Have I ever mentioned that I hated dating?

I was lucky to meet my wife as soon as I did, because I just wasn’t cut out for the dating scene, especially first dates.

But guess what? Recording music is surprisingly similar to a first date.

(Especially if you’re just starting out.)

Let me show you how.

#1. You’re constantly second-guessing your every move, paranoid that you’ll ruin everything.

You can be so worried about getting a great-sounding mix that you inevitably become paralyzed. You can’t decide if mix #47 sounds as good as mix #13, so you obsess over it endlessly.

#2. You listen to bad advice.

“If you open the car door for her, and she the unlocks YOUR door while you’re walking around, then you know she’s the One.”

Umm…right.

It’s the same for home studio folks. You take advice from some random dude in a forum rather than using your brain to try things for yourself.

#3. You put way too much pressure on yourself.

News Flash: The first date doesn’t make that big of a difference. You won’t lose your soul mate forever because you weren’t the perfect date.

It’s the same in the studio. Your mixes aren’t ruined forever if they have some imperfections. (In fact, I’d argue that those imperfections are sometimes the best parts of a mix.)

#4. You spend a lot of money, thinking that it will make a difference.

Look, she ain’t gonna marry you just because you dropped 200 bucks on a lobster dinner.

And whatever shiny piece of gear you’re about to buy won’t make your recordings instantly amazing.

It just doesn’t work that way.

If you want to get better results in the studio, you’ve gotta spend time “getting to know” the basics of audio.

That’s why I created Understanding EQ, to debunk a lot of myths and teach you a proven, simple method for getting better-sounding mixes.

Now dry those sweaty palms and click on over to:

www.UnderstandingEQ.com

Joe Gilder
Home Studio Corner

I gotta admit, I’m a huge fan of the TV show “The Office.” (More specifically, the first five or six seasons…not such much the latest stuff.)

If you’re not familiar with the show, it essentially centers around an idiot boss named Michael Scott, who is constantly making bad decisions.

In one episode in particular, it’s “Pretzel Day” at the office. This guy shows up once a year with a pretzel cart and gives out free hot pretzels to everyone in the office.

Michael waits in line all morning for his pretzel, and when he finally makes his way to the front of the line, he has to decide what toppings he wants.

The pretzel guy rattles off at least fifteen different options.

Michael shyly replies, “Is there any way I can get…all of them?”

The guy proceeds to give Michael “the works” — more sugar than any human should ingest in one sitting. Needless to say, a sugar rush is soon to follow…and more hilarity.

But what can a bumbling boss on a sugar high teach us about recording?

We all have a tendency, like Michael, to overdo things. We eat too much sugar. We watch too much TV. (Oops, busted.)

When it comes to recording, it’s easy to take a good song and add so much garbage on top that it becomes a big mess.

This is especially easy to do with compression.

Compression is like sugar.

You get a little taste of it, and you fall in love. “This makes everything sound better!!”

So you compress more and more — track after track — until you realize that suddenly your mixes aren’t sounding good anymore. They sound dull and lifeless.

Is more compression the answer?

Negative Ghostrider.

You need to back it down. Show some moderation. Take a simpler approach.

I’m a firm believer that “less is more.”

And it seems to have paid off for me and my mixes.

More here:

www.UnderstandingCompression.com

Joe Gilder
Home Studio Corner

P.S. Have you heard about Dynamic Range Day? Okay. Stop what you’re doing and check it out here:

DynamicRangeDay.co.uk

My buddy Ian Shepherd puts this on every year, and it’s awesome.

You can learn all about WHY dynamic range is important in your mixes (and why too much compression is a bad thing), plus there’s a huge giveaway. Prizes include free copies of two of my videos: Understanding EQ — www.UnderstandingEQ.com — and Understanding Compression — www.UnderstandingCompression.com.

I’m not a big fan of exercise.

But I’m also not a big fan of being — how do I put this delicately? — “husky.”

But there’s really no way to lose the chub without putting in the hard work.

I can buy the latest workout routine DVD or book, sign up for a gym membership, create a killer spreadsheet to track my progress, develop the perfect workout plan, buy all the equipment I need…

…but NONE of those things will help me lose a single pound.