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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.

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How Do You Know How Much Compression To Use

"How do I know how much compression to use?" Just use your ears.

Anatomy of a Reverb

After the onset of the original sound, the anatomy of a reverb occurs in three distinct stages.

Reach: Keyboard Extremities

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

Audio Interface

Your audio interface is a device that does a few different things.

Stitch: Emma Harner

It’s a shame to talk over this beautiful song by Emma Harner.

Sound Waves Spheres

Music exists for the sole purpose of bringing joy into the world.

Patches Aren't Presets

I don’t give a rat’s ass if you use presets or not.

Unexpected Minor Endings

Here are three unexpected ways to end a song in a minor key.

Video thumbnail: Markers and Logic are great for labeling sections of your song, but did you know they can also...

Floating Logic Markers

Markers and Logic are great for labeling sections of your song, but did you know they can also contain lots of extra text?

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.

Reed Organ

Hey everyone, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.

Video thumbnail: You may have heard of the four chord progression, but think of it more like a family of chord...

Ouroborus: four chord progression

You may have heard of the four chord progression, but think of it more like a family of chord conversions, one of which you may actually know really, really well.

Music Theory: Double Flats

The breaking point between right and correct in music theory — why double flats exist and what they tell us about context.

Video thumbnail: This is a directional microphone and when I point it away from my face You might expect it to be...

Directional Mic: two signals, room sound

This is a directional microphone and when I point it away from my face You might expect it to be quieter than this But the thing is when you hear me, you’re not just hearing me in one place You’re hearing me and you’re hearing the sound as it bounces around the room and that might surprise you Because even this shoddy Designed to reject as much of the environment as possible still picks up a lot of sound off-axis Where it might feel more like 60/40 rather than 80/20 I like to think of any microphone as if it has two signals and not one There’s the room sound which never really changes and a direct signal where you do have some control and what you should Understand from this is that maybe more important than this mic or this one or this one is the room You’re in and which way are you facing?

Flow: Order of Operations

There’s an order of operations I prefer when announcing a new take.

All Bites

Showing 12 of 611 articles (Page 42 of 51)

Don't Sleep on Spreadsheets

We made this in the beat building jam today.

Imagine How This Sounds

You could imagine the way this space sounds.

Video thumbnail: Hey everybody, you may be aware of our songwriting incubator, but we’ve got some new classes coming...

Songwriting Production Mixing Incubator

Hey everybody, you may be aware of our songwriting incubator, but we’ve got some new classes coming up in a new format and I wanted to tell you about …

Video thumbnail: Okay, this just in. If you want me or someone from Beat Kitchen to come and talk to your newspaper,...

Thanks But No Thanks

Okay, this just in. If you want me or someone from Beat Kitchen to come and talk to your newspaper, we would be delighted. Not only does that sound …

Video thumbnail: As a lot of music theory conversations break down, when I realize someone’s asking, What is...

What Are Mosquitos For

As a lot of music theory conversations break down, when I realize someone’s asking, "What is this chord for?" Chords aren’t for anything.

Video thumbnail: If you get confused because things don’t sound the way you expect them to, that happens to...

WHen I Was Your Age

If you get confused because things don’t sound the way you expect them to, that happens to everybody.

BKS Mission

Hey everybody, a lot of you are new and if you are, I want to let you know what we’re doing here.

listing your gear

Listing your gear is just as likely to disqualify you from a gig than to qualify you for one.

Time Luck

This clock is accurate twice a day.

Equal Temperament (fist version)

Like borders between nations, the borders between notes are arbitrary.

cable lacing

Today, I’m ripping apart my studio.

Video thumbnail: This viewer raises a really interesting question and I’m gonna do my best to channel a Hank Green...

Twenty Octaves Below Twenty

This viewer raises a really interesting question and I’m gonna do my best to channel a Hank Green moment and answer it informally.