of running effects like reverbs and delays in parallel rather than in series is more than just a matter of resource management.

That's What Facebook is For

I made a mistake in a video.

Your Fader Has a Sweet Spot

I think it’s time we talked about your fader.

producer malpractice

It’s producer malpractice if you don’t do a quick gut check on the key of your song before you record that awesome vocal.

Pan Law

If you max out your signal and pan it to one side, you’re probably gonna clip your output.

Video thumbnail: Let me simplify chords for you a little bit by telling you that on the piano there are only four...

simplifying augmented chords

Let me simplify chords for you a little bit by telling you that on the piano there are only four augmented chords.

Weather Sonification

What if you could hear everything? Sound waves are spheres with pressure in one dimension and time in the other.

Video thumbnail: Let’s talk three to one rule, because first of all, not a rule, more of a back of the napkin...

The 3:1 Rule — Why Position Beats Price

The difference between good and bad mic placement is bigger than the difference between a $100 and $3,000 microphone. The 3:1 rule is where that starts — and knowing when to break it is where it gets interesting.

Video thumbnail: You might be surprised to learn that the big studio sound you like isn’t just a byproduct of a big...

Diversify

You might be surprised to learn that the big studio sound you like isn’t just a byproduct of a big studio.

Video thumbnail: If you’re starting to make your own music, there will come a time when you find yourself scratching...

naming chords a three step series

If you’re starting to make your own music, there will come a time when you find yourself scratching your head looking at a bunch of notes and asking what chord is this?

Video thumbnail: Here are 10 chords for you to chew on, centered around the key of C until you’re ready to join a...

Ten Chords You Should Know

Here are 10 chords for you to chew on, centered around the key of C until you’re ready to join a beat kitchen class.

Expensive Chords

Let’s look at some expensive sounding chords.

Rare Chords

I’m going to show you a really rare chord progression.

What Makes Music Production Schools Unique

You all know that everyone on here is basically teaching the same stuff, right?

Don't Forget Your Superpower

Don’t forget, your superpower in music isn’t something you’re learning or something you’re gonna learn.

All Bites

Showing 12 of 610 articles (Page 24 of 51)

Compression: frequency or level

Does a compressor operate on level or frequency?

Altoids Patchbay Tester

So what the heck is this?

Keytar: cables and Archemedes

It was the great Greek physicist Archimedes who said, "Give me a lever long enough and I’ll break your keytar.

Why is Compression

Everyone learns what a compressor does. The real question is why. A compressor isn't a one-trick pony — it's the same tool solving a whole variety of …

chorDLE! ear training — identify the constant note and name the chord

chorDLE!: Try To Accomplish Two Things

An ear training exercise: identify the note that never changes and name the chord at the end — by structure or by function.

Keyboard MVP

The most valuable piano voicing you can learn — a 6/4 inversion straight out of Miles Davis that exerts maximum force for minimum energy.

Getting Started

We see both experienced and beginner producers at Bee Kitchen.

Another Cable Wrapping Video

I can’t believe I’m saying this.

Contrast: panning

First, let’s start with the obvious.

Reach: Keyboard Extremities

Thoughts on playing wide intervals on piano, plus a couple exercises from physical therapy for extending your reach.

Video thumbnail: Stereosaurus, monoreverb.

Stereo Source: Mono Reverb

Why sending a stereo source to a mono reverb return often sounds better than stereo reverb on everything — and how it keeps your mix focused.

Bounce Version as a File

As you iterate through versions of a work in progress, bounce each version as a file so you can compare mixes without reopening sessions.