Joe Albano

Joe Albano

Joe is a musician, engineer, and producer in NYC. Over the years, as a small studio operator and freelance engineer, he's made recordings of all types from music & album production to v/o & post. He's also taught all aspects of recording and music technology at several NY audio schools, and has been writing articles for Recording magazine for many years.

Articles by Joe Albano

/ 319 Articles

6 Mistakes To Avoid When Using Distortion Processors / Amp Sims

With so many distortion and amp sim processing units and plugins available we take a look at processing mistakes to avoid, and conversely, provide some tips to help you tame the distortion as needed.

5 Mixing Mistakes To Avoid: Using Panning & Imaging Tools

Placing sounds in the stereo field is a hugely important part of mixing. Joe Albano is back with 5 common mistakes every producer should avoid when using panning and imaging tools on their tracks.

Don't Use the Wrong Reverb: Finding the Best Reverb For Instruments and Vocals

Knowing what NOT to do is as helpful as knowing what to do. Avoiding mistakes can result in a fuller understanding of good practice and techniques, especially when it come to mixing reverb & delay.

How High Is High Enough For Hi-Resolution Audio?

How high should audio engineers go? (We're talking about high-resolution audio of course!) Joe Albano explores one of the digital theory behind a divisive topic amongst music and audio professionals.

Mixing Tutorial: Adjusting Transients Using Waves Trans-X

Waves Trans-X is a transient shaper that offers more than a traditional compressor or transient shaper does. In this tutorial Joe Albano explores how to adjust attack transients when mixing drums.

Production Tip: Explore The Individual Characters of Different EQ Plug-Ins

It's surprising how many producers stick with their DAWs built-in EQ plugin. There's no harm in it, but Joe Albano explains why just trying different EQ plugins results in different flavors...

Producer Tips: Why Relying On Compression Presets Is A Bad Idea

Software compressors comes with a range of presets designed to be useful. But perhaps presets are more dangerous than they are helpful? Watch Joe Albano explain why you shouldn't rely on presets!

5 Mistakes To Avoid When Mixing With Delay-Based FX

Music production rules are often there to be broken. Here are five essential mistakes to avoid when using delay-based plugins in your productions, along with extensive tips to do it right.

6 Mistakes To Avoid When Recording Drums

Setting up a multi-mic recording of a drum kit is complex, so it's no surprise that there are any number of things that can trip up an intrepid recordist. Here are 6 potential pitfalls to avoid.

7 Mistakes To Avoid When Mastering

If you're attempting to master music as a novice or as an experienced producer, this article details seven mistakes you should avoid... and how to approach the mastering process for better results.

Setting Up Your Musicians' Monitor Mix For Better Recording Sessions

One of the keys to a successful recording session is an optimized monitor mix for the recording musician. With the right balance you could transform an OK tracking session into something special.

6 Mistakes To Avoid When Mixing With Compression

The compressor is perhaps the most used of the dynamics (and other categories of) plug-in types when mixing and producing music for corrective & creative processing. Here's 6 mistakes to avoid.

6 Tips for Getting The Best From Sampled Instruments

The once simple sampled instrument has steadily been evolving and today these instruments are larger and more accurate and expressive than ever. Here's 6 tips for getting the most from them.

5 Mistakes To Avoid When Arranging Your Next Track

Stepping back and taking a break from your music project during the arrangement process can be priceless. Here's 5 other common mistakes to avoid when arranging your next song or piece of music.

Review: Sample Logic CINEMORPHX

CINEMORPHX from Sample Logic promises big things. We've been hands-on with it through the final weeks of its development and are mightily impressed with its sound design capabilities and flexibility.