This post offers some simple tips to help collectors extend the life of analog recording media and prioritize their preservation for the long term. We live in a lucky time: we have sound recordings available to us at our very fingertips. Recorded sound surrounds us, and recordings – spoken or sung – are an almost […]
Dave Glasser Spots Positive Trends at AES
I returned from the annual AES (Audio Engineering Society) Convention in Los Angeles, held there after a 12-year hiatus. (AES has dropped San Francisco as a west coast convention site.) I love San Francisco, but it was great to be back in LA where so much of the music, film, and recording industry is based. […]
Quality Control: What and When
Quality Control, or QC, is an important part of the production process. Whether you are making a physical product or a digital one, QC makes sure everything is made as was designed. Many companies will hire a 3rd party to oversee quality control in the production of physical goods, especially if hiring a factory from […]
How to Plan A Vinyl Release Without Delays and Headaches
Increased demand pushes the supply chain Since 2012, when Nielsen reported that 4.6 million vinyl LPs were sold, vinyl sales have nearly doubled. Nielsen projects 2014 sales over eight million vinyl units. These stats likely undercount indie vinyl releases, or 7” or 10” discs (the smaller projects that many Airshow clients favor). Infographic courtesy of […]
Oral History: Capture the Best Interview
When I conducted oral history interviews as a college student, I knew something about interviewing (but not much!) and nothing about audio. Armed with a portable cassette recorder the size of a textbook with only a built-in microphone, I worked to gather recollections from elderly union members about events 30 years in the past. As […]
Comparing Headphones Online (Or, Isn’t Technology Cool?)
Auditioning Headphones online? You’ve got to be kidding!? Well, no, not really. Thanks to great technological advances (increased bandwidth, faster transfer speeds, and of course great microphones, pre-amps, converters, and measurement equipment) along with cool online audio and video repositories (SoundCloud, YouTube), the audio industry and world at large have access to content and information […]
Is it Time to Rethink Your Master Parts Order?
Many recordings are released these days in several formats – CD, downloads in multiple resolutions and file formats, LP’s, and streaming. While the CD master at 16-bit/44.1 kHz resolution remains the most useful master format, one master does not fit all! With the growth of DIY digital sales platforms and Apple’s Mastered for iTunes (MFiT) […]
Why Book a Listening Session Before Mastering Your New Project
A listening session with your mastering engineer before mastering is a critical step in finishing your project. You can address potential sonic concerns and make sure you and your engineer are on the same creative wavelength. You are welcome to attend your listening session. You and your engineer will listen to your mixes on a […]